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.

Ethics as Critique: Foucault’s Contribution to Research Ethics

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Christensen, Gerd

The aim of my talk is to discuss how we can consider Michel Foucault’s concept of ethos and his endeavor for endless critique as an important contribution to research ethics in educational research. First, I intend to outline Foucault’s concept of ethos and its link to his concept of critique....... Second, I intend to demonstrate how it can fruitfully be applied to the established research ethics within qualitative research. This will occur through examples culled from a qualitative research project on the application of project studies (PBL) as a method at two Danish universities. The findings...... students. This had a significant impact on the possibilities and educational success of the students: while some students were marginalized or even excluded from the groups (and maybe even from the university) others were subjectivated as successful students. Thus, the findings points at ethics in general...

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.

DOE Research Contributions to Radiation and Cancer Therapy

Science.gov (United States)

dropdown arrow Site Map A-Z Index Menu Synopsis DOE Research Contributions to Radiation and Cancer Therapy Possible: DOE Advanced Biomedical Technology Research, page 10 Over the time span of many years, DOE's research has made many contributions to radiation and cancer therapy, including PEREGRINE and Boron Neutron

Contribution of Food Groups to Energy and Nutrient Intakes in Five Developed Countries

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nancy Auestad

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Economic growth in developing countries and globalization of the food sector is leading to increasingly similar food consumption patterns worldwide. The aim of this study was to describe similarities and differences in the contributions of main food groups to energy and nutrient intakes in five developed countries across three continents. We obtained summary reports of national food consumption survey data from Australia, France, Denmark, the Netherlands, and the United States. Survey years spanned 2003–2012; sample size ranged from 1444 to 17,386. To mitigate heterogeneity of food groups across countries, we recategorized each survey’s reported food groups and subgroups into eight main food groups and, for three countries, a ninth “mixed dishes” group. We determined the percent contribution of each food group to mean daily intakes of energy, saturated fat, sodium, fiber, and ten vitamins and minerals that are commonly under-consumed. Differences in findings from surveys utilizing a foods-as-consumed versus a disaggregated or ingredients approach to food group composition and contributions from the milk and milk products group, a source of several under-consumed nutrients, were explored. Patterns of food group contributions to energy and nutrient intakes were generally similar across countries. Some differences were attributable to the analytical approach used by the surveys. For the meat/protein, milk and milk products, vegetables, and fruit groups, percent contributions to key nutrient intakes exceeded percent contributions to energy intake. The mixed dishes group provided 10%–20% of total daily energy and a similar 10%–25% of the daily intake of several nutrients. This descriptive study contributes to an understanding of food group consumption patterns in developed countries.

Contribution of Food Groups to Energy and Nutrient Intakes in Five Developed Countries

Science.gov (United States)

Auestad, Nancy; Hurley, Judith S.; Fulgoni, Victor L.; Schweitzer, Cindy M.

2015-01-01

Economic growth in developing countries and globalization of the food sector is leading to increasingly similar food consumption patterns worldwide. The aim of this study was to describe similarities and differences in the contributions of main food groups to energy and nutrient intakes in five developed countries across three continents. We obtained summary reports of national food consumption survey data from Australia, France, Denmark, the Netherlands, and the United States. Survey years spanned 2003–2012; sample size ranged from 1444 to 17,386. To mitigate heterogeneity of food groups across countries, we recategorized each survey’s reported food groups and subgroups into eight main food groups and, for three countries, a ninth “mixed dishes” group. We determined the percent contribution of each food group to mean daily intakes of energy, saturated fat, sodium, fiber, and ten vitamins and minerals that are commonly under-consumed. Differences in findings from surveys utilizing a foods-as-consumed versus a disaggregated or ingredients approach to food group composition and contributions from the milk and milk products group, a source of several under-consumed nutrients, were explored. Patterns of food group contributions to energy and nutrient intakes were generally similar across countries. Some differences were attributable to the analytical approach used by the surveys. For the meat/protein, milk and milk products, vegetables, and fruit groups, percent contributions to key nutrient intakes exceeded percent contributions to energy intake. The mixed dishes group provided 10%–20% of total daily energy and a similar 10%–25% of the daily intake of several nutrients. This descriptive study contributes to an understanding of food group consumption patterns in developed countries. PMID:26061017

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

Contribuições da poética social à pesquisa em psicoterapia de grupo Contributions of social poesis to group psychotherapy research

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Carla Guanaes

2008-08-01

Full Text Available Esse artigo tem por objetivo apresentar algumas contribuições do construcionismo social e da poética social ao entendimento da psicoterapia de grupo e de sua investigação científica. O construcionismo social se define como uma forma alternativa de inteligibilidade em ciência, que privilegia a compreensão do modo como as pessoas constroem sentidos sobre o mundo e sobre si mesmas em suas práticas discursivas. Coerente com essa perspectiva, a poética social caracteriza uma prática de pesquisa útil à investigação dos processos conversacionais, enfatizando a centralidade do pesquisador na construção de sentidos sobre seu objeto de estudo. Nesse artigo, buscamos demonstrar como estas perspectivas podem sustentar uma prática sistemática de pesquisa sobre a psicoterapia de grupo. Para tanto, apresenta os passos metodológicos desenvolvidos em um estudo acerca de um grupo em saúde mental, demonstrando como esses permitiram compreender o processo conversacional por meio do qual o próprio grupo se constituiu como um recurso terapêutico.The objective of this article is to describe some contributions of social constructionism and social poesis in the description of group psychotherapy and its scientific investigation. Social constructionism is an alternative form of intelligibility in science, which focuses on the comprehension of the way people make sense of the world and of themselves in their discursive practices. Concurrent with this perspective, social poesis can be described as a research practice that is useful in investigating the conversational processes, emphasizing the centrality of the researcher in the construction of meanings about its object of study. In this article, we aim to describe how these perspectives can sustain a systematic research practice of group psychotherapy. Thus, we describe some methodological steps developed in a study about a group in a mental health setting, showing how they helped us to comprehend

Pregnant teenagers' group: contributions to prenatal care.

Science.gov (United States)

Queiroz, Maria Veraci Oliveira; Menezes, Giselle Maria Duarte; Silva, Thaís Jormanna Pereira; Brasil, Eysler Gonçalves Maia; Silva, Raimunda Magalhães da

2017-06-05

To describe changes in nurses' care following the implementation of a group of pregnant teenagers in prenatal care based on the expectations and experiences of pregnant teenagers. Qualitative and descriptive study conducted from February to November 2013 at a Primary Care Unit in Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil, through focus groups with 16 adolescents from the group of pregnant women in the second or third trimester of pregnancy. The analysis identified central ideas and units of meanings that formed the categories. The strategy of a group of pregnant teenagers, which provides a space for coexistence and the establishment of ties encourages these individuals to talk about their needs, re-signifying their ties. Educational strategies to promote self-care of pregnant teenagers and care for their babies involve the sharing of experiences, doubts and beliefs. Considerations and suggestions of the adolescents contributed to guide nurses' practice and provide a strategic space of care and support for pregnant adolescents in primary care.

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.

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

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

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.

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

Focus group interviews examining the contribution of intellectual disability clinical nurse specialists in Ireland.

Science.gov (United States)

Doody, Owen; Slevin, Eamonn; Taggart, Laurence

2017-10-01

To explore the contribution of clinical nurse specialists in intellectual disability nursing in Ireland. While clinical nurse specialists exist since the 1940s, they have only been a reality in Ireland since 2001. While the role of clinical nurse specialist has developed over the years, it still however is often seen as a complex multifaceted role that causes confusion, frustration and controversy. A exploratory qualitative approach using focus groups with Irish intellectual disability clinical nurse specialists (n = 31). Five focus group interviews were conducted to gather qualitative data to gain insight into the attitudes, perceptions and opinions of the participants. Data were audio-recorded, transcribed and analysed using Burnard's (Vital Notes for Nurses: Research for Evidence-Based Practice in Healthcare, 2011, Blackwell Publishing, Oxford) framework. Ethical approval was gained from the researcher's university and access granted by the national council for the professional development of nursing/midwifery in Ireland. The study highlights that intellectual disability clinical nurse specialists contribute to and support care delivery across a range of areas including client-focused and family-centred care, staff support, organisation support, community support and supporting other agencies. Overall, the study shows the importance of intellectual disability clinical nurse specialists and their contribution across a range of services, care environments and the support they offer to clients/families/staff/multidisciplinary team members and outside agencies. Ireland is in a unique position to develop knowledge regarding specialist care for people with intellectual disability that can be shared and adapted by other healthcare professionals in other countries that do not have specialised intellectual disability nurses. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

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.

Careers research in Europe: Identity and contribution

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Khapova, S.N.; Vinkenburg, C.J.; Arnold, J.M.

2009-01-01

This guest editorial introduces the special section of the Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology 'Careers research in Europe'. Contributing to the aim of the special section to highlight the value of the European careers research for the benefit of the global community of career

Research for the thermal change. Contributions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Szczepanski, Petra; Wunschick, Franziska; Martin, Niklas

2016-01-01

The energy transition in the heating sector is not a sure-fire success and it is too slow. This is alarming since the heating / cooling sector is responsible for more than half of the final energy demand. That the ''thermal change'' has accelerated hardly despite many efforts by politics, industry and research in recent years, is the reason for the scientists the FVEE institutes to examine the perspectives of renewable energy and the need to increase efficiency in the heating sector systematically. therefore FVEE-2015 Annual Meeting, is entitled ''Research for the thermal change''. The contributions of this conference proceedings present the latest research results and show ways to implement the heat change technically, economically and politically. They are dedicated to the drivers, but also the barriers of heat change. The authors report on innovative projects to provide buildings with heat from geothermal energy, biomass and solar thermal energy. Several contributions are dedicated to the application of efficient components, such as thermal insulation, thermal storage and heat pumps. [de

Group Contribution Based Process Flowsheet Synthesis, Design and Modelling

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

d'Anterroches, Loïc; Gani, Rafiqul

2004-01-01

This paper presents a process-group-contribution Method to model. simulate and synthesize a flowsheet. The process-group based representation of a flowsheet together with a process "property" model are presented. The process-group based synthesis method is developed on the basis of the computer...... aided molecular design methods and gives the ability to screen numerous process alternatives without the need to use the rigorous process simulation models. The process "property" model calculates the design targets for the generated flowsheet alternatives while a reverse modelling method (also...... developed) determines the design variables matching the target. A simple illustrative example highlighting the main features of the methodology is also presented....

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…

Group contribution modelling for the prediction of safety-related and environmental properties

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Frutiger, Jerome; Abildskov, Jens; Sin, Gürkan

warming potential and ozone depletion potential. Process safety studies and environmental assessments rely on accurate property data. Safety data such as flammability limits, heat of combustion or auto ignition temperature play an important role in quantifying the risk of fire and explosions among others......We present a new set of property prediction models based on group contributions to predict major safety-related and environmental properties for organic compounds. The predicted list of properties includes lower and upper flammability limits, heat of combustion, auto ignition temperature, global...... models like group contribution (GC) models can estimate data. However, the estimation needs to be accurate, reliable and as little time-consuming as possible so that the models can be used on the fly. In this study the Marrero and Gani group contribution (MR GC) method has been used to develop the models...

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

Contributions of Socialization Theory to Consumer Behavior Research

Science.gov (United States)

Ward, Scott

1978-01-01

Socialization theory can contribute to consumer research because it focuses on (1) youth and development, (2) interaction of factors affecting consumer behavior, and (3) linkages between mental processes and overt behavior. Various approaches to socialization research and consumer research are described, including cognitive development and…

Estimation of Physical Properties of Amino Acids by Group-Contribution Method

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jhamb, Spardha Virendra; Liang, Xiaodong; Gani, Rafiqul

2018-01-01

In this paper, we present group-contribution (GC) based property models for estimation of physical properties of amino acids using their molecular structural information. The physical properties modelled in this work are normal melting point (Tm), aqueous solubility (Ws), and octanol....../water partition coefficient (Kow) of amino acids. The developed GC-models are based on the published GC-method by Marrero and Gani (J. Marrero, R. Gani, Fluid Phase Equilib. 2001, 183-184, 183-208) with inclusion of new structural parameters (groups and molecular weight of compounds). The main objective...... of introducing these new structural parameters in the GC-model is to provide additional structural information for amino acids having large and complex structures and thereby improve predictions of physical properties of amino acids. The group-contribution values were calculated by regression analysis using...

Dreaming the Research Process: A Psychotherapeutic Contribution to the Culture of Healthcare Research

Science.gov (United States)

Macaskie, Jane; Lees, John

2011-01-01

This paper challenges the neglect of psychotherapeutic methods in therapy research and discusses the use of methods arising directly from therapy practice to generate research data. Recent developments in therapy research culture are critiqued in order to contextualise the present contribution. The research design and methodology evolve from the…

Research for the energy turnaround. Phase transitions actively shape. Contributions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Szczepanski, Petra; Wunschick, Franziska; Martin, Niklas

2015-01-01

The Annual Conference 2014 of the Renewable Energy Research Association was held in Berlin on 6 and 7 November 2014. This book documents the contributions of the conference on research for the energy turnaround, phase transitions actively shape. After an introduction and two contributions to the political framework, the contributions to the economic phases of the energy transition, the phase of the current turn, the phases of social energy revolution, the stages of heat turnaround (Waermewende), and the stages of the mobility turn deal with the stages of development of the energy system. Finally, the Research Association Renewable Energy is briefly presented. [de

Seymour Fisher contributions to research on body image

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

P.R.L. Ribeiro

2011-01-01

Full Text Available The aim of this work was to systematically review Seymour Fisher contributions to research on body image. A literature review of his work on body perception, distorted body image, body boundary, assigned meanings to specific body areas, and general body awareness was carried out on four of the books written by the author. Fisher correlated those variables with defense mechanisms, adaptation, and body anxiety. Moreover, he also considered the roles played by culture and personality on the complex phenomenon of body experience. This review intends to disseminate Seymour Fisher contributions among Brazilian researchers on body image.

A group contribution method to estimate the densities of ionic liquids

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Qiao Yan; Ma Youguang; Huo Yan; Ma Peisheng; Xia Shuqian

2010-01-01

Densities of ionic liquids at different temperature and pressure were collected from 84 references. The collection contains 7381 data points derived from 123 pure ionic liquids and 13 kinds of binary ionic liquids mixtures. In terms of the collected database, a group contribution method based on 51 groups was used to predict the densities of ionic liquids. In group partition, the effect of interaction among several substitutes on the same center was considered. The same structure in different substitutes may have different group values. According to the estimation of pure ionic liquids' densities, the results show that the average relative error is 0.88% and the standard deviation (S) is 0.0181. Using the set of group values three pure ionic liquids densities were predicted, the average relative error is 0.27% and the S is 0.0048. For ionic liquid mixtures, they are thought considered as idea mixtures, so the group contribution method was used to estimate their densities and the average relative error is 1.22% with S is 0.0607. And the method can also be used to estimate the densities of MCl x type ionic liquids which are produced by mixing an ionic liquid with a Cl - anion and a kind of metal chloride.

A predictive group-contribution simplified PC-SAFT equation of state: Application to polymer systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tihic, Amra; Kontogeorgis, Georgios; von Solms, Nicolas

2008-01-01

A group-contribution (GC) method is coupled with the molecular-based perturbed-chain statistical associating fluid theory (PC-SAFT) equation of state (EoS) to predict its characteristic pure compound parameters. The estimation of group contributions for the parameters is based on a parameter...... are the molecular structure of the polymer of interest in terms of functional groups and a single binary interaction parameter for accurate mixture calculations....

Contributions of qualitative research to evidence-based practice in nursing

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ailinger Rita L.

2003-01-01

Full Text Available AIM: This article aims to identify the contributions of qualitative research to evidence-based practice in nursing. BACKGROUND: Qualitative research dates back to the 1920s and 1930s, when anthropologists and sociologists used qualitative research methods to study human phenomena in naturalistic settings and from a holistic viewpoint. Afterwards, other subject matters, including nursing, adopted qualitative methods to answer their research questions. The restructuring of health care over the past decade has brought about increased accountability in nursing research. One method for increasing this accountability is evidence-based practice. METHOD: The method used was a search in the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature database from 1999-present. The search resulted in 61 citations for evidence-based practice in nursing research; however, only 5 citations focused on evidence-based practice and qualitative research. FINDINGS: The authors' findings revealed six contributions of qualitative research to evidence-based practice: generation of hypotheses; development and validation of instruments; provision of context for evaluation; development of nursing interventions; development of new research questions; and application of Qualitative Outcome Analysis. CONCLUSION: Qualitative research makes important contributions to the quality of evidence-based practice.

Award for Distinguished Professional Contributions to Applied Research: Luciano L'Abate

Science.gov (United States)

American Psychologist, 2009

2009-01-01

Luciano L'Abate, recipient of the Award for Distinguished Professional Contributions to Applied Research, contributed to applied research through the introduction of the laboratory method in clinical psychology assessment and intervention, leading to the development of the first automated playroom, linking play therapy with research in child…

Research in Library and Information Science and the Contribution of Ranganathan.

Science.gov (United States)

Mangla, P. B.

1984-01-01

Traces historical developments and recent trends in library and information science research in United States, Great Britain, and India; discusses factors contributing to developments in United States and United Kingdom; and reviews Ranganathan's contributions in detail. Some factors hindering research in India and areas which require research are…

Conference on Logistics Management : Contributions of the Section Logistics of the German Academic Association for Business Research

CERN Document Server

Spengler, Thomas; Brinkmann, Jan; Grunewald, Martin

2016-01-01

This contributed volume contains the selected and thoroughly reviewed research papers presented at the conference on logistics management LM2015 in Braunschweig, Germany. The conference of the special interest group in logistics of the German Academic Association for Business Research (VHB) was held in conjunction with the special interest group on production of the VHB. Thus, the papers reflect the current state-of-the-art in logistics and supply chain management while focusing especially on aspects of production logistics, i.e., facility layout, inventory management, line configuration, or flexible production.

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

[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.

Contributions of research Reactors in science and technology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Butt, N.M.; Bashir, J.

1992-12-01

In the present paper, after defining a research reactor, its basic constituents, types of reactors, their distribution in the world, some typical examples of their uses are given. Particular emphasis in placed on the contribution of PARR-I (Pakistan Research Reactor-I), the 5 MW Swimming Pool Research reactor which first became critical at the Pakistan Institute of Nuclear Science and Technology (PINSTECH) in Dec. 1965 and attained its full power in June 1966. This is still the major research facility at PINSTECH for research and development. (author)

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.

Competition over personal resources favors contribution to shared resources in human groups.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jessica L Barker

Full Text Available Members of social groups face a trade-off between investing selfish effort for themselves and investing cooperative effort to produce a shared group resource. Many group resources are shared equitably: they may be intrinsically non-excludable public goods, such as vigilance against predators, or so large that there is little cost to sharing, such as cooperatively hunted big game. However, group members' personal resources, such as food hunted individually, may be monopolizable. In such cases, an individual may benefit by investing effort in taking others' personal resources, and in defending one's own resources against others. We use a game theoretic "tug-of-war" model to predict that when such competition over personal resources is possible, players will contribute more towards a group resource, and also obtain higher payoffs from doing so. We test and find support for these predictions in two laboratory economic games with humans, comparing people's investment decisions in games with and without the options to compete over personal resources or invest in a group resource. Our results help explain why people cooperatively contribute to group resources, suggest how a tragedy of the commons may be avoided, and highlight unifying features in the evolution of cooperation and competition in human and non-human societies.

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

Prediction of heat capacities and heats of vaporization of organic liquids by group contribution methods

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ceriani, Roberta; Gani, Rafiqul; Meirelles, A.J.A.

2009-01-01

In the present work a group contribution method is proposed for the estimation of the heat capacity of organic liquids as a function of temperature for fatty compounds found in edible oil and biofuels industries. The data bank used for regression of the group contribution parameters (1395 values...

Regular group exercise contributes to balanced health in older adults in Japan: a qualitative study.

Science.gov (United States)

Komatsu, Hiroko; Yagasaki, Kaori; Saito, Yoshinobu; Oguma, Yuko

2017-08-22

While community-wide interventions to promote physical activity have been encouraged in older adults, evidence of their effectiveness remains limited. We conducted a qualitative study among older adults participating in regular group exercise to understand their perceptions of the physical, mental, and social changes they underwent as a result of the physical activity. We conducted a qualitative study with purposeful sampling to explore the experiences of older adults who participated in regular group exercise as part of a community-wide physical activity intervention. Four focus group interviews were conducted between April and June of 2016 at community halls in Fujisawa City. The participants in the focus group interviews were 26 older adults with a mean age of 74.69 years (range: 66-86). The interviews were analysed using the constant comparative method in the grounded theory approach. We used qualitative research software NVivo10® to track the coding and manage the data. The finding 'regular group exercise contributes to balanced health in older adults' emerged as an overarching theme with seven categories (regular group exercise, functional health, active mind, enjoyment, social connectedness, mutual support, and expanding communities). Although the participants perceived that they were aging physically and cognitively, the regular group exercise helped them to improve or maintain their functional health and enjoy their lives. They felt socially connected and experienced a sense of security in the community through caring for others and supporting each other. As the older adults began to seek value beyond individuals, they gradually expanded their communities beyond geographical and generational boundaries. The participants achieved balanced health in the physical, mental, and social domains through regular group exercise as part of a community-wide physical activity intervention and contributed to expanding communities through social connectedness and

Why and How Political Science Can Contribute to Public Health? Proposals for Collaborative Research Avenues.

Science.gov (United States)

Gagnon, France; Bergeron, Pierre; Clavier, Carole; Fafard, Patrick; Martin, Elisabeth; Blouin, Chantal

2017-04-05

Written by a group of political science researchers, this commentary focuses on the contributions of political science to public health and proposes research avenues to increase those contributions. Despite progress, the links between researchers from these two fields develop only slowly. Divergences between the approach of political science to public policy and the expectations that public health can have about the role of political science, are often seen as an obstacle to collaboration between experts in these two areas. Thus, promising and practical research avenues are proposed along with strategies to strengthen and develop them. Considering the interdisciplinary and intersectoral nature of population health, it is important to create a critical mass of researchers interested in the health of populations and in healthy public policy that can thrive working at the junction of political science and public health. © 2017 The Author(s); Published by Kerman University of Medical Sciences. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

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.

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.

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

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

Thomas Grisso: Award for Distinguished Professional Contributions to Applied Research.

Science.gov (United States)

2014-11-01

The Award for Distinguished Professional Contributions to Applied Research is given to a psychologist whose research has led to important discoveries or developments in the field of applied psychology. To be eligible, this research should have led to innovative applications in an area of psychological practice, including but not limited to assessment, consultation, instruction, or intervention (either direct or indirect). The 2014 recipient is Thomas Grisso. Grisso "has made seminal contributions to the field of forensic psychology and psychiatry through his internationally renowned program of research, which has directly impacted juvenile justice reform worldwide." Grisso's award citation, biography, and a selected bibliography are presented here. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved.

Estimating the contribution of genetic variants to difference in incidence of disease between population groups

Science.gov (United States)

Moonesinghe, Ramal; Ioannidis, John PA; Flanders, W Dana; Yang, Quanhe; Truman, Benedict I; Khoury, Muin J

2012-01-01

Genome-wide association studies have identified multiple genetic susceptibility variants to several complex human diseases. However, risk-genotype frequency at loci showing robust associations might differ substantially among different populations. In this paper, we present methods to assess the contribution of genetic variants to the difference in the incidence of disease between different population groups for different scenarios. We derive expressions for the contribution of a single genetic variant, multiple genetic variants, and the contribution of the joint effect of a genetic variant and an environmental factor to the difference in the incidence of disease. The contribution of genetic variants to the difference in incidence increases with increasing difference in risk-genotype frequency, but declines with increasing difference in incidence between the two populations. The contribution of genetic variants also increases with increasing relative risk and the contribution of joint effect of genetic and environmental factors increases with increasing relative risk of the gene–environmental interaction. The contribution of genetic variants to the difference in incidence between two populations can be expressed as a function of the population attributable risks of the genetic variants in the two populations. The contribution of a group of genetic variants to the disparity in incidence of disease could change considerably by adding one more genetic variant to the group. Any estimate of genetic contribution to the disparity in incidence of disease between two populations at this stage seems to be an elusive goal. PMID:22333905

Estimating the contribution of genetic variants to difference in incidence of disease between population groups.

Science.gov (United States)

Moonesinghe, Ramal; Ioannidis, John P A; Flanders, W Dana; Yang, Quanhe; Truman, Benedict I; Khoury, Muin J

2012-08-01

Genome-wide association studies have identified multiple genetic susceptibility variants to several complex human diseases. However, risk-genotype frequency at loci showing robust associations might differ substantially among different populations. In this paper, we present methods to assess the contribution of genetic variants to the difference in the incidence of disease between different population groups for different scenarios. We derive expressions for the contribution of a single genetic variant, multiple genetic variants, and the contribution of the joint effect of a genetic variant and an environmental factor to the difference in the incidence of disease. The contribution of genetic variants to the difference in incidence increases with increasing difference in risk-genotype frequency, but declines with increasing difference in incidence between the two populations. The contribution of genetic variants also increases with increasing relative risk and the contribution of joint effect of genetic and environmental factors increases with increasing relative risk of the gene-environmental interaction. The contribution of genetic variants to the difference in incidence between two populations can be expressed as a function of the population attributable risks of the genetic variants in the two populations. The contribution of a group of genetic variants to the disparity in incidence of disease could change considerably by adding one more genetic variant to the group. Any estimate of genetic contribution to the disparity in incidence of disease between two populations at this stage seems to be an elusive goal.

Towards the Development of a Second-Order Approximation in Activity Coefficient Models Based on Group Contributions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Abildskov, Jens; Constantinou, Leonidas; Gani, Rafiqul

1996-01-01

A simple modification of group contribution based models for estimation of liquid phase activity coefficients is proposed. The main feature of this modification is that contributions estimated from the present first-order groups in many instances are found insufficient since the first-order groups...... correlation/prediction capabilities, distinction between isomers and ability to overcome proximity effects....

The Contribution of Graduation Research to School Development: Graduation Research as a Boundary Practice

Science.gov (United States)

Snoek, Marco; Bekebrede, Judith; Hanna, Fadie; Creton, Theun; Edzes, Hester

2017-01-01

When teaching is considered as a collaborative activity, the aim of research projects in schools needs to exceed the individual and personal levels and aim to contribute to research-informed reflection of a team of teachers. Within this multiple case study, we adapted the graduation research project within a primary teacher education programme,…

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...

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

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.

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…

Prediction of vapor pressure and heats of vaporization of edible oil/fat compounds by group contribution

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ceriani, Roberta; Gani, Rafiqul; Liu, Y.A.

2013-01-01

In the present work, a group contribution method is proposed for the estimation of vapor pressures and heats of vaporization of organic liquids found in edible fat/oil and biofuel industries as a function of temperature. The regression of group contribution parameters was based on an extensive...

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.

Japan's contribution to nuclear medical research

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rahman, M.; Sakamoto, Junichi; Fukui, Tsuguya

2002-01-01

We investigated the degree of Japan's contribution to the nuclear medical research in the last decade. Articles published in 1991-2000 in highly reputed nuclear medical journals were accessed through the MEDLINE database. The number of articles having affiliation with a Japanese institution was counted along with publication year. In addition, shares of top-ranking countries were determined along with their trends over time. Of the total number of articles (7,788), Japan's share of articles in selected nuclear medical journals was 11.4% (889 articles) and ranked 2nd in the world after the USA (2,645 articles). The recent increase in the share was statistically significant for Japan (p=0.02, test for trend). Japan's share in nuclear medical research output is much higher than that in other biomedical fields. (author)

[Psychoanalysis: a research method based on clinical practice: contributions to nursing].

Science.gov (United States)

da Silva, Teresa Cristina; Kirschbaum, Débora Isane Ratner

2008-09-01

Nursing, in its different fields of practice, is essentially characterized as a clinical practice. In this context, psychoanalysis can make important contributions. This article discusses some basic psychoanalytical concepts and assumptions, proposes psychoanalysis as a research method, and stresses its contributions for nursing. Essential Freudian concepts are identified, as well as the path to be followed by the researcher. As a research method, psychoanalysis can be used as a framework for the studu of human behavior based on unconscious mental processes. In several knowledge areas.

Content Analysis of Research Contributions towards Environmental Issues in Sindh

Science.gov (United States)

Lashari, Jagul Huma; Bhutto, Arabella; Rashdi, Roshan S. Shah; Qureshi, S. M.

2015-01-01

This research article identifies the contributions of PhD faculty members of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in Sindh Pakistan offering degrees in the environment discipline through published articles in journals, conference proceedings, research project reports and focused areas of research. The content analyses of curriculum vitae data of…

Factors Contributing to Student Engagement in an Instructional Facebook Group for Undergraduate Mathematics

Science.gov (United States)

Gregory, Peter L.; Gregory, Karen M.; Eddy, Erik R.

2016-01-01

This study investigates factors contributing to student engagement in an educational Facebook group. The study is based on survey results of 138 undergraduate mathematics students at a highly diverse urban public university. Survey measures included engagement in the Facebook group, access to Facebook, comfort using technology, and interest in the…

Regional and applied climatology-contributions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Endlicher, W.; Gossmann, H.

1991-01-01

The first three articles of this book, which is dedicated to Wolfgang Weischet, are closely related to his work on unban climatology: - A comprehensive research programme on urban climatology for the example of a medium-sized Swiss town; - A wind tunnel test in preparation of a large-scale urban construction project; - Modelling of human thermal comfort in different urban environments on the basis of comprehensive data sets of geofactors. At the same time, they provide a survey of the status and methods of modern urban climate research. The second group of contributions comprises texts which discuss the effects of individual climate elements in the biosphere and pedosphere. The third group consists of two contributions on the stability of tropical environments. Both of them discuss the semiarid regions of northern Kenia. Finally, there is a group of contributions stimulated and influenced by W. Weischet's work in Latin America. (orig./KW) [de

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

Early Japanese contributions to space weather research (1945–1960

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. Nishida

2010-04-01

Full Text Available Major contributions by Japanese scientists in the period of 1945 to 1960 are reviewed. This was the period when the foundation of the space weather research was laid by ground-based observations and theoretical research. Important contributions were made on such subjects as equatorial ionosphere in quiet times, tidal wind system in the ionosphere, formation of the F2 layer, VLF propagation above the ionosphere, and precursory phenomena (type IV radio outburst and polar cap absorption to storms. At the IGY (1957, 1958, research efforts were intensified and new programs in space and Antarctica were initiated. Japanese scientists in this discipline held a tight network for communication and collaboration that has been kept to this day.

Process synthesis, design and analysis using a process-group contribution method

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kumar Tula, Anjan; Eden, Mario R.; Gani, Rafiqul

2015-01-01

) techniques. The fundamental pillars of this framework are the definition and use of functional process-groups (building blocks) representing a wide range of process operations, flowsheet connectivity rules to join the process-groups to generate all the feasible flowsheet alternatives and flowsheet property...... models like energy consumption, atom efficiency, environmental impact to evaluate the performance of the generated alternatives. In this way, a list of feasible flowsheets are quickly generated, screened and selected for further analysis. Since the flowsheet is synthesized and the operations......This paper describes the development and application of a process-group contribution method to model, simulate and synthesize chemical processes. Process flowsheets are generated in the same way as atoms or groups of atoms are combined to form molecules in computer aided molecular design (CAMD...

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.

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…

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…

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

THE CONTRIBUTION OF PUBLIC INTEREST RESEARCH TO TRANSPORTATION POLICY

OpenAIRE

Makoto ITOH

2003-01-01

Established in 1995 with the basic philosophy of serving as a bridge between research and practice, the Institute for Transport Policy Studies conducts activities in support of transportation policy research in the public interest. This paper aims to describe the contribution of public interest research to transportation policy as seen in the Institute's activities. Touching first on the context and events leading to its establishment, the paper then describes the Institute's guiding principl...

Researching in the community: the value and contribution of nurses to community based or primary health care research.

Science.gov (United States)

Barthow, Christine; Jones, Bernadette; Macdonald, Lindsay; Vernall, Sue; Gallagher, Peter; McKinlay, Eileen

2015-05-01

To describe the role, contribution and value of research nurses in New Zealand community-based or primary health care research. Research nurses are increasingly recognised as having a key role in undertaking successful research in hospitals and clinical trial units however only limited work has been undertaken to examine their role in community-based research. Undertaking health research in the community has unique challenges particularly in relation to research design and recruitment and retention of participants. We describe four community-based research projects involving research nurses, each with particular recruitment, retention and logistical problems. Vignettes are used to illustrate the role, contribution and value of research nurses in a diverse range of community research projects. The knowledge and skills used by research nurses in these projects included familiarity with communities, cultural competence, health care systems and practice philosophies and in particular with vulnerable populations. Their research actions and activities include competence with a broad range of research methodologies, organisational efficiency, family-centred approach, along with advocacy and flexibility. These are underpinned by nursing knowledge and clinical expertise contributing to an ability to work autonomously. These four projects demonstrate that research nurses in community-based research possess specific attributes which facilitate successful study development, implementation and outcome.

Contributions of Nonhuman Primates to Research on Aging.

Science.gov (United States)

Didier, E S; MacLean, A G; Mohan, M; Didier, P J; Lackner, A A; Kuroda, M J

2016-03-01

Aging is the biological process of declining physiologic function associated with increasing mortality rate during advancing age. Humans and higher nonhuman primates exhibit unusually longer average life spans as compared with mammals of similar body mass. Furthermore, the population of humans worldwide is growing older as a result of improvements in public health, social services, and health care systems. Comparative studies among a wide range of organisms that include nonhuman primates contribute greatly to our understanding about the basic mechanisms of aging. Based on their genetic and physiologic relatedness to humans, nonhuman primates are especially important for better understanding processes of aging unique to primates, as well as for testing intervention strategies to improve healthy aging and to treat diseases and disabilities in older people. Rhesus and cynomolgus macaques are the predominant monkeys used in studies on aging, but research with lower nonhuman primate species is increasing. One of the priority topics of research about aging in nonhuman primates involves neurologic changes associated with cognitive decline and neurodegenerative diseases. Additional areas of research include osteoporosis, reproductive decline, caloric restriction, and their mimetics, as well as immune senescence and chronic inflammation that affect vaccine efficacy and resistance to infections and cancer. The purpose of this review is to highlight the findings from nonhuman primate research that contribute to our understanding about aging and health span in humans. © The Author(s) 2016.

Development and Analysis of Group Contribution Plus Models for Property Prediction of Organic Chemical Systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mustaffa, Azizul Azri

for the GIPs are then used in the UNIFAC model to calculate activity coefficients. This approach can increase the application range of any “host” UNIFAC model by providing a reliable predictive model towards fast and efficient product development. This PhD project is focused on the analysis and further......Prediction of properties is important in chemical process-product design. Reliable property models are needed for increasingly complex and wider range of chemicals. Group-contribution methods provide useful tool but there is a need to validate them and improve their accuracy when complex chemicals...... are present in the mixtures. In accordance with that, a combined group-contribution and atom connectivity approach that is able to extend the application range of property models has been developed for mixture properties. This so-called Group-ContributionPlus (GCPlus) approach is a hybrid model which combines...

French Immersion Research in Canada: Recent Contributions to SLA and Applied Linguistics.

Science.gov (United States)

Swain, Merrill

2000-01-01

Discusses two questions: (1) What has the recent research conducted in French immersion programs in Canada contributed to understanding of second language acquisition?; and (2) What has it contributed to the broader field of applied linguistics? Considers research in the coming decade, and discusses obstacles that may be faced in Canada in…

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

Review Essay: From Local Practices to Public Knowledge: Action Research as Scientific Contribution

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Joel Martí

2008-07-01

Full Text Available In recent years action research has been gradually introduced into academic thought, giving impetus to contributions such as The Action Research Dissertation, specifically aimed at doing and reporting doctoral research based on this methodology. Beyond purely instrumental aspects (contributing criteria and tools for the execution of dissertations through action research, the book raises some issues that play a fundamental role in assessing action research at the university level: its epistemological bases, researchers' positionality, quality criteria, and the ways in which the process is narrated. This review essay introduces the debate (Section 1, reviews the chapters of the book (Section 2, and notes its contributions to this ongoing discussion and where it falls short, and, more generally, on the relation between universities, action research, and social practices (Section 3. URN: urn:nbn:de:0114-fqs080320

Competition over personal resources favors contribution to shared resources in human groups

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Barker, Jessie; Barclay, Pat; Reeve, H. Kern

2013-01-01

laboratory economic games with humans, comparing people's investment decisions in games with and without the options to compete over personal resources or invest in a group resource. Our results help explain why people cooperatively contribute to group resources, suggest how a tragedy of the commons may......Members of social groups face a trade-off between investing selfish effort for themselves and investing cooperative effort to produce a shared group resource. Many group resources are shared equitably: they may be intrinsically non-excludable public goods, such as vigilance against predators, or so...... large that there is little cost to sharing, such as cooperatively hunted big game. However, group members' personal resources, such as food hunted individually, may be monopolizable. In such cases, an individual may benefit by investing effort in taking others' personal resources, and in defending one...

Nursing research: can a feminist perspective make any contribution?

Science.gov (United States)

Ehlers, V

1999-03-01

As more than 90% of the RSA's nurses are women and as at least 50% of the health care clients are also women, nursing research can definitely benefit by incorporating feminist research approaches. Specific feminist research issues which could be relevant to nursing research include: inherent themes in feminist research feminist research methodology gender stereotypes and nursing research gender-based stereotypes of researchers potential benefits of incorporating feminist research approaches in nursing research. Most formal models of nursing, and thus also most nursing research based on these models, ignore gender issues. Thus they ignore part of the social reality of nursing and might provide distorted images of nursing. A feminist approach to nursing research could enhance the reality-based gender issues relevant to nursing specifically, and health care generally, and contribute towards rendering effective health care within a multidisciplinary health care context.

Some Contributions of Self-Efficacy Research to Self-Concept Theory.

Science.gov (United States)

Gorrell, Jeffrey

1990-01-01

Self-efficacy theory and research contribute to self-concept theory primarily by supporting the enhancement model of belief change. This article describes current problems with self-concept theory, describes self-efficacy research, and suggests that self-efficacy theory and methodology present findings that strengthen the association between…

Tourism research in Portugal: a contribution to its characterization

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

João Albino Silva

2013-12-01

Full Text Available This work intends to be a first contribution to the characterization of tourism research in Portugal, focusing on the researcher’s profile and the characteristics of research. To that end, and based on a national Tourism Research, it was possible to identify 166 researchers working in this area, spread over about 30 higher education institutions, who subsequently completed an online questionnaire. Data were collected during March 2013 and 111 valid responses were obtained. The results show a growing and predominantly young scientific community and also highlight a diverse, solid and stimulating disciplinary perspective.

Professor Barry Fraser's contributions to science education research

Science.gov (United States)

Aldridge, Jill M.

2011-09-01

In this article, I endeavour to convey the depth of Barry Fraser's contributions to science education research, including his tireless endeavours to promote and advance research, especially the field of learning environments, the realisation of his vision to create one of the largest doctoral programs in science and mathematics education in the world, his leadership capacity in terms of guiding and leading an internationally renowned centre and large-scale cross-national and cross-cultural studies, his dedication towards human capacity building in Africa, Asia and elsewhere, his capacity as a mentor and editor that have seen the publication of numerous journal articles and books and the ongoing success of science education research journals.

Group Ia afferents likely contribute to short-latency interlimb reflexes in the human biceps femoris muscle

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Stevenson, Andrew James Thomas; Kamavuako, Ernest Nlandu; Geertsen, Svend Sparre

2017-01-01

amplitudes (4 vs. 8°) at the same 150°/s velocity (p’s > 0.08). Conclusion: Because fast conducting group Ia muscle spindle afferents are sensitive to changes in muscle stretch velocity, while group II spindle afferents are sensitive to changes in amplitude (Grey et al., JPhysiol., 2001; Matthews, Trends...... Neurosci., 1991), group Ia velocity sensitive muscle spindle afferents likely contribute to the short-latency crossed spinal reflexes in the cBF muscle following iKnee joint rotations. This supports the findings for the short-latency crossed responses in the human soleus muscle (Stubbs & Mrachacz...... neurons in humans, with primary contributions from group Ia muscle spindle afferents....

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

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.

Food group contribution of essential elements of the Sao Paulo State market basket

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Avegliano, Roseane P.; Maihara, Vera A.; Silva, Fabio F. da

2009-01-01

To establish a Market Basket of Sao Paulo state seventy-one foods, with a mean consumption of more than 2 g day -1 per person, were grouped into 30 food categories. The food groups were: cereals, leguminous, leafy vegetables, fruity vegetables, tuberous vegetables, tropical fruits, other fruits, flours, pastas, breads, biscuits, prime grade beef, standard grade beef, pork meats, other meats, poultry, milk/cream, other dairy products, sugars, sweets, salts, sauces, oils, fats, alcoholic beverages, non-alcoholic beverages, coffee, ready-made dishes, saltwater and freshwater fishes. Information about individual food consumption was obtained from a recent national household food budget survey 'POF 2002-2003' conducted by the Brazilian Institute for Geography and Statistics from July 2002 to June 2003. Sampling and kitchen preparation of foods were carried out in restaurants of the University of Sao Paulo. Each food item was individually prepared table-ready. Foods of the same group were mixed, homogenized, pulverized and analyzed for the determination of Ca, Cr, Fe, K, Na and Zn concentrations by Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis. Average daily intake of each element was calculated by multiplying the element concentration in the food by the corresponding weight of the ready-to-consume food group. The contribution of each food group to the total daily intake of elements by the ready-to-consume food groups of the Market Basket was evaluated. The food groups representing the highest contributions were salts: 79% Na; breads: 37% Fe and 46% Cr; cereals: 19% Zn and milk/cream: 58% Ca and 24% K. (author)

Research-Based Knowledge: Researchers' Contribution to Evidence-Based Practice and Policy Making in Career Guidance

Science.gov (United States)

Haug, Erik Hagaseth; Plant, Peter

2016-01-01

To present evidence for the outcomes of career guidance is increasingly seen as pivotal for a further professionalization of policy making and service provision. This paper puts an emphasis on researchers' contribution to evidence-based practice and policy making in career guidance. We argue for a broader and more pluralistic research strategy to…

Computer-aided polymer design using group contribution plus property models

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Satyanarayana, Kavitha Chelakara; Abildskov, Jens; Gani, Rafiqul

2009-01-01

. Polymer repeat unit property prediction models are required to calculate the properties of the generated repeat units. A systematic framework incorporating recently developed group contribution plus (GC(+)) models and an extended CAMD technique to include design of polymer repeat units is highlighted...... in this paper. The advantage of a GC(+) model in CAMD applications is that a very large number of polymer structures can be considered even though some of the group parameters may not be available. A number of case studies involving different polymer design problems have been solved through the developed......The preliminary step for polymer product design is to identify the basic repeat unit structure of the polymer that matches the target properties. Computer-aided molecular design (CAMD) approaches can be applied for generating the polymer repeat unit structures that match the required constraints...

Estimation of Properties of Pure Organic Substances with Group and Pair Contributions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J.E.S. Ourique

1997-06-01

Full Text Available ABSTRACTbstract - This work presents a new predictive method for the estimation of properties of pure organic substances. Each compound is assigned a molecular graph or an adjacency matrix representing its chemical structure, from which properties are then obtained as a summation of all contributions associated with functional groups and chemically bonded pairs of groups. The proposed technique is applied to the estimation of critical temperature, critical pressure, critical volume and normal boiling point of 325 organic compounds from different chemical species. Accurate predictions based solely on chemical structure are obtained

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.

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

to adapt to these extreme conditions has varied dramatically from year to year. In the past, differences in personality, background, and social status have led to conflicts between individuals or cliques precipitating, in turn, an overall decline in morale, failure to accomplish work tasks, and increases in insomnia, depression, anxiety, and alcohol abuse. A better understanding of the role of group structure and social cognition in processes of group adaptation and conflict in Antarctica would contribute towards the revision of existing screening methods, potentially leading to a reduction of group conflict and improved performance of scientific research and support activities. An improved screening protocol for the Antarctic would also have applications for other isolated environments such as scientific outposts and the proposed NASA space station. In sum, this research will (1) contribute significantly to our theoretical understanding of the role of social structure and cognition in the functioning of groups in isolation; (2) complement current work on health and adaptation in polar environments; and (3) provide for models of the formation of group structure that will aid in the development of improved procedures for assembling groups for the Antarctic and other isolated environments (e.g., space stations).

Estimation of aqueous solubility of TODGA using group contribution method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Balasubramonian, S.; Kumar, Shekhar; Sampath, M.; Sivakumar, D.; Kamachi Mudali, U.

2017-01-01

The aqueous solubility of N, N, N', N'-tetraoctyl-3-oxapentanediamide normally referred as TODGA is experimentally measured. The aqueous solubility was also predicted using Marrero and Gani group contribution method. The modification of original Marrero and Gani method was proposed to accurately predict TODGA solubility. The predicted solubility of TODGA using original Marrero and Gani method, Modified Marrero and Gani method and UNIFAC Model was compared. The predicted solubility of TODGA using modified Marrero and Gani method is 0.0237 g/l against the experimentally measured value of 0.0226 g/l. (author)

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.

How People Interpret Healthy Eating: Contributions of Qualitative Research

Science.gov (United States)

Bisogni, Carole A.; Jastran, Margaret; Seligson, Marc; Thompson, Alyssa

2012-01-01

Objective: To identify how qualitative research has contributed to understanding the ways people in developed countries interpret healthy eating. Design: Bibliographic database searches identified reports of qualitative, empirical studies published in English, peer-reviewed journals since 1995. Data Analysis: Authors coded, discussed, recoded, and…

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...

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)

Clinical Research Informatics Contributions from 2015.

Science.gov (United States)

Daniel, C; Choquet, R

2016-11-10

To summarize key contributions to current research in the field of Clinical Research Informatics (CRI) and to select best papers published in 2015. A bibliographic search using a combination of MeSH and free terms search over PubMed on Clinical Research Informatics (CRI) was performed followed by a double-blind review in order to select a list of candidate best papers to be then peer-reviewed by external reviewers. A consensus meeting between the two section editors and the editorial team was finally organized to conclude on the selection of best papers. Among the 579 returned papers published in the past year in the various areas of Clinical Research Informatics (CRI) - i) methods supporting clinical research, ii) data sharing and interoperability, iii) re-use of healthcare data for research, iv) patient recruitment and engagement, v) data privacy, security and regulatory issues and vi) policy and perspectives - the full review process selected four best papers. The first selected paper evaluates the capability of the Clinical Data Interchange Standards Consortium (CDISC) Operational Data Model (ODM) to support the representation of case report forms (in both the design stage and with patient level data) during a complete clinical study lifecycle. The second selected paper describes a prototype for secondary use of electronic health records data captured in non-standardized text. The third selected paper presents a privacy preserving electronic health record linkage tool and the last selected paper describes how big data use in US relies on access to health information governed by varying and often misunderstood legal requirements and ethical considerations. A major trend in the 2015 publications is the analysis of observational, "nonexperimental" information and the potential biases and confounding factors hidden in the data that will have to be carefully taken into account to validate new predictive models. In addiction, researchers have to understand

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…

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

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.

Leslie S. Greenberg: Award for Distinguished Professional Contributions to Applied Research

Science.gov (United States)

American Psychologist, 2012

2012-01-01

Presents a short biography of the 2012 winner of the American Psychological Association's Award for Distinguished Professional Contributions to Applied Research. Leslie S. Greenberg is an exemplary scientist-practitioner whose pioneering work has significantly altered the landscape of the field of psychotherapy research and practice. His seminal…

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.

An invitation to contribute to a strategic research agenda in radioecology.

Science.gov (United States)

Hinton, T G; Garnier-Laplace, J; Vandenhove, H; Dowdall, M; Adam-Guillermin, C; Alonzo, F; Barnett, C; Beaugelin-Seiller, K; Beresford, N A; Bradshaw, C; Brown, J; Eyrolle, F; Fevrier, L; Gariel, J-C; Gilbin, R; Hertel-Aas, T; Horemans, N; Howard, B J; Ikäheimonen, T; Mora, J C; Oughton, D; Real, A; Salbu, B; Simon-Cornu, M; Steiner, M; Sweeck, L; Vives i Batlle, J

2013-01-01

With intentions of integrating a portion of their respective research efforts into a trans-national programme that will enhance radioecology, eight European organisations recently formed the European Radioecology ALLIANCE (www.er-alliance.org). The ALLIANCE is an Association open to other organisations throughout the world with similar interests in promoting radioecology. The ALLIANCE members recognised that their shared radioecological research could be enhanced by efficiently pooling resources among its partner organizations and prioritising group efforts along common themes of mutual interest. A major step in this prioritisation process was to develop a Strategic Research Agenda (SRA). An EC-funded Network of Excellence in Radioecology, called STAR (Strategy for Allied Radioecology), was formed, in part, to develop the SRA. This document is the first published draft of the SRA. The SRA outlines a suggested prioritisation of research topics in radioecology, with the goal of improving research efficiency and more rapidly advancing the science. It responds to the question: "What topics, if critically addressed over the next 20 years, would significantly advance radioecology?" The three Scientific Challenges presented within the SRA, with their 15 associated research lines, are a strategic vision of what radioecology can achieve in the future. Meeting these challenges will require a directed effort and collaboration with many organisations the world over. Addressing these challenges is important to the advancement of radioecology and in providing scientific knowledge to decision makers. Although the development of the draft SRA has largely been a European effort, the hope is that it will initiate an open dialogue within the international radioecology community and its stakeholders. This is an abbreviated document with the intention of introducing the SRA and inviting contributions from interested stakeholders. Critique and input for improving the SRA are welcomed

Analysis and applications of a group contribution sPC-SAFT equation of state

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tihic, Amra; von Solms, Nicolas; Michelsen, Michael Locht

2009-01-01

A group contribution (GC) method for estimating pure compound parameters for the molecular-based perturbed-chain statistical associating fluid theory (PC-SAFT) equation of state (EoS) is proposed in a previous work [A. Tihic, G.M. Kontogeorgis, N. von Solms, M.L Michelsen, L Constantinou. Ind. En...

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…

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.

Analyzing the contributions of a government-commissioned research project : A case study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hegger, I.; Janssen, S.W.J.; Keijsers, J.F.E.M.; Schuit, A.J.; van Oers, J.A.M.

2014-01-01

Background It often remains unclear to investigators how their research contributes to the work of the commissioner. We initiated the ‘Risk Model’ case study to gain insight into how a Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) project and its knowledge products contribute

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.

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.

Student Teachers' Distinctive Contributions to Research on Primary School Children's Beliefs about Knowledge and Knowing

Science.gov (United States)

Kershner, Ruth; Hargreaves, Linda

2012-01-01

Student teachers' research is usually valued more for its contribution to their professional learning than for its contribution to the research topic itself. This paper reports on a research collaboration with eight student primary teachers in England, intended to build on a previously established project investigating young children's…

Romanian contribution to research infrastructure database for EPOS

Science.gov (United States)

Ionescu, Constantin; Craiu, Andreea; Tataru, Dragos; Balan, Stefan; Muntean, Alexandra; Nastase, Eduard; Oaie, Gheorghe; Asimopolos, Laurentiu; Panaiotu, Cristian

2014-05-01

European Plate Observation System - EPOS is a long-term plan to facilitate integrated use of data, models and facilities from mainly distributed existing, but also new, research infrastructures for solid Earth Science. In EPOS Preparatory Phase were integrated the national Research Infrastructures at pan European level in order to create the EPOS distributed research infrastructures, structure in which, at the present time, Romania participates by means of the earth science research infrastructures of the national interest declared on the National Roadmap. The mission of EPOS is to build an efficient and comprehensive multidisciplinary research platform for solid Earth Sciences in Europe and to allow the scientific community to study the same phenomena from different points of view, in different time periods and spatial scales (laboratory and field experiments). At national scale, research and monitoring infrastructures have gathered a vast amount of geological and geophysical data, which have been used by research networks to underpin our understanding of the Earth. EPOS promotes the creation of comprehensive national and regional consortia, as well as the organization of collective actions. To serve the EPOS goals, in Romania a group of National Research Institutes, together with their infrastructures, gathered in an EPOS National Consortium, as follows: 1. National Institute for Earth Physics - Seismic, strong motion, GPS and Geomagnetic network and Experimental Laboratory; 2. National Institute of Marine Geology and Geoecology - Marine Research infrastructure and Euxinus integrated regional Black Sea observation and early-warning system; 3. Geological Institute of Romania - Surlari National Geomagnetic Observatory and National lithoteque (the latter as part of the National Museum of Geology) 4. University of Bucharest - Paleomagnetic Laboratory After national dissemination of EPOS initiative other Research Institutes and companies from the potential

The French UMo group contribution to new LEU fuel development

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hamy, J.M.; Lemoine, P.; Huet, F.; Jarousse, C.; Emin, J.L.

2005-01-01

The French UMo Group was based on a close collaboration between CEA and AREVA's companies strongly involved in the MTR field. The aim of this program was to deliver industrially a high performance LEU UMo fuel able to be reprocessed, and suitable for a wide range of Research Reactor, covering the expected needs for MTR next generation. Since 1999, the program has been focused on industrial aspects with the intention to deal with the whole fuel cycle: manufacturing, irradiation behaviour, fuel characterisation, code development and reprocessing validation. It has been based on the fabrication of full-sized U-7%Mo fuel plates with a density up to 8 gU/cm 3 . The dedicated and advanced R and D means provided by the CEA have been used intensively with the contribution of HFR and BR2 facilities in Europe. This paper presents a synthesis of the program and the corresponding significant results obtained. These results have played a major role as regards the UMo dispersion fuel qualification route by issuing, for the first time, evidence of severe performance limitations. Consequently, the global international effort to develop and qualify a high density LEU UMo fuel has been definitively re-routed and forced to overcome these discrepancies by exploring new technical solutions. A French extended program sustained by a CEA and CERCA collaboration has been launched in 2004 in order to develop a suitable UMo fuel solution. UMo dispersion and monolithic fuel are both investigated through three new full-sized plate irradiations planned in OSIRIS. (author)

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 .

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.

Treating student contributions as displays of understanding in group supervision

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Day, Dennis; Kjærbeck, Susanne

2012-01-01

The analyses this paper reports come from ongoing research into the interactive establishment of local social order in an educational setting (Day & Kjærbeck 2008, Day & Kjærbeck, in preparation). In focus for this paper are a particular sort of activity in the setting, 'group supervision', where...

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…

Henry's Constants of Persistent Organic Pollutants by a Group-Contribution Method Based on Scaled-Particle Theory.

Science.gov (United States)

Razdan, Neil K; Koshy, David M; Prausnitz, John M

2017-11-07

A group-contribution method based on scaled-particle theory was developed to predict Henry's constants for six families of persistent organic pollutants: polychlorinated benzenes, polychlorinated biphenyls, polychlorinated dibenzodioxins, polychlorinated dibenzofurans, polychlorinated naphthalenes, and polybrominated diphenyl ethers. The group-contribution model uses limited experimental data to obtain group-interaction parameters for an easy-to-use method to predict Henry's constants for systems where reliable experimental data are scarce. By using group-interaction parameters obtained from data reduction, scaled-particle theory gives the partial molar Gibbs energy of dissolution, Δg̅ 2 , allowing calculation of Henry's constant, H 2 , for more than 700 organic pollutants. The average deviation between predicted values of log H 2 and experiment is 4%. Application of an approximate van't Hoff equation gives the temperature dependence of Henry's constants for polychlorinated biphenyls, polychlorinated naphthalenes, and polybrominated diphenyl ethers in the environmentally relevant range 0-40 °C.

Award for Distinguished Contributions to Research in Public Policy: Charlotte J. Patterson

Science.gov (United States)

American Psychologist, 2009

2009-01-01

Charlotte J. Patterson, winner of the Award for Distinguished Contributions to Research in Public Policy, is cited as the world's expert on psychological research on children and youths raised by lesbian and gay parents. Her early analytic syntheses of the literature on the subject greatly influenced other researchers in child and family…

An invitation to contribute to the agenda strategic research in Radioecology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hinton, T. G.; Garnier-Laplace, J.; Vandenhove, H.; Dowdall, M.; Adam-Guillermin, C.; Alonzo, F.; Barnett, C.; Beaugelin-Seiller, K.; Beresford, N. A.; Bradshaw, C.; Brown, J.; Eyrolle, F.; Fevrier, L.; Gariel, J. C.; Gilbin, R.; Hertel-Aas, T.; Horemans, N.; Howard, B. J.; Ikaheimonen, T.; Mora, J. C.; Oughton, D.; Real, A.; Salbu, B.; Simon-Cornu, M.; Steiner, M.; Sweeck, L.; Vives Batlle, J.

2013-01-01

With intentions of integrating a portion of their respective research efforts into a trans-national programme that will enhance radioecology, eight European organisations recently farmed the European Radioecology ALLIANCE. The Alliance is an Association open to other organisations throughout the world with similar interests in promoting radioecology. The ALLIANCE members recognised that their shared could be enhanced by efficiently pooling resources among its partner organizations and prioritising group efforts along common themes of mutual interest. A major step in this prioritisation process was to develop a Strategic Research Agenda (SRA). an EC funded Network of Excellence in Radioecology, called STAR (Strategy for Allied Radioecology), was formed, in part, to develop the SRA. This document is the first published draft of the SRA. The SRA outlines a suggested prioritisation of research topics in radioecology, with the goal of improving research efficiency and more rapidly advancing the science. It responds to the question. What topics, if critically addressed over the next 20 years, would significantly advance radioecology. The three Scientific Challenges presented within the SRA, with their 15 associated research lines, are a strategic vision of what radioecology can achieve in the future. Meeting these challenges will require a directed effort and collaboration with many organisations the world over. Addressing these challenges is important to the advancement of radioecology and in providing scientific knowledge to decision makers. Although the development of the draft SRA has largely been a European effort, the hope is that it will initiate an open dialogue within the international radioecology community and its stake holders. This is an abbreviated document with the intention of introducing the SRA and inviting contribution from interested stake holders. Critique and input for improving the SRA are welcomed via link on the STAR web site. (Author) 52 refs.

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

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.

China's growing contribution to global intracranial aneurysm research (1991-2012: a bibliometric study.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ze-jun Jia

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: We sought to analyze the growing worldwide trends of intracranial aneurysm research, investigate China's recent contribution, and compare the contributions of mainland China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong. METHODS: Global and China intracranial aneurysm-related publications were retrieved from the Web of Science database from 1991 to 2012. Excel 2007, Matlab, and Thomson Data Analyzer (TDA software were used to analyze the search results for number of publications, cited frequency, h-index, and organization contributions. RESULTS: 16468 global papers were identified that were cited 273500 times until 2013-08-15. The United States accounted for 31.497% of the articles, 58.64% of the citations, and the highest h-index (127. Japan and Germany followed in frequency. China's articles ranked eighth (third in 2012 in total number, with most of the contributions occurring since 2002 (91.33%. China was at the early stage of the logic growth curve (exponential growth, with the citation frequency and h-index per year increasing. The quality of the publications was low. The main research centers were located in Beijing, Shanghai, Taiwan, and Hong Kong. The main Asian funding body was the National Natural Science Foundation of China. The number of publications and frequency of citations of papers from mainland China was greater than that of Taiwan or Hong Kong. CONCLUSION: Global intracranial aneurysm research has been developing swiftly since 1991, with the United States making the largest contribution. Research in China started later, in 2002. Since then, China has increased its rate of publication, and became the third largest contributor by 2012.

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.

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

Prediction of the solubility of selected pharmaceuticals in water and alcohols with a group contribution method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pelczarska, Aleksandra; Ramjugernath, Deresh; Rarey, Jurgen; Domańska, Urszula

2013-01-01

Highlights: ► The prediction of solubility of pharmaceuticals in water and alcohols was presented. ► Improved group contribution method UNIFAC was proposed for 42 binary mixtures. ► Infinite activity coefficients were used in a model. ► A semi-predictive model with one experimental point was proposed. ► This model qualitatively describes the temperature dependency of Pharms. -- Abstract: An improved group contribution approach using activity coefficients at infinite dilution, which has been proposed by our group, was used for the prediction of the solubility of selected pharmaceuticals in water and alcohols [B. Moller, Activity of complex multifunctional organic compounds in common solvents, PhD Thesis, Chemical Engineering, University of KwaZulu-Natal, 2009]. The solubility of 16 different pharmaceuticals in water, ethanol and octan-1-ol was predicted over a fairly wide range of temperature with this group contribution model. The predicted values, along with values computed with the Schroeder-van Laar equation, are compared to experimental results published by us previously for 42 binary mixtures. The predicted solubility values were lower than those from the experiments for most of the mixtures. In order to improve the prediction method, a semi-predictive calculation using one experimental solubility value was implemented. This one point prediction has given acceptable results when comparison is made to experimental values

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

[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.

Promoting Perceived Benefits of Group Projects: The Role of Instructor Contributions and Intragroup Processes

Science.gov (United States)

Bailey, Sarah; Barber, Larissa K.; Ferguson, Amanda J.

2015-01-01

Group projects are often used in psychology courses to prepare students for future collaborative work. However, psychology alumni report that their education did not adequately prepare them for collaborative work. To better understand these perceptions, this study examined how instructor contributions (involvement and evaluation techniques)…

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.

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...

Research Contributing to Improvements in Controlling Florida's Mosquitoes and Mosquito-borne Diseases.

Science.gov (United States)

Tabachnick, Walter J

2016-09-28

Research on mosquitoes and mosquito-borne diseases has contributed to improvements in providing effective, efficient, and environmentally proper mosquito control. Florida has benefitted from several research accomplishments that have increased the state's mosquito control capabilities. Research with Florida's mosquitoes has resulted in the development of ecologically sound management of mosquito impoundments on Florida's east coast. This strategy, called Rotational Impoundment Management (RIM), has improved the ability to target the delivery of pesticides and has helped to reduce non-target effects and environmental damage. Research has led to the development of an arbovirus surveillance system which includes sentinel chicken surveillance, real time use of environmental contributing factors like meteorology and hydrology to target mosquito control, as well as public health efforts to mitigate disease outbreaks to areas with risk of disease. These research driven improvements have provided substantial benefits to all of Florida. More research is needed to meet the future challenges to reduce emerging pathogens like Zika virus and the consequences of environmental changes like global climate change that are likely to influence the effects of mosquito-borne pathogens on human health and well-being.

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).

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

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 ...

Academic research as human activity: Occupational Therapy contributions for consumer participation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tatiana Dimov

2016-07-01

Full Text Available The involvement of consumers in research is a recent trend in the world. Involving consumers in researches on health services, therapeutic approaches, effectiveness of support groups, mutual help groups, and even on medication is crucial for obtaining academic results that are representative of the group of consumers, and influence public policies that are effective and functional for consumers. This paper presents an analysis of how consumers can get involved in a research and what can be the role of an occupational therapist in such activity. When governed by the principles of autonomy, empowerment, and recovery, researches with consumer participation promote the principles of equality and recognition, allowing inclusion in the research process, and promoting the recognition of consumer knowledge. As an activity, research can be a motivator, mobilizing wills and desires. It can also be a possibility of leaving stagnation and making decisions. The occupational therapist can help this process. Occupational therapy focus on activities that are significant to the life of individuals. Participation in research becomes a focus for the therapeutic process to the extent that it presents itself as a demand for the client.

Improve Research Visibility and Impact by Contributing to Wikipedia

OpenAIRE

Ebrahim, Nader Ale

2017-01-01

Wikipedia is a tool for collaboration, information sharing and knowledge/content management which anyone can edit. Wikipedia is widely used by students during the research process. So, due to Wikipedia popularity, contributing to Wikipedia website is one way of increasing citation score. In this workshop, I try to answer “Does including your papers as citations on Wikipedia increase the number of academic citations you get?” if yes, how?.

Reactor safety research. The CEC contribution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Krischer, W.

1990-01-01

The involvement of the EC Commission in the reactor safety research dates back almost to the implementation of the EURATOM Treaty and has thus lasted for thirty years. The need for close collaboration and for general consensus on some crucial problems of concern to the public, has made the role of international organizations and, as far as Europe is concerned, the role of the European Community particularly important. The areas in which the CEC has been active during the last five years are widespread. This is partly due to the fact that, after TMI and Chernobyl, the effort and the interest of the different countries in reactor safety was considerable. Reactor Safety Research represents the proceedings of a seminar held by the Commission at the end of its research programme 1984-88 on reactor safety. As such it gives a comprehensive overview of the recent activities and main results achieved in the CEC Joint Research Centre and in national laboratories throughout Europe on the basis of shared cost actions. In a concluding chapter the book reports on the opinions, expressed during a panel by a group of major exponents, on the needs for future research. The main topics addressed are, with particular reference to Light Water Reactors (LWRS): reliability and risk evaluation, inspection of steel components, primary circuit components end-of-life prediction, and abnormal behaviour of reactor cooling systems. As far as LMFBRs are concerned, the topics covered are: severe accident modelling, material properties and structural behaviour studies. There are 67 pages, all of which are indexed separately. Reactor Safety Research will be of particular interest to reliability and safety engineers, nuclear engineers and technicians, and mechanical and structural engineers. (author)

An invitation to contribute to a strategic research agenda in radioecology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hinton, T.G.; Garnier-Laplace, J.; Vandenhove, H.; Dowdall, M.; Adam-Guillermin, C.; Alonzo, F.; Barnett, C.; Beaugelin-Seiller, K.; Beresford, N.A.; Bradshaw, C.; Brown, J.; Eyrolle, F.; Fevrier, L.; Gariel, J.-C.; Gilbin, R.; Hertel-Aas, T.; Horemans, N.; Howard, B.J.; Ikäheimonen, T.; Mora, J.C.

2013-01-01

With intentions of integrating a portion of their respective research efforts into a trans-national programme that will enhance radioecology, eight European organisations recently formed the European Radioecology ALLIANCE ( (www.er-alliance.org)). The ALLIANCE is an Association open to other organisations throughout the world with similar interests in promoting radioecology. The ALLIANCE members recognised that their shared radioecological research could be enhanced by efficiently pooling resources among its partner organizations and prioritising group efforts along common themes of mutual interest. A major step in this prioritisation process was to develop a Strategic Research Agenda (SRA). An EC-funded Network of Excellence in Radioecology, called STAR (Strategy for Allied Radioecology), was formed, in part, to develop the SRA. This document is the first published draft of the SRA. The SRA outlines a suggested prioritisation of research topics in radioecology, with the goal of improving research efficiency and more rapidly advancing the science. It responds to the question: “What topics, if critically addressed over the next 20 years, would significantly advance radioecology?” The three Scientific Challenges presented within the SRA, with their 15 associated research lines, are a strategic vision of what radioecology can achieve in the future. Meeting these challenges will require a directed effort and collaboration with many organisations the world over. Addressing these challenges is important to the advancement of radioecology and in providing scientific knowledge to decision makers. Although the development of the draft SRA has largely been a European effort, the hope is that it will initiate an open dialogue within the international radioecology community and its stakeholders. This is an abbreviated document with the intention of introducing the SRA and inviting contributions from interested stakeholders. Critique and input for improving the SRA are

Water absorption in PEEK and PEI matrices. Contribution to the understanding of water-polar group interactions

Science.gov (United States)

Courvoisier, E.; Bicaba, Y.; Colin, X.

2016-05-01

The water absorption in two aromatic linear polymers (PEEK and PEI) was studied between 10% and 90% RH at 30, 50 and 70°C. It was found that these polymers display classical Henry and Fick's behaviors. Moreover, they have very close values of equilibrium water concentration C∞ and water diffusivity D presumably because their respective polar groups establish molecular interactions of the same nature with water. This assumption was checked from a literature compilation of values of C∞ and D for a large variety of linear and tridimensional polymers containing a single type of polar group. It was then evidenced that almost all types of carbonyl group (in particular, those belonging to imides, amides and ketones) have the same molar contribution to water absorption, except those belonging to esters which are much less hydrophilic. Furthermore, hydroxyl and sulfone groups are much more hydrophilic than carbonyl groups so that their molar contribution is located on another master curve. On this basis, semi-empirical structure/water transport property relationships were proposed. It was found that C∞ increases exponentially with the concentration of polar groups (presumably because water is doubly bonded), but also with the intensity of their molecular interactions with water. In contrast, D is inversely proportional to C∞, which means that polar group-water interactions slow down the rate of water diffusion.

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.

Product-related research: how research can contribute to successful life-cycle management.

Science.gov (United States)

Sandner, Peter; Ziegelbauer, Karl

2008-05-01

Declining productivity with decreasing new molecular entity output combined with increased R&D spending is one of the key challenges for the entire pharmaceutical industry. In order to offset decreasing new molecular entity output, life-cycle management activities for established drugs become more and more important to maintain or even expand clinical indication and market opportunities. Life-cycle management covers a whole range of activities from strategic pricing to a next generation product launch. In this communication, we review how research organizations can contribute to successful life-cycle management strategies using phosphodiesterase 5 inhibitors as an example.

Brazilian science communication research: national and international contributions.

Science.gov (United States)

Barata, Germana; Caldas, Graça; Gascoigne, Toss

2017-08-31

Science communication has emerged as a new field over the last 50 years, and its progress has been marked by a rise in jobs, training courses, research, associations, conferences and publications. This paper describes science communication internationally and the trends and challenges it faces, before looking at the national level. We have documented science communication activities in Brazil, the training courses, research, financial support and associations/societies. By analyzing the publication of papers, dissertations and theses we have tracked the growth of this field, and compared the level of activity in Brazil with other countries. Brazil has boosted its national research publications since 2002, with a bigger contribution from postgraduate programs in education and communication, but compared to its national research activity Brazil has only a small international presence in science communication. The language barrier, the tradition of publishing in national journals and the solid roots in education are some of the reasons for that. Brazil could improve its international participation, first by considering collaborations within Latin America. International publication is dominated by the USA and the UK. There is a need to take science communication to the next level by developing more sophisticated tools for conceptualizing and analyzing science communication, and Brazil can be part of that.

Prediction of high pressure vapor-liquid equilibria with mixing rule using ASOG group contribution method

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tochigi, K.; Kojima, K.; Kurihara, K.

1985-02-01

To develop a widely applicable method for predicting high-pressure vapor-liquid equilibria by the equation of state, a mixing rule is proposed in which mixture energy parameter ''..cap alpha..'' of theSoave-RedlichKwong, Peng-Robinson, and Martin cubic equations of state is expressed by using the ASOG group contribution method. The group pair parameters are then determined for 14 group pairs constituted by six groups, i.e. CH/sub 4/, CH/sub 3/, CH/sub 2/, N/sub 2/, H/sub 2/, and CO/sub 2/ groups. By using the group pair parameters determined, high-pressure vapor-liquid equilibria are predicted with good accuracy for binary and ternary systems constituted by n-paraffins, nitrogen, hydrogen, and carbon dioxide in the temperature range of 100 - 450K.

Evaluation of NIPER thermal EOR research, state-of-the-art and research needs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sarathi, P.S.; Olsen, D.K.; Mahmood, S.M.; Ramzel, E.B.

1993-06-01

The Thermal Oil Production Research Group at NIPER has conducted research on behalf of the US Department of Energy on thermal methods of oil production (steam and for 1 year, in situ combustion) since 1983. Research projects performed by this group have attempted to adapt to the needs and direction of the DOE`s oil research program and that of industry. This report summarizes the research that has been conducted, analyses the contributions of the research, describes how the technology was transferred to potential users, analyzes current trends in thermal research and thermal oil production, and makes suggestions for future research where NIPER could contribute to advances in thermal oil production.

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…

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

Leisure routes from research: trends, challenges and contributions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maria Jesus Monteagudo

2012-07-01

Full Text Available Leisure itineraries are part of the new research topics associated with Leisure Studies. Its knowledge brings us closer to the processes related to the birth, development and decline of our hobbies and interests. It helps us understand our leisure and its impact on life satisfaction, but also sheds light on the role of practices that have to do with our self-identification and health habits associated with the quality of life. The article focuses on the accuracy of the concept and discusses the main directions of research, enabling an approach to the current knowledge about itineraries. The authors referred to, mainly Americans, question the impact of continuity and change and, on the other hand, analyze the impact of interpersonal differences in the evolution of itineraries.From a strictly academic approach, one of the main contributions of the application of the concept of leisure itineraries to the study of consolidation lies in the treatment of leisure as a process. This point of view moves us away from the study of purely objective aspects and leads us to personal implications, without which the meaning of leisure experience is difficult to understand. At the end of the paper, the challenges the study opens and the contributions involving both the orientation of the educational offer and the pedagogy of leisure are presented. The study of leisure itineraries allows us to reinforce the importance of leisure as a factor of human development throughout life and legitimizes its support through specific policies, management models and intervention actions.

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

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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/.

Research methods from social science can contribute much to the health sciences.

Science.gov (United States)

Wensing, Michel

2008-06-01

Research methods from social science, such as social network analysis, random coefficient modeling, and advanced measurement techniques, can contribute much to the health sciences. There is, however, a slow rate of transmission of social science methodology into the health sciences. This paper identifies some of the barriers for adoption and proposes ideas for the future. Commentary. Contributions of social science to the health sciences are not always recognized as such. It may help if the professional profile of social science in the health sciences would be higher and if its focus would be more on making useful predictions. Clinical epidemiologists may assume that their discipline includes all relevant methods and that social science is largely based on qualitative research. These perceptions need to be challenged in order to widen the scope of clinical epidemiology and include relevant methods from other sciences. New methods help to ask new research questions and to provide better to old questions. This paper has sketched challenges for both social science researchers and clinical epidemiologists.

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.

[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.

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

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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

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

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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

Virtual Focus Groups: New Frontiers in Research

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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.

NASA's Contribution to Water Research, Applications and Capacity Building in the America's

Science.gov (United States)

Toll, D. L.; Searby, N. D.; Doorn, B.; Lawford, R. G.; Entin, J. K.; Mohr, K. I.; Lee, C.; NASA International Water Team

2013-05-01

NASA's water research, applications and capacity building activities use satellites and models to contribute to regional water information and solutions for the Americas. Free and open exchange of Earth data observations and products helps engage and improve integrated observation networks and enables national and multi-national regional water cycle research and applications. NASA satellite and modeling products provide a huge volume of valuable data extending back over 50 years across a broad range of spatial (local to global) and temporal (hourly to decadal) scales and include many products that are available in near real time (see earthdata.nasa.gov). In addition, NASA's work in hydrologic predictions are valuable for: 1) short-term and hourly data that is critical for flood and landslide warnings; 2) mid-term predictions of days to weeks useful for reservoir planning and water allocation, and 3) long term seasonal to decadal forecasts helpful for agricultural and irrigation planning, land use planning, and water infrastructure development and planning. To further accomplish these objectives NASA works to actively partner with public and private groups (e.g. federal agencies, universities, NGO's, and industry) in the U.S. and internationally to ensure the broadest use of its satellites and related information and products and to collaborate with regional end users who know the regions and their needs best. Through these data, policy and partnering activities, NASA addresses numerous water issues including water scarcity, the extreme events of drought and floods, and water quality so critical to the Americas. This presentation will outline and describe NASA's water related research, applications and capacity building programs' efforts to address the Americas' critical water challenges. This will specifically include water activities in NASA's programs in Terrestrial Hydrology (e.g., land-atmosphere feedbacks and improved stream flow estimation), Water Resources

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…

Outlier treatment for improving parameter estimation of group contribution based models for upper flammability limit

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Frutiger, Jerome; Abildskov, Jens; Sin, Gürkan

2015-01-01

Flammability data is needed to assess the risk of fire and explosions. This study presents a new group contribution (GC) model to predict the upper flammability limit UFL oforganic chemicals. Furthermore, it provides a systematic method for outlier treatment inorder to improve the parameter...

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.

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.

Group contribution methodology based on the statistical associating fluid theory for heteronuclear molecules formed from Mie segments.

Science.gov (United States)

Papaioannou, Vasileios; Lafitte, Thomas; Avendaño, Carlos; Adjiman, Claire S; Jackson, George; Müller, Erich A; Galindo, Amparo

2014-02-07

A generalization of the recent version of the statistical associating fluid theory for variable range Mie potentials [Lafitte et al., J. Chem. Phys. 139, 154504 (2013)] is formulated within the framework of a group contribution approach (SAFT-γ Mie). Molecules are represented as comprising distinct functional (chemical) groups based on a fused heteronuclear molecular model, where the interactions between segments are described with the Mie (generalized Lennard-Jonesium) potential of variable attractive and repulsive range. A key feature of the new theory is the accurate description of the monomeric group-group interactions by application of a high-temperature perturbation expansion up to third order. The capabilities of the SAFT-γ Mie approach are exemplified by studying the thermodynamic properties of two chemical families, the n-alkanes and the n-alkyl esters, by developing parameters for the methyl, methylene, and carboxylate functional groups (CH3, CH2, and COO). The approach is shown to describe accurately the fluid-phase behavior of the compounds considered with absolute average deviations of 1.20% and 0.42% for the vapor pressure and saturated liquid density, respectively, which represents a clear improvement over other existing SAFT-based group contribution approaches. The use of Mie potentials to describe the group-group interaction is shown to allow accurate simultaneous descriptions of the fluid-phase behavior and second-order thermodynamic derivative properties of the pure fluids based on a single set of group parameters. Furthermore, the application of the perturbation expansion to third order for the description of the reference monomeric fluid improves the predictions of the theory for the fluid-phase behavior of pure components in the near-critical region. The predictive capabilities of the approach stem from its formulation within a group-contribution formalism: predictions of the fluid-phase behavior and thermodynamic derivative properties of

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...

Energy contribution of NOVA food groups and sociodemographic determinants of ultra-processed food consumption in the Mexican population.

Science.gov (United States)

Marrón-Ponce, Joaquín A; Sánchez-Pimienta, Tania G; Louzada, Maria Laura da Costa; Batis, Carolina

2018-01-01

To identify the energy contributions of NOVA food groups in the Mexican diet and the associations between individual sociodemographic characteristics and the energy contribution of ultra-processed foods (UPF). We classified foods and beverages reported in a 24 h recall according to the NOVA food framework into: (i) unprocessed or minimally processed foods; (ii) processed culinary ingredients; (iii) processed foods; and (iv) UPF. We estimated the energy contribution of each food group and ran a multiple linear regression to identify the associations between sociodemographic characteristics and UPF energy contribution. Mexican National Health and Nutrition Survey 2012. Individuals ≥1 years old (n 10 087). Unprocessed or minimally processed foods had the highest dietary energy contribution (54·0 % of energy), followed by UPF (29·8 %), processed culinary ingredients (10·2 %) and processed foods (6·0 %). The energy contribution of UPF was higher in: pre-school-aged children v. other age groups (3·8 to 12·5 percentage points difference (pp)); urban areas v. rural (5·6 pp); the Central and North regions v. the South (2·7 and 8·4 pp, respectively); medium and high socio-economic status v. low (4·5 pp, in both); and with higher head of household educational level v. without education (3·4 to 7·8 pp). In 2012, about 30 % of energy in the Mexican diet came from UPF. Our results showed that younger ages, urbanization, living in the North region, high socio-economic status and high head of household educational level are sociodemographic factors related to higher consumption of UPF in Mexico.

Developing a physics expert identity in a biophysics research group

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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.

Author contributions to ecological publications: What does it mean to be an author in modern ecological research?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

John M Logan

Full Text Available Authorship is a central element of scientific research carrying a variety of rewards and responsibilities, and while various guidelines exist, actual author contributions are often ambiguous. Inconsistent or limited contributions threaten to devalue authorship as intellectual currency and diminish authors' responsibility for published content. Researchers have assessed author contributions in the medical literature and other research fields, but similar data for the field of ecological research are lacking. Authorship practices in ecological research are broadly representative of a variety of fields due to the cross-disciplinary nature of collaborations in ecological studies. To better understand author contributions to current research, we distributed a survey regarding co-author contributions to a random selection of 996 lead authors of manuscripts published in ecological journals in 2010. We obtained useable responses from 45% of surveyed authors. Reported lead author contributions in ecological research studies consistently included conception of the project idea, data collection, analysis, and writing. Middle and last author contributions instead showed a high level of individual variability. Lead authorship in ecology is well defined while secondary authorship is more ambiguous. Nearly half (48% of all studies included in our survey had some level of non-compliance with Ecological Society of America (ESA authorship guidelines and the majority of studies (78% contained at least one co-author that did not meet International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE requirements. Incidence of non-compliance varied with lead author occupation and author position. The probability of a study including an author that was non-compliant with ESA guidelines was lowest for professor-led studies and highest for graduate student and post doctoral researcher-led studies. Among studies with > two co-authors, all lead authors met ESA guidelines and only

Contributing to research: the basic elements of a scientific manuscript

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kurmis, A.P.

2003-01-01

The changing focus within medical and allied health disciplines towards evidence-based practice has resulted in an increasing acceptance of research and professional researchers. Despite the shift towards tertiary degree-based training for medical imaging and allied specialty streams, with many teaching institutions now incorporating compulsory research components into their final year curriculum, the level of active involvement in research among graduates remains low. In addition to this, many of those who completed their training before the introduction of university degree courses have had little or no exposure to hands-on research. While not overtly difficult, the process of 'writing up' the findings of a research endeavour for presentation to peers can often seem a somewhat daunting task, especially for novice researchers. The structure of a scientific manuscript however follows a relatively basic and universally accepted pattern, adherence to which can greatly simplify the writing process. To contribute to a wider understanding of research, the purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of the basic elements of a scientific research paper for journal publication. The outline provided, while not intended to be a recipe for manuscript construction, will provide a fundamental framework to assist student, junior or inexperienced researchers in their writings

Web-conferencing as a viable method for group decision research

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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.

"The contribution of chronic diseases to the prevalence of dependence among older people in Latin America, China and India: a 10/66 Dementia Research Group population-based survey"

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Salas Aquiles

2010-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The number of older people is set to increase dramatically worldwide. Demographic changes are likely to result in the rise of age-related chronic diseases which largely contribute to years lived with a disability and future dependence. However dependence is much less studied although intrinsically linked to disability. We investigated the prevalence and correlates of dependence among older people from middle income countries. Methods A one-phase cross-sectional survey was carried out at 11 sites in seven countries (urban sites in Cuba, Venezuela, and Dominican Republic, urban and rural sites in Peru, Mexico, China and India. All those aged 65 years and over living in geographically defined catchment areas were eligible. In all, 15,022 interviews were completed with an informant interview for each participant. The full 10/66 Dementia Research Group survey protocol was applied, including ascertainment of depression, dementia, physical impairments and self-reported diagnoses. Dependence was interviewer-rated based on a key informant's responses to a set of open-ended questions on the participant's needs for care. We estimated the prevalence of dependence and the independent contribution of underlying health conditions. Site-specific prevalence ratios were meta-analysed, and population attributable prevalence fractions (PAPF calculated. Results The prevalence of dependence increased with age at all sites, with a tendency for the prevalence to be lower in men than in women. Age-standardised prevalence was lower in all sites than in the USA. Other than in rural China, dementia made the largest independent contribution to dependence, with a median PAPF of 34% (range 23%-59%. Other substantial contributors were limb impairment (9%, 1%-46%, stroke (8%, 2%-17%, and depression (8%, 1%-27%. Conclusion The demographic and health transitions will lead to large and rapid increases in the numbers of dependent older people particularly in

The contribution of chronic diseases to the prevalence of dependence among older people in Latin America, China and India: a 10/66 Dementia Research Group population-based survey.

Science.gov (United States)

Sousa, Renata M; Ferri, Cleusa P; Acosta, Daisy; Guerra, Mariella; Huang, Yueqin; Jacob, Ks; Jotheeswaran, At; Hernandez, Milagros A Guerra; Liu, Zhaorui; Pichardo, Guillermina Rodriguez; Rodriguez, Juan J Llibre; Salas, Aquiles; Sosa, Ana Luisa; Williams, Joseph; Zuniga, Tirso; Prince, Martin

2010-08-06

The number of older people is set to increase dramatically worldwide. Demographic changes are likely to result in the rise of age-related chronic diseases which largely contribute to years lived with a disability and future dependence. However dependence is much less studied although intrinsically linked to disability. We investigated the prevalence and correlates of dependence among older people from middle income countries. A one-phase cross-sectional survey was carried out at 11 sites in seven countries (urban sites in Cuba, Venezuela, and Dominican Republic, urban and rural sites in Peru, Mexico, China and India). All those aged 65 years and over living in geographically defined catchment areas were eligible. In all, 15,022 interviews were completed with an informant interview for each participant. The full 10/66 Dementia Research Group survey protocol was applied, including ascertainment of depression, dementia, physical impairments and self-reported diagnoses. Dependence was interviewer-rated based on a key informant's responses to a set of open-ended questions on the participant's needs for care. We estimated the prevalence of dependence and the independent contribution of underlying health conditions. Site-specific prevalence ratios were meta-analysed, and population attributable prevalence fractions (PAPF) calculated. The prevalence of dependence increased with age at all sites, with a tendency for the prevalence to be lower in men than in women. Age-standardised prevalence was lower in all sites than in the USA. Other than in rural China, dementia made the largest independent contribution to dependence, with a median PAPF of 34% (range 23%-59%). Other substantial contributors were limb impairment (9%, 1%-46%), stroke (8%, 2%-17%), and depression (8%, 1%-27%). The demographic and health transitions will lead to large and rapid increases in the numbers of dependent older people particularly in middle income countries (MIC). The prevention and control of

"The contribution of chronic diseases to the prevalence of dependence among older people in Latin America, China and India: a 10/66 Dementia Research Group population-based survey"

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

Background The number of older people is set to increase dramatically worldwide. Demographic changes are likely to result in the rise of age-related chronic diseases which largely contribute to years lived with a disability and future dependence. However dependence is much less studied although intrinsically linked to disability. We investigated the prevalence and correlates of dependence among older people from middle income countries. Methods A one-phase cross-sectional survey was carried out at 11 sites in seven countries (urban sites in Cuba, Venezuela, and Dominican Republic, urban and rural sites in Peru, Mexico, China and India). All those aged 65 years and over living in geographically defined catchment areas were eligible. In all, 15,022 interviews were completed with an informant interview for each participant. The full 10/66 Dementia Research Group survey protocol was applied, including ascertainment of depression, dementia, physical impairments and self-reported diagnoses. Dependence was interviewer-rated based on a key informant's responses to a set of open-ended questions on the participant's needs for care. We estimated the prevalence of dependence and the independent contribution of underlying health conditions. Site-specific prevalence ratios were meta-analysed, and population attributable prevalence fractions (PAPF) calculated. Results The prevalence of dependence increased with age at all sites, with a tendency for the prevalence to be lower in men than in women. Age-standardised prevalence was lower in all sites than in the USA. Other than in rural China, dementia made the largest independent contribution to dependence, with a median PAPF of 34% (range 23%-59%). Other substantial contributors were limb impairment (9%, 1%-46%), stroke (8%, 2%-17%), and depression (8%, 1%-27%). Conclusion The demographic and health transitions will lead to large and rapid increases in the numbers of dependent older people particularly in middle income countries

Contributions of Attachment Theory and Research: A Framework for Future Research, Translation, and Policy

Science.gov (United States)

Cassidy, Jude; Jones, Jason D.; Shaver, Phillip R.

2014-01-01

Attachment theory has been generating creative and impactful research for almost half a century. In this article we focus on the documented antecedents and consequences of individual differences in infant attachment patterns, suggesting topics for further theoretical clarification, research, clinical interventions, and policy applications. We pay particular attention to the concept of cognitive “working models” and to neural and physiological mechanisms through which early attachment experiences contribute to later functioning. We consider adult caregiving behavior that predicts infant attachment patterns, and the still-mysterious “transmission gap” between parental AAI classifications and infant Strange Situation classifications. We also review connections between attachment and (a) child psychopathology, (b) neurobiology, (c) health and immune function, (d) empathy, compassion, and altruism, (e) school readiness, and (f) culture. We conclude with clinical-translational and public policy applications of attachment research that could reduce the occurrence and maintenance of insecure attachment during infancy and beyond. Our goal is to inspire researchers to continue advancing the field by finding new ways to tackle long-standing questions and by generating and testing novel hypotheses. PMID:24342848

Contributions of attachment theory and research: a framework for future research, translation, and policy.

Science.gov (United States)

Cassidy, Jude; Jones, Jason D; Shaver, Phillip R

2013-11-01

Attachment theory has been generating creative and impactful research for almost half a century. In this article we focus on the documented antecedents and consequences of individual differences in infant attachment patterns, suggesting topics for further theoretical clarification, research, clinical interventions, and policy applications. We pay particular attention to the concept of cognitive "working models" and to neural and physiological mechanisms through which early attachment experiences contribute to later functioning. We consider adult caregiving behavior that predicts infant attachment patterns, and the still-mysterious "transmission gap" between parental Adult Attachment Interview classifications and infant Strange Situation classifications. We also review connections between attachment and (a) child psychopathology; (b) neurobiology; (c) health and immune function; (d) empathy, compassion, and altruism; (e) school readiness; and (f) culture. We conclude with clinical-translational and public policy applications of attachment research that could reduce the occurrence and maintenance of insecure attachment during infancy and beyond. Our goal is to inspire researchers to continue advancing the field by finding new ways to tackle long-standing questions and by generating and testing novel hypotheses.

Leonard A. Jason: Award for Distinguished Professional Contributions to Applied Research.

Science.gov (United States)

2015-11-01

The Award for Distinguished Professional Contributions to Applied Research is given to a psychologist whose research has led to important discoveries or developments in the field of applied psychology. To be eligible, this research should have led to innovative applications in an area of psychological practice, including but not limited to assessment, consultation, instruction, or intervention (either direct or indirect). The 2015 recipient is Leonard A. Jason. Jason "is among the most prolific community psychology researchers whose work has had measurable and significant real-world impact. His work is characterized by a continuing desire to apply knowledge to major social problems. His research is methodologically sound and creative, collaborative, and participatory, thereby increasing stakeholders' support for proposed changes." Jason's award citation, biography, and a selected bibliography are presented here. (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

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.

Research Contributing to Improvements in Controlling Florida’s Mosquitoes and Mosquito-Borne Diseases

Science.gov (United States)

Tabachnick, Walter J.

2016-01-01

Research on mosquitoes and mosquito-borne diseases has contributed to improvements in providing effective, efficient, and environmentally proper mosquito control. Florida has benefitted from several research accomplishments that have increased the state’s mosquito control capabilities. Research with Florida’s mosquitoes has resulted in the development of ecologically sound management of mosquito impoundments on Florida’s east coast. This strategy, called Rotational Impoundment Management (RIM), has improved the ability to target the delivery of pesticides and has helped to reduce non-target effects and environmental damage. Research has led to the development of an arbovirus surveillance system which includes sentinel chicken surveillance, real time use of environmental contributing factors like meteorology and hydrology to target mosquito control, as well as public health efforts to mitigate disease outbreaks to areas with risk of disease. These research driven improvements have provided substantial benefits to all of Florida. More research is needed to meet the future challenges to reduce emerging pathogens like Zika virus and the consequences of environmental changes like global climate change that are likely to influence the effects of mosquito-borne pathogens on human health and well-being. PMID:27690112

Research Contributing to Improvements in Controlling Florida’s Mosquitoes and Mosquito-borne Diseases

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Walter J. Tabachnick

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Research on mosquitoes and mosquito-borne diseases has contributed to improvements in providing effective, efficient, and environmentally proper mosquito control. Florida has benefitted from several research accomplishments that have increased the state’s mosquito control capabilities. Research with Florida’s mosquitoes has resulted in the development of ecologically sound management of mosquito impoundments on Florida’s east coast. This strategy, called Rotational Impoundment Management (RIM, has improved the ability to target the delivery of pesticides and has helped to reduce non-target effects and environmental damage. Research has led to the development of an arbovirus surveillance system which includes sentinel chicken surveillance, real time use of environmental contributing factors like meteorology and hydrology to target mosquito control, as well as public health efforts to mitigate disease outbreaks to areas with risk of disease. These research driven improvements have provided substantial benefits to all of Florida. More research is needed to meet the future challenges to reduce emerging pathogens like Zika virus and the consequences of environmental changes like global climate change that are likely to influence the effects of mosquito-borne pathogens on human health and well-being.

Contributions of Qualitative Research to Understanding Savings for Children and Youth

Science.gov (United States)

Sherraden, Margaret; Peters, Clark; Wagner, Kristen; Guo, Baorong; Clancy, Margaret

2013-01-01

This paper explores contributions of qualitative research to saving theory for children, youth, and parents in children's development account (CDAs) programs. It brings together findings from three studies: (1) elementary school age children saving for college, (2) youth transitioning from foster care saving for education and other purposes, and…

Estimation of Environment-Related Properties of Chemicals for Design of Sustainable Processes: Development of Group-Contribution+ (GC+) Property Models and Uncertainty Analysis

Science.gov (United States)

The aim of this work is to develop group-contribution+ (GC+) method (combined group-contribution (GC) method and atom connectivity index (CI) method) based property models to provide reliable estimations of environment-related properties of organic chemicals together with uncert...

Do wealth disparities contribute to health disparities within racial/ethnic groups?

Science.gov (United States)

Pollack, Craig Evan; Cubbin, Catherine; Sania, Ayesha; Hayward, Mark; Vallone, Donna; Flaherty, Brian; Braveman, Paula A

2013-05-01

Though wide disparities in wealth have been documented across racial/ethnic groups, it is largely unknown whether differences in wealth are associated with health disparities within racial/ethnic groups. Data from the Survey of Consumer Finances (2004, ages 25-64) and the Health and Retirement Survey (2004, ages 50+), containing a wide range of assets and debts variables, were used to calculate net worth (a standard measure of wealth). Among non-Hispanic black, Hispanic and non-Hispanic white populations, we tested whether wealth was associated with self-reported poor/fair health status after accounting for income and education. Except among the younger Hispanic population, net worth was significantly associated with poor/fair health status within each racial/ethnic group in both data sets. Adding net worth attenuated the association between education and poor/fair health (in all racial/ethnic groups) and between income and poor/fair health (except among older Hispanics). The results add to the literature indicating the importance of including measures of wealth in health research for what they may reveal about disparities not only between but also within different racial/ethnic groups.

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

An organic group contribution approach to radiative efficiency estimation of organic working fluid

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Xinxin; Kobayashi, Noriyuki; He, Maogang; Wang, Jingfu

2016-01-01

Highlights: • We use group contribution method to estimate radiative efficiency. • CFC, HCFC, HFC, HFE, and PFC were estimated using this method. • In most cases, the estimation value has a good precision. • The method is reliable for the estimation of molecule with a symmetric structure. • This estimation method can offer good reference for working fluid development. - Abstract: The ratification of the Montreal Protocol in 1987 and the Kyoto Protocol in 1997 mark an environment protection era of the development of organic working fluid. Ozone depletion potential (ODP) and global warming potential (GWP) are two most important indices for the quantitative comparison of organic working fluid. Nowadays, more and more attention has been paid to GWP. The calculation of GWP is an extremely complicated process which involves interactions between surface and atmosphere such as atmospheric radiative transfer and atmospheric chemical reactions. GWP of a substance is related to its atmospheric abundance and is a variable in itself. However, radiative efficiency is an intermediate parameter for GWP calculation and it is a constant value used to describe inherent property of a substance. In this paper, the group contribution method was adopted to estimate the radiative efficiency of the organic substance which contains more than one carbon atom. In most cases, the estimation value and the standard value are in a good agreement. The biggest estimation error occurs in the estimation of the radiative efficiency of fluorinated ethers due to its plenty of structure groups and its complicated structure compared with hydrocarbon. This estimation method can be used to predict the radiative efficiency of newly developed organic working fluids.

Research Contributing to Improvements in Controlling Florida’s Mosquitoes and Mosquito-borne Diseases

OpenAIRE

Walter J. Tabachnick

2016-01-01

Research on mosquitoes and mosquito-borne diseases has contributed to improvements in providing effective, efficient, and environmentally proper mosquito control. Florida has benefitted from several research accomplishments that have increased the state?s mosquito control capabilities. Research with Florida?s mosquitoes has resulted in the development of ecologically sound management of mosquito impoundments on Florida?s east coast. This strategy, called Rotational Impoundment Management (RIM...

The contribution of research on expertise to understanding of expert thinking

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Krnjaić Zora

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Expertise is determined based on the high level of mastery of knowledge and skills in different areas of human activities (science, art, sports and other less formal domains. This paper explores the contribution of empirical research on expertise to understanding of the nature of expert thinking. For that purpose we have compiled an overview and performed an analysis of the findings of relevant research on expertise based on different approaches and paradigms. We have included the studies that researched experts singled out based on their exceptional performances in different domains (absolute expertise and the studies based on comparing experts with novices (relative expertise. We have analyzed the studies using different paradigms: psychometric and cognitive paradigms, as well as the new offshoot, the paradigm based on viewing giftedness as developing expertise. Research results provide empirically grounded findings on the characteristics of expert thinking and consistently point to the fact that knowledge is the core of expertise. The characteristics of expert knowledge are operationalized via the quantity and organization of knowledge and the mastery of deep contents and knowledge systems, which enables the recognition of rules, models and information sets, as well as the use of knowledge in further studying, detecting and solving different problems. It can be concluded that research findings on expertise are one of the foundations in the conceptualization of expert thinking. They significantly contribute to obtaining an insight into the way in which knowledge shapes thought and into understanding the mechanisms of demonstrating knowledge in the mental processes of experts.

The Contribution of VET Student Placement to Innovation in Host Organisations. NCVER Research Report

Science.gov (United States)

Hodge, Steven; Smith, Raymond; Field, Jenny; Flynn, Matthew

2017-01-01

With innovation seen as critical to Australia's economy, it is worthwhile to ask about the contribution of the Australian vocational education and training (VET) system to innovation. Previous research has highlighted a number of ways VET can contribute to innovation, including through knowledge diffusion, skills development and networks, and…

e-Research and Learning Theory: What Do Sequence and Process Mining Methods Contribute?

Science.gov (United States)

Reimann, Peter; Markauskaite, Lina; Bannert, Maria

2014-01-01

This paper discusses the fundamental question of how data-intensive e-research methods could contribute to the development of learning theories. Using methodological developments in research on self-regulated learning as an example, it argues that current applications of data-driven analytical techniques, such as educational data mining and its…

Prediction of acid dissociation constants of organic compounds using group contribution methods

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zhou, Teng; Jhamb, Spardha; Liang, Xiaodong

2018-01-01

data-points with average absolute error of 0.23; (b) a non-linear GC model for organic compounds using 1622 data-points with average absolute error of 1.18; (c) an artificial neural network (ANN) based GC model for the organic compounds with average absolute error of 0.17. For each of the developed......In this paper, group contribution (GC) property models for the estimation of acid dissociation constants (Ka) of organic compounds are presented. Three GC models are developed to predict the negative logarithm of the acid dissociation constant pKa: (a) a linear GC model for amino acids using 180...

Comparison of Design Research on Manufacturing Firms Moving Towards Services

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Matzen, Detlef; Sakao, Tomohiko; Sandström, Gunilla Ölundh

2007-01-01

Corresponding to a steadily advancing integration of roducts and service operations in the manufacturing industry, a number of research groups within the design community are working with issues of integrated product and service development. Although closely related, the evolving groups focus...... on different research dimensions, and thus the terminologies and concepts used in research contributions are not fully compatible. This research attempts to promote and support an evolving collaboration between the different research groups within the design community, by analysing and comparing the key...... contribution areas of three of the existing groups, namely the groups of Integrated Product and Service Engineering, Service/Product Engineering and Product/Service-System development. A review of the groups’ research contributions is carried out and the main characteristics’ of their research is compared...

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.

Hans Georg Trüper (1936–2016 and His Contributions to Halophile Research

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aharon Oren

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Prof. Hans Georg Trüper, one of the most important scientists in the field of halophile research, passed away on 9 March 2016 at the age of 79. I here present a brief obituary with special emphasis on Prof. Trüper’s contributions to our understanding of the halophilic prokaryotes and their adaptations to life in hypersaline environments. He has pioneered the study of the halophilic anoxygenic phototrophic sulfur bacteria of the Ectothiorhodospira—Halorhodospira group. Some of the species he and his group isolated from hypersaline and haloalkaline environments have become model organisms for the study of the mechanisms of haloadaptation: the functions of three major organic compounds – glycine betaine, ectoine, and trehalose – known to serve as “compatible solutes” in halophilic members of the Bacteria domain, were discovered during studies of these anoxygenic phototrophs. Prof. Trüper’s studies of hypersaline alkaline environments in Egypt also led to the isolation of the first known extremely halophilic archaeon (Natronomonas pharaonis. The guest editors dedicate this special volume of Life to the memory of Prof. Hans Georg Trüper.

[The Contribution of GMP-grade Hospital Preparation to Translational Research].

Science.gov (United States)

Yonezawa, Atsushi; Kajiwara, Moto; Minami, Ikuko; Omura, Tomohiro; Nakagawa, Shunsaku; Matsubara, Kazuo

2015-01-01

Translational research is important for applying the outcomes of basic research studies to practical medical treatments. In exploratory early-phase clinical trials for an innovative therapy, researchers should generally manufacture investigational agents by themselves. To provide investigational agents with safety and high quality in clinical studies, appropriate production management and quality control are essential. In the Department of Pharmacy of Kyoto University Hospital, a manufacturing facility for sterile drugs was established, independent of existing manufacturing facilities. Manuals on production management and quality control were developed according to Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) for Investigational New Drugs (INDs). Advanced clinical research has been carried out using investigational agents manufactured in our facility. These achievements contribute to both the safety of patients and the reliability of clinical studies. In addition, we are able to do licensing-out of our technique for the manufacture of investigational drugs. In this symposium, we will introduce our GMP grade manufacturing facility for sterile drugs and discuss the role of GMP grade hospital preparation in translational research.

The research reactors their contribution to the reactors physics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barral, J.C.; Zaetta, A.; Johner, J.; Mathoniere, G.

2000-01-01

The 19 october 2000, the french society of nuclear energy organized a day on the research reactors. This associated report of the technical session, reactors physics, is presented in two parts. The first part deals with the annual meeting and groups general papers on the pressurized water reactors, the fast neutrons reactors and the fusion reactors industry. The second part presents more technical papers about the research programs, critical models, irradiation reactors (OSIRIS and Jules Horowitz) and computing tools. (A.L.B.)

The Itinerary Method: A Methodological Contribution from Social Sciences to Consumer Research in Management

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dominique Desjeux

2014-05-01

Full Text Available Consumer choice has been a focus of interest in the study of consumer behavior for over 50 years. Over time, however, the focus has widened to include not only the moment of purchase itself but also gradually a reflection on the consumer decision process, concerning the selection, consumption and disposal of products and services. More recently, researchers trained in areas like anthropology and sociology have contributed with perspectives that view the process of choice as a social and cultural phenomenon. This paper presents the Itinerary Method — a research approach originally applied in anthropology studies investigating consumption. The method can contribute to consumer research in management inasmuch as it allows investigation of the consumption process - selection, consumption and disposal - within a systemic perspective, that can expand consumer research's comprehension of choice, since it stresses culture as a central element. The method is described, along with its assumptions, operational steps and concrete examples of researches on consumption. 

[Contribution of Chilean research to the formulation of national clinical guidelines].

Science.gov (United States)

Núñez, Paulina F; Torres, Adrián C; Armas, Rodolfo M

2014-12-01

In Chile, 80 diseases were included in a health care system called Health Care Guarantees (GES) and clinical guidelines were elaborated for their management. To assess the scientific background of guidelines and if they were based on research financed by the Chilean National Commission for Science and Technology. The references of the 82 guidelines developed for 80 diseases were reviewed, registering their number, authors, country of origin and funding source. The guidelines had a total of 6,604 references. Of these, only 185 were Chilean (2.8%) and five (0.08%) originated from research financed by the National Commission for Science and Technology. The contribution of research funded by national agencies to the formulation of clinical guidelines is minimal.

Sustainability transitions in developing countries: Stocktaking, new contributions and a research agenda

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansen, Ulrich Elmer; Nygaard, Ivan; Romijn, Henny

2018-01-01

An increasing number of studies have analysed the scope for, and the barriers to, transitions toward sustainability in the context of developing countries building on analytical perspectives from the sustainability transitions literature. This paper introduces a special issue on sustainability...... transitions in developing countries, which takes stock of this emerging field of research and presents new empirical research that contributes to further advancement of our understanding of the conditions in which sustainability transitions are likely to take place in developing countries and what is involved...... projects. The introductory paper concludes by presenting a research agenda, which aims to provide promising avenues for future research on sustainability transitions in developing countries....

Prediction of enthalpy of fusion of pure compounds using an Artificial Neural Network-Group Contribution method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gharagheizi, Farhad; Salehi, Gholam Reza

2011-01-01

Highlights: → An Artificial Neural Network-Group Contribution method is presented for prediction of enthalpy of fusion of pure compounds at their normal melting point. → Validity of the model is confirmed using a large evaluated data set containing 4157 pure compounds. → The average percent error of the model is equal to 2.65% in comparison with the experimental data. - Abstract: In this work, the Artificial Neural Network-Group Contribution (ANN-GC) method is applied to estimate the enthalpy of fusion of pure chemical compounds at their normal melting point. 4157 pure compounds from various chemical families are investigated to propose a comprehensive and predictive model. The obtained results show the Squared Correlation Coefficient (R 2 ) of 0.999, Root Mean Square Error of 0.82 kJ/mol, and average absolute deviation lower than 2.65% for the estimated properties from existing experimental values.

Participatory epidemiology: the contribution of participatory research to epidemiology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mario Bach

2017-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Epidemiology has contributed in many ways to identifying various risk factors for disease and to promoting population health. However, there is a continuing debate about the ability of epidemiology not only to describe, but also to provide results which can be better translated into public health practice. It has been proposed that participatory research approaches be applied to epidemiology as a way to bridge this gap between description and action. A systematic account of what constitutes participatory epidemiology practice has, however, been lacking. Methods A scoping review was carried out focused on the question of what constitutes participatory approaches to epidemiology for the purpose of demonstrating their potential for advancing epidemiologic research. Relevant databases were searched, including both the published and non-published (grey literature. The 102 identified sources were analyzed in terms of comparing common epidemiologic approaches to participatory counterparts regarding central aspects of the research process. Exemplary studies applying participatory approaches were examined more closely. Results A highly diverse, interdisciplinary body of literature was synthesized, resulting in a framework comprised of seven aspects of the research process: research goal, research question, population, context, data synthesis, research management, and dissemination of findings. The framework specifies how participatory approaches not only differ from, but also how they can enhance common approaches in epidemiology. Finally, recommendations for the further development of participatory approaches are given. These include: enhancing data collection, data analysis, and data validation; advancing capacity building for research at the local level; and developing data synthesis. Conclusion The proposed framework provides a basis for systematically developing the emergent science of participatory epidemiology.

Solvent extraction of aromatics from middle distillates: equilibria prediction method by group contribution

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rahman, M.; Mikitenko, P.; Asselineau, L.

1984-01-01

A method of calculating liquid-liquid aromatics extraction of a middle distillate is described. The group contribution models of the ASOG and UNIFAC type are investigated. Four vapor liquid equilibrium (VLE), two solid-liquid equilibrium (SLE), three binary and six ternary liquid-liquid equilibrium (LLE) have been measured. The parameters of the models are based mainly on the data of the systems having 10-20 carbon number. VLE, SLE, and infinite dilution activity coefficient data (17-245/sup 0/C) have been used for calculating interaction parameters between hydrocarbon groups and LLE data (20-80/sup 0/C) for interaction parameters of dimethylformamide-hydrocarbon groups. Middle distillate representation is based on mass spectrometric and gas chromatographic analysis and on limited data of middle distillate-DMF liquid-liquid equilibrium. It is shown that the performance of ASOG and UNIFAC models are sufficiently valid in representation of data base and in extraction calculations. Considering the predictive character and the rapidity of its application this method can be useful in the preliminary study of extraction processes. 34 references, 2 figures, 10 tables.

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.

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.

Employees as Individually and Collectively Acting Subjects—Key Contributions from Nordic Working Life Research

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Peter Hasle

2013-09-01

Full Text Available The Nordic countries—Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden—are societies that share many features among themselves that also distinguish them from other industrialized countries. The paper poses the question whether the distinct character of the Nordic societies has generated working life research that is clearly distinguishable from similar research in other countries in terms of distinctness in topics, methods, empirical findings, or theoretical concepts. The aim of this paper is to answer this question by identifying, analyzing, and discussing selected key contributions from Nordic working life research to understand how they research and construe the conditions of humans at work with a special focus on the psychosocial well-being of industrial workers. The paper concludes that the key contributions to Nordic working life research have a distinctive emphasis on collective employee voice and autonomy and an extensive use of empirical and actionoriented research methods. Employees are construed not only as workers resisting exploitations from management or as workers pursuing individual careers, but also as members of collectives who share ideas and aspirations and who legitimately influence the management (and research using cooperation and pressure.

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…

Analyzing the contributions of a government-commissioned research project: A case study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hegger, I.; Janssen, S.W.J.; Keijsers, J.F.E.M.; Schuit, A.J.; Oers, H.A.M. van

2014-01-01

Background: It often remains unclear to investigators how their research contributes to the work of the commissioner. We initiated the 'Risk Model' case study to gain insight into how a Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) project and its knowledge products

APA Award for Distinguished Professional Contributions to Applied Research: Cameron J. Camp.

Science.gov (United States)

2017-12-01

The Award for Distinguished Professional Contributions to Applied Research is given to a psychologist whose research has led to important discoveries or developments in the field of applied psychology. The 2017 recipient is Cameron J. Camp, whose innovative programs have informed psychologists in working with dementia patients to improve their living skills and enhance their independence. Camp's award citation, biography, and a selected bibliography are presented here. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

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.

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

The UNESCO-IHP Working Group on Land Subsidence: Four Decades of International Contributions to Hydrogeological Related Subsidence Research and Knowledge Exchange

Science.gov (United States)

Galloway, D. L.; Carreon-Freyre, D.; Teatini, P.; Ye, S.

2015-12-01

Subsidence is globally prevalent and because much of it is related to hydrological processes affected by human development of local land and water resources, "Land Subsidence" was included in the UNESCO programme of the International Hydrological Decade (IHD), 1965-1974 and an ad hoc working group on land subsidence was formed. In 1975 subsidence was retained under the framework of the UNESCO IHP (subproject 8.4: "Investigation of Land Subsidence due to Groundwater Exploitation"), and UNESCO IHP formerly codified the Working Group on Land Subsidence (WGLS). In 1984 the WGLS produced a comprehensive guidebook to serve scientists and engineers, confronting land subsidence problems, particularly in developing countries (http://unesdoc.unesco.org/$other/unesdoc/pdf/065167eo.pdf). During the IHD, UNESCO IHP convened the 1st International Symposium on Land Subsidence in 1969 in Tokyo, Japan. In collaboration with UNESCO IHP, IAHS, and other scientific organizations, the WGLS has convened eight more International Symposia on Land Subsidence in different countries in Asia, Europe and North America. The 9 published symposia proceedings constitute an important source of global subsidence research and case studies during the past 45 years, covering both anthropogenic and natural subsidence processes. Currently, the WGLS comprising 20 subsidence experts from 9 countries promotes and facilitates the international exchange of information regarding the design, implementation and evaluation of risk assessments and mitigation measures, the definition of water and land resource-management strategies that support sustainable development in areas vulnerable to subsidence (http://landsubsidence-unesco.org), and the assessment of related geological risks such as earth fissuring and fault activation (www.igcp641.org). The WGLS has become an important global leader in promoting subsidence awareness, scientific research and its application to subsidence monitoring, analysis and management.

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.

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...

Contributions of co-curricular summer research programs to my professional growth

Science.gov (United States)

Moore, K. D.

2014-12-01

The co-curricular summer research program, in which I was involved over three summers as an undergraduate student, greatly benefited me. In this paper I will briefly describe the program and how the experience contributed to my value and growth. The U.S. Department of Energy operated the Global Change Education Program (GCEP), from 1999-2013, as an outreach to both undergraduate and graduate students. Its goals were to: provide students with hands-on research experience in a one-on-one setting with leaders in global change fields, encourage undergraduate students to enter graduate school, and increase the number of high quality U.S. scientists. I took part in GCEP as a Summer Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE) Fellow. Each Fellow was teamed with a scientist to conduct research over the summer. I spent one summer at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Richland, WA working with Dr. William Shaw. The next two summers I spent working at Aerodyne Research, Inc. in Billerica, MA with Dr. Leah Williams. My experiences as a SURE Fellow have benefitted me in many ways. The research presentations, required of SURE Fellows, helped to improve my presentation skills. The GCEP workshops expanded the scope of my knowledge about global change impacts at all scales. I was involved in two large, collaborative field studies, which provided experiences and examples that have helped me lead my own field studies. I took part in well-functioning research teams, helping me see the value of open communication in collaborative work. My critical and analytical thinking abilities were continually honed. My problem solving skills were challenged in laboratory and field work. I worked with talented professionals and students that are now part of my professional network. My contributions resulted in being a coauthor on two peer-reviewed publications. I was able to experience research teams outside of academia, which included government and private sectors. The time spent as a SURE

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

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...

Recognising contributions to work in research collaboratives: Guidelines for standardising reporting of authorship in collaborative research.

Science.gov (United States)

2018-04-01

Trainee research collaboratives (TRCs) have been revolutionary changes to the delivery of high-quality, multicentre research. The aim of this study was to define common roles in the conduct of collaborative research, and map these to academic competencies as set out by General Medical Council (GMC) in the United Kingdom. This will support trainers and assessors when judging academic achievements of those involved in TRC projects, and supports trainees by providing guidance on how to fulfil their role in these studies. A modified Delphi process was followed. Electronic discussion with key stakeholders was undertaken to identify and describe common roles. These were refined and mapped to GMC educational domains and International Committee of Medical Journal Editors authorship (ICJME) guidelines. The resulting roles and descriptions were presented to a face-to-face consensus meeting for voting. The agreed roles were then presented back to the electronic discussion group for approval. Electronic discussion generated six common roles. All of these were agreed in face-to-face meetings, where two further roles identified and described. All eight roles required skills that map to part of the academic requirements for surgical training in the UK. This paper presents a standardised framework for reporting authorship in collaborative group authored research publications. Linkage of collaborator roles to the ICMJE guidelines and GMC academic competency guidelines will facilitate incorporation into relevant training curricular and journal publication policies. Copyright © 2017 IJS Publishing Group Ltd. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

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.

A Poststructuralist View on Student’s Project Groups

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Christensen, Gerd

2016-01-01

The aim of this paper is to demonstrate how poststructuralism and social constructionism can contribute to the empirical research on groups in problem-based learning (PBL). The paper outlines the analytical complexity and shows, through empirical examples, the potentials and limitations of this p...... no guidance for practice. Though both limitations raise serious problems for the practitioner, I intend to argue that the potentials of the analytical perspective are far more important than the challenges when it comes to social psychological research in groups in PBL......The aim of this paper is to demonstrate how poststructuralism and social constructionism can contribute to the empirical research on groups in problem-based learning (PBL). The paper outlines the analytical complexity and shows, through empirical examples, the potentials and limitations...... of this perspective as an alternative to traditional group psychology. While the potentials of poststructuralism and social constructionism as an analytical complex seem to be the endeavor for relentless critique, the limitations are the ‘empty subject’ and the avoidance of any kind of normativity that leave...

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…

European Strategy Preparatory Group - CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS

CERN Multimedia

2012-01-01

As part of the Update of the European Strategy for Particle Physics, the European Strategy Preparatory Group (ESPG) welcomes submissions on issues related to the strategy from individual physicists, from groups of scientists representing a community (an experiment, a topic of theoretical research, etc.) as well as from Institutions and Organizations (funding agencies, ministries, etc).   These contributions will be discussed at the meetings of the Preparatory Group and during the Open Symposium to be held on 10-12 September 2012 in Cracow, and will be made available to the Strategy Group for drafting the Update of the Strategy. How to submit a contribution? Send your contribution on the scientific issues below using the form under http://indico.cern.ch/event/espg_input (preferably as an attached PDF file): - Accelerator Physics - Astroparticle Physics, Gravitation and Cosmology - Flavour Physics and Symmetries - Physics at High Energy Frontier - Physics of Neutrinos - Strong Interaction Physics...

Exploring the SCOAP3 Research Contributions of the United States

Science.gov (United States)

Marsteller, Matthew

2016-03-01

The Sponsoring Consortium for Open Access Publishing in Particle Physics (SCOAP3) is a successful global partnership of libraries, funding agencies and research centers. This presentation will inform the audience about SCOAP3 and also delve into descriptive statistics of the United States' intellectual contribution to particle physics via these open access journals. Exploration of the SCOAP3 particle physics literature using a variety of metrics tools such as Web of Science™, InCites™, Scopus® and SciVal will be shared. ORA or Sci2 will be used to visualize author collaboration networks.

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

Modeling of the Critical Micelle Concentration (CMC) of Nonionic Surfactants with an Extended Group-Contribution Method

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mattei, Michele; Kontogeorgis, Georgios; Gani, Rafiqul

2013-01-01

, those compounds that exhibit larger correlation errors (based only on first- and second-order groups) are assigned to more detailed molecular descriptions, so that better correlations of critical micelle concentrations are obtained. The group parameter estimation has been performed using a data set......A group-contribution (GC) property prediction model for estimating the critical micelle concentration (CMC) of nonionic surfactants in water at 25 °C is presented. The model is based on the Marrero and Gani GC method. A systematic analysis of the model performance against experimental data...... concentration, and in particular, the quantitative structure−property relationship models, the developed GC model provides an accurate correlation and allows for an easier and faster application in computer-aided molecular design techniques facilitating chemical process and product design....

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)

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.

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.

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.

Contributions to ecosystem research and environmental education III; Beitraege zur Oekosystemforschung und Umwelterziehung III

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Erdmann, K H [ed.; Nauber, J [ed.

1996-09-01

The publication comprises the following chapters: Contributions to the implementation of findings in policy and administration; Contributions to biosphere reservations; Contributions to ecosystems research; Contributions to environmental education. The first chapter discusses environmental protection from the political point of view, while the second chapter describes biosphere reservations world-wide as well as their protection, conservation and development. (SR) [Deutsch] Die vorliegende Veroeffentlichung teilt sich in folgende Kapitel auf: Beitraege zur Umsetzung von Erkenntnissen in Politik und Verwaltung, Beitraege zu Biosphaerenreservaten, Beitraege zur Oekosystemforschung sowie Beitraege zur Umwelterziehung. Im ersten Kapitel wird der Umweltschutz von der politischen Seite aus beleuchtet. Das zweite Kapitel beschreibt verschiedene Biosphaerenreservate in der ganzen Welt und deren Schutz, Pflege und Entwicklung. Das dritte Kapitel beinhaltet Beitraege zur oekologischen Forschung. Abschliessend werden im letzten Kapitel psychologische Aspekte der Umwelterziehung dargestellt. (SR)

The Role of Peer Group Aggression in Predicting Adolescent Dating Violence and Relationship Quality

Science.gov (United States)

Ellis, Wendy E.; Chung-Hall, Janet; Dumas, Tara M.

2013-01-01

Past research has shown that adolescent peer groups make a significant contribution to shaping behavior but less is known about the role of peer groups in adolescent dating relationships. This longitudinal study examined the contribution of aggressive peer group norms on relationship quality and dating violence among dating adolescents. At the…

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

How the researcher’s experience of visual images can contribute to qualitative research

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Anne Maj

2014-01-01

This article presents a theoretical argument exploring how visual images appeal to sensory knowledge, and how sensory knowledge can contribute to qualitative research where visual images are included as part of the method. The argument is based on a phenomenological approach and a conceptual model...

Contributions of 3D Cell Cultures for Cancer Research.

Science.gov (United States)

Ravi, Maddaly; Ramesh, Aarthi; Pattabhi, Aishwarya

2017-10-01

Cancer cell lines have contributed immensely in understanding the complex physiology of cancers. They are excellent material for studies as they offer homogenous samples without individual variations and can be utilised with ease and flexibility. Also, the number of assays and end-points one can study is almost limitless; with the advantage of improvising, modifying or altering several variables and methods. Literally, a new dimension to cancer research has been achieved by the advent of 3Dimensional (3D) cell culture techniques. This approach increased many folds the ways in which cancer cell lines can be utilised for understanding complex cancer biology. 3D cell culture techniques are now the preferred way of using cancer cell lines to bridge the gap between the 'absolute in vitro' and 'true in vivo'. The aspects of cancer biology that 3D cell culture systems have contributed include morphology, microenvironment, gene and protein expression, invasion/migration/metastasis, angiogenesis, tumour metabolism and drug discovery, testing chemotherapeutic agents, adaptive responses and cancer stem cells. We present here, a comprehensive review on the applications of 3D cell culture systems for these aspects of cancers. J. Cell. Physiol. 232: 2679-2697, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

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.

The German P and T Study: Results and Conclusions in the View of the Contributing Helmholtz Research Centres

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Merk, B.; Geist, A.; Knebel, J.; Modolo, G.

2015-01-01

The decision to phase out electric energy production in nuclear power plants in Germany has put some questions on the future of P and T research. The Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy and the Federal Ministry of Education and Research have launched a study managed by the National Academy of Science and Engineering to answer these questions on a broad scientific basis. The major mandate was to evaluate scientific and technological as well as socio-economic challenges and opportunities of the P and T technology in the view of the phase out decision, both in a national and an international context. The scientific and technological aspects of P and T are analysed with respect to a possible contribution to the management of nuclear waste, using the following structure: - Starting point and boundary conditions - waste amounts and final disposal strategies. - Definition and description of scenarios - possible ways for transmutation; European vs. national. - Technology challenges of P and T - description of the major challenges to be solved on the way to a possible industrial application. - Current status of R and D - discussion of possible transmutation systems, current R and D status of P and T, technology gaps and future research strategies. - Safety aspects - dedicated safety aspects including all steps of the P and T cycle. - International projects and competences in Germany - what is going on around the world and which support could come from the German industry? In parallel, the socio-scientific, the ecologic and the economic aspects have been analysed using expert interviews, group Delphi and independent expert opinions on economic, legal and environmental aspects. An overview of the study's results will be given from the viewpoint of the contributing Helmholtz research centres at Juelich (FZJ), Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) and Karlsruhe (KIT), with a focus on the research-political recommendations and the developed research strategy proposed to

Uncovering cognitive processes: Different techniques that can contribute to cognitive load research and instruction

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Van Gog, Tamara; Kester, Liesbeth; Nievelstein, Fleurie; Giesbers, Bas; Fred, Paas

2009-01-01

Van Gog, T., Kester, L., Nievelstein, F., Giesbers, B., & Paas, F. (2009). Uncovering cognitive processes: Different techniques that can contribute to cognitive load research and instruction. Computers in Human Behavior, 25, 325-331.

Contributions to sampling statistics

CERN Document Server

Conti, Pier; Ranalli, Maria

2014-01-01

This book contains a selection of the papers presented at the ITACOSM 2013 Conference, held in Milan in June 2013. ITACOSM is the bi-annual meeting of the Survey Sampling Group S2G of the Italian Statistical Society, intended as an international  forum of scientific discussion on the developments of theory and application of survey sampling methodologies and applications in human and natural sciences. The book gathers research papers carefully selected from both invited and contributed sessions of the conference. The whole book appears to be a relevant contribution to various key aspects of sampling methodology and techniques; it deals with some hot topics in sampling theory, such as calibration, quantile-regression and multiple frame surveys, and with innovative methodologies in important topics of both sampling theory and applications. Contributions cut across current sampling methodologies such as interval estimation for complex samples, randomized responses, bootstrap, weighting, modeling, imputati...

Contribution of the Nordic School of Public Health to the public mental health research field: a selection of research initiatives, 2007-2014.

Science.gov (United States)

Forsman, Anna K; Fredén, Lars; Lindqvist, Rafael; Wahlbeck, Kristian

2015-08-01

The field of public mental health has been defined by an expert group convened by the Nordic School of Public Health (NHV) as encompassing the experience, occurrence, distribution and trajectories of positive mental health and mental health problems and their determinants; mental health promotion and prevention of mental disorders; as well as mental health system policies, governance and organization. The mental health priorities of the Nordic Council of Ministers in 2010 signalled a mutual Nordic exchange of knowledge in the following thematic areas: child and adolescent mental health; working life and mental health; mental health in older people; strengthening the role of primary care in mental health service provision; stronger involvement of users and carers; and reduction of use of coercion in psychiatric care. Efforts to realize these priorities included commissioning the Nordic Research Academy for Mental Health, an NHV-based network of research institutions with a common interest in mental health research across the Nordic countries, to develop, organize and follow-up projects on public mental health. The research initiatives included mental health policy analysis, register-based research and research focused on the users' perspective in a Nordic context, as well as EU-level research policy analysis. The public mental health research conducted at the NHV highlighted the complexity of mental health and emphasized that the broad determinants of mental health need to be increasingly addressed in both public health research and practice. For example, health promotion actions, improved access to health care, a healthy alcohol policy and prevention of suicides and violence are all needed to reduce the life expectancy gap - a red flag indicator of public health inequalities. By exchanging knowledge and best practice, the collaboration between the Nordic countries contributes to the welfare of the region. The expertise and traditions developed at the NHV are of

Linking international research to global health equity: the limited contribution of bioethics.

Science.gov (United States)

Pratt, Bridget; Loff, Bebe

2013-05-01

Health research has been identified as a vehicle for advancing global justice in health. However, in bioethics, issues of global justice are mainly discussed within an ongoing debate on the conditions under which international clinical research is permissible. As a result, current ethical guidance predominantly links one type of international research (biomedical) to advancing one aspect of health equity (access to new treatments). International guidelines largely fail to connect international research to promoting broader aspects of health equity - namely, healthier social environments and stronger health systems. Bioethical frameworks such as the human development approach do consider how international clinical research is connected to the social determinants of health but, again, do so to address the question of when international clinical research is permissible. It is suggested that the narrow focus of this debate is shaped by high-income countries' economic strategies. The article further argues that the debate's focus obscures a stronger imperative to consider how other types of international research might advance justice in global health. Bioethics should consider the need for non-clinical health research and its contribution to advancing global justice. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Evolutionary persistence in Gunnera and the contribution of southern plant groups to the tropical Andes biodiversity hotspot

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Christine D. Bacon

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Several studies have demonstrated the contribution of northern immigrants to the flora of the tropical Andes—the world’s richest and most diverse biodiversity hotspot. However, much less is known about the biogeographic history and diversification of Andean groups with southern origins, although it has been suggested that northern and southern groups have contributed roughly equally to the high Andean (i.e., páramo flora. Here we infer the evolutionary history of the southern hemisphere plant genus Gunnera, a lineage with a rich fossil history and an important ecological role as an early colonising species characteristic of wet, montane environments. Our results show striking contrasts in species diversification, where some species may have persisted for some 90 million years, and whereas others date to less than 2 Ma since origination. The outstanding longevity of the group is likely linked to a high degree of niche conservatism across its highly disjunct range, whereby Gunnera tracks damp and boggy soils in cool habitats. Colonisation of the northern Andes is related to Quaternary climate change, with subsequent rapid diversification appearing to be driven by their ability to take advantage of environmental opportunities. This study demonstrates the composite origin of a mega-diverse biota.

Japanese contributions to CERN-LHC

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kondo, Takahiko; Shintomi, Takakazu; Kimura, Yoshitaka

2001-01-01

The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) is now under construction at CERN, Geveva, to study frontier researches of particle physics. The LHC is the biggest superconducting accelerator using the most advanced cryogenics and applied superconductivities. The accelerator and large scale detectors for particle physics experiments are being constructed by collaboration with European countries and also by participation with non-CERN countries worldwide. In 1995, the Japanese government decided to take on a share in the LHC project with funding and technological contributions. KEK contributes to the development of low beta insertion superconducting quadrupole magnets and of components of the ATLAS detector by collaboration with university groups. Some Japanese companies have received contracts for technically key elements such as superconducting cable, cold compressor, nonmagnetic steel, polyimide film, and so on. An outline of the LHC project and Japanese contributions are described. (author)

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

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 ...

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.

Equipping students to contribute to development through a geohazards education and research programme (Ladakh, India)

Science.gov (United States)

Gill, Joel; Tostevin, Rosalie

2014-05-01

Here we present a geohazards education and engagement project in the Indian region of Ladakh, used as an opportunity to train geoscience students in a number of important ethical, cultural and professional considerations. Located in the Indian Himalaya, Ladakh is home to historically-disadvantaged and endangered indigenous groups. It is also an area of extreme topography, climate and vulnerability, with a growing tourist industry. This combination of factors makes it an important region to improve geohazards understanding and observe the complex interactions between nature, society, and culture. Specific aims of this project are to (i) support community education through an interactive natural hazards programme (delivered in conjunction with a range of partners), training school-aged students from multiple socio-economic backgrounds; and (ii) increase the effectiveness of disaster risk reduction programmes, through research into the perception of natural hazards and environmental change. At all stages of this work, we are seeking to engage young geoscientists, helping them to better understand the skills and knowledge-base required to make a long-term, effective contribution to interdisciplinary research and professional practice. Through presenting an overview of this project and associated opportunities, we seek to emphasise the importance of developing practical opportunities for students to consider aspects of geoethics, social responsibility and cross-cultural understanding.

Review of research institute library activity through the contributed papers. The case of the Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute Library

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ikeda, Kiyoshi; Habara, Tadashi; Ishikawa, Masashi; Itabashi, Keizo; Yonezawa, Minoru

2007-03-01

The Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute (JAERI) Library had contributed 312 papers through the library activities in half-century. We made the bibliography of these papers as well as categorized them into general', 'library functions', 'management and promotion of research results' and 'international exchange of information' and explained them under the four categories. A subject index, an author index of these papers and chronology of JAERI library activities were also compiled for reference. (author)

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.)

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

Frontal collisions between trucks and cars : the Dutch contribution to Phase A (Accident data and statistics) of EEVC Working Group 14 "Development of a test procedure for energy-absorbing front underrun protection systems for trucks".

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Schoon, C.C.

1994-01-01

This study investigates both the frequency and seriousness of particularly the frontal collisions between trucks and cars. The study is the Dutch contribution to phase A (accident data and statistics) of the research programme of the European Experimental Vehicles Committee (EEVC) Working Group 14.

Reflection Group on 'Ethical Choices in Radiation Protection'

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Eggermont, G.

2000-01-01

As part of SCK-CEN's social sciences and humanities programme, a reflection group on 'Ethical Choices in Radiation Protection' was created. The objectives of the reflection group are (1) to brainstorm on critical issues of radiation protection; (2) to create a discussion forum with a variety os SCK-CEN researchers and external experts; (3) to make value judgements and open questions in radiation protection explicit; (4) to create an output for a topical day or workshop by editing a 'cahier' of contributed articles and discussion reports; (5) to complement the output of the SCK-CEN contribution in international ALARA workshops. The programme, achievements and perspectives of the refection group are summarised

Contributions of university nuclear engineering departments to the national research agenda

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Peddicord, K.L.

1991-01-01

The history and character of university nuclear engineering departments have enabled them to play unique roles in higher education and to make valuable contributions in numerous important research fields. Nuclear engineering programs have several distinguishing and noteworthy characteristics. These characteristics include quality, diversity, and effectiveness. However, the continued viability of these programs is in question, and the importance of these programs may only be recognized after the capability has been lost. To recover this capability may well prove to be an impossibility

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

Multispectral iris recognition based on group selection and game theory

Science.gov (United States)

Ahmad, Foysal; Roy, Kaushik

2017-05-01

A commercially available iris recognition system uses only a narrow band of the near infrared spectrum (700-900 nm) while iris images captured in the wide range of 405 nm to 1550 nm offer potential benefits to enhance recognition performance of an iris biometric system. The novelty of this research is that a group selection algorithm based on coalition game theory is explored to select the best patch subsets. In this algorithm, patches are divided into several groups based on their maximum contribution in different groups. Shapley values are used to evaluate the contribution of patches in different groups. Results show that this group selection based iris recognition

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

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…

Ronald F. Levant: Award for Distinguished Professional Contributions to Applied Research.

Science.gov (United States)

2011-11-01

Presents Ronald F. Levant as the 2011 winner of the American Psychological Association Award for Distinguished Professional Contributions to Applied Research. "Ronald F. Levant is one of the world's leading authorities on the psychology of men and masculinity. Through his pioneering research, he helped define gender role strain theory, fostered a multicultural understanding of fathering and masculinity issues, and developed and evaluated the Male Role Norms Inventory and the Normative Male Alexithymia Scale. He also established the empirical foundation for the normative male alexithymia hypothesis, which proposes that male socialization inhibits emotional expression in males, and he developed alexithymia reduction treatment, which is designed to prepare men to engage more fully in psychotherapy and to experience greater benefit from it." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved). 2011 APA, all rights reserved

The Cogema Group and the sustainable development; Le groupe Cogema et le developpement durable

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2002-07-01

This document presents the COGEMA Group commitment to sustainable development. Through this commitment, COGEMA is pursuing a policy of ''global performance'' allying economic progress, social progress and protection of the environment, in all its activities. This report points out the many contributions that COGEMA activities make to sustainable development: monitoring of the environment and of releases from its facilities; progress in Research and Development (treatment of liquid and gas effluents, optimized recycling of spent nuclear materials and reduction of their volume, etc.); certification; support for local economic development in the areas around the Group sites, not only in France, but also abroad, as at the mines in Canada and Niger; a strong policy of openness and transparency in its nuclear activities and ongoing dialogue with NGO. The document lays the bases for a number of indicators that can be used as of next year to measure the Group contribution to meeting the challenges of sustainable development. More-detailed statistical data are also presented in the annual environmental reports from the industrial sites in the COGEMA Group. (A.L.B.)

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.

'The main contribution of this study is...': An analysis of statements of contribution in English published research articles and L2 manuscripts

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pilar Mur Dueñas

2014-02-01

Full Text Available Given the widespread use of English for the international dissemination of scholars’ research results, numerous intercultural analyses have been undertaken in the field of English for Academic Purposes in diverse genres. Rhetorical and discursive conventions across languages and cultures have been studied to help non-native English scholars to be successful in the difficult endeavour of being granted publication in international English-medium publications. The increasing competition to get one’s research published in international journals in English has resulted in the authors’ need to clearly spell out what their contribution to their discipline is, a rhetorical convention which seems to be currently crucial especially in some fields. It is the aim of this paper to trace statements of contribution in the Introduction and Conclusion sections of research articles published in two international journals in finance and to compare the results with those obtained from an analysis of three manuscripts written in English by a team of Spanish scholars sent to the same journals but which received major revision or rejection reports. Reference to these statements made by reviewers in their reports will also be analysed to explore to what extent (non compliance with this rhetorical convention may influence their final decision (not to recommend publication.

Contribute to Wikipedia: An approach to Increase Research Visibility on the Web

OpenAIRE

Ebrahim, Nader Ale

2016-01-01

Wikipedia is a tool for collaboration, information sharing and knowledge/content management which anyone can edit. Wikipedia is widely used by students during the research process. So, due to Wikipedia popularity, contributing to Wikipedia website is one way of increasing citation score. In this workshop, I try to answer “Does including your papers as citations on Wikipedia increase the number of academic citations you get?” if yes, how?.

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...

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.)

The First Sourcebook on Nordic Research in Mathematics Education: Norway, Sweden, Iceland, Denmark and Contributions from Finland.

Science.gov (United States)

Sriraman, Bharath, Ed.; Bergsten, Christer, Ed.; Goodchild, Simon, Ed.; Palsdottir, Gudbjorg, Ed.; Sondergaard, Bettina Dahl, Ed.; Haapasalo, Lenni, Ed.

2010-01-01

The First Sourcebook on Nordic Research in Mathematics Education: Norway, Sweden, Iceland, Denmark and contributions from Finland provides the first comprehensive and unified treatment of historical and contemporary research trends in mathematics education in the Nordic world. The book is organized in sections co-ordinated by active researchers in…

Putting in more than you take out: Towards evaluating research based on its public (not private) contributions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Benneworth, P.; Olmos-Peñuela, J.; Castro-Martínez, E.

2016-07-01

There has been an increasing interest within research policy to measure the impact that research had in society, but also among academics to understand how research creates impacts beyond the traditional measures of patent licenses and spin-off creation. In these debates, there is often an emergent gap between research impact conceptualisations of ideas creating capacity and change in society, and the reality that it is very hard to measure the flow of ideas, but rather easy to measure transactions linked with those flows. In this paper we are concerned with the indicator periphery that emerges as a consequence of the impacts of some kinds of research better fitting to these underlying transactions than others. A range of lacunae emerge in indicators where the impacts of particular fields are badly captured by transactional measures – e.g. in social science and humanities (SSH) disciplines. This study addresses “how can we typologise the non-transactional ways in which publically funded research creates public benefits?” We start from a sociological approach to consider academic contribution to societal changes as the rate of inflow of usable knowledge into a reservoir (i.e. latent potential knowledge accumulated to later be exploited) dependent on the extent to which academic knowledge is cognate with potential social users. We draw on the openness framework to consider the five micro-practices by which scientists make research cognate with potential users, and we seek to categorise these micro-practices according to the different kinds of situated social learning practices they embody to create specific knowledge. To do so, we draw on twelve cases of study of Spanish SSH research groups (within the Siampi project) to develop a detailed typology of the kinds of micro-practices associated with openness as the basis for a new perspective for indicators of research impact that goes beyond the traditional transactional ones. (Author)

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.

Indirect genetic effects contribute substantially to heritable variation in aggression-related traits in group-housed mink (Neovison vison)

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Alemu, Setegn Worku; Bijma, Peter; Møller, Steen Henrik

2014-01-01

Background Since the recommendations on group housing of mink (Neovison vison) were adopted by the Council of Europe in 1999, it has become common in mink production in Europe. Group housing is advantageous from a production perspective, but can lead to aggression between animals and thus raises...... a welfare issue. Bite marks on the animals are an indicator of this aggressive behaviour and thus selection against frequency of bite marks should reduce aggression and improve animal welfare. Bite marks on one individual reflect the aggression of its group members, which means that the number of bite marks...... genetic effects contribute to variation in number of bite marks in group-housed mink. Thus, a genetic selection design that includes both direct genetic and indirect genetic effects could reduce the frequency of bite marks and probably aggression behaviour in group-housed mink....

The contributions of Hans-Dieter Rösler: pioneer of digit ratio (2D:4D) research.

Science.gov (United States)

Voracek, Martin; Dressler, Stefan G; Loibl, Lisa Mariella

2008-12-01

Over the past decade, the second-to-fourth digit ratio (2D:4D), a putative biomarker for the organizational (permanent) effects of prenatal androgens on the human brain, body, and behavior, has received extensive research attention in psychology. This account makes more widely accessible the contributions of the German psychologist, Hans-Dieter Rösler, an early, for a long time unnoticed, predecessor of modern 2D:4D research. In the mid-1950s, Rösler collected a massive sample of hand outline drawings, totalling nearly 7,000 individuals, ranging in age from 1 mo. to 70 yr. With regard to the distal finger-extent pattern, Rösler differentiated radial (longer index than ring finger), ulnar (reversed pattern), and intermediate hand types, which reflect higher (more female-typical), lower (more male-typical), and intermediate 2D:4D, respectively. Here is summarized Rösler's research. In a series of investigations into the hand types, he reported on their anatomical bases, unsuitability for paternity testing, developmental changes, heritability, sex, side, and occupational group differences, and associations with left-handedness, manual dexterity, mental retardation, and clinodactyly. Based on new data from 313 male and 316 female adults, hand type is further shown to be only a weak proxy of actual 2D:4D, leaving 75% of the interindividual variation in 2D:4D unexplained. Notwithstanding these shortcomings of the hand-type method, Rösler's work from the 1950s still has the potential to inform modern 2D:4D research, as it contains a multitude of testable hypotheses not yet picked up by current research.

Contributions of Anthropology to the Study of Adolescence

Science.gov (United States)

Schlegel, Alice; Hewlett, Bonnie L.

2011-01-01

Adolescence researchers can turn to anthropology to learn the methods of ethnography and cultural comparisons, and they can mine its large database of information on cultures worldwide. But anthropology's single most important contribution is the concept of culture, the mosaic of a group's learned and shared, or at least understood, beliefs,…

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.

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.

The contribution of qualitative research in designing a complex intervention for secondary prevention of coronary heart disease in two different healthcare systems.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Corrrigan, Mairead

2006-01-01

BACKGROUND: Developing complex interventions for testing in randomised controlled trials is of increasing importance in healthcare planning. There is a need for careful design of interventions for secondary prevention of coronary heart disease (CHD). It has been suggested that integrating qualitative research in the development of a complex intervention may contribute to optimising its design but there is limited evidence of this in practice. This study aims to examine the contribution of qualitative research in developing a complex intervention to improve the provision and uptake of secondary prevention of CHD within primary care in two different healthcare systems. METHODS: In four general practices, one rural and one urban, in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, patients with CHD were purposively selected. Four focus groups with patients (N = 23) and four with staff (N = 29) informed the development of the intervention by exploring how it could be tailored and integrated with current secondary prevention activities for CHD in the two healthcare settings. Following an exploratory trial the acceptability and feasibility of the intervention were discussed in four focus groups (17 patients) and 10 interviews (staff). The data were analysed using thematic analysis. RESULTS: Integrating qualitative research into the development of the intervention provided depth of information about the varying impact, between the two healthcare systems, of different funding and administrative arrangements, on their provision of secondary prevention and identified similar barriers of time constraints, training needs and poor patient motivation. The findings also highlighted the importance to patients of stress management, the need for which had been underestimated by the researchers. The qualitative evaluation provided depth of detail not found in evaluation questionnaires. It highlighted how the intervention needed to be more practical by minimising administration

The contribution of qualitative research in designing a complex intervention for secondary prevention of coronary heart disease in two different healthcare systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Leathem Claire S

2006-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Developing complex interventions for testing in randomised controlled trials is of increasing importance in healthcare planning. There is a need for careful design of interventions for secondary prevention of coronary heart disease (CHD. It has been suggested that integrating qualitative research in the development of a complex intervention may contribute to optimising its design but there is limited evidence of this in practice. This study aims to examine the contribution of qualitative research in developing a complex intervention to improve the provision and uptake of secondary prevention of CHD within primary care in two different healthcare systems. Methods In four general practices, one rural and one urban, in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, patients with CHD were purposively selected. Four focus groups with patients (N = 23 and four with staff (N = 29 informed the development of the intervention by exploring how it could be tailored and integrated with current secondary prevention activities for CHD in the two healthcare settings. Following an exploratory trial the acceptability and feasibility of the intervention were discussed in four focus groups (17 patients and 10 interviews (staff. The data were analysed using thematic analysis. Results Integrating qualitative research into the development of the intervention provided depth of information about the varying impact, between the two healthcare systems, of different funding and administrative arrangements, on their provision of secondary prevention and identified similar barriers of time constraints, training needs and poor patient motivation. The findings also highlighted the importance to patients of stress management, the need for which had been underestimated by the researchers. The qualitative evaluation provided depth of detail not found in evaluation questionnaires. It highlighted how the intervention needed to be more practical by minimising

The contribution of qualitative research in designing a complex intervention for secondary prevention of coronary heart disease in two different healthcare systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Corrrigan, Mairead; Cupples, Margaret E; Smith, Susan M; Byrne, Molly; Leathem, Claire S; Clerkin, Pauline; Murphy, Andrew W

2006-07-18

Developing complex interventions for testing in randomised controlled trials is of increasing importance in healthcare planning. There is a need for careful design of interventions for secondary prevention of coronary heart disease (CHD). It has been suggested that integrating qualitative research in the development of a complex intervention may contribute to optimising its design but there is limited evidence of this in practice. This study aims to examine the contribution of qualitative research in developing a complex intervention to improve the provision and uptake of secondary prevention of CHD within primary care in two different healthcare systems. In four general practices, one rural and one urban, in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, patients with CHD were purposively selected. Four focus groups with patients (N = 23) and four with staff (N = 29) informed the development of the intervention by exploring how it could be tailored and integrated with current secondary prevention activities for CHD in the two healthcare settings. Following an exploratory trial the acceptability and feasibility of the intervention were discussed in four focus groups (17 patients) and 10 interviews (staff). The data were analysed using thematic analysis. Integrating qualitative research into the development of the intervention provided depth of information about the varying impact, between the two healthcare systems, of different funding and administrative arrangements, on their provision of secondary prevention and identified similar barriers of time constraints, training needs and poor patient motivation. The findings also highlighted the importance to patients of stress management, the need for which had been underestimated by the researchers. The qualitative evaluation provided depth of detail not found in evaluation questionnaires. It highlighted how the intervention needed to be more practical by minimising administration, integrating role plays into behaviour

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…

Ethnocultural Groups--The Making of Canada: Economic Contributions to Canadian Life. Report 2: Seven Successful Small Business Entrepreneurs.

Science.gov (United States)

Dutt, S.; And Others

Immigrants and refugees come to Canada for many reasons and are often risk-takers. Some ethnic groups follow identifiable patterns of distinctive economic development, while others meld and blend into Canadian society so that no discernible pattern can be identified. This publication provides an overview of the contributions made by seven…

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

A Milestone of Aeromedical Research Contributions to Civil Aviation Safety: The 1000th Report in the CARI/OAM Series

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Collins, William E; Wade, Katherine

2005-01-01

.... Additional, theme-related sections provide an indication of some of the varied research contributions and safety achievements of the Institute and cite some of the many individuals who contributed...

The contribution of geomorphological research to environmental issues in Mexico

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gerardo Bocco

2013-07-01

Full Text Available The paper analyzes the development of Mexican geomorphology and specially its contribution to environmental issues. To this end, a thorough literature review was carried out; papers were differentiated according to the type of journal (Mexican and international. Special emphasis was placed on analyzing whether the interest on environment was derived from a well defined theoretical framework, in particular in terms of the insertion of geomorphology in the geographic arena in Mexico. The review has focused on secientific papers duly refereed and available at the Internet. Thus other research was not included. However, that the database described in this paper represents a solid sample of the entire universe of the efforts of Mexican geomorphologists.

Invited and contributed papers presented by the theory group at the joint Varenna-Lausanne international workshop 'theory of fusion plasmas'

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1996-09-01

In this report eight invited and contributed papers of the theory group are included which were presented at joint Varenna-Lausanne international workshop on 'theory of fusion plasmas'. (author) figs., tabs., refs

[Contribution of fungi to soil nitrous oxide emission and their research methods: a review].

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Ying; Long, Xi-En

2014-04-01

Nitrous oxide is an important greenhouse gas. Soil is one major emission source of N2O, which is a by-product of microorganisms-driven nitrification and denitrification processes. Extensive research has demonstrated archaea and bacteria are the predominant contributors in nitrification and denitrification. However, fungi may play a predominant role in the N transformation in a certain soil ecosystem. The fungal contribution to N2O production has been rarely investigated. Here, we reviewed the mechanism of N2O production by soil fungi. The mechanisms of denitrification, autotrophic and heterotrophic nitrification and their key microbes and functional genes were described, respectively. We discriminated the differences in denitrification between bacteria and fungi and discussed the methods being used to determine the contribution of fungi to soil N2O emission, including selective inhibitors, 15N stable isotope probing, isolation and pure culturing and uncultured molecular detection methods. The existing problems and research prospects were also presented.

Enhancing the contribution of research to health care policy-making: a case study of the Dutch Health Care Performance Report.

Science.gov (United States)

Hegger, Ingrid; Marks, Lisanne K; Janssen, Susan W J; Schuit, Albertine J; van Oers, Hans A M

2016-01-01

The Dutch Health Care Performance Report, issued by the National Institute of Public Health and the Environment, aims to monitor health care performance in The Netherlands. Both the National Institute and the Ministry of Health wish to increase the contribution of the Report to health care policy-making. Our aim was to identify ways to achieve that. We used contribution mapping as a theoretical framework that recognizes alignment of research as crucial to managing contributions to policy-making. To investigate which areas need alignment efforts by researchers and/or policy-makers, we interviewed National Institute researchers and policy-makers from the Ministry of Health and assessed the process for developing the 2010 Report. We identified six areas where alignment is specifically relevant for enhancing the contributions of future versions of the Dutch Health Care Performance Report: well-balanced information for different ministerial directorates; backstage work; double role actors; reports of other knowledge institutes; data collection/generation and presentation forms. The contribution of health care performance reporting to policy-making is complex and requires continuous alignment efforts between researchers and policy-makers. These efforts should form an inseparable part of health care performance reporting and although this demands considerable resources, it is worth considering since it may pay back in better contributions to policy-making. © The Author(s) 2015.

Reflecting about the “gender trouble” in Brazil: contributions to research in Physical Education

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marcelo Moraes e Silva Marcelo

2014-12-01

Full Text Available This paper aims to develop a reflection about how the so-called "gender trouble" can contribute to the researches in the Brazilian Physical Education. To accomplish such a task, there was introduced a dialogue among epistemological definitions that permeate this field of study. In conclusion, the essay shows that it is possible to work with performative notions and also to use the binomial sex / gender, especially when working with certain objects of research in the area of Physical Education.

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

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.

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

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

X-ray fluorescence in Member States (Spain): Main activities related to the use of XRF techniques at the Analytical and Environmental Chemistry Research Group of the University of Girona (UdG)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marguí, Eva; Hidalgo, Manuela

2014-01-01

The Analytical and Environmental Chemistry Group (QAA) is a consolidated research group of the Department of Chemistry of the University of Girona (North- East Spain). The main research topics of the group are related to the development and application of analytical methodologies for the determination of inorganic and organic species in different kind of environmental, clinical and industrial samples. From the beginning of the 2000’s, one of the research focuses of the group, is the use of X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (XRF) for the determination of trace amounts of metals and metalloids mostly in samples related to the environmental and industrial fields. For instance, in collaboration with the Institute of Earth Sciences “Jaume Almera” (ICTJA-CSIC, Spain), we have developed and successfully applied several analytical approaches based on the use of EDXRF (Energy dispersive XRF), WDXRF (Wavelength dispersive XRF) and PEDXRF (Polarised EDXRF) for the determination of metals at trace levels in complex liquid samples such as sea water or electroplating waters in vegetation samples collected around mining environments or in active pharmaceutical ingredients. At present, the evaluation of the analytical possibilities of TXRF (Total reflection XRF) in the chemical analysis field is also one of the research topics of QAA. In this sense, several contributions related to the use of this technique for element determination in liquid and solid samples have been developed. A summary of these contributions is summarized in the last section of this review

Contribution of Arab countries to breast cancer research: comparison with non-Arab Middle Eastern countries.

Science.gov (United States)

Sweileh, Waleed M; Zyoud, Sa'ed H; Al-Jabi, Samah W; Sawalha, Ansam F

2015-01-01

Breast cancer is one of the most common types of cancers affecting women worldwide. The main objective of this study was to assess and compare research activity in breast cancer in Arab countries with non-Arab Middle Eastern countries. Publications about "breast cancer" as a research topic were retrieved using the ISI Web of Science database. Analysis was confined to original research and review articles. Research productivity was assessed by assessing number of publications and time trend of these publications, names of journals, citation analysis, top 10 active institutions as well as country contribution to breast cancer research. The quantity and quality of publications from Arab countries in addition to 3 other Middle East countries (Turkey, Iran and Israel) were assessed and compared using the h-index tool. A total of 1658 original research and review articles about "breast cancer" were published from Arab countries. Annual research productivity from Arab countries in the field of "breast cancer" was negligible but showed a significant increase in the last decade. Retrieved documents had relatively high citation parameters as measured by h-index of 61 and average citations of 17.46 per document. The highest research productivity was from Egypt with a total publication of 582 (35.10%). Cairo University with a total of 149 (8.99%) publications had the highest research productivity among institutions in Arab world. Forty four documents (2.65%) of breast cancer documents were published in Saudi Medical Journal. Arab researchers collaborated mostly with researchers from the United States of America (305; 18.40%) in breast cancer research. Compared with other non-Arab Middle Eastern countries, Arab countries had higher research productivity than some countries and lower than others, particularly Israel. The present data reveals a good contribution of some Arab countries to the field of "breast cancer" research. There is a gap between Arab countries and Israel in

Group Contribution Method for Evaluation of Volumetric Properties of Ionic Liquids Using Experimental Data Recommended by Mathematical Gnostics.

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Zhao, N.; Menegollo, H.B.; Degirmenci, V.; Wagner, Zdeněk; Bendová, Magdalena; Jacquemin, J.

Roč. 56, č. 23 ( 2017 ), s. 6827-6840 ISSN 0888-5885 Grant - others:CEA(GB) 4600261677/P6E31; EPSRC(GB) EP/M021785/1 Institutional support: RVO:67985858 Keywords : ionic liquids * matematical gnostics * group-contribution method Subject RIV: CF - Physical ; Theoretical Chemistry OBOR OECD: Physical chemistry Impact factor: 2.843, year: 2016

Research contributions to the modelling and design of Intelligent Manufacturing Systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Langer, Gilad; Sørensen, Christian; Stylios, C.

1999-01-01

This joint paper is the result of the work of cluster 3-4 within the Esprit WG no. 21955 on Intelligent Manufacturing Systems (IMS) working group. The paper conveys the results of a co-operative research effort between LAR Patras (Greece), DTU (Denmark), CRAN/GSIP (France) and Aachen WZL (Germany...

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.

Contribution of DNA Repair Xeroderma Pigmentosum Group D Genotype to Gastric Cancer Risk in Taiwan.

Science.gov (United States)

Ji, Hong-Xue; Chang, Wen-Shin; Tsai, Chia-Wen; Wang, Ju-Yu; Huang, Nai-Kuei; Lee, An-Sheng; Shen, Ming-Yi; Chen, Wei-Yu; Chiang, Yao-Chang; Shih, Tzu-Ching; Hsu, Chin-Mu; Bau, Da-Tian

2015-09-01

It has been proposed that genetic variations of DNA repair genes confer susceptibility to cancer, and the DNA repair gene xeroderma pigmentosum group D (XPD), the caretaker of genome stability, is thought to play a major role in the nucleotide excision repair system. We investigated three genotypes of XPD, at promoter -114 (rs3810366), and codon 312 (rs1799793), 751 (rs13181), and their associated with gastric cancer susceptibility in a Taiwanese population. In the present study, 121 patients with gastric cancer and 363 gender- and age-matched healthy controls were recruited and genotyped for XPD by polymerase chain reaction-based restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) methodology, and the association of XPD genotype with gastric cancer risk was investigated. We found a significant difference in the distribution of A allele-bearing XPD codon 312 genotypes [odds ratio (OR)=1.64, 95% confidence interval (CI)=1.20-2.25, p=0.0019], but not in XPD codon 751 or promoter -114 sites, between the gastric cancer and control groups. Those who had G/A or A/A at XPD codon 312 had a 1.83-fold (95% CI=1.14-2.95, p=0.0159) and 1.87-fold (95% CI=1.04-3.34, p=0.0378) increased risk of gastric cancer compared to those with G/G. The risk for G/A and A/A genotypes had synergistic effects with alcohol drinking (OR=11.27, 95% CI=3.72-34.17, p=0.0001), cigarette smoking (OR=23.20, 95% CI=6.24-86.23, p=0.0001) and Helicobacter pylori infection (OR=5.38, 95% CI=2.76-10.52, p=0.0001) on gastric cancer susceptibility. Our findings suggest that the A allele of XPD codon 312 may contribute to gastric carcinogenesis and may be useful for early detection and prevention of gastric cancer. Copyright© 2015 International Institute of Anticancer Research (Dr. John G. Delinassios), All rights reserved.

Research for the thermal change. Contributions; Forschung fuer die Waermewende. Beitraege

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Szczepanski, Petra; Wunschick, Franziska; Martin, Niklas (comps.)

2016-05-15

The energy transition in the heating sector is not a sure-fire success and it is too slow. This is alarming since the heating / cooling sector is responsible for more than half of the final energy demand. That the ''thermal change'' has accelerated hardly despite many efforts by politics, industry and research in recent years, is the reason for the scientists the FVEE institutes to examine the perspectives of renewable energy and the need to increase efficiency in the heating sector systematically. therefore FVEE-2015 Annual Meeting, is entitled ''Research for the thermal change''. The contributions of this conference proceedings present the latest research results and show ways to implement the heat change technically, economically and politically. They are dedicated to the drivers, but also the barriers of heat change. The authors report on innovative projects to provide buildings with heat from geothermal energy, biomass and solar thermal energy. Several contributions are dedicated to the application of efficient components, such as thermal insulation, thermal storage and heat pumps. [German] Die Energiewende im Waermesektor ist kein Selbstlaeufer und kommt zu langsam voran. Das ist alarmierend, da der Waerme-/Kaeltesektor fuer ueber die Haelfte des Endenergiebedarfs verantwortlich ist. Dass die ''Waermewende'' trotz vielerlei Bemuehungen von Politik, Industrie und Forschung in den letzten Jahren kaum Fahrt aufgenommen hat, ist Anlass fuer die Wissenschaftlerinnen und Wissenschaftler der FVEE-Institute, die Perspektiven der erneuerbaren Energien und der notwendigen Effizienzsteigerung im Waermesektor systematisch zu untersuchen. Die FVEE-Jahrestagung 2015 steht deshalb unter dem Leitthema ''Forschung fuer die Waermewende''. Die Beitraege dieses Tagungsbandes praesentieren aktuelle Forschungsergebnisse und zeigen Wege auf, um die Waermewende technisch, wirtschaftlich und politisch

A group contribution method for associating chain molecules based on the statistical associating fluid theory (SAFT-gamma).

Science.gov (United States)

Lymperiadis, Alexandros; Adjiman, Claire S; Galindo, Amparo; Jackson, George

2007-12-21

A predictive group-contribution statistical associating fluid theory (SAFT-gamma) is developed by extending the molecular-based SAFT-VR equation of state [A. Gil-Villegas et al. J. Chem. Phys. 106, 4168 (1997)] to treat heteronuclear molecules which are formed from fused segments of different types. Our models are thus a heteronuclear generalization of the standard models used within SAFT, comparable to the optimized potentials for the liquid state OPLS models commonly used in molecular simulation; an advantage of our SAFT-gamma over simulation is that an algebraic description for the thermodynamic properties of the model molecules can be developed. In our SAFT-gamma approach, each functional group in the molecule is modeled as a united-atom spherical (square-well) segment. The different groups are thus characterized by size (diameter), energy (well depth) and range parameters representing the dispersive interaction, and by shape factor parameters (which denote the extent to which each group contributes to the overall molecular properties). For associating groups a number of bonding sites are included on the segment: in this case the site types, the number of sites of each type, and the appropriate association energy and range parameters also have to be specified. A number of chemical families (n-alkanes, branched alkanes, n-alkylbenzenes, mono- and diunsaturated hydrocarbons, and n-alkan-1-ols) are treated in order to assess the quality of the SAFT-gamma description of the vapor-liquid equilibria and to estimate the parameters of various functional groups. The group parameters for the functional groups present in these compounds (CH(3), CH(2), CH(3)CH, ACH, ACCH(2), CH(2)=, CH=, and OH) together with the unlike energy parameters between groups of different types are obtained from an optimal description of the pure component phase equilibria. The approach is found to describe accurately the vapor-liquid equilibria with an overall %AAD of 3.60% for the vapor

Contributions of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) to Quality Education: A Synthesis of Research

Science.gov (United States)

Laurie, Robert; Nonoyama-Tarumi, Yuko; Mckeown, Rosalyn; Hopkins, Charles

2016-01-01

This research is a synthesis of studies carried out in 18 countries to identify contributions of education for sustainable development (ESD) to quality education. Five common questions were used for the interviews in each country to solicit education leaders and practitioners' views on the outcome and implementation of ESD. The analysis revealed…

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…

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…

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

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.

7 CFR 966.45 - Contributions.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... contributions but these shall only be used for production research, market research and development and marketing and promotion including paid advertising pursuant to § 966.48. Furthermore, such contributions..., 1986] Research and Development ...

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

Analysis of surface contributions to external doses in a radioactively contaminated urban environment designed by the EMRAS-2 Urban Areas Working Group

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hwang, Won Tae; Jeong, Hae Sun; Jeong, Hyo Joon; Kim, Eun Han; Han, Moon Hee; Kim, In Gyu

2013-01-01

Highlights: ► External dose and contribution from radio-activated surface were evaluated for EMRAS-2 Urban Areas Working Group scenarios. ► The external doses showed a distinctive difference with the locations and precipitation. ► The contribution of contaminated surfaces for external dose depends on locations and precipitation. ► These results provide the essential information for decision-making support of countermeasures. - Abstract: The EMRAS-2 Urban Areas Working Group, which is supported by the IAEA, has designed a variety of accidental scenarios to test and improve the capabilities of the models used for an evaluation of radioactive contamination in an urban environment. A variety of models including a Korean model, METRO-K, are used for predictive results on the hypothetical scenarios. This paper describes the predictive results of METRO-K for the hypothetical scenarios designed in the Working Group. The external dose resulting from the air contamination of Co-60 was evaluated, and its contribution was analyzed with time as a function of the location of a receptor and precipitation conditions at the time of the contamination event. As a result, the external doses showed a distinctive difference with the locations to be evaluated and the precipitation conditions. Moreover, the contribution of contaminated surfaces for external doses was strongly dependent on the locations to be evaluated and the precipitation conditions. These results will provide essential information to assist the decision-making of appropriate countermeasures in an emergency situation of a radioactively contaminated urban environment

Colombia | IDRC - International Development Research Centre

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

Our research support in the country has contributed to the peace process in several ... and equality in rural areas, a group of Colombian researchers, business leaders, and civil society representatives is advising government policy to enhance ...

Beginning with Our Voices: How the Experiential Stories of First Nations Women Contribute to a National Research Project.

Science.gov (United States)

Acoose, Sharon; Blunderfield, Debbie; Dell, Colleen Anne; Desjarlais, Val

2009-12-01

The purpose of this paper is to review how the experiential stories of First Nations women contribute to a national research project. The project focuses on how women's healing is impacted by their views about themselves as - and the stigma associated with being - a drug user, involved in crime and an Aboriginal woman. Our project began with three First Nations women on our research team documenting the role of stigma and self-identity in their personal healing journeys from problematically using drugs and being in conflict with the law. In this paper we discuss how key components of feminist research practices, Aboriginal methodology and community-based research helped us position the women's experiential stories in authoritative, recognized and celebrated ways in our study. We illustrate how the women's stories uniquely contributed to the creation of our interview questions and the research project in general. We also discuss how the women personally benefited from writing about and sharing their experiences. Key benefits include the women discovering the impact of the written word, promotion of their healing, personal recognition of their ability to offer hope to women in need, increased self-esteem, and increased appreciation of the importance of sharing their lived experiences with others. Our method of research differs from a conventional western scientific approach to understanding, and as such made important contributions to both the project itself and the women who shared their experiential stories.

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....

The effects of contributing to patient care on medical students' workplace learning.

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, Samantha E; Tallentire, Victoria R; Cameron, Helen S; Wood, S Morwenna

2013-12-01

Previous research has suggested that as medical students become more senior, they should increasingly take on the roles they will enact as newly qualified doctors by contributing to patient care. However, student contribution to patient care carries inherent risks to patient safety. This study aimed to provide students with a new opportunity to contribute to patient care and to use this as a platform from which to explore the influence of contributing to patient care on medical student learning. This study took place in the context of final-year medical student prescribing education at the University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK. Students on attachment at a district general hospital were afforded a unique opportunity to learn prescribing by completing in-patient drug charts in a process termed 'pre-prescribing'. All students were invited to participate in focus groups conducted by the principal researcher. Focus group discussions were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim and thematically analysed. Six focus groups, each lasting 20-50 minutes, were conducted with four to seven participants (33 students in total). The emerging themes took the form of developmental outcomes and learning processes. Developmental outcomes included ability to perform the task, modification of attitudes towards the task, formation of a professional identity, and development of relationships within the team. The central feature of the experience which influenced all developmental outcomes, was making mistakes. The themes interact in complex ways and all contribute towards development as a professional. This study has demonstrated that contributing to patient care enhances students' development as professionals. Some of these developmental outcomes, such as improvements in knowledge and skills, may be achievable to some extent within the classroom. Other changes, such as developing relationships, forming a sense of professional identity and modifying attitudes, might arguably be achievable

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.

Analyzing Effective Communication in Mathematics Group Work: The Role of Visual Mediators and Technical Terms

Science.gov (United States)

Ryve, Andreas; Nilsson, Per; Pettersson, Kerstin

2013-01-01

Analyzing and designing productive group work and effective communication constitute ongoing research interests in mathematics education. In this article we contribute to this research by using and developing a newly introduced analytical approach for examining effective communication within group work in mathematics education. By using data from…

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

Multiple group membership and well-being

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sønderlund, Anders L.; Morton, Thomas A.; Ryan, Michelle K.

2017-01-01

multiple group membership and well-being, but only for individuals high in SIC. This effect was mediated by perceived identity expression and access to social support. Study 2 (N = 104) also found that multiple group memberships indirectly contributed to well-being via perceived identity expression......A growing body of research points to the value of multiple group memberships for individual well-being. However, much of this work considers group memberships very broadly and in terms of number alone. We conducted two correlational studies exploring how the relationship between multiple group...... and social support, as well as identity compatibility and perceived social inclusion. But, in this study the relationship between multiple group memberships and well-being outcomes was moderated by the perceived value and visibility of group memberships to others. Specifically, possessing multiple, devalued...

Identifying high ability students: a contribution from neuropsychological indicators

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dora Cortat Simonetti

2010-06-01

Full Text Available This paper presents some data on the convergence between psychometric intelligence measurements (IQ tests and physiological signs of mental activity found in high ability adolescents. The research study focus on a small group of 15 subjects submitted to electric encephalograms, previously chosen from a larger group of 77 classmates on the basis of scores on the WISC-III IQ Test. The results suggest continuous predominance of Alpha waves for the gifted group (higher frequency percentile and higher amplitude what was not observed in the group without any superior intellectual ability. Even taking into account methodological limitations, this study may contribute to the understanding of a relationship between the intellectual quotient (IQ and alpha waves frequency and amplitude, as observed during performance on cognitive tasks. Such results may suggest a possibility to complement psychometric measures with encephalic registers in giftedness research studies.

Creative and Arts-Based Research Methods in Academic Research. Lessons from a Participatory Research Project in the Netherlands

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gwenda van der Vaart

2018-05-01

Full Text Available This article contributes to the discussion on the value of creative and arts-based research methods to researchers interested in community resilience. Based on a participatory research project that used a mix of these methods conducted in a Dutch village, we provide more nuanced, concrete insights into their value. We elaborate on the three project stages: walking interviews, group discussions, and a creative workshop that resulted in an exhibition, and on the challenges encountered during our project. We discuss how each project stage contributed to producing multifaceted knowledge. Researchers can benefit from the discussions about the process and implications of creative and arts-based methods such as ours as, to date, there has been relatively little methodological reflection on these methods. Based on our study, we conclude that despite some challenges, creative and arts-based research methods have much to offer researchers interested in community resilience. We found they can: 1. generate deep insight by going beyond rational-cognitive ways of knowing and providing new ways of understanding people's real lived experiences and views; and 2. offer ways to "give back" and contribute to a community, potentially igniting a spark among community members to engage in further action and contribute to their community's resilience. This aligns with the, currently often articulated, aims of researchers to directly benefit those involved and to share their research findings with a broader non-academic audience.

Health Care Ergonomics: Contributions of Thomas Waters.

Science.gov (United States)

Poole Wilson, Tiffany; Davis, Kermit G

2016-08-01

The aim of this study was to assess the contributions of Thomas Waters's work in the field of health care ergonomics and beyond. Waters's research of safe patient handling with a focus on reducing musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) in health care workers contributed to current studies and prevention strategies. He worked with several groups to share his research and assist in developing safe patient handling guidelines and curriculum for nursing students and health care workers. The citations of articles that were published by Waters in health care ergonomics were evaluated for quality and themes of conclusions. Quality was assessed using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool and centrality to original research rating. Themes were documented by the type of population the citing articles were investigating. In total, 266 articles that referenced the top seven cited articles were evaluated. More than 95% of them were rated either medium or high quality. The important themes of these citing articles were as follows: (a) Safe patient handling is effective in reducing MSDs in health care workers. (b) Shift work has negative impact on nurses. (c) There is no safe way to manually lift a patient. (d) Nurse curriculums should contain safe patient handling. The research of Waters has contributed significantly to the health care ergonomics and beyond. His work, in combination with other pioneers in the field, has generated multiple initiatives, such as a standard safe patient-handling curriculum and safe patient-handling programs. © 2016, Human Factors and Ergonomics Society.

Differential contribution of soil biota groups to plant litter decomposition as mediated by soil use

Science.gov (United States)

Falco, Liliana B.; Sandler, Rosana V.; Coviella, Carlos E.

2015-01-01

Plant decomposition is dependant on the activity of the soil biota and its interactions with climate, soil properties, and plant residue inputs. This work assessed the roles of different groups of the soil biota on litter decomposition, and the way they are modulated by soil use. Litterbags of different mesh sizes for the selective exclusion of soil fauna by size (macro, meso, and microfauna) were filled with standardized dried leaves and placed on the same soil under different use intensities: naturalized grasslands, recent agriculture, and intensive agriculture fields. During five months, litterbags of each mesh size were collected once a month per system with five replicates. The remaining mass was measured and decomposition rates calculated. Differences were found for the different biota groups, and they were dependant on soil use. Within systems, the results show that in the naturalized grasslands, the macrofauna had the highest contribution to decomposition. In the recent agricultural system it was the combined activity of the macro- and mesofauna, and in the intensive agricultural use it was the mesofauna activity. These results underscore the relative importance and activity of the different groups of the edaphic biota and the effects of different soil uses on soil biota activity. PMID:25780777

Differential contribution of soil biota groups to plant litter decomposition as mediated by soil use

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ricardo A. Castro-Huerta

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Plant decomposition is dependant on the activity of the soil biota and its interactions with climate, soil properties, and plant residue inputs. This work assessed the roles of different groups of the soil biota on litter decomposition, and the way they are modulated by soil use. Litterbags of different mesh sizes for the selective exclusion of soil fauna by size (macro, meso, and microfauna were filled with standardized dried leaves and placed on the same soil under different use intensities: naturalized grasslands, recent agriculture, and intensive agriculture fields. During five months, litterbags of each mesh size were collected once a month per system with five replicates. The remaining mass was measured and decomposition rates calculated. Differences were found for the different biota groups, and they were dependant on soil use. Within systems, the results show that in the naturalized grasslands, the macrofauna had the highest contribution to decomposition. In the recent agricultural system it was the combined activity of the macro- and mesofauna, and in the intensive agricultural use it was the mesofauna activity. These results underscore the relative importance and activity of the different groups of the edaphic biota and the effects of different soil uses on soil biota activity.

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

Road accidents at night in the Netherlands : a national analysis according to official road accident data. Contribution to OECD Research Group TS 3 on Improving Road Safety at Night.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Harris, S.

1979-01-01

The questionnaire about night-time accident data of the OECD Research Group TS 3 on Improving Road Safety at Night was filled in for the Netherlands. Thereafter a national analysis was written, using the already completed accident data questionnaire. Guidelines for the contents and presentation

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...

A call for BMC Research Notes contributions promoting best practice in data standardization, sharing and publication.

Science.gov (United States)

Hrynaszkiewicz, Iain

2010-09-02

BMC Research Notes aims to ensure that data files underlying published articles are made available in standard, reusable formats, and the journal is calling for contributions from the scientific community to achieve this goal. Educational Data Notes included in this special series should describe a domain-specific data standard and provide an example data set with the article, or a link to data that are permanently hosted elsewhere. The contributions should also provide some evidence of the data standard's application and preparation guidance that could be used by others wishing to conduct similar experiments. The journal is also keen to receive contributions on broader aspects of scientific data sharing, archiving, and open data.

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…

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. |

Estimation of environment-related properties of chemicals for design of sustainable processes: Development of group-contribution+ (GC+) models and uncertainty analysis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hukkerikar, Amol; Kalakul, Sawitree; Sarup, Bent

2012-01-01

The aim of this work is to develop group-3 contribution+ (GC+)method (combined group-contribution (GC) method and atom connectivity index (CI)) based 15 property models to provide reliable estimations of environment-related properties of organic chemicals together with uncertainties of estimated...... property values. For this purpose, a systematic methodology for property modeling and uncertainty analysis is used. The methodology includes a parameter estimation step to determine parameters of property models and an uncertainty analysis step to establish statistical information about the quality......, poly functional chemicals, etc.) taken from the database of the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and from the database of USEtox is used. For property modeling and uncertainty analysis, the Marrero and Gani GC method and atom connectivity index method have been considered. In total, 22...

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.

Contribution of chronic diseases to disability in elderly people in countries with low and middle incomes: a 10/66 Dementia Research Group population-based survey.

Science.gov (United States)

Sousa, Renata M; Ferri, Cleusa P; Acosta, Daisy; Albanese, Emiliano; Guerra, Mariella; Huang, Yueqin; Jacob, K S; Jotheeswaran, A T; Rodriguez, Juan J Llibre; Pichardo, Guillermina Rodriguez; Rodriguez, Marina Calvo; Salas, Aquiles; Sosa, Ana Luisa; Williams, Joseph; Zuniga, Tirso; Prince, Martin

2009-11-28

Disability in elderly people in countries with low and middle incomes is little studied; according to Global Burden of Disease estimates, visual impairment is the leading contributor to years lived with disability in this population. We aimed to assess the contribution of physical, mental, and cognitive chronic diseases to disability, and the extent to which sociodemographic and health characteristics account for geographical variation in disability. We undertook cross-sectional surveys of residents aged older than 65 years (n=15 022) in 11 sites in seven countries with low and middle incomes (China, India, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Mexico, and Peru). Disability was assessed with the 12-item WHO disability assessment schedule 2.0. Dementia, depression, hypertension, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease were ascertained by clinical assessment; diabetes, stroke, and heart disease by self-reported diagnosis; and sensory, gastrointestinal, skin, limb, and arthritic disorders by self-reported impairment. Independent contributions to disability scores were assessed by zero-inflated negative binomial regression and Poisson regression to generate population-attributable prevalence fractions (PAPF). In regions other than rural India and Venezuela, dementia made the largest contribution to disability (median PAPF 25.1% [IQR 19.2-43.6]). Other substantial contributors were stroke (11.4% [1.8-21.4]), limb impairment (10.5% [5.7-33.8]), arthritis (9.9% [3.2-34.8]), depression (8.3% [0.5-23.0]), eyesight problems (6.8% [1.7-17.6]), and gastrointestinal impairments (6.5% [0.3-23.1]). Associations with chronic diseases accounted for around two-thirds of prevalent disability. When zero inflation was taken into account, between-site differences in disability scores were largely attributable to compositional differences in health and sociodemographic characteristics. On the basis of empirical research, dementia, not blindness, is overwhelmingly the most important

Facebook Discussion Groups Provide a Robust Worldwide Platform for Free Pathology Education.

Science.gov (United States)

Gonzalez, Raul S; Amer, Sadiq M; Yahia, Nejib Ben; Costa, Felipe D'Almeida; Noatay, Manu; Qiao, Jian-Hua; Rosado, Flavia G; Rosen, Yale; Sedassari, Bruno Tavares; Yantiss, Rhonda K; Gardner, Jerad M

2017-05-01

- Facebook (Menlo Park, California) is one of many online sites that provide potential educational tools for pathologists. We have each founded Facebook groups dedicated to anatomic pathology, in which members can share cases, ask questions, and contribute to discussions. - To report our experiences in founding and maintaining these Facebook groups and to characterize the contributed content. - We circulated a survey among the group founders, then compiled and analyzed the responses. - The groups varied in membership and in the quality of member contribution. Most posts were of pathology cases, although other topics (such as research articles) were also shared. All groups remained active and received posts from users all over the world, although all groups had many noncontributing members and received unwanted messages (which were screened and removed). Most founders were glad they had founded the groups because they provided an opportunity to both teach and learn. - Each analyzed Facebook group had a different character, and some downsides exist, but the groups all provided a no-cost way for pathologists and others across the world to interact online with many colleagues.

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.)

Mixed Methods in Education Research. IES Technical Working Group Meeting. Meeting Summary (Washington, DC, May 29, 2015)

Science.gov (United States)

Institute of Education Sciences, 2015

2015-01-01

This meeting summary is organized into two major sections. The first section captures the individual contribution of meeting participants, including both Institute of Education Sciences (IES) staff and the invited technical working group members. The second section captures themes that arose during the group discussions, which were organized…

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

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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...

Contribution of ethnic group and socioeconomic status to degree of disability in rheumatoid arthritis in Chilean patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Alarcón, Ana M; Muñoz, Sergio; Kaufman, Jay S; Martínez, Carlos; Riedemann, Pablo; Kaliski, Sonia

2015-04-01

The aim of this study was to estimate the contributions of ethnic group and socioeconomic status as social determinants related to disability and disease activity in Chilean Mapuche and non-Mapuche patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Descriptive cross-sectional study with a stratified hospital-based sample of 189 patients in treatment with disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs. We assessed disability as categorical variable with the Health Assessment Questionnaire, disease activity with the Disease Activity Score instrument, and socioeconomic status with a standard questionnaire used by the Chilean government. Measures of association, stratified analyses and a multiple logistic regression model were used to analyze the data using the Stata 12.1 software package. Low socioeconomic status (annual income below US$ 7,200) is associated with disability (OR 3.87 CI 1.68-9.20) and Mapuche ethnic identity also contributes to disability (OR 2.48, CI 1.09-5.89). Relevant but not statistically significant in multivariable models were variables such as age, gender and place of residence. RA patients with a low socioeconomic status have almost three times the odds of having a moderate to high disability, independent of their ethnic group, gender or place of residence. Therefore, healthcare efforts should be aimed at promoting early diagnosis and prompt treatment among populations with high levels of poverty, which in the region of the Araucanía means primarily indigenous rural areas.

Estimation and Uncertainty Analysis of Flammability Properties of Chemicals using Group-Contribution Property Models

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Frutiger, Jerome; Abildskov, Jens; Sin, Gürkan

Process safety studies and assessments rely on accurate property data. Flammability data like the lower and upper flammability limit (LFL and UFL) play an important role in quantifying the risk of fire and explosion. If experimental values are not available for the safety analysis due to cost...... or time constraints, property prediction models like group contribution (GC) models can estimate flammability data. The estimation needs to be accurate, reliable and as less time consuming as possible. However, GC property prediction methods frequently lack rigorous uncertainty analysis. Hence....... In this study, the MG-GC-factors are estimated using a systematic data and model evaluation methodology in the following way: 1) Data. Experimental flammability data is used from AIChE DIPPR 801 Database. 2) Initialization and sequential parameter estimation. An approximation using linear algebra provides...

[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

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)

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)

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)

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.

A Review of Fusion and Tokamak Research Towards Steady-State Operation: A JAEA Contribution

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Mitsuru Kikuchi

2010-11-01

Full Text Available Providing a historical overview of 50 years of fusion research, a review of the fundamentals and concepts of fusion and research efforts towards the implementation of a steady state tokamak reactor is presented. In 1990, a steady-state tokamak reactor (SSTR best utilizing the bootstrap current was developed. Since then, significant efforts have been made in major tokamaks, including JT-60U, exploring advanced regimes relevant to the steady state operation of tokamaks. In this paper, the fundamentals of fusion and plasma confinement, and the concepts and research on current drive and MHD stability of advanced tokamaks towards realization of a steady-state tokamak reactor are reviewed, with an emphasis on the contributions of the JAEA. Finally, a view of fusion energy utilization in the 21st century is introduced.

Karlsruhe Research Center, Nuclear Safety Research Project (PSF). Annual report 1994

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hueper, R.

1995-08-01

The reactor safety R and D work of the Karlsruhe Research Centre (FZKA) has been part of the Nuclear Safety Research Projet (PSF) since 1990. The present annual report 1994 summarizes the R and D results. The research tasks are coordinated in agreement with internal and external working groups. The contributions to this report correspond to the status of early 1995. An abstract in English precedes each of them, whenever the respective article is written in German. (orig.) [de

Bridging the divide between fire safety research and fighting fire safely: How do we convey research innovation to contribute more effectively to wildland firefighter safety?

Science.gov (United States)

Theodore Ted Adams; Bret W. Butler; Sara Brown; Vita Wright; Anne Black

2017-01-01

Creating a safe workplace for wildland firefighters has long been at the centre of discussion for researchers and practitioners. The goal of wildland fire safety research has been to protect operational firefighters, yet its contributions often fall short of potential because much is getting lost in the translation of peer-reviewed results to potential and intended...

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...

Drosophila's contribution to stem cell research [version 2; referees: 2 approved

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Gyanesh Singh

2016-08-01

Full Text Available The discovery of Drosophila stem cells with striking similarities to mammalian stem cells has brought new hope for stem cell research. Recent developments in Drosophila stem cell research is bringing wider opportunities for contemporary stem cell biologists. In this regard, Drosophila germ cells are becoming a popular model of stem cell research. In several cases, genes that controlled Drosophila stem cells were later discovered to have functional homologs in mammalian stem cells. Like mammals, Drosophila germline stem cells (GSCs are controlled by both intrinsic as well as external signals. Inside the Drosophila testes, germline and somatic stem cells form a cluster of cells (the hub. Hub cells depend on JAK-STAT signaling, and, in absence of this signal, they do not self-renew. In Drosophila, significant changes occur within the stem cell niche that contributes to a decline in stem cell number over time. In case of aging Drosophila, somatic niche cells show reduced DE-cadherin and unpaired (Upd proteins. Unpaired proteins are known to directly decrease stem cell number within the niches, and, overexpression of upd within niche cells restored GSCs in older males also . Stem cells in the midgut of Drosophila are also very promising. Reduced Notch signaling was found to increase the number of midgut progenitor cells. On the other hand, activation of the Notch pathway decreased proliferation of these cells. Further research in this area should lead to the discovery of additional factors that regulate stem and progenitor cells in Drosophila.

Arthur Roger Thatcher's contributions to longevity research: A Reflexion

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Jean-Marie Robine

2010-03-01

Full Text Available Arthur Roger Thatcher, CB, died in London on February 13, 2010, at 83 years of age. He was actively engaged in demographic research until his death. One of his last papers, The Compression of Deaths above the Mode, is published in this volume of Demographic Research (Thatcher et al., 2010. Roger signed the copyright agreement for the paper on January 24, just a few weeks before his death. Another contribution will appear in a forthcoming monograph entitled Supercentenarians (Maier et al., 2010. In this note, we, the co-authors of his Demographic Research paper, will briefly review his remarkable research accomplishments. Roger Thatcher was born in Birmingham in 1926. He worked for 26 years as a statistician in several national government offices. Later, he served as Registrar General for England and Wales, and was Director of the Office of Population Censuses and Survey (OPCS from 1978 to 1986. A short description of his professional career up to his retirement can be found in Population Trends (1986. He had a long-standing affinity for the history of actuarial sciences and statistics in England, taking particular interest in the early years of the Statistical Society of London, and helping to compile extracts from its 1830s Proceedings (see Boreham et al., 1988 and Rosenbaum, 2001. He published a historical abstract (1970 of British labour-force statistics back to 1886. Thatcher was also a scientist with broad interests, publishing papers in a wide range of fields, such as archaeology, mathematics (number theory, and cosmology (1972, 1973 and 1982.

The Cogema Group and the sustainable development

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2002-01-01

This document presents the COGEMA Group commitment to sustainable development. Through this commitment, COGEMA is pursuing a policy of ''global performance'' allying economic progress, social progress and protection of the environment, in all its activities. This report points out the many contributions that COGEMA activities make to sustainable development: monitoring of the environment and of releases from its facilities; progress in Research and Development (treatment of liquid and gas effluents, optimized recycling of spent nuclear materials and reduction of their volume, etc.); certification; support for local economic development in the areas around the Group sites, not only in France, but also abroad, as at the mines in Canada and Niger; a strong policy of openness and transparency in its nuclear activities and ongoing dialogue with NGO. The document lays the bases for a number of indicators that can be used as of next year to measure the Group contribution to meeting the challenges of sustainable development. More-detailed statistical data are also presented in the annual environmental reports from the industrial sites in the COGEMA Group. (A.L.B.)

Contributions of Stephen J. Ball to the Research on Educational and Curriculum Policies in Brazil

Science.gov (United States)

Mainardes, Jefferson; Gandin, Luis Armando

2013-01-01

This article aims at showcasing the main contributions of Stephen J. Ball to educational research in Brazil, particularly to the study of educational and curriculum policies. We also highlight some of the limitations in the incorporation of Ball's ideas in Brazil as well as some of the challenges that these author's ideas pose to Brazilian…

77 FR 59238 - Call for Expert Reviewers to the U.S. Government Review of the Working Group I Contribution to...

Science.gov (United States)

2012-09-26

... expert review process, which occurs in parallel with the U.S. government review. More information on the... DEPARTMENT OF STATE [Public Notice 8042] Call for Expert Reviewers to the U.S. Government Review... both experts and governments. The Second Order Draft of the Working Group I contribution to the 5th...

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.

Doing Research Together: A Study on the Views of Advisors with Intellectual Disabilities and Non-Disabled Researchers Collaborating in Research.

Science.gov (United States)

Puyalto, Carol; Pallisera, Maria; Fullana, Judit; Vilà, Montserrat

2016-03-01

Despite an increase in inclusive studies in recent years, research on the views of the people with and without disabilities who have participated in these studies is scarce. The aim of this study was to explore the perceptions and views of advisors with intellectual disabilities and non-disabled researchers who collaborated together on a joint project to study transition to adulthood. Two questionnaires were devised, one for advisors and one for researchers; two focus groups were held with people with intellectual disabilities, three focus groups with researchers, and one focus group with all participants together. Thematic analysis was used for the data analysis. The advisors valued this experience as an opportunity to learn new skills, freely express themselves on matters that affect them, and engage in a socially valued activity. The researchers considered that the participation of people with intellectual disabilities contributed to improving the quality of the research. The study provides a better understanding of inclusive research processes by taking into account participants' views. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

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

Coal mine safety achievements in the USA and the contribution of NIOSH research

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Esterhuizen, G.S.; Gurtunca, R.G. [NIOSH, Washington, DC (United States)

2006-12-15

Over the past century coal miner safety and health have seen tremendous improvements: the fatality and injury rates continue to decrease while productivity continues to increase. Many of the hazards that plagued miners in the past, such as coal bumps, methane and coal dust explosions, ground fall accidents and health issues have been significantly reduced. The contribution of NIOSH research includes products for prevention and survival of mine fires, methane control measures, design procedure for underground coal mines, methods for excavation surface controls, methods and procedures for blasting, laser usage in underground mines and prevention of electrocution from overhead power lines that have reduced accidents and injuries in underground coal mines. Health research has produced products such as the personal dust monitor, noise abating technologies and ergonomic solutions for equipment operators. Research priorities at NIOSH are set by considering surveillance statistics, stakeholder inputs and loss control principles. Future research in coal mining is directed towards respiratory diseases, noise-induced hearing loss, repetitive musculoskeletal injuries, traumatic injuries, falls of ground and mine disasters. The recent spate of accidents in coal mines resulted in the Miner Act of 2006, which includes a specific role for NIOSH in future mine safety research and development. The mine safety achievements in the USA reflect the commitment of industry, labour, government and research organizations to improving the safety of the mine worker.

Contributions of the life course perspective to research on food decision making.

Science.gov (United States)

Wethington, Elaine; Johnson-Askew, Wendy L

2009-12-01

The life course perspective (LCP) has emerged as a powerful organizing framework for the study of health, illness, and mortality. LCP represents a "whole life" analysis perspective which originated in the field of sociology. Its concepts are increasingly applied to understanding the development of chronic disease over long periods of time in the human life span. A missing link, however, in the adaptation of the LCP to health research, is the insight the LCP may offer into understanding the societal, social network, and family contexts that frame stability and change in dietary behavior. This paper reviews key concepts that comprise the LCP but primarily focuses on applications that have relevance to food decision making in social context. A case study of chronic work-family stress and perceived time scarcity as barriers to dietary improvement is included. Illustrative findings are presented on dietary behavior in a diverse sample of lower-income working parents. This paper also offers ideas on increasing the contributions of the LCP to nutritional research.

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…

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.

The contribution of case study design to supporting research on Clubhouse psychosocial rehabilitation.

Science.gov (United States)

Raeburn, Toby; Schmied, Virginia; Hungerford, Catherine; Cleary, Michelle

2015-10-01

Psychosocial Clubhouses provide recovery-focused psychosocial rehabilitation to people with serious mental illness at over 300 sites in more than 30 countries worldwide. To deliver the services involved, Clubhouses employ a complex mix of theory, programs and relationships, with this complexity presenting a number of challenges to those undertaking Clubhouse research. This paper provides an overview of the usefulness of case study designs for Clubhouse researchers; and suggests ways in which the evaluation of Clubhouse models can be facilitated. The paper begins by providing a brief explanation of the Clubhouse model of psychosocial rehabilitation, and the need for ongoing evaluation of the services delivered. This explanation is followed by an introduction to case study design, with consideration given to the way in which case studies have been used in past Clubhouse research. It is posited that case study design provides a methodological framework that supports the analysis of either quantitative, qualitative or a mixture of both types of data to investigate complex phenomena in their everyday contexts, and thereby support the development of theory. As such, case study approaches to research are well suited to the Clubhouse environment. The paper concludes with recommendations for future Clubhouse researchers who choose to employ a case study design. While the quality of case study research that explores Clubhouses has been variable in the past, if applied in a diligent manner, case study design has a valuable contribution to make in future Clubhouse research.

Expanding the Application of Group Interventions: Emergence of Groups in Health Care Settings

Science.gov (United States)

Drum, David; Becker, Martin Swanbrow; Hess, Elaine

2011-01-01

Changes in the health care arena and within the specialty of group work are contributing to the increased utilization of groups in health care settings. Psychoeducational, theme, and interpersonal therapy groups are highlighted for their contributions to treating challenging health conditions. An understanding of the evolution of these group…

Conference on energy research at historically black universities

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1980-01-01

A conference was convened to present and discuss significant research and development in Historically Black Institutions (current and past); areas that show potential for inter-institutional collaboration and the sharing of facilities; existing capabilities to sustain funded research activities and future potential for expansion and enhancement; and appropriate arrangements for maximum interaction with industry and government agencies. Papers were presented at small group meetings in various energy research areas, and abstracts of the projects or programs are presented. The Solar Energy small group provided contributions in the areas of photovoltaics, biomass, solar thermal, and wind. Research reported on by the Fossil Fuel small group comprises efforts in the areas of fluidized bed combustion of coal, coal liquefaction, and oil shale pyrolysis. Five research programs reported on by the Conservation Research small group involve a summer workshop for high school students on energy conservation; use of industrial waste heat for a greenhouse; solar energy and energy conservation research and demonstration; energy efficiency and management; and a conservation program targeted at developing a model for educating low income families. The Environment Impact groups (2) presented contributions on physical and chemical impacts and biological monitors and impacts. The Policy Research group presented four papers on a careful analysis of the Equity issues; one on a model for examining the economic issue in looking at the interaction between energy technology and the state of the economy; and a second paper examined the institutional constraints on environmental oriented energy policy. Six additional abstracts by invited participants are presented. (MCW)

TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH CONTRIBUTIONS TO SOCIETY BY UNIVERSITY TRANSPORTATION CENTERS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Robert C. JOHNS

2003-01-01

Full Text Available This paper discusses the importance of knowledge in the global economy and reviews the process in which knowledge is applied to develop innovations. It confirms the importance of innovation as a key factor for success in today's competitive environment. The paper discusses the contributions a university can make to the innovation process in the field of transportation, and offers a vision of how a university center can enhance and facilitate these contributions. It then describes the efforts of one center, including three examples of innovations facilitated by the center in traffic detection, regional planning, and pavement management. The paper concludes with suggestions that would strengthen the societal contributions of university transportation centers.

Extended Group Contribution Model for Polyfunctional Phase Equilibria

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Abildskov, Jens

of physical separation processes. In a thermodynamic sense, design requires detailed knowledge of activity coefficients in the phases at equilibrium. The prediction of these quantities from a minimum of experimental data is the broad scope of this thesis. Adequate equations exist for predicting vapor......Material and energy balances and equilibrium data form the basis of most design calculations. While material and energy balances may be stated without much difficulty, the design engineer is left with a choice between a wide variety of models for describing phase equilibria in the design......-liquid equilibria from data on binary mixtures, composed of structurally simple molecules with a single functional group. More complex is the situation with mixtures composed of structurally more complicated molecules or molecules with more than one functional group. The UNIFAC method is extended to handle...

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.

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

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,…

Assessing the Reliability of Self- and Peer Rating in Student Group Work

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Bo; Johnston, Lucy; Kilic, Gulsen Bagci

2008-01-01

Peer and self-ratings have been strongly recommended as the means to adjust individual contributions to group work. To evaluate the quality of student ratings, previous research has primarily explored the validity of these ratings, as indicated by the degree of agreement between student and teacher ratings. This research describes a…

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.

Could the 2012 Drought in Central U.S. Have Been Anticipated? A Review of NASA Working Group Research

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, S.-Y. Simon; Barandiaran, Danny; Hilburn, Kyle; Houser, Paul; Oglesby, Bob; Pan, Ming; Pinker, Rachel; Santanello, Joe; Schubert, Siegfried; Wang, Hailan;

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.

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…

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).

Nordic Contributions in IS Research

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

This book contains the refereed proceedings of the 5th Scandinavian Conference on Information Systems, SCIS 2014, held in Ringsted, Denmark, in August 2014. The theme for this book as well as for the conference is “Designing Human Technologies.” The theme combines the interplay of people with tec......This book contains the refereed proceedings of the 5th Scandinavian Conference on Information Systems, SCIS 2014, held in Ringsted, Denmark, in August 2014. The theme for this book as well as for the conference is “Designing Human Technologies.” The theme combines the interplay of people...... with technology—a classic theme in Scandinavian information systems research—with a growing interest within the IS research field in design and design science research. The nine papers accepted for SCIS 2014 were selected from 22 submissions....

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.

Neural network integration during the perception of in-group and out-group members.

Science.gov (United States)

Greven, Inez M; Ramsey, Richard

2017-11-01

Group biases guide social interactions by promoting in-group favouritism, but the neural mechanisms underpinning group biases remain unclear. While neuroscience research has shown that distributed brain circuits are associated with seeing in-group and out-group members as "us" and "them", it is less clear how these networks exchange signals. This fMRI study uses functional connectivity analyses to investigate the contribution of functional integration to group bias modulation of person perception. Participants were assigned to an arbitrary group and during scanning they observed bodies of in-group or out-group members that cued the recall of positive or negative social knowledge. The results showed that functional coupling between perceptual and cognitive neural networks is tuned to particular combinations of group membership and social knowledge valence. Specifically, coupling between body perception and theory-of-mind networks is biased towards seeing a person that had previously been paired with information consistent with group bias (positive for in-group and negative for out-group). This demonstrates how brain regions associated with visual analysis of others and belief reasoning exchange and integrate signals when evaluating in-group and out-group members. The results update models of person perception by showing how and when interplay occurs between perceptual and extended systems when developing a representation of another person. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Harmonic analysis on exponential solvable Lie groups

CERN Document Server

Fujiwara, Hidenori

2015-01-01

This book is the first one that brings together recent results on the harmonic analysis of exponential solvable Lie groups. There still are many interesting open problems, and the book contributes to the future progress of this research field. As well, various related topics are presented to motivate young researchers. The orbit method invented by Kirillov is applied to study basic problems in the analysis on exponential solvable Lie groups. This method tells us that the unitary dual of these groups is realized as the space of their coadjoint orbits. This fact is established using the Mackey theory for induced representations, and that mechanism is explained first. One of the fundamental problems in the representation theory is the irreducible decomposition of induced or restricted representations. Therefore, these decompositions are studied in detail before proceeding to various related problems: the multiplicity formula, Plancherel formulas, intertwining operators, Frobenius reciprocity, and associated alge...

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...

A bibliometric study on Buckley and Casson’s (1976 contribution to international business research

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Manuel Portugal Ferreira

2012-07-01

Full Text Available DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5007/2175-8077.2012v14n33p9 In this paper we examine the work by Peter Buckley and Mark Casson (1976, “The future of the multinational enterprise”, contribution to international business research. In this work, the Buckley and Casson conceitualized one of the foundational theories for International Business (IB research in the past three decades: internalization theory. Our bibliometric study examines the entire track record of publications in the leading journal for IB research – Journal of International Business Studies (JIBS – between 1976 and 2010, that cite Buckley and Casson’s 81976 work. The analyses of citations, co-citations and themes permit us analyze the impact of the Internalization theory, and of Buckley and Casson (1976 in specific, in IB research. Conceitually founded on the internalization theory for the study of multinational corporations and the internationalization of firms, the ramifications extend to several domains of the discipline and make this one of the most salient works of the past three decades.

Account of the contribution of the Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency (PBL) to the Working Group 'Broad Reconsideration Energy and Climate'

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2010-04-01

In twenty policy areas various working groups have studied variants that can lead to a 20% budget cut in the government budgets of the Netherlands, which must be realized in 2015. The aim of the reconsiderations is to use less government means to realize the same results, or even better results if possible. The broad reconsideration in the field of energy and climate focuses on the expenditure for renewable energy and energy efficiency, mitigating (inter)national climate policy and fiscal benefits. In this report the PBL gives account of its contribution to the Working Group 'Broad Reconsideration Energy and Climate'. [nl

Performance Agent Groups in the Promotion of Smart Economic Growth

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Krūzmētra Maiga

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Any country is interested in economic growth regardless of its development level in any period; yet an increasingly important role in defining growth is played by the term ‘smart growth’. The EU development strategy until 2020 defines smart growth as a strategic objective. Smart growth does not take place automatically. It is affected both by the condition of the economic, social and natural environments and by subjective factors - the competence of performance agents. The present research distinguished three groups of rural space and regional performance agents: national institutions, local governments and communities of residents of the territories examined by the research. The research summarised the opinions of experts (Latvia n=171; Lithuania n=163 from the south-eastern part of Latvia and the north-eastern part of Lithuania with the purpose of assessing the contribution of the performance agent groups to the promotion of smart economic growth. The research aimed to identify the positive indications of the contribution made by each performance agent group as well as the largest problems affecting the promotion of smart economic growth in each country. Despite the fact that the sample groups were not representative (did not reflect the views of the entire population, the obtained survey data and the results of this analysis provided insight into the performance agents’ action ratings from the bottom-up position and allowed comparing the situations in Latvia and Lithuania. The research has become an urgent task in project No. 5.2.3 “Rural and Regional Development Processes and Opportunities in Latvia in the Context of Knowledge Economy” in National Research Programme 5.2. "Economic Transformation, Smart Growth, Governance and Legal Framework for the State and Society for Sustainable Development - a New Approach to the Creation of a Sustainable Learning Community: EKOSOC-LV”.

Good Board Governance and Perceived Business Continuity in Tunisian Corporate Groups

OpenAIRE

Ben Rejeb, Wajdi

2014-01-01

This research deals with the contribution of good board practices to perceived business continuity in Tunisian corporate groups. This paper aims to identify the components of good board governance that can promote business continuity in Tunisian corporate groups through the study of the directors’ perceptions. Large Tunisian business groups form the pillars of the country economic development and reflect the ownership structure as well as the management style of Tunisian companies. In this re...

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

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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.

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

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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).

Exploring Practice-Research Networks for Critical Professional Learning

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Appleby, Yvon; Hillier, Yvonne

2012-01-01

This paper discusses the contribution that practice-research networks can make to support critical professional development in the Learning and Skills sector in England. By practice-research networks we mean groups or networks which maintain a connection between research and professional practice. These networks stem from the philosophy of…

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...

The contribution of behavioural science to primary care research: development and evaluation of behaviour change interventions.

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Sutton, Stephen

2011-10-01

Behavioural science is concerned with predicting, explaining and changing behaviour. Taking a personal perspective, this article aims to show how behavioural science can contribute to primary care research, specifically in relation to the development and evaluation of interventions to change behaviour. After discussing the definition and measurement of behaviour, the principle of compatibility and theories of behaviour change, the article outlines two examples of behaviour change trials (one on medication adherence and the other on physical activity), which were part of a research programme on prevention of chronic disease and its consequences. The examples demonstrate how, in a multidisciplinary context, behavioural science can contribute to primary care research in several important ways, including posing relevant research questions, defining the target behaviour, understanding the psychological determinants of behaviour, developing behaviour change interventions and selection or development of measures. The article concludes with a number of recommendations: (i) whether the aim is prediction, explanation or change, defining the target behaviour is a crucial first step; (ii) interventions should be explicitly based on theories that specify the factors that need to be changed in order to produce the desired change in behaviour; (iii) intervention developers need to be aware of the differences between different theories and select a theory only after careful consideration of the alternatives assessed against relevant criteria; and (iv) developers need to be aware that interventions can never be entirely theory based.

Contributions of the Life Course Perspective to Research on Food Decision Making

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Johnson-Askew, Wendy L.

2012-01-01

Background The life course perspective (LCP) has emerged as a powerful organizing framework for the study of health, illness, and mortality. LCP represents a “whole life” analysis perspective which originated in the field of sociology. Methods Its concepts are increasingly applied to understanding the development of chronic disease over long periods of time in the human life span. A missing link, however, in the adaptation of the LCP to health research, is the insight the LCP may offer into understanding the societal, social network, and family contexts that frame stability and change in dietary behavior. Results This paper reviews key concepts that comprise the LCP but primarily focuses on applications that have relevance to food decision making in social context. A case study of chronic work–family stress and perceived time scarcity as barriers to dietary improvement is included. Conclusion Illustrative findings are presented on dietary behavior in a diverse sample of lower-income working parents. This paper also offers ideas on increasing the contributions of the LCP to nutritional research. PMID:19890684

A temática do desenvolvimento sustentável em grupos de pesquisa The sustainable development thematic in the research groups

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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

Tackling complexities in understanding the social determinants of health: the contribution of ethnographic research.

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Bandyopadhyay, Mridula

2011-11-25

The complexities inherent in understanding the social determinants of health are often not well-served by quantitative approaches. My aim is to show that well-designed and well-conducted ethnographic studies have an important contribution to make in this regard. Ethnographic research designs are a difficult but rigorous approach to research questions that require us to understand the complexity of people's social and cultural lives. I draw on an ethnographic study to describe the complexities of studying maternal health in a rural area in India. I then show how the lessons learnt in that setting and context can be applied to studies done in very different settings. I show how ethnographic research depends for rigour on a theoretical framework for sample selection; why immersion in the community under study, and rapport building with research participants, is important to ensure rich and meaningful data; and how flexible approaches to data collection lead to the gradual emergence of an analysis based on intense cross-referencing with community views and thus a conclusion that explains the similarities and differences observed. When using ethnographic research design it can be difficult to specify in advance the exact details of the study design. Researchers can encounter issues in the field that require them to change what they planned on doing. In rigorous ethnographic studies, the researcher in the field is the research instrument and needs to be well trained in the method. Ethnographic research is challenging, but nevertheless provides a rewarding way of researching complex health problems that require an understanding of the social and cultural determinants of health.

A Strategic Study for the enhancement of nuclear research and development transparency through the extra-contribution to IAEA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Byung Wook; Lee, H. M.; Ko, H. S.; Ryu, J. S.; Kim, H. R.; Kim, H. D.; Song, K. S.

2008-12-01

To devote efforts to international nuclear technology cooperation, the research team of this study surveyed the IAEA activities to find ones suitable for extra-contributions by Korea. Based on the survey, the team made inputs to the IAEA MSSP (Member State Support Program). After consultation with the IAEA secretariat, it was decided to hold a technical meeting for the Asia Pacific region in Korea during 2009. The Korean government contributed 93,000 dollars to the IAEA for this purpose. Also a workshop on the safeguards for a pyroprocessing was held in Korea during 2008. The financial contribution to the IAEA technical meeting is one of the efforts from Korea to increase its understanding on the transparency in domestic nuclear activities. The contribution to the workshop on the safeguards of a pyroprocessing is expected to be a seed for implementing a future domestic nuclear R and D plan. Also such a contribution will enhance its transparency in developing domestic nuclear fuel cycle technology. Further efforts are necessary to lead to safeguards technology development by contributing to future MSSPs on advanced fuel cycle facilities. It is recommended to continue these financial contributions including in-kind contributions to the IAEA by elaborating the accumulated experiences on nuclear transparency

[Research program for the Brazilian Unified Health System (SUS): the contribution to health management and services in Paraiba State, Brazil].

Science.gov (United States)

Celino, Suely Deysny de Matos; Costa, Gabriela Maria Cavalcanti; França, Inácia Sátiro Xavier de; Araújo, Ednaldo Cavalcante de

2013-01-01

The shared management in health of the Research Program for the Unified Health System (PPSUS) has the purpose of funding research in priority areas for the health of the Brazilian population. The scope of this qualitative study is to understand the researchers' perception of the contribution of research funded by the PPSUS invitations to bid in the State of Paraiba, for resolving the priority health problems of the Paraiba population, for reducing regional inequalities in health and for bolstering the management of SUS. A documentary survey of the bids and final reports of research and a semi-structured interview with 28 coordinators of these studies was conducted. Triangulation strategy of data was used and subsequently subjected to content analysis, which converged with the categories: solving the health problems; reducing regional inequalities; contribution to management. Paraiba state needs adjustments such that the PPSUS can be fully implemented, ensuring that the knowledge generated can be converted into health policies and actions, since the research funded respond to the health needs of the population and difficulties in SUS management.

Contribution of health researches in national knowledge production: A scientometrics study on 15-year research products of Iran

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shirin Djalalinia

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Background: Researchers, practitioners, and policymakers call for updated valid evidence to monitor, prevent, and control of alarming trends of health problems. To respond to these needs, health researches provide the vast multidisciplinary scientific fields. We quantify the national trends of health research outputs and its contribution in total science products. Methods: We systematically searched Scopus database with the most coverage in health and biomedicine discipline as the only sources for multidisciplinary citation reports, for all total and health-related publications, from 2000 to 2014. These scientometrics analyses covered the trends of main index of scientific products, citations, and collaborative papers. We also provided information on top institutions, journals, and collaborative research centers in the fields of health researches. Results: In Iran, over a 15-year period, 237,056 scientific papers have been published, of which 81,867 (34.53% were assigned to health-related fields. Pearson's Chi-square test showed significant time trends between published papers and their citations. Tehran University of Medical Sciences was responsible for 21.87% of knowledge productions share. The second and the third ranks with 11.15% and 7.28% belonged to Azad University and Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, respectively. In total fields, Iran had the most collaborative papers with the USA (4.17%, the UK (2.41%, and Canada (0.02%. In health-related papers, similar patterns of collaboration followed by 4.75%, 2.77%, and 1.93% of papers. Conclusions: Despite the ascending trends in health research outputs, more efforts required for the promotion of collaborative outputs that cause synergy of resources and the use of practical results. These analyses also could be useful for better planning and management of planning and conducting studies in these fields.

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.

The Research Data Alliance

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Fontaine, K. S.

2015-12-01

The Research Data Alliance (RDA) is an international organization created in 2012 to provide researchers with a forum for identifying and removing barriers to data sharing. Since then, RDA has gained over 3000 individual members, over three dozen organizational members, 47 Interest Groups, and 17 Working Groups, all focused on research data sharing. Interoperability is one instantiation of data sharing, but is not the only barrier to overcome. Technology limitations, discipline-specific cultures that do not support sharing, lack of best-practices, or lack of good definitions, are only three of a long list of situations preventing researchers from sharing their data. This presentation will cover how RDA has grown, some details on how the first eight solutions contribute to interoperability and sharing, and a sneak peek at what's in the pipeline.

Crafting Flight: Aircraft Pioneers and the Contributions of the Men and Women of NASA Langley Research Center

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