Inactivation of VHSV by Percolation and Salt Under Experimental Conditions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Skall, Helle Frank; Olesen, Niels Jørgen; Jørgensen, Claus

2012-01-01

At the moment the only legal method in Denmark to sanitize wastewater from fish cutting plants is by percolation. To evaluate the inactivation effect of percolation on VHSV an experimental examination was initiated. A column packed with gravel as top- and bottom layer (total of 22 cm) and a mid l...

Viral replication in excised fin tissues (VREFT) corresponds with prior exposure of Pacific herring, Clupea pallasii (Valenciennes), to viral haemorrhagic septicaemia virus (VHSV)

Science.gov (United States)

Grady, C.A.; Gregg, J.L.; Wade, R.M.; Winton, J.R.; Hershberger, P.K.

2011-01-01

Procedures for a viral replication in excised fin tissue (VREFT) assay were adapted to Pacific herring, Clupea pallasii, and optimized both to reduce processing time and to provide the greatest resolution between na??ve herring and those previously exposed to viral haemorrhagic septicaemia virus (VHSV), Genogroup IVa. The optimized procedures included removal of the left pectoral fin from a euthanized fish, inoculation of the fin with >105 plaque-forming units (PFU) mL-1 VHSV for 1 h, rinsing the fin in fresh medium six times to remove unadsorbed virions, incubation of the fin in fresh medium for 4 days and enumeration of the viral titre in a sample of the incubation medium by plaque assay. The optimized VREFT assay was effective at identifying the prior exposure history of laboratory-reared Pacific herring to VHSV. The geometric mean VREFT value was significantly greater (P < 0.01) among na??ve herring (1.2 ?? 103 PFU mL-1) than among groups that survived exposure to VHSV (1.0-2.9 ?? 102 PFU mL-1); additionally, the proportion of cultures with no detectable virus was significantly greater (P = 0.0002) among fish that survived exposure to VHSV (39-47%) than among na??ve fish (3.3%). The optimized VREFT assay demonstrates promise for identifying VHSV exposure history and forecasting disease potential in populations of wild Pacific herring. ?? 2010 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

A recombinant novirhabdovirus presenting at the surface the E Glycoprotein from West Nile Virus (WNV is immunogenic and provides partial protection against lethal WNV challenge in BALB/c mice.

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Angella Nzonza

Full Text Available West Nile Virus (WNV is a zoonotic mosquito-transmitted flavivirus that can infect and cause disease in mammals including humans. Our study aimed at developing a WNV vectored vaccine based on a fish Novirhabdovirus, the Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia virus (VHSV. VHSV replicates at temperatures lower than 20°C and is naturally inactivated at higher temperatures. A reverse genetics system has recently been developed in our laboratory for VHSV allowing the addition of genes in the viral genome and the recovery of the respective recombinant viruses (rVHSV. In this study, we have generated rVHSV vectors bearing the complete WNV envelope gene (EWNV (rVHSV-EWNV or fragments encoding E subdomains (either domain III alone or domain III fused to domain II (rVHSV-DIIIWNV and rVHSV-DII-DIIIWNV, respectively in the VHSV genome between the N and P cistrons. With the objective to enhance the targeting of the EWNV protein or EWNV-derived domains to the surface of VHSV virions, Novirhadovirus G-derived signal peptide and transmembrane domain (SPG and TMG were fused to EWNV at its amino and carboxy termini, respectively. By Western-blot analysis, electron microscopy observations or inoculation experiments in mice, we demonstrated that both the EWNV and the DIIIWNV could be expressed at the viral surface of rVHSV upon addition of SPG. Every constructs expressing EWNV fused to SPG protected 40 to 50% of BALB/cJ mice against WNV lethal challenge and specifically rVHSV-SPGEWNV induced a neutralizing antibody response that correlated with protection. Surprisingly, rVHSV expressing EWNV-derived domain III or II and III were unable to protect mice against WNV challenge, although these domains were highly incorporated in the virion and expressed at the viral surface. In this study we demonstrated that a heterologous glycoprotein and non membrane-anchored protein, can be efficiently expressed at the surface of rVHSV making this approach attractive to develop new vaccines

Distinction of genotypes of viral haemorrhagic septicaemia virus (VHSV) by monoclonal antibodies

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ito, Takafumi; Kurita, J.; Sano, M.

III isolates except the rainbow trout pathogenic isolate from Norway (NO-2007-50-385) (Dale et al. in press), but did react with the New Brunswick VHSV IVb isolate (Oliver 2002, Gagné et al. 2007). Another MAb (VHS-1.88) reacted with genotype IVb only, except with the New Brunswick isolate...

Vaccine Adjuvants in Fish Vaccines Make a Difference: Comparing Three Adjuvants (Montanide ISA763A Oil, CpG/Poly I:C Combo and VHSV Glycoprotein Alone or in Combination Formulated with an Inactivated Whole Salmonid Alphavirus Antigen

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Hanna L. Thim

2014-03-01

Full Text Available Most commercial vaccines offered to the aquaculture industry include inactivated antigens (Ag formulated in oil adjuvants. Safety concerns are related to the use of oil adjuvants in multivalent vaccines for fish, since adverse side effects (e.g., adhesions can appear. Therefore, there is a request for vaccine formulations for which protection will be maintained or improved, while the risk of side effects is reduced. Here, by using an inactivated salmonid alphavirus (SAV as the test Ag, the combined use of two Toll-like receptor (TLR ligand adjuvants, CpG oligonucleotides (ODNs and poly I:C, as well as a genetic adjuvant consisting of a DNA plasmid vector expressing the viral haemorrhagic septicaemia virus (VHSV glycoprotein (G was explored. VHSV-G DNA vaccine was intramuscularly injected in combination with intraperitoneal injection of either SAV Ag alone or combined with the oil adjuvant, Montanide ISA763, or the CpG/polyI:C combo. Adjuvant formulations were evaluated for their ability to boost immune responses and induce protection against SAV in Atlantic salmon, following cohabitation challenge. It was observed that CpG/polyI:C-based formulations generated the highest neutralizing antibody titres (nAbs before challenge, which endured post challenge. nAb responses for VHSV G-DNA- and oil-adjuvanted formulations were marginal compared to the CpG/poly I:C treatment. Interestingly, heat-inactivated sera showed reduced nAb titres compared to their non-heated counterparts, which suggests a role of complement-mediated neutralization against SAV. Consistently elevated levels of innate antiviral immune genes in the CpG/polyI:C injected groups suggested a role of IFN-mediated responses. Co-delivery of the VHSV-G DNA construct with either CpG/polyI:C or oil-adjuvanted SAV vaccine generated higher CD4 responses in head kidney at 48 h compared to injection of this vector or SAV Ag alone. The results demonstrate that a combination of pattern recognizing

Susceptibility of various Japanese freshwater fish species to an isolate of viral haemorrhagic septicaemia virus (VHSV) genotype IVb

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ito, Takafumi; Olesen, Niels Jørgen

2013-01-01

Genotype IVb of viral haemorrhagic septicaemia virus (VHSV) was isolated for the first time in the Great Lakes basin in 2003, where it spread and caused mass mortalities in several wild fish species throughout the basin. In order to prevent further spreading of the disease and to assess risks...... mortalities in bluegill Lepomis macrochirus used as positive controls, Japanese fluvial sculpin Cottus pollux, and iwana Salvelinus leucomaenis pluvius were 50, 80 and 0%, respectively. In Expt 2, cumulative mortalities of 100, 100 and 10% were observed in Japanese fluvial sculpin C. pollux, Japanese rice......-isolation by cell culture was successful from all dead fish. We detected the virus in the brain from a few surviving bluegill 50 d post exposure by both cell culture and RT-PCR. These results revealed that VHSV IVb could become a serious threat to wild freshwater fish species in Japan, and that some surviving fish...

Isolation of viral haemorrhagic septicaemia virus (VHSV) from wild marine fish species in the Baltic Sea, Kattegat, Skagerrak and the North Sea

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mortensen, Helle Frank; Heuer, Ole Eske; Lorenzen, Niels

1999-01-01

), rockling Rhinonemus cimbrius (one isolate), Norway pout Trisopterus esmarkii (one isolate), blue whiting Micromesistius poutassou (one isolate), whiting Merlangius merlangus (two isolates) and lesser argentine Argentina sphyraena (one isolate). VHSV has previously been reported from cod and herring...

Virus isolation vs RT-PCR: which method is more successful in detecting VHSV and IHNV in fish tissue sampled under field conditions?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Knüsel, R.; Bergmann, S. M.; Einer-Jensen, Katja

2007-01-01

in Switzerland. Compared to SPNT, the RT-PCR method detected, as with virus isolation, a much lower number of positive cases; reasons for this discrepancy are discussed. Our results indicate that RT-PCR can not only be successfully applied in field surveys, but may also be slightly more sensitive than virus......This study compared the results of reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and traditional virus isolation on cell culture in detection of viral haemorrhagic septicaemia virus (VHSV) and infectious haematopoietic necrosis virus (IHNV). RT-PCR was used for 172 tissue sample pools...... (total of 859 fish) originating from a field survey on the occurrence of VHSV and IHNV in farmed and wild salmonids in Switzerland. These samples represented all sites with fish that were either identified as virus-positive by means of virus isolation (three sites, four positive tissue sample pools) and...

Genetic stability of the VHSV consensus sequence of G-gene in diagnostic samples from an acute outbreak

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Einer-Jensen, Katja; Ahrens, Peter; Lorenzen, Niels

2006-01-01

The negative stranded RNA virus viral haemorrhagic septicaemia virus (VHSV) is an important disease-causing agent in aquacultured fish and internationally harmonized diagnostic procedures are continuously under development. The present study concerns the suitability of genotyping by sequencing...... collected tissue material as well as from inoculated cell culture. No nucleotide substitutions where identified when aligning the obtained sequence data for the two sample types. The presented data indicate that the overall consensus sequence of the virus outbreak was stable during the survey...

Detection of rainbow trout antibodies against viral haemorrhagic septicaemia virus (VHSV) by neutralisation test is highly dependent on the virus isolate used

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Fregeneda-Grandes, J.M.; Olesen, Niels Jørgen

2007-01-01

with VHS but with no clinical signs of infection. When the sera were examined by 50%PNT using the VHSV reference isolate DK-F1 or the heat attenuated DK-F25 mutant strain, no neutralizing antibodies were found. In contrast, when one of the virus isolates from the farm (homologous virus) was used in the 50...

Mapping of linear antibody epitopes of the glycoprotein of VHSV, a salmonid rhabdovirus

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Fernandez-Alonso, M.; Lorenzo, G.; Perez, L.

1998-01-01

antibodies (MAbs), only 2 non-neutralizing MAbs, I10 (aa 139-153) and IP1H3 (aa 399-413), could be mapped to specific peptides in the pepscan of the gpG. Mapping of these MAbs was confirmed by immunoblotting with recombinant proteins and/or other synthetic peptides covering those sequences. None......Antibody Linear epitopes of the glycoprotein G (gpG) of the viral haemorrhagic septicaemia virus (VHSV), a rhabdovirus of salmonids, were mapped by pepscan using overlapping 15-mer peptides covering the entire gpG sequence and ELISA with polyclonal and monoclonal murine and polyclonal trout...... antibodies. Among the regions recognized in the pepscan by the polyclonal antibodies (PAbs) were the previously identified phosphatidylserine binding heptad-repeats (Estepa & Coll 1996; Virology 216:60-70) and leucocyte stimulating peptides (Lorenzo et al. 1995; Virology 212:348-355). Among 17 monoclonal...

A reverse genetics system for the Great Lakes strain of viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus: the NV gene is required for pathogenicity

Science.gov (United States)

Ammayappan, Arun; Kurath, Gael; Thompson, Tarin M.; Vakharia, Vikram N.

2011-01-01

Viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus (VHSV), belonging to the genus Novirhabdovirus in the family of Rhabdoviridae, causes a highly contagious disease of fresh and saltwater fish worldwide. Recently, a novel genotype of VHSV, designated IVb, has invaded the Great Lakes in North America, causing large-scale epidemics in wild fish. An efficient reverse genetics system was developed to generate a recombinant VHSV of genotype IVb from cloned cDNA. The recombinant VHSV (rVHSV) was comparable to the parental wild-type strain both in vitro and in vivo, causing high mortality in yellow perch (Perca flavescens). A modified recombinant VHSV was generated in which the NV gene was substituted with an enhanced green fluorescent protein gene (rVHSV-ΔNV-EGFP), and another recombinant was made by inserting the EGFP gene into the full-length viral clone between the P and M genes (rVHSV-EGFP). The in vitro replication kinetics of rVHSV-EGFP was similar to rVHSV; however, the rVHSV-ΔNV-EGFP grew 2 logs lower. In yellow perch challenges, wtVHSV and rVHSV induced 82-100% cumulative per cent mortality (CPM), respectively, whereas rVHSV-EGFP produced 62% CPM and rVHSV-ΔNV-EGFP caused only 15% CPM. No reversion of mutation was detected in the recovered viruses and the recombinant viruses stably maintained the foreign gene after several passages. These results indicate that the NV gene of VHSV is not essential for viral replication in vitro and in vivo, but it plays an important role in viral replication efficiency and pathogenicity. This system will facilitate studies of VHSV replication, virulence, and production of viral vectored vaccines.

High virulence differences among phylogenetically distinct isolates of the fish rhabdovirus viral hemorrhagic septicaemia virus are not explained by variability of the surface glycoprotein G or the non-virion protein Nv

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Einer-Jensen, Katja; Harmache, Abdallah; Biacchesi, Stéphane

2014-01-01

-related novirhabdovirus [infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus (IHNV)], four chimaeric IHNV–VHSV recombinant viruses were generated. These chimaeric viruses included substitution of the IHNV glyco- (G) or non-structural (Nv) protein with their counterparts from either a trout-derived or a marine VHSV strain....... Comparative challenge experiments in rainbow trout fingerlings revealed similar levels of survival induced by the recombinant (r)IHNV–VHSV chimaeric viruses regardless of whether the G or Nv genes originated from VHSV isolated from a marine fish species or from rainbow trout. Interestingly, recombinant IHNV...... gained higher virulence following substitution of the G gene with those of the VHSV strains, whilst the opposite was the case following substitution of the Nv genes....

Accurate detection and quantification of the fish viral hemorrhagic Septicemia virus (VHSv with a two-color fluorometric real-time PCR assay.

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Lindsey R Pierce

Full Text Available Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia virus (VHSv is one of the world's most serious fish pathogens, infecting >80 marine, freshwater, and estuarine fish species from Eurasia and North America. A novel and especially virulent strain - IVb - appeared in the Great Lakes in 2003, has killed many game fish species in a series of outbreaks in subsequent years, and shut down interstate transport of baitfish. Cell culture is the diagnostic method approved by the USDA-APHIS, which takes a month or longer, lacks sensitivity, and does not quantify the amount of virus. We thus present a novel, easy, rapid, and highly sensitive real-time quantitative reverse transcription PCR (qRT-PCR assay that incorporates synthetic competitive template internal standards for quality control to circumvent false negative results. Results demonstrate high signal-to-analyte response (slope = 1.00±0.02 and a linear dynamic range that spans seven orders of magnitude (R(2 = 0.99, ranging from 6 to 6,000,000 molecules. Infected fishes are found to harbor levels of virus that range to 1,200,000 VHSv molecules/10(6 actb1 molecules with 1,000 being a rough cut-off for clinical signs of disease. This new assay is rapid, inexpensive, and has significantly greater accuracy than other published qRT-PCR tests and traditional cell culture diagnostics.

Accurate detection and quantification of the fish viral hemorrhagic Septicemia virus (VHSv) with a two-color fluorometric real-time PCR assay.

Science.gov (United States)

Pierce, Lindsey R; Willey, James C; Palsule, Vrushalee V; Yeo, Jiyoun; Shepherd, Brian S; Crawford, Erin L; Stepien, Carol A

2013-01-01

Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia virus (VHSv) is one of the world's most serious fish pathogens, infecting >80 marine, freshwater, and estuarine fish species from Eurasia and North America. A novel and especially virulent strain - IVb - appeared in the Great Lakes in 2003, has killed many game fish species in a series of outbreaks in subsequent years, and shut down interstate transport of baitfish. Cell culture is the diagnostic method approved by the USDA-APHIS, which takes a month or longer, lacks sensitivity, and does not quantify the amount of virus. We thus present a novel, easy, rapid, and highly sensitive real-time quantitative reverse transcription PCR (qRT-PCR) assay that incorporates synthetic competitive template internal standards for quality control to circumvent false negative results. Results demonstrate high signal-to-analyte response (slope = 1.00±0.02) and a linear dynamic range that spans seven orders of magnitude (R(2) = 0.99), ranging from 6 to 6,000,000 molecules. Infected fishes are found to harbor levels of virus that range to 1,200,000 VHSv molecules/10(6) actb1 molecules with 1,000 being a rough cut-off for clinical signs of disease. This new assay is rapid, inexpensive, and has significantly greater accuracy than other published qRT-PCR tests and traditional cell culture diagnostics.

Emergence and resurgence of the viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus (Novirhabdovirus, Rhabdoviridae, Mononegavirales

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Robert Kim

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus (VHSV is one of the most serious pathogens of finfish worldwide in terms of its wide host-range, pathogenicity, disease course, and mortality rates. The disease was first documented in the 1930s in Europe in association with heavy losses in rainbow. Data collected over 50 years show that VHSV is a virus of marine origin: its ability to alternate between marine and freshwater environments remains an enigma which requires further investigation. In 2003, VHSV invaded the Laurentian Great Lakes basin causing devastating losses. VHSV is believed to have negative impacts on a number of important Atlantic, Pacific, and Great Lakes fish species. Phylogenetic analysis has offered clues into the geographic and host range of the virus, but sporadic outbreaks of the disease in uncommon locations have imparted unforeseen challenges in delineating the virus’ regional distribution. The virus’ ability to gain access to aquaculture farms has also positioned it as a disease of utmost priority once detected in these settings. Current diagnostic methods, while greatly improved, are hampered by the variability of disease course among susceptible species. In general, VHSV causes severe degeneration in the hematopoietic tissues of affected fish. Based on historical and current data, it is feared that VHSV will continue to mutate, expand to other geographic areas, and infect new host species. As a result, immediate international attention and coordination of efforts are needed. The objective of this review article is to provide an updated synopsis on the current status of VHSV epizootiology and pathogenicity.

Immunity induced shortly after DNA vaccination of rainbow trout against rhabdoviruses protects against heterologous virus but not against bacterial pathogens

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lorenzen, Niels; Lorenzen, Ellen; Einer-Jensen, Katja

2002-01-01

whereas no increased survival was found upon challenge with bacterial pathogens. Within two months after vaccination, the cross-protection disappeared while the specific immunity to homologous virus remained high. The early immunity induced by the DNA vaccines thus appeared to involve short-lived non......It was recently reported that DNA vaccination of rainbow trout fingerlings against viral hemorrhagic septicaemia virus (VHSV) induced protection within 8 days after intramuscular injection of plasmid DNA. In order to analyse the specificity of this early immunity, fish were vaccinated with plasmid...... DNA encoding the VHSV or the infectious haematopoietic necrosis virus (IHNV) glycoprotein genes and later challenged with homologous or heterologous pathogens. Challenge experiments revealed that immunity established shortly after vaccination was cross-protective between the two viral pathogens...

Interference of an ERM-vaccine with a VHS-DNA vaccine in rainbow trout

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lorenzen, Ellen; Einer-Jensen, Katja; Rasmussen, Jesper Skou

Simultaneous vaccination of fish against several diseases is often desirable in order to minimise cost and handling of the fish. Intramuscular DNA-vaccination of rainbow trout against viral haemorrhagic septicaemia virus (VHSV) has proved to provide very good protection. However, preliminary...... results showed that intraperitoneal injection of a commercial vaccine against Enteric Redmouth Disease (ERM) based on formalin-killed bacteria in oil adjuvant immediately followed by intramuscular injection of an experimental DNA-vaccine against VHSV, decreased the protective effect of the DNA......-vaccine against challenge with VHSV 11 weeks post vaccination (pv). This experiment was performed with rainbow trout of 30 g injected with 0.5 g VHS-DNA vaccine. The experiment was later repeated with smaller fish (2.5g) and using two different doses of DNA-vaccine, 1 g and 0.05 g. Both doses provided good...

Screening for viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus in marine fish along the Norwegian coastal line.

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Nina Sandlund

Full Text Available Viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus (VHSV infects a wide range of marine fish species. To study the occurrence of VHSV in wild marine fish populations in Norwegian coastal waters and fjord systems a total of 1927 fish from 39 different species were sampled through 5 research cruises conducted in 2009 to 2011. In total, VHSV was detected by rRT-PCR in twelve samples originating from Atlantic herring (Clupea harengus, haddock (Melanogrammus aeglefinus, whiting (Merlangius merlangus and silvery pout (Gadiculus argenteus. All fish tested positive in gills while four herring and one silvery pout also tested positive in internal organs. Successful virus isolation in cell culture was only obtained from one pooled Atlantic herring sample which shows that today's PCR methodology have a much higher sensitivity than cell culture for detection of VHSV. Sequencing revealed that the positive samples belonged to VHSV genotype Ib and phylogenetic analysis shows that the isolate from Atlantic herring and silvery pout are closely related. All positive fish were sampled in the same area in the northern county of Finnmark. This is the first detection of VHSV in Atlantic herring this far north, and to our knowledge the first detection of VHSV in silvery pout. However, low prevalence of VHSV genotype Ib in Atlantic herring and other wild marine fish are well known in other parts of Europe. Earlier there have been a few reports of disease outbreaks in farmed rainbow trout with VHSV of genotype Ib, and our results show that there is a possibility of transfer of VHSV from wild to farmed fish along the Norwegian coast line. The impact of VHSV on wild fish is not well documented.

Screening for Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia Virus in Marine Fish along the Norwegian Coastal Line

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sandlund, Nina; Gjerset, Britt; Bergh, Øivind

2014-01-01

Viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus (VHSV) infects a wide range of marine fish species. To study the occurrence of VHSV in wild marine fish populations in Norwegian coastal waters and fjord systems a total of 1927 fish from 39 different species were sampled through 5 research cruises conducted......, and to our knowledge the first detection of VHSV in silvery pout. However, low prevalence of VHSV genotype Ib in Atlantic herring and other wild marine fish are well known in other parts of Europe. Earlier there have been a few reports of disease outbreaks in farmed rainbow trout with VHSV of genotype Ib...

Distribution of an invasive aquatic pathogen (viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus) in the Great Lakes and its relationship to shipping

Science.gov (United States)

Bain, Mark B.; Cornwell, Emily R.; Hope, Kristine M.; Eckerlin, Geofrey E.; Casey, Rufina N.; Groocock, Geoffrey H.; Getchell, Rodman G.; Bowser, Paul R.; Winton, James R.; Batts, William N.; Cangelosi, Allegra; Casey, James W.

2010-01-01

Viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus (VHSV) is a rhabdovirus found in fish from oceans of the northern hemisphere and freshwaters of Europe. It has caused extensive losses of cultured and wild fish and has become established in the North American Great Lakes. Large die-offs of wild fish in the Great Lakes due to VHSV have alarmed the public and provoked government attention on the introduction and spread of aquatic animal pathogens in freshwaters. We investigated the relations between VHSV dispersion and shipping and boating activity in the Great Lakes by sampling fish and water at sites that were commercial shipping harbors, recreational boating centers, and open shorelines. Fish and water samples were individually analyzed for VHSV using quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and cell culture assays. Of 1,221 fish of 17 species, 55 were VHSV positive with highly varied qRT-PCR titers (1 to 5,950,000 N gene copies). The detections of VHSV in fish and water samples were closely associated and the virus was detected in 21 of 30 sites sampled. The occurrence of VHSV was not related to type of site or shipping related invasion hotspots. Our results indicate that VHSV is widely dispersed in the Great Lakes and is both an enzootic and epizootic pathogen. We demonstrate that pathogen distribution information could be developed quickly and is clearly needed for aquatic ecosystem conservation, management of affected populations, and informed regulation of the worldwide trade of aquatic organisms.

Atlantic salmon endothelial cells from the heart were more susceptible than fibroblasts from the bulbus arteriosus to four RNA viruses but protected from two viruses by dsRNA pretreatment.

Science.gov (United States)

Pham, Phuc H; Tong, Winnie W L; Misk, Ehab; Jones, Ginny; Lumsden, John S; Bols, Niels C

2017-11-01

Heart diseases caused by viruses are major causes of Atlantic salmon aquaculture loss. Two Atlantic salmon cardiovascular cell lines, an endothelial cell line (ASHe) from the heart and a fibroblast cell line (BAASf) from the bulbus arteriosus, were evaluated for their response to four fish viruses, CSV, IPNV, VHSV IVa and VHSV IVb, and the innate immune agonist, double-stranded RNA mimic poly IC. All four viruses caused cytopathic effects in ASHe and BAASf. However, ASHe was more susceptible to all four viruses than BAASf. When comparing between the viruses, ASHe cells were found to be moderately susceptible to CSV and VHSV IVb, but highly susceptible to IPNV and VHSV IVa induced cell death. All four viruses were capable of propagating in the ASHe cell line, leading to increases in virus titre over time. In BAASf, CSV and IPNV produced more than one log increase in titre from initial infection, but VHSV IVb and IVa did not. When looking at the antiviral response of both cell lines, Mx proteins were induced in ASHe and BAASf by poly IC. All four viruses induced Mx proteins in BAASf, while only CSV and VHSV IVb induced Mx proteins in ASHe. IPNV and VHSV IVa suppressed Mx proteins expression in ASHe. Pretreatment of ASHe with poly IC to allow for Mx proteins accumulation protected the culture from subsequent infections with IPNV and VHSV IVa, resulting in delayed cell death, reduced virus titres and reduced viral proteins expression. These data suggest that endothelial cells potentially can serve as points of infections for viruses in the heart and that two of the four viruses, IPNV and VHSV IVa, have mechanisms to avoid or downregulate antiviral responses in ASHe cells. Furthermore, the high susceptibility of the ASHe cell line to IPNV and VHSV IVa can make it a useful tool for studying antiviral compounds against these viruses and for general detection of fish viruses. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Production of neutralizing antisera against viral hemorrhagic septicemia (VHS) virus by intravenous injections of rabbits

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Olesen, Niels Jørgen; Lorenzen, Niels; LaPatra, S.E.

1999-01-01

Rabbit antisera against viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus (VHSV) produced by two immunization procedures were compared for neutralization and immunochemical properties against homologous and heterologous strains. The VHSV isolate used as the immunogen was a member of a serogroup not neutralized...... by previously available antisera. The results from this study suggested that frequent intravenous (IV) injections of rabbits with viral antigens were superior to adjuvant-mediated, combined subcutaneous and intraperitoneal (SC/IP) injections for the production of neutralizing antisera. All IV injected rabbits...... produced high neutralization titers against the homologous VHSV isolate but not against an isolate from a different serogroup. The SC/IP injected rabbits had no significant neutralization titers against either the homologous VHSV strain or two isolates of a heterologous VHSV strain. Sera from all injected...

Development and evaluation of a blocking enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and virus neutralization assay to detect antibodies to viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus

Science.gov (United States)

Wilson, Anna; Goldberg, Tony; Marcquenski, Susan; Olson, Wendy; Goetz, Frederick; Hershberger, Paul; Hart, Lucas M.; Toohey-Kurth, Kathy

2014-01-01

Viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus (VHSV) is a target of surveillance by many state and federal agencies in the United States. Currently, the detection of VHSV relies on virus isolation, which is lethal to fish and indicates only the current infection status. A serological method is required to ascertain prior exposure. Here, we report two serologic tests for VHSV that are nonlethal, rapid, and species independent, a virus neutralization (VN) assay and a blocking enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The results show that the VN assay had a specificity of 100% and sensitivity of 42.9%; the anti-nucleocapsid-blocking ELISA detected nonneutralizing VHSV antibodies at a specificity of 88.2% and a sensitivity of 96.4%. The VN assay and ELISA are valuable tools for assessing exposure to VHSV.

Establishment and partial characterization of a cell line from burbot Lota lota maculosa: susceptibility to IHNV, IPNV and VHSV.

Science.gov (United States)

Polinski, Mark P; Drennan, John D; Batts, William N; Ireland, Susan C; Cain, Kenneth D

2010-05-18

This study describes the development and partial characterization of a continuous fibroblastic-like cell line (BEF-1) developed from late stage embryos of North American burbot Lota lota maculosa. This cell line has been maintained for over 5 yr and 100 passages in vitro. Cells were cultured using Eagle's minimum essential medium with Earle's salts (MEM) supplemented with GlutaMAX, and 10% fetal bovine serum (FBS), pH 7.4. The addition of penicillin-streptomycin-neomycin (PSN) antibiotic mixture (0.05, 0.05, 0.1 mg m(-1), respectively) did not negatively influence cell replication; however, the antimycotic FungizoneTM (2.5 microg m(-1), amphotericin B) caused cell rounding and resulted in a severe decrease in cell proliferation. Optimal incubation temperature has been observed between 15 and 23 degrees C, and at these temperatures cultures are routinely passed using standard trypsinization methods every 5 to 7 d at a split ratio of 1:3 or 1:4. The cell line was susceptible to isolates of the M and U North American genotypes of infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus (IHNV), and to isolates of genotypes I, IVa, and IVb of viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus (VHSV). In contrast, the cell line was refractory to infection by 2 North American isolates of infectious pancreatic necrosis virus (IPNV) from serotypes A1 and A9. This cell line provides a new laboratory tool, will allow further investigation into viral diseases of burbot and possibly other species, and is the first immortalized cell line reported from a species in the Gadidae (cod) family.

Establishment and partial characterization of a cell line from burbot Lota lota maculosa: susceptibility to IHNV, IPNV and VHSV.

Science.gov (United States)

Batts, William N.; Polinski, Mark P.; Drennan, John D.; Ireland, Susan C.; Cain, Kenneth D.

2010-01-01

This study describes the development and partial characterization of a continuous fibroblastic-like cell line (BEF-1) developed from late stage embryos of North American burbot Lota lota maculosa. This cell line has been maintained for over 5 yr and 100 passages in vitro. Cells were cultured using Eagle’s minimum essential medium with Earle’s salts (MEM) supplemented with GlutaMAX™, and 10% fetal bovine serum (FBS), pH 7.4. The addition of penicillin-streptomycin-neomycin (PSN) antibiotic mixture (0.05, 0.05, 0.1 mg ml–1, respectively) did not negatively influence cell replication; however, the antimycotic Fungizone™ (2.5 µg ml–1, amphotericin B) caused cell rounding and resulted in a severe decrease in cell proliferation. Optimal incubation temperature has been observed between 15 and 23°C, and at these temperatures cultures are routinely passed using standard trypsinization methods every 5 to 7 d at a split ratio of 1:3 or 1:4. The cell line was susceptible to isolates of the M and U North American genotypes of infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus (IHNV), and to isolates of genotypes I, IVa, and IVb of viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus (VHSV). In contrast, the cell line was refractory to infection by 2 North American isolates of infectious pancreatic necrosis virus (IPNV) from serotypes A1 and A9. This cell line provides a new laboratory tool, will allow further investigation into viral diseases of burbot and possibly other species, and is the first immortalized cell line reported from a species in the Gadidae (cod) family.

Testing the ability of viral haemorrhagic septicaemia virus to evade the protective immune response induced in rainbow trout by DNA vaccination

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sepulveda, Dagoberto; Lorenzen, Niels

2013-01-01

, this work aims to evaluate whether VHSV is able to evade the protective immune response induced by the DNA vaccination. Earlier studies have demonstrated that VHSV can evade the neutralizing effect of monoclonal antibodies by mutations in the glycoprotein gene. One approach of the present study is therefore...... to try to isolate VHSV variants which can escape the neutralizing activity of serum from fish immunized with the DNA vaccine. To do so, a highly pathogenic VHSV isolate (DK3592B) will be repeatedly passaged in fish cell cultures in the presence of neutralizing fish serum. Another approach comprises...

Detection of viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus

Science.gov (United States)

Winton, James; Kurath, Gael; Batts, William

2007-01-01

Viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus (VHSV) is considered to be one of the most important viral pathogens of finfish and is listed as reportable by many nations and international organizations (Office International des Epizooties 2006). Prior to 1988, VHSV was thought to be limited to Europe (Wolf 1988; Smail 1999). Subsequently, it was shown that the virus is endemic among many marine and anadromous fish species in both the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans (Meyers and Winton 1995; Skall et al. 2005). Genetic analysis reveals that isolates of VHSV can be divided into four genotypes that generally correlate with geographic location with the North American isolates generally falling into VHSV Genotype IV (Snow et al. 2004). In 2005-2006, reports from the Great Lakes region indicated that wild fish had experienced disease or, in some cases, very large die-offs from VHSV (Elsayed et al. 2006, Lumsden et al. 2007). The new strain from the Great Lakes, now identified as VHSV Genotype IVb, appears most closely related to isolates of VHSV from mortalities that occurred during 2000-2004 in rivers and near-shore areas of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, Canada (Gagne et al. 2007). The type IVb isolate found in the Great Lakes region is the only strain outside of Europe that has been associated with significant mortality in freshwater species.

Detection of Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia Virus by Quantitative Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction from Two Fish Species at Two Sites in Lake Superior

Science.gov (United States)

Cornwell, Emily R.; Eckerlin, Geofrey E.; Getchell, Rodman G.; Groocock, Geoffrey H.; Thompson, Tarin M.; Batts, William N.; Casey, Rufina N.; Kurath, Gael; Winton, James R.; Bowser, Paul R.; Bain, Mark B.; Casey, James W.

2011-01-01

Viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus (VHSV) was first detected in the Laurentian Great Lakes in 2005 during a mortality event in the Bay of Quinte, Lake Ontario. Subsequent analysis of archived samples determined that the first known isolation of VHSV in the Laurentian Great Lakes was from a muskellunge Esox masquinongy collected in Lake St. Clair in 2003. By the end of 2008, mortality events and viral isolations had occurred in all of the Laurentian Great Lakes except Lake Superior. In 2009, a focused disease surveillance program was designed to determine whether VHSV was also present in Lake Superior. In this survey, 874 fish from 7 sites along the U.S. shoreline of Lake Superior were collected during June 2009. Collections were focused on nearshore species known to be susceptible to VHSV. All fish were dissected individually by using aseptic techniques and were tested for the presence of VHSV genetic material by use of a quantitative reverse transcription (qRT) polymerase chain reaction (PCR) targeting the viral nucleoprotein gene. Seventeen fish from two host species at two different sites tested positive at low levels for VHSV. All attempts to isolate virus in cell culture were unsuccessful. However, the presence of viral RNA was confirmed independently in five fish by using a nested PCR that targeted the glycoprotein (G) gene. Partial G gene sequences obtained from three fish were identical to the corresponding sequence from the original 2003 VHSV isolate (MI03) from muskellunge. These detections represent the earliest evidence for the presence of VHSV in Lake Superior and illustrate the utility of the highly sensitive qRT-PCR assay for disease surveillance in aquatic animals.

Involvement of two microRNAs in the early immune response to DNA vaccination against a fish rhabdovirus

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bela-ong, Dennis Berbulla; Schyth, Brian Dall; Zou, Jun

2015-01-01

Mechanisms that account for the high protective efficacy in teleost fish of a DNA vaccine expressing the glycoprotein (G) of Viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus (VHSV) are thought to involve early innate immune responses mediated by interferons (IFNs). Microribonucleic acids (miRNAs) are a diverse...... class of small (18–22 nucleotides) endogenous RNAs that potently mediate post-transcriptional silencing of a wide range of genes and are emerging as critical regulators of cellular processes, including immune responses. We have recently reported that miR-462 and miR-731 were strongly induced in rainbow......RNAs using anti-miRNA oligonucleotides was conducted in poly I:C-treated rainbow trout fingerlings. Following VHSV challenge, anti-miRNA-injected fish had faster development of disease and higher mortalities than control fish, indicating that miR-462/731 may be involved in IFN-mediated protection conferred...

Cell-mediated immune responses in rainbow trout after DNA immunization against the viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Utke, Katrin; Kock, Holger; Schuetze, Heike

2008-01-01

injection site rather than to injection sites of heterologous vaccines, suggesting the antigen specificity of homing. By demonstrating CMC responses to distinct viral proteins and homing in rainbow trout, these results substantially contribute to the understanding of the teleost immune system.......To identify viral proteins that induce cell-mediated cytotoxicity (CMC) against viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus (VHSV)-infected cells, rainbow trout were immunized with DNA vectors encoding the glycoprotein G or the nucleocapsid protein N of VHSV. The G protein was a more potent trigger...... of cytotoxic cells than the N protein. Peripheral blood leukocytes (PBL) isolated from trout immunized against the G protein killed both VHSV-infected MHC class I matched (RTG-2) and VHSV-infected xenogeneic (EPC) target cells, suggesting the involvement of both cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) and NK cells...

Expression of microRNAs and interferon-related genes in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss Walbaum) infected with Viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bela-Ong, Dennis; Schyth, Brian Dall; Lorenzen, Niels

The fish rhabdovirus Viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus (VHSV) causes severe disease in farmed rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). The potential threat from wildlife marine reservoir of VHSV, particularly to sea-farmed fish demands disease protection measures. Identification of biomarkers during...

Sequence variation of the glycoprotein gene identifies three distinct lineages within field isolates of viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus, a fish rhabdovirus

Science.gov (United States)

Benmansour, A.; Bascuro, B.; Monnier, A.F.; Vende, P.; Winton, J.R.; de Kinkelin, P.

1997-01-01

To evaluate the genetic diversity of viral haemorrhagic septicaemia virus (VHSV), the sequence of the glycoprotein genes (G) of 11 North American and European isolates were determined. Comparison with the G protein of representative members of the family Rhabdoviridae suggested that VHSV was a different virus species from infectious haemorrhagic necrosis virus (IHNV) and Hirame rhabdovirus (HIRRV). At a higher taxonomic level, VHSV, IHNV and HIRRV formed a group which was genetically closest to the genus Lyssavirus. Compared with each other, the G genes of VHSV displayed a dissimilar overall genetic diversity which correlated with differences in geographical origin. The multiple sequence alignment of the complete G protein, showed that the divergent positions were not uniformly distributed along the sequence. A central region (amino acid position 245-300) accumulated substitutions and appeared to be highly variable. The genetic heterogeneity within a single isolate was high, with an apparent internal mutation frequency of 1.2 x 10(-3) per nucleotide site, attesting the quasispecies nature of the viral population. The phylogeny separated VHSV strains according to the major geographical area of isolation: genotype I for continental Europe, genotype II for the British Isles, and genotype III for North America. Isolates from continental Europe exhibited the highest genetic variability, with sub-groups correlated partially with the serological classification. Neither neutralizing polyclonal sera, nor monoclonal antibodies, were able to discriminate between the genotypes. The overall structure of the phylogenetic tree suggests that VHSV genetic diversity and evolution fit within the model of random change and positive selection operating on quasispecies.

Temporal variation in viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus antibodies in freshwater drum (Aplodinotus grunniens) indicates cyclic transmission in Lake Winnebago, Wisconsin

Science.gov (United States)

Wilson-Rothering, Anna; Marcquenski, Susan; Koenigs, Ryan P.; Bruch, Ronald; Kamke, Kendall; Isermann, Daniel A.; Thurman, Andrew; Toohey-Kurth, Kathy; Goldberg, Tony

2015-01-01

Viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus (VHSV) is an emerging pathogen that causes mass mortality in multiple fish species. In 2007, the Great Lakes freshwater strain, type IVb, caused a large die-off of freshwater drum (Aplodinotus grunniens) in Lake Winnebago, Wisconsin, USA. To evaluate the persistence and transmission of VHSV, freshwater drum from Lake Winnebago were tested for antibodies to the virus using recently developed virus neutralization (VN) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent (ELISA) assays. Samples were also tested by real-time reverse transcription-PCR (rRT-PCR) to detect viral RNA. Of 548 serum samples tested, 44 (8.03%) were positive by VN (titers ranging from 1:16 to 1:1,024) and 45 (8.21%) were positive by ELISA, including 7 fish positive by both assays. Antibody prevalence increased with age and was higher in one northwestern area of Lake Winnebago than in other areas. Of 3,864 tissues sampled from 551 fish, 1 spleen and 1 kidney sample from a single adult female fish collected in the spring of 2012 tested positive for VHSV by rRT-PCR, and serum from the same fish tested positive by VN and ELISA. These results suggest that VHSV persists and viral transmission may be active in Lake Winnebago even in years following outbreaks and that wild fish may survive VHSV infection and maintain detectable antibody titers while harboring viral RNA. Influxes of immunologically naive juvenile fish through recruitment may reduce herd immunity, allow VHSV to persist, and drive superannual cycles of transmission that may sporadically manifest as fish kills.

Genetic diversification of an emerging pathogen: A decade of mutation by the fish Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia (VHS) virus in the Laurentian Great Lakes

Science.gov (United States)

Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia virus (VHSv) is an RNA rhabdovirus, which causes one of the world's most serious fish diseases, infecting >80 freshwater and marine species across the Northern Hemisphere. A new, novel, and especially virulent substrain - VHSv-IVb - first appeared in the Laurentian Gre...

Typing of viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus by monoclonal antibodies

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ito, Takafumi; Kurita, Jun; Sano, Motohiko

2012-01-01

Seven mAbs with specific reaction patterns against each of the four genotypes and eight subtypes of viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus (VHSV) were produced, aiming to establish an immunoassay for typing VHSV isolates according to their genotype. Among the mAbs, VHS-1.24 reacted with all genotypes...

Time course study of in situ expression of antigens following DNA-vaccination against VHS in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss Walbaum) fry

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lorenzen, Ellen; Lorenzen, Niels; Einer-Jensen, Katja

2005-01-01

The present study was performed as a time course study of fish vaccinated with 20 mu g plasmid DNA vaccine encoding either the VHSV G-protein or the VHSV N-protein. Samples of the injection site were collected sequentially over a 7-week period. The study revealed an intense positive staining by i...

Viruses in wild European fishes and their significance for aquaculture, with special emphasis on viral haemorrhagic septicamia virus

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Skall, Helle Frank

2004-01-01

Viral hæmorrhagisk septikæmi virus (VHSV) er en af de vigtigste virale patogener i opdrættet regnbueørred (Oncorhynchus mykiss) i Europa. Det Europæiske Fællesskabs (EU's) fiskehelse lovgivning (Direktiv 91/67/EEC) opregner VHS som en kategori 2 sygdom, hvilket er defineret som en sygdom med stor...... økonomisk betydning for Fællesskabet. VHSV er i det sidste 1½ årti blevet isoleret fra et stadig stigende antal fritlevende marine fiskearter. Indtil nu er VHSV blevet isoleret fra 46 forskellige fiskearter på den nordlige halvkugle (USA, Canada, Japan og Europa), heraf 15 forskellige fritlevende marine...... opdrættet pighvar var patogene for pighvar. Helt (Coregonus lavaretus) er blevet mistænkt for at overføre VHSV til opdrættede fisk. For at undersøge dette blev 148 vilde helt fanget i Skjern Å i december, når helten svømmer opstrøms fra Ringkøbing Fjord for at gyde. Der blev ikke isoleret virus fra helt...

Molecular epidemiology and evolution of fish Novirhabdoviruses

Science.gov (United States)

Kurath, Gael

2014-01-01

The genus Novirhabdoviridae contains several of the important rhabdoviruses that infect fish hosts. There are four established virus species: Infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus (IHNV), Viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus (VHSV), Hirame rhabdovirus(HIRRV), and Snakehead rhabdovirus (SHRV). Viruses of these species vary in host and geographic range, and they have all been studied at the molecular and genomic level. As globally significant pathogens of cultured fish, IHNV and VHSV have been particularly well studied in terms of molecular epidemiology and evolution. Phylogenic analyses of hundreds of field isolates have defined five major genogroups of IHNV and four major genotypes of VHSV worldwide. These phylogenies are informed by the known histories of IHNV and VHSV, each involving a series of viral emergence events that are sometimes associated with host switches, most often into cultured rainbow trout. In general, IHNV has relatively low genetic diversity and a narrow host range, and has been spread from its endemic source in North American to Europe and Asia due to aquaculture activities. In contrast, VHSV has broad host range and high genetic diversity, and the source of emergence events is virus in widespread marine fish reservoirs in the northern Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Common mechanisms of emergence and host switch events include use of raw feed, proximity to wild fish reservoirs of virus, and geographic translocations of virus or naive fish hosts associated with aquaculture.

Experimental infection of rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss with viral haemorrhagic septicaemia virus isolates from European marine and farmed fishes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Skall, Helle Frank; Slierendrecht, W.J.; King, J.A.

2004-01-01

The susceptibility of rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss to infection with various isolates of viral haemorrhagic septicaemia virus (VHSV) was examined. A total of 8 experiments with rainbow trout ranging from 0.6 to 6.2 g was conducted for 139 isolates originating from wild marine fishes in Europ......The susceptibility of rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss to infection with various isolates of viral haemorrhagic septicaemia virus (VHSV) was examined. A total of 8 experiments with rainbow trout ranging from 0.6 to 6.2 g was conducted for 139 isolates originating from wild marine fishes...... in European waters (115 isolates), farmed turbot from Scotland and Ireland (2 isolates), and farmed rainbow trout (22 isolates). The isolates were tested by immersion and/or intraperitoneal injection either as pooled or single isolates. The isolates from wild marine fishes did not cause mortality by immersion...... while some of the isolates caused mortality when injected. All VHSV isolates from farmed rainbow trout caused significant mortality by immersion. Currently, pathogenicity trials are the only way to differentiate VHSV isolates from wild marine fishes and farmed rainbow trout. The 2 farmed turbot isolates...

Viral haemorrhagic septicaemia virus in marine fish and its implications for fish farming - a review

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Skall, Helle Frank; Olesen, Niels Jørgen; Mellergaard, Stig

2005-01-01

Viral haemorrhagic septicaemia virus (VHSV) has, in recent decades, been isolated from an increasing number of free-living marine fish species. So far, it has been isolated from at least 48 fish species from the northern hemisphere, including North America, Asia and Europe, and fifteen different...... marine fish show no to low pathogenicity to rainbow trout and Atlantic salmon, although several are pathogenic for turbot. Marine VHSV isolates are so far serologically indistinguishable from freshwater isolates. Genotyping based on VHSV G- and N-genes reveals four groups indicating the geographical...... origin of the isolates, with one group representing traditional European freshwater isolates and isolates of north European marine origin, a second group of marine isolates from the Baltic Sea, a third group of isolates from the North Sea, and a group representing North American isolates. Examples...

Temperature influences the expression profiling of immune response genes in rainbow trout following DNA vaccination and VHS virus infection

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Einer-Jensen, Katja; Gautier, Laurent; Rasmussen, Jesper Skou

balancing mechanism of the immune system. An experimental VHSV challenge was performed 7 weeks pv. Similar protection levels of approximately 10% mortality were found for the vaccinated fish, regardless of temperature during immunisation and challenge, whereas the course and level of mortality among...... an early unspecific antiviral response as well as a long-lasting specific protection. However, temperature appears to influence immune response with respect to the nature and duration of the protective mechanisms. In this study, groups of fish were temperature acclimated, vaccinated and challenged at three...... different temperatures (5, 10 and 15ºC). Tissue and organ samples were collected at numerous time points post vaccination (pv) and post viral challenge (pch). Then, gene expression levels of a two immune genes (Vig-1 and Mx3) involved in unspecific antiviral response mechanisms were determined by Q...

Neutralisation and binding of VHS virus by monovalent antibody fragments

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Cupit, P.M.; Lorenzen, Niels; Strachan, G.

2001-01-01

We have previously reported the cloning and characterisation of the heavy and light chain variable domain genes encoding three monoclonal antibodies (Mabs) that bind viral haemorrhagic septicaemia virus (VHSV). Two of these antibodies, 3F1H10 and 3F1A2 both neutralised the virus though 3F1A2...... appeared to recognise a broader range of virus isolates. The variable domains of these two antibodies differ by only four residues (Lorenzen et al., 2000a. Fish Shellfish Immunol. 10, 129-142). To further study the mechanism of neutralisation, Fab fragments as well as a series of recombinant bacterial...... single chain antibody (scAb) fragments were generated from the three anti-VHSV Mabs and their variable domain genes, respectively. Fabs and scAbs derived from the neutralising Mabs were both able to neutralise the VHSV type 1 isolate DK-F1. In addition, a series of scAb fragments were produced using...

Expression kinetics of key genes in the early innate immune response to Great Lakes viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus IVb infection in yellow perch (Perca flavescens)

Science.gov (United States)

Olson, Wendy; Emmenegger, Eveline; Glenn, Jolene; Simchick, Crystal; Winton, Jim; Goetz, Frederick

2013-01-01

The recently discovered strain of viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus, VHSV-IVb, represents an example of the introduction of an extremely pathogenic rhabdovirus capable of infecting a wide variety of new fish species in a new host-environment. The goal of the present study was to delineate the expression kinetics of key genes in the innate immune response relative to the very early stages of VHSV-IVb infection using the yellow perch (Perca flavescens) as a model. Administration of VHSV-IVb by IP-injection into juvenile yellow perch resulted in 84% cumulative mortality, indicating their high susceptibility to this disease. In fish sampled in the very early stages of infection, a significant up-regulation of Mx gene expression in the liver, as well as IL-1β and SAA activation in the head kidney, spleen, and liver was directly correlated to viral load. The potential down-regulation of Mx in the hematopoietic tissues, head kidney and spleen, may represent a strategy utilized by the virus to increase replication.

Kazal-type proteinase inhibitor from disk abalone (Haliotis discus discus): molecular characterization and transcriptional response upon immune stimulation.

Science.gov (United States)

Wickramaarachchi, W D Niroshana; De Zoysa, Mahanama; Whang, Ilson; Wan, Qiang; Lee, Jehee

2013-09-01

Proteinases and proteinase inhibitors are involved in several biological and physiological processes in all multicellular organisms. Proteinase inhibitors play a key role in regulating the activity of the respective proteinases. Among serine proteinase inhibitors, kazal-type proteinase inhibitors (KPIs) are widely found in mammals, avians, and a variety of invertebrates. In this study, we describe the identification of a kazal-type serine proteinase inhibitor (Ab-KPI) from the disk abalone, Haliotis discus discus, which is presumably involved in innate immunity. The full-length cDNA of Ab-KPI includes 600 bp nucleotides with an open reading frame (ORF) encoding a polypeptide of 143 amino acids. The deduced amino acid sequence of Ab-KPI contains a putative 17-amino acid signal peptide and two tandem kazal domains with high similarity to other kazal-type SPIs. Each kazal domain consists of reactive site (P1) residue containing a leucine (L), and a threonine (T) located in the second amino acid position after the second conserved cysteine of each domain. Temporal expression of Ab-KPI was assessed by real time quantitative PCR in hemocytes and mantle tissue following bacterial and viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus (VHSV) challenge, and tissue injury. At 6 h post-bacterial and -VHSV challenge, Ab-KPI expression in hemocytes was increased 14-fold and 4-fold, respectively, compared to control samples. The highest up-regulations upon tissue injury were shown at 9 h and 12 h in hemocytes and mantle, respectively. The transcriptional modulation of Ab-KPI following bacterial and viral challenges and tissue injury indicates that it might be involved in immune defense as well as wound healing process in abalone. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Viral haemorrhagic septicaemia (VHS) outbreaks in Finnish-rainbow trout farms

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Raja-Halli, M.; Vehmas, T.K.; Rimaila-Parnanen, E.

2006-01-01

and NV gene regions of Finnish VHSV isolates collected between 2000 and 2004 revealed that all isolates were closely related, with 99.3 to 100% nucleotide identity, which suggests the same origin of infection. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that they were closely related to the old freshwater isolates...... from rainbow trout in Denmark and to one old marine isolate from cod in the Baltic Sea, and that they were located close to the presumed ancestral source. As the Finnish isolates induce lower mortality than freshwater VHSV isolates in infection experiments, they could represent an intermediate stage...

Genotyping of the fish rhabdovirus, viral haemorrhagic septicaemia virus, by restriction fragment length polymorphisms

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Einer-Jensen, Katja; Winton, J.; Lorenzen, Niels

2005-01-01

The aim of this study was to develop a standardized molecular assay that used limited resources and equipment for routine genotyping of isolates of the fish rhabdovirus, viral haemorrhagic septicaemia virus (VHSV). Computer generated restriction maps, based on 62 unique full-length (1524 nt....... Experimental evaluation of the method consisted of three steps: (i) RT-PCR amplification of the G-gene of VHSV isolates using purified viral RNA as template, (ii) digestion of the PCR products with a panel of restriction endonucleases and (iii) interpretation of the resulting RFLP profiles. The RFLP analysis...

Characterization of structural proteins of hirame rhabdovirus, HRV

Science.gov (United States)

Nishizawa, Toyohiko; Yoshimizu, Mamoru; Winton, James; Ahne, Winfried; Kimura, Takahisa

1991-01-01

Structural proteins of hirame rhabdovirus (HRV) were analyzed by SDS-polyacrylarnide gel electrophoresis, western blotting, 2-dimensional gel electrophoresis, and Triton X-100 treatment. Purified HRV virions were composed of: polymerase (L), glycoprotein (G), nucleoprotein (N), and 2 matrix proteins (M1 and M2). Based upon their relative mobilities, the estimated molecular weights of the proteins were: L, 156 KDa; G, 68 KDa; N, 46.4 KDa; M1, 26.4 KDa; and M2, 19.9 KDa. The electrophorehc pattern formed by the structural proteins of HRV was clearly different from that formed by pike fry rhabdovirus, spring viremia of carp virus, eel virus of America, and eel virus European X which belong to the Vesiculovirus genus; however, it resembled the pattern formed by structural proteins of viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus (VHSV) and infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus (IHNV) which are members of the Lyssavirus genus. Among HRV, IHNV, and VHSV, differences were observed in the relative mobilities of the G, N, M1, and M2 proteins. Western blot analysis revealed that the G. N, and M2 proteins of HRV shared antigenic determinants with IHNV and VHSV, but not with any of the 4 fish vesiculoviruses tested. Cross-reactions between the M1 proteins of HRV, IHNV, or VHSV were not detected in this assay. Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis was used to show that HRV differed from IHNV or VHSV in the isoelectric point (PI) of the M1 and M2 proteins. In this system, 2 forms of the M1 protein of HRV and IHNV were observed.These subspecies of M1 had the same relative mobility but different p1 values. Treatment of purified virions with 2% Triton X-100 in Tris buffer containing NaCl removed the G, M1, and M2 proteins of IHNV, but HRV virions were more stable under these conditions.

First isolation and genotyping of viruses from recent outbreaks of viral haemorrhagic septicaemia (VHS) in Slovenia

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Toplak, Ivan; Hostnik, Peter; Rihtaric, Danijela

2010-01-01

and clinical signs of VHS were observed among the diseased fish. VHSV was confirmed by virus isolation, immunoperoxidase test, reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and phylogenetic analysis. Based on 1 complete (1524 nucleotides [nt]) and 9 partial (600 nt) glycoprotein gene nucleotide...... sequences, 9 VHSV isolates from the 6 VHS outbreaks were genetically closely related (99 to 100% identity), and were classified into the Subgroup I-a of Genotype I, most closely related to the German isolates Dstg21-07, Dstg36-06, and Dstg54-1-07 (99 to 100% identity). Phylogenetic analysis...

Outbreak of viral haemorrhagic septicaemic (VHS) in seawater-farmed rainbow trout in Norway caused by VHS virus genotype III

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dale, Ole Bendik; Ørpetveit, Irene; Lyngstad, Trude Marie

2009-01-01

with slightly elevated mortality was confirmed at a seawater site rearing rainbow trout (90 to 440 g). Within 3 to 4 mo, the disease was recognised in 3 neighbouring sea sites with on-growing rainbow trout. The clinical, gross pathological and histopathological findings were in accordance with VHS......, and the diagnosis was confirmed by the detection of VHSV in brain and internal tissues by immunohistochemistry, cell culture and reverse transcriptase PCR (RT-PCR). Sequence analysis of the G-gene revealed that the isolated virus clustered with VHSV Genotype III and that the Norwegian isolate represents a unique...

Evolution of the fish rhabdovirus viral haemorrhagic septicaemia virus

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Einer-Jensen, Katja; Ahrens, Peter; Forsberg, Roald

2004-01-01

of free-living marine fish species. To study the genetic evolution of VHSV, the entire G gene from 74 isolates was analysed. VHSV from wild marine species caught in the Baltic Sea, Skagerrak, Kattegat, North Sea, and English Channel and European freshwater isolates, appeared to share a recent common...... ancestor. Based on the estimated nucleotide substitution rate, the ancestor of the European fresh water isolates was dated some 50 years ago. This finding fits with the initial reports in the 1950s on clinical observations of VHS in Danish freshwater rainbow trout farms. The study also indicates...

VHS virus - present situation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Skall, Helle Frank; Olesen, Niels Jørgen

2015-01-01

of the worldwide distribution of the disease will be given. Virus evolution: Recent studies indicate that only a few amino acid changes in the structural proteins of VHSV can change the virulence patterns significantly, thereby coming closer to assessing the risk of none to low virulent viruses becoming high...... virulent. Virulence factors both depend on the ability of VHSV to enter a cell and on the speed and efficiencyof virus replication in the cells. Apparently the viral nucleocapsid protein plays a very important role for the later and seems to be the target for determination of a virulence marker....

Immunity to rhabdoviruses in rainbow trout: the antibody response

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lorenzen, Niels; Lapatra, S.E.

1999-01-01

to their occasional detrimental effect on rainbow trout farming. Research efforts have been focused on understanding the mechanisms involved in protective immunity. Several specific and nonspecific cellular and humoral parameters are believed to be involved, but only the antibody response has been characterised......, have demonstrated that rainbow trout can produce specific and highly functional antibodies that are able to neutralise virus pathogenicity in vitro as well as in vivo. The apparently more restricted antibody response to IHNV and VHSV antigens in fish compared to mammals could possibly be explained...... aspects of antibody response and antibody reactivity with IHNV and VHSV antigens....

Cell-mediated cytotoxicity in rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss, infected with viral haemorrhagic septicaemia virus

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Utke, K.; Bergmann, S.; Lorenzen, Niels

2007-01-01

classical MHC class I locus Onmy-UBA is identical in the rainbow trout clone C25 and in the permanent rainbow trout cell line RTG-2. This enabled us to develop an assay to measure antiviral cytotoxicity in rainbow trout using a system of MHC class I-matched effector and target cells. Peripheral blood...... leucocytes (PBL) isolated from low dose viral haemorrhagic septicaemia virus (VHSV)-infected rainbow trout killed MHC class I-matched and later also xenogeneic MHC class I-mismatched VHSV-infected cells. When compared to PBL from uninfected control fish PBL from infected fish showed a higher transcriptional...

Kinetics of viral shedding provide insights into the epidemiology of viral hemorrhagic septicemia in Pacific herring

Science.gov (United States)

Hershberger, Paul K.; Gregg, Jacob L.; Winton, James R.; Grady, Courtney; Collins, Rachael

2010-01-01

Losses from infectious diseases are an important component of natural mortality among marine fish species, but factors controlling the ecology of these diseases and their potential responses to anthropogenic changes are poorly understood. We used viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus (VHSV) and a laboratory stock of Pacific herring Clupea pallasii to investigate the kinetics of viral shedding and its effect on disease transmission and host mortality. Outbreaks of acute disease, accompanied by mortality and viral shedding, were initiated after waterborne exposure of herring to concentrations of VHSV as low as 101 plaque-forming units (pfu) ml–1. Shed virus in flow-through tanks was first detected 4 to 5 d post-exposure, peaked after 6 to 10 d, and was no longer detected after 16 d. Shedding rates, calculated from density, flow and waterborne virus titer reached 1.8 to 5.0 × 108 pfu fish–1 d–1. Onset of viral shedding was dose-dependent and preceded initial mortality by 2 d. At 21 d, cumulative mortality in treatment groups ranged from 81 to 100% and was dependent not on challenge dose, but on the kinetics and level of viral shedding by infected fish in the tank. Possible consequences of the viral shedding and disease kinetics are discussed in the context of epizootic initiation and perpetuation among populations of wild Pacific herring.

Characterization of a rhabdovirus isolated from carpione Salmo trutta carpio in Italy

Science.gov (United States)

Bovo, G.; Olesen, N.J.; Jorgensen, P.E.V.; Ahne, W.; Winton, J.R.

1995-01-01

A virus, strain 583, was isolated from carpione Salmo trutta carpio fry exhibiting high mortality. The virus was not neutralized by rabbit antisera against the fish rhabdoviruses viral haemorrhagic septicaemia virus (VHSV), infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus, eel rhabdovirus European X, spring viraemia of carp virus or pike fry rhabdovirus, or against the birnavirus infectious pancreatic necrosis virus. The virus replicated in several fish cell lines incubated at 20 to 25*C and grew optimally in the bluegill fry (BF-2) and fathead minnow (FHM) cell lines. Electron microscopy of infected BF-2 cell cultures revealed the presence of typical rhabdovirus particles, and immunofluorescent staining was observed using various polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) against Egtved virus, the causative agent of viral haemorrhagic septicaemia. The staining by a MAb against the nucleoprotein (N) of VHSV was particularly strong, a MAb against the glycoprotein (G) gave a moderate reaction, whereas a second MAb against the G protein and MAbs against the matrix proteins, M_(1) and M_(2), of VHSV did not react. Fluorescence titres using 3 rabbit antisera against whole Egtved virus varied between negative and moderately positive. Western blotting using polyclonal and monoclonal sera confirmed that both the N and G proteins of the carpione virus shared some epitopes with those of VHSV, but the M_(1) and M_(2) proteins did not. SDS-PAGE showed the structural proteins of the carpione virus produced a pattern typical of members of the Lyssavirus genus of the Rhabdoviridae and the molecular weights were very similar to those of VHSV, except for the M_(2) protein which was somewhat smaller. Infection trials showed the carpione virus induced high mortalities in carpione fry but not in rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss fry. The carpione virus was clearly distinguishable from Egtved virus despite limited serological cross reaction. Since it was also easily distinguishable by

Emergence of Viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus in the North American Great Lakes region is associated with low viral genetic diversity.

Science.gov (United States)

Thompson, Tarin M; Batts, William N; Faisal, Mohamed; Bowser, Paul; Casey, James W; Phillips, Kenneth; Garver, Kyle A; Winton, James; Kurath, Gael

2011-08-29

Viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus (VHSV) is a fish rhabdovirus that causes disease in a broad range of marine and freshwater hosts. The known geographic range includes the Northern Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, and recently it has invaded the Great Lakes region of North America. The goal of this work was to characterize genetic diversity of Great Lakes VHSV isolates at the early stage of this viral emergence by comparing a partial glycoprotein (G) gene sequence (669 nt) of 108 isolates collected from 2003 to 2009 from 31 species and at 37 sites. Phylogenetic analysis showed that all isolates fell into sub-lineage IVb within the major VHSV genetic group IV. Among these 108 isolates, genetic diversity was low, with a maximum of 1.05% within the 669 nt region. There were 11 unique sequences, designated vcG001 to vcG011. Two dominant sequence types, vcG001 and vcG002, accounted for 90% (97 of 108) of the isolates. The vcG001 isolates were most widespread. We saw no apparent association of sequence type with host or year of isolation, but we did note a spatial pattern, in which vcG002 isolates were more prevalent in the easternmost sub-regions, including inland New York state and the St. Lawrence Seaway. Different sequence types were found among isolates from single disease outbreaks, and mixtures of types were evident within 2 isolates from individual fish. Overall, the genetic diversity of VHSV in the Great Lakes region was found to be extremely low, consistent with an introduction of a new virus into a geographic region with previously naive host populations.

Emergence of viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus in the North American Great Lakes region is associated with low viral genetic diversity

Science.gov (United States)

Thompson, T.M.; Batts, W.N.; Faisal, M.; Bowser, P.; Casey, J.W.; Phillips, K.; Garver, K.A.; Winton, J.; Kurath, G.

2011-01-01

Viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus (VHSV) is a fish rhabdovirus that causes disease in a broad range of marine and freshwater hosts. The known geographic range includes the Northern Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, and recently it has invaded the Great Lakes region of North Ame­rica. The goal of this work was to characterize genetic diversity of Great Lakes VHSV isolates at the early stage of this viral emergence by comparing a partial glycoprotein (G) gene sequence (669 nt) of 108 isolates collected from 2003 to 2009 from 31 species and at 37 sites. Phylogenetic analysis showed that all isolates fell into sub-lineage IVb within the major VHSV genetic group IV. Among these 108 isolates, genetic diversity was low, with a maximum of 1.05% within the 669 nt region. There were 11 unique sequences, designated vcG001 to vcG011. Two dominant sequence types, vcG001 and vcG002, accounted for 90% (97 of 108) of the isolates. The vcG001 isolates were most widespread. We saw no apparent association of sequence type with host or year of isolation, but we did note a spatial pattern, in which vcG002 isolates were more prevalent in the easternmost sub-regions, including inland New York state and the St. Lawrence Seaway. Different sequence types were found among isolates from single disease outbreaks, and mixtures of types were evident within 2 isolates from ­individual fish. Overall, the genetic diversity of VHSV in the Great Lakes region was found to be extremely low, consistent with an introduction of a new virus into a geographic region with ­previously naïve host populations.

Molecular diagnosis of infectious hematopoietic necrosis and viral hemorrhagic septicemia

Science.gov (United States)

Winton, James R.; Einer-Jensen, Katja

2002-01-01

The fish rhabdoviruses, infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus (IHNV) and viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus (VHSV), cause extensive losses among salmon and trout in several areas of the world (Bootland and Leong, 1999; Smail, 1999; Wolf, 1988). Historically, IHNV was endemic among wild anadromous salmonids in the western portion of North America, but the virus has spread to stocks of cultured rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) in the United States, Asia and Western Europe, probably as a result of the movement of infected fish or eggs (Winton, 1991). Prior to 1989, VHSV was thought to be largely restricted to freshwater fishes in Western Europe (Wolf, 1988); however, in the last decade, VHSV has been isolated from an increasing number of free-living marine fish species in the North Pacific and North Atlantic Oceans (Dixon et al., 1997; Dixon, 1999; Kent et al., 1998; Meyers and Winton, 1995; Meyers et al., 1999; Mortensen et al., 1999; Smail; 2000, Takano et al., 2000). These findings have lead to the conclusion that both viruses are principally endemic among marine or anadromous fish species, but have established themselves in freshwater among cultured salmonids where their effects are most frequently observed.

Passive immunization of Pacific herring against viral hemorrhagic septicemia.

Science.gov (United States)

Hershberger, P.K.; Gregg, J.L.; Grady, C.A.; LaPatra, S.E.; Winton, J.R.

2011-01-01

The plasma of Pacific herring Clupea pallasii that survived laboratory-induced viral hemorrhagic septicemia (VHS) epizootics contained humoral substances that, when injected into naive animals, conferred passive immunity against the disease. Among groups exposed to viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus (VHSV), injection of donor plasma from VHS survivors resulted in significantly greater survival (50%) and significantly lower tissue titers (1.5 x 10(5) plaque-forming units [PFU]/g) than the injection of plasma from VHSV-naive donors (6% survival; 3.7 x 10(6) PFU/g). Additionally, the magnitude of the protective immune response increased during the postexposure period; plasma that was collected from survivors at 123 d postexposure (931 degree-days) provided greater protection than plasma collected from survivors at 60 d postexposure (409 degree-days). These results provide proof of concept that the VHSV exposure history of Pacific herring populations can be determined post hoc; furthermore, the results can be used as the foundation for developing additional high-throughput diagnostic techniques that may be effective at quantifying herd immunity and forecasting the potential for future VHS epizootics in populations of wild Pacific herring.

Experimental infection studies demonstrating Atlantic salmon as a host and reservoir of viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus type IVa with insights into pathology and host immunity

Science.gov (United States)

Lovy, Jan; Piesik, P.; Hershberger, P.K.; Garver, K.A.

2013-01-01

In British Columbia, Canada (BC), aquaculture of finfish in ocean netpens has the potential for pathogen transmission between wild and farmed species due to the sharing of an aquatic environment. Viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus (VHSV) is enzootic in BC and causes serious disease in wild Pacific herring, Clupea pallasii, which often enter and remain in Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar, netpens. Isolation of VHSV from farmed Atlantic salmon has been previously documented, but the effects on the health of farmed salmon and the wild fish sharing the environment are unknown. To determine their susceptibility, Atlantic salmon were exposed to a pool of 9 isolates of VHSV obtained from farmed Atlantic salmon in BC by IP-injection or by waterborne exposure and cohabitation with diseased Pacific herring. Disease intensity was quantified by recording mortality, clinical signs, histopathological changes, cellular sites of viral replication, expression of interferon-related genes, and viral tissue titers. Disease ensued in Atlantic salmon after both VHSV exposure methods. Fish demonstrated gross disease signs including darkening of the dorsal skin, bilateral exophthalmia, light cutaneous hemorrhage, and lethargy. The virus replicated within endothelial cells causing endothelial cell necrosis and extensive hemorrhage in anterior kidney. Infected fish demonstrated a type I interferon response as seen by up-regulation of genes for IFNα, Mx, and ISG15. In a separate trial infected salmon transmitted the virus to sympatric Pacific herring. The results demonstrate that farmed Atlantic salmon can develop clinical VHS and virus can persist in the tissues for at least 10 weeks. Avoiding VHS epizootics in Atlantic salmon farms would limit the potential of VHS in farmed Atlantic salmon, the possibility for further host adaptation in this species, and virus spillback to sympatric wild fishes.

In vitro infection of salmonid epidermal tissues by infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus and viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus

Science.gov (United States)

Yamamoto, T.; Batts, W.N.; Winton, J.R.

1992-01-01

The ability of two rhabdoviruses, infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus (IHNV) and viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus (VHSV), to infect fish skin was investigated by in vitro infection of excised tissues. Virus replication was determined by plaque assay of homogenized tissue extracts, and the virus antigen was detected by immunohistology of tissue sections. Gill, fin, and ventral abdominal skin tissues of rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss that had been infected in vitro with a virulent strain of IHNV (193–110) produced substantial increases in virus titer within 24 h. Titers continued to increase up until day 3 of incubation; by this time, virus had increased 1,000-fold or more. This increase in IHNV titer occurred in epidermal tissues of fingerlings and of older fish. In another experiment, IHNV replicated in excised rainbow trout tissues whether the fish had been subject to prior infection with a virulent strain of IHNV (Western Regional Aquaculture Consortium isolate) or whether the fish had been infected previously with an attenuated strain of the virus (Nan Scott Lake, with 100 passes in culture). A virulent strain of VHSV (23/75) replicated effectively in excised gill tissues and epidermal tissues of rainbow trout and chinook salmon O. tshawytscha; however, the avirulent North American strain of VHSV (Makah) replicated poorly or not at all.

A historical review of the key bacterial and viral pathogens of Scottish wild fish.

Science.gov (United States)

Wallace, I S; McKay, P; Murray, A G

2017-12-01

Thousands of Scottish wild fish were screened for pathogens by Marine Scotland Science. A systematic review of published and unpublished data on six key pathogens (Renibacterium salmoninarum, Aeromonas salmonicida, IPNV, ISAV, SAV and VHSV) found in Scottish wild and farmed fish was undertaken. Despite many reported cases in farmed fish, there was a limited number of positive samples from Scottish wild fish, however, there was evidence for interactions between wild and farmed fish. A slightly elevated IPNV prevalence was reported in wild marine fish caught close to Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L., farms that had undergone clinical IPN. Salmonid alphavirus was isolated from wild marine fish caught near Atlantic salmon farms with a SAV infection history. Isolations of VHSV were made from cleaner wrasse (Labridae) used on Scottish Atlantic salmon farms and VHSV was detected in local wild marine fish. However, these pathogens have been detected in wild marine fish caught remotely from aquaculture sites. These data suggest that despite the large number of samples taken, there is limited evidence for clinical disease in wild fish due to these pathogens (although BKD and furunculosis historically occurred) and they are likely to have had a minimal impact on Scottish wild fish. © 2017 Crown Copyright. Journal of Fish Diseases © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Trade practices are main factors involved in the transmission of viral haemorrhagic septicaemia

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Reichert, M.; Matras, M.; Skall, Helle Frank

2013-01-01

subgroups. The main source of outbreaks in European rainbow trout farming is sublineage Ia isolates. Recently, this group of isolates has been further subdivided in to two subclades of which the Ia-2 consists of isolates occurring mainly in Continental Europe outside of Denmark. In this study, we sequenced...... the full-length G-gene sequences of 24 VHSV isolates that caused VHS outbreaks in Polish trout farms between 2005 and 2009. All these isolates were identified as genotype Ia-2; they divided however into two genetically distinct subgroups, that we name Pol I and Pol II. The Pol I isolates mainly caused...... cause of virus transmission appears to be movement of fish. At least in Polish circumstances trading practices appear to have significant impact on spreading of VHSV infection....

FishPathogens.eu/vhsv: A user-friendly Viral Haemorrhagic Septicaemia Virus (VHSV) isolate and sequence database

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jonstrup, Søren Peter; Gray, Tanya; Kahns, Søren

A database has been created, www.FishPathogens.eu, with the aim of providing a single repository for collating important information on significant pathogens of aquaculture, relevant to their control and management. This database will be developed, maintained and managed as part of the European...

Can VHS virus bypass the protective immunity induced by DNA vaccination in rainbow trout?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sepúlveda, Dagoberto; Lorenzen, Niels

2016-01-01

DNA vaccines encoding viral glycoproteins have been very successful for induction of protective immunity against diseases caused by rhabdoviruses in cultured fish species. However, the vaccine concept is based on a single viral gene and since RNA viruses are known to possess high variability...... and adaptation capacity, this work aimed at evaluating whether viral haemorrhagic septicaemia virus (VHSV), an RNA virus and member of Rhabdoviridae family, was able to evade the protective immune response induced by the DNA vaccination of rainbow trout. The experiments comprised repeated passages of a highly...... pathogenic VHSV isolate in a fish cell line in the presence of neutralizing fish serum (in vitro approach), and in rainbow trout immunized with the VHS DNA vaccine (in vivo approach). For the in vitro approach, the virus collected from the last passage (passaged virus) was as sensitive as the parental virus...

Correlation of mRNA Profiles, miRNA Profiles, and Functional Immune Response in Rainbow Trout (Oncorrhynkus Mykiss) During Infection With Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia Virus (VHSV) and in Fish Vaccinated With an Anti-VHSV DNA Vaccine

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bela-Ong, Dennis; Schyth, Brian Dall; Lorenzen, Niels

fish. Linking mRNA and miRNA profiles with phenotypic, genotypic, and immunological data will provide an integrated view of the mechanisms of resistance and the strong protective immune responses provided by vaccination. This information is important in designing effective strategies to mitigate......-mediated) responses. MRNA and miRNA profiles will be correlated and combined with in vitro work in cell culture to describe target relationships between miRNAs and mRNAs and the effect of this targeting in fish. Vaccinated fish will also be used for mRNA/miRNA profiling and in challenge studies alongside non-vaccinated...

Inter-Species Transmission of Viral Haemorrhagic Septicaemia Virus Between Turbot (Scophthalmus Maximus) and Rainbow Trout (Onchorhynchus Mykiss)

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Schönherz, A. A.; Lorenzen, Niels; Einer-Jensen, Katja

2012-01-01

Viral haemorrhagic septicaemia is a serious viral disease of teleost fish with high economic impact on the aquaculture industry. The disease is caused by the viral haemorrhagic septicaemia virus (VHSV), an RNA virus belonging to the family Rhabdoviridae. Compared to other rhabdoviruses infecting...

Phylogeny of the Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia Virus in European Aquaculture

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Cieslak, Michael; Mikkelsen, Susie Sommer; Skall, Helle F.

2016-01-01

-scale population growth events, and identified three polytomies among the Ia clades, both of which possibly indicate a rapid radiation. However, only about 4% of Ia haplotypes (out of 398) occur in more than one European country. This apparently conflicting finding regarding the Europe-wide spread and mixing of Ia...... isolates can be explained by the high mutation rate of VHSV. Accordingly, the mean period of occurrence of a single Ia haplotype was less than a full year, and we found a substitution rate of up to 7.813 × 10-4 nucleotides per site per year. Finally, we documented significant differences between Germany......, the subgenogroup Ia of VHSV has been the main cause of VHS outbreaks in European freshwater-farmed rainbow trout. Little is currently known, however, about the phylogenetic radiation of this Ia lineage into subordinate Ia clades and their subsequent geographical spread routes. We investigated this topic using...

Exxon Valdez oil spill restoration project final report: Prince William Sound Herring disease program (HDP), restoration project 070819

Science.gov (United States)

Hershberger, Paul; Elliott, Diane G.; Emmenegger, Eveline J.; Hansen, John D.; Kurath, Gael; Winton, James R.; Kocan, Richard; LaPatra, Scott

2011-01-01

Surveys of pathogens in Pacific herring from 2007 – 2010 indicated that Ichthyophonus, viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus, and erythrocytic necrosis virus are endemic in Prince William Sound and throughout the NE Pacific. Laboratory studies with VHSV indicated that multiple herring stocks are equally susceptible to the resulting disease, Pacific herring shed copious levels of VHSV (as high at 5x108 plaque-forming units/day) shortly after exposure, chronic and persistent infections can occur in Pacific herring, susceptibility of Pacific herring to VHS extends to the larval life stages but not the embryonic stages, and the prior exposure history of Pacific herring to VHSV can be determined post hoc. Laboratory studies involving Ichthyophonus indicated that schizonts can be inactivated with chlorine and iodine solutions, the parasite can survive for extended periods in saltwater but not freshwater, a low potential exists for cross contamination between in vitro explant cultures, infectious schizonts are released from the skin surface of infected herring, schizonts are not uniformly distributed throughout the skeletal muscle of infected Pacific herring, multiple types of Ichthyophonus exist with different genotypes and phenotypic traits, and temperature is an important factor influencing the infectivity of Ichthyophonus. Additional field and laboratory studies indicated that Ichthyophonus negatively influences the swimming performance of infected hosts and the negative impacts effects are exacerbated by increasing temperatures, American shad are an important reservoir of Ichthyophonus in the NE Pacific, Pacific herring are not susceptible to infectious hematopoietic necrosis (IHN), and Pacific herring will accept surgically implanted acoustic tags with negligible impacts on survival.

Molecular characterization of CD9 and CD63, two tetraspanin family members expressed in trout B lymphocytes.

Science.gov (United States)

Castro, Rosario; Abós, Beatriz; González, Lucia; Aquilino, Carolina; Pignatelli, Jaime; Tafalla, Carolina

2015-07-01

Tetraspanins are a family of membrane-organizing proteins, characterized by the presence of four highly conserved transmembrane regions that mediate diverse physiological functions. In the current study, we have identified two novel tetraspanin members in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss), homologs to mammalian CD9 and CD63. Both genes were expressed in muscle, skin, gills, hindgut, gonad, liver, spleen, head kidney, thymus and peripheral blood leukocytes. Throughout the early life cycle stages, CD9 mRNA levels significantly increased after first feeding, whereas CD63 transcription remained constant during all the developmental stages analyzed. In response to an experimental bath infection with viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus (VHSV), CD9 transcription was down-regulated in the gills, while CD63 mRNA levels were down-regulated in the head kidney. Instead, when the virus was intraperitoneally injected, the transcription of both genes was significantly up-regulated in peritoneal cells at several days post-infection. Additionally, both genes were transcriptionally up-regulated in the muscle of trout injected with a VHSV DNA vaccine. To gain insight on the relation of these tetraspanins with B cell activity we determined their constitutive expression in naive IgM(+) populations from different sources and observed that both molecules were being transcribed by IgM(+) cells in different tissues. Furthermore, CD9 transcription was significantly down-regulated in splenic IgM(+) cells in response to in vitro VHSV exposure. Our results provide insights on the potential role of these tetraspanins on teleost B cell and antiviral immunity. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Viral tropism and pathology associated with viral hemorrhagic septicemia in larval and juvenile Pacific herring

Science.gov (United States)

Lovy, Jan; Lewis, N.L.; Hershberger, P.K.; Bennett, W.; Meyers, T.R.; Garver, K.A.

2012-01-01

Viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus (VHSV) genotype IVa causes mass mortality in wild Pacific herring, a species of economic value, in the Northeast Pacific Ocean. Young of the year herring are particularly susceptible and can be carriers of the virus. To understand its pathogenesis, tissue and cellular tropisms of VHSV in larval and juvenile Pacific herring were investigated with immunohistochemistry, transmission electron microscopy, and viral tissue titer. In larval herring, early viral tropism for epithelial tissues (6d post-exposure) was indicated by foci of epidermal thickening that contained heavy concentrations of virus. This was followed by a cellular tropism for fibroblasts within the fin bases and the dermis, but expanded to cells of the kidney, liver, pancreas, gastrointestinal tract and meninges in the brain. Among wild juvenile herring that underwent a VHS epizootic in the laboratory, the disease was characterized by acute and chronic phases of death. Fish that died during the acute phase had systemic infections in tissues including the submucosa of the gastrointestinal tract, spleen, kidney, liver, and meninges. The disease then transitioned into a chronic phase that was characterized by the appearance of neurological signs including erratic and corkscrew swimming and darkening of the dorsal skin. During the chronic phase viral persistence occurred in nervous tissues including meninges and brain parenchymal cells and in one case in peripheral nerves, while virus was mostly cleared from the other tissues. The results demonstrate the varying VHSV tropisms dependent on the timing of infection and the importance of neural tissues for the persistence and perpetuation of chronic infections in Pacific herring.

A novel multiplex RT-qPCR method based on dual-labelled probes suitable for typing all known genotypes of viral haemorrhagic septicaemia virus

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Vázquez, D.; López-Vázquez, C.; Skall, Helle Frank

2016-01-01

, resulting in a correct detection and typing of all strains. The analytical sensitivity was evaluated in a comparative assay with titration in cell culture, observing that both methods provided similar limits of detection. The proposed method can be a powerful tool for epidemiological analysis of VHSV...

MicroRNA expression in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) vaccinated with a DNA vaccine encoding the glycoprotein gene of Viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bela-Ong, Dennis; Schyth, Brian Dall; Lorenzen, Niels

particularly to sea-farmed rainbow trout and thus necessitates strategies to mitigate potential disease outbreaks. A DNA vaccine encoding the glycoprotein gene of VHSV has been developed and shown to elicit protective immune responses in laboratory trials. It is important to identify key factors as biomarkers...

Virulence marker candidates in N-protein of viral haemorrhagic septicaemia virus (VHSV): virulence variability within VHSV Ib clones

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ito, Takafumi; Kurita, Jun; Mori, Koh-ichiro

2018-01-01

, upon cloning by limited dilution, both isolates appeared to be heterogeneous in terms of reactivity with nucleo (N)-protein-specific MAbs as well their gene sequences. Infection trials in rainbow trout further revealed differences in the virulence of these virus clones derived from the same primary...

Viral and bacterial septicaemic infections modulate the expression of PACAP splicing variants and VIP/PACAP receptors in brown trout immune organs.

Science.gov (United States)

Gorgoglione, Bartolomeo; Carpio, Yamila; Secombes, Christopher J; Taylor, Nick G H; Lugo, Juana María; Estrada, Mario Pablo

2015-12-01

Pituitary Adenylate Cyclase-Activating Polypeptide (PACAP) and PACAP-Related Peptide (PRP) are structurally similar peptides encoded in the same transcripts. Their transcription has been detected not only in the brain but also in a wide range of peripheral tissues, even including organs of the immune system. PACAP exerts pleiotropic activities through G-protein coupled membrane receptors: the PACAP-specific PAC-1 and the VPAC-1 and VPAC-2 receptors that exhibit similar affinities for the Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide (VIP) and PACAP. Recent findings added PACAP and its receptors to the growing list of mediators that allow cross-talk between the nervous, endocrine and immune systems in fish. In this study the expression of genes encoding for PACAP and PRP, as well as VIP/PACAP receptors was studied in laboratory-reared brown trout (Salmo trutta) after septicaemic infections. Respectively Viral Haemorrhagic Septicaemia Virus (VHSV-Ia) or the Gram-negative bacterium Yersinia ruckeri (ser. O1 - biot. 2) were used in infection challenges. Kidney and spleen, the teleost main lymphopoietic organs, were sampled during the first two weeks post-infection. RT-qPCR analysis assessed specific pathogens burden and gene expression levels. PACAP and PRP transcription in each organ was positively correlated to the respective pathogen burden, assessed targeting the VHSV-glycoprotein or Y. ruckeri 16S rRNA. Results showed as the transcription of PACAP splicing variants and VIP/PACAP receptors is modulated in these organs during an acute viral and bacterial septicaemic infections in brown trout. These gene expression results provide clues as to how the PACAP system is modulated in fish, confirming an involvement during active immune responses elicited by both viral and bacterial aetiological agents. However, further experimental evidence is still required to fully elucidate and characterize the role of PACAP and PRP for an efficient immune response against pathogens. Copyright © 2015

Prevalence of viral haemorrhagic septicaemia virus in Danish marine fishes and its occurrence in new host species

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Skall, Helle Frank; Olesen, Niels Jørgen; Mellergaard, Stig

2005-01-01

In order to analyse the occurrence of viral haemorrhagic septicaerma virus (VHSV) in the marine waters around Denmark, staff from the Danish Institute for Food and Veterinary Research participated in 5 research cruises during 1998 to 2002 as a follow-up to 4 research cruises performed in 1996...

DNA vaccination in fish promotes an early chemokine-related recruitment of B cells to the muscle

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Castro, R.; Martínez-Alonso, S.; Fischer, U.

2013-01-01

might explain the recruitment of immune cells to the site of DNA injection. Our results suggest that B cells are involved in the initial phase of the immune response to intramuscular DNA vaccination against VHSV. This appears to be a major difference to what we know from mammalian models where T cells...

Viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus, Ichthyophonus hoferi, and other causes of morbidity in Pacific herring Clupea pallasi spawning in Prince William Sound, Alaska, USA.

Science.gov (United States)

Marty, G D; Freiberg, E F; Meyers, T R; Wilcock, J; Farver, T B; Hinton, D E

1998-02-26

Pacific herring Clupea pallasi populations in Prince William Sound, Alaska, USA, declined from an estimated 9.8 x 10(7) kg in 1992 to 1.5 x 10(7) kg in 1994. To determine the role of disease in population decline, 233 Pacific herring from Prince William Sound were subjected to complete necropsy during April 1994. The North American strain of viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus (VHSV) was isolated from 11 of 233 fish (4.7%). VHSV was significantly related to myocardial mineralization, hepatocellular necrosis, submucosal gastritis, and meningoencephalitis. Ichthyophonus hoferi infected 62 of 212 (29%) fish. I. hoferi infections were associated with severe, disseminated, granulomatous inflammation and with increased levels of plasma creatine phosphokinase (CPK) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST). I. hoferi prevalence in 1994 was more than double that of most previous years (1989 to 1993). Plasma chemistry values significantly greater (p < 0.01) in males than females included albumin, total protein, cholesterol, chloride, glucose, and potassium; only alkaline phosphatase was significantly greater in females. Hypoalbuminemia was relatively common in postspawning females; other risk factors included VHSV and moderate or severe focal skin reddening. Pacific herring had more than 10 species of parasites, but they were not associated with significant lesions. Two of the parasites have not previously been described: a renal intraductal myxosporean (11% prevalence) and an intestinal coccidian (91% prevalence). Transmission electron microscopy of a solitary mesenteric lesion revealed viral particles consistent with lymphocystis virus. No fish had viral erythrocytic necrosis (VEN). Prevalence of external gross lesions and major parasites was not related to fish age, and fish that were year-lings at the time of the 1989 'Exxon Valdez' oil spill (1988 year class) had no evidence of increased disease prevalence.

76 FR 41526 - Centennial Challenges 2011 Strong Tether Challenge

Science.gov (United States)

2011-07-14

... NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION [Notice (11-063)] Centennial Challenges 2011 Strong... scheduled and teams that wish to compete may register. Centennial Challenges is a program of prize... NASA Centennial Challenges Program please visit: http://www.nasa.gov/challenges . General questions and...

78 FR 19742 - Centennial Challenges: 2014 Night Rover Challenge

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2013-04-02

... NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION [Notice 13-032] Centennial Challenges: 2014 Night... Centennial Challenges 2014 Night Rover Challenge. SUMMARY: This notice is issued in accordance with 51 U.S.C.... Centennial Challenges is a program of prize competitions to stimulate innovation in technologies of interest...

77 FR 70835 - Centennial Challenges 2013 Sample Return Robot Challenge

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2012-11-27

... NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION Centennial Challenges 2013 Sample Return Robot... Challenge is scheduled and teams that wish to compete may register. Centennial Challenges is a program of... Challenge, please visit: http://challenge.wpi.edu . For general information on the NASA Centennial...

76 FR 56819 - Centennial Challenges 2012 Sample Return Robot Challenge

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2011-09-14

... NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION [Notice (11-079)] Centennial Challenges 2012 Sample... Challenge is scheduled and teams that wish to compete may register. Centennial Challenges is a program of... Challenge, please visit: http://wp.wpi.edu/challenge/ . For general information on the NASA Centennial...

Phylogeny of the Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia Virus in European Aquaculture.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michael Cieslak

Full Text Available One of the most valuable aquaculture fish in Europe is the rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss, but the profitability of trout production is threatened by a highly lethal infectious disease, viral hemorrhagic septicemia (VHS, caused by the VHS virus (VHSV. For the past few decades, the subgenogroup Ia of VHSV has been the main cause of VHS outbreaks in European freshwater-farmed rainbow trout. Little is currently known, however, about the phylogenetic radiation of this Ia lineage into subordinate Ia clades and their subsequent geographical spread routes. We investigated this topic using the largest Ia-isolate dataset ever compiled, comprising 651 complete G gene sequences: 209 GenBank Ia isolates and 442 Ia isolates from this study. The sequences come from 11 European countries and cover the period 1971-2015. Based on this dataset, we documented the extensive spread of the Ia population and the strong mixing of Ia isolates, assumed to be the result of the Europe-wide trout trade. For example, the Ia lineage underwent a radiation into nine Ia clades, most of which are difficult to allocate to a specific geographic distribution. Furthermore, we found indications for two rapid, large-scale population growth events, and identified three polytomies among the Ia clades, both of which possibly indicate a rapid radiation. However, only about 4% of Ia haplotypes (out of 398 occur in more than one European country. This apparently conflicting finding regarding the Europe-wide spread and mixing of Ia isolates can be explained by the high mutation rate of VHSV. Accordingly, the mean period of occurrence of a single Ia haplotype was less than a full year, and we found a substitution rate of up to 7.813 × 10-4 nucleotides per site per year. Finally, we documented significant differences between Germany and Denmark regarding their VHS epidemiology, apparently due to those countries' individual handling of VHS.

78 FR 49296 - Centennial Challenges 2014 Sample Return Robot Challenge

Science.gov (United States)

2013-08-13

... NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION [Notice 13-093] Centennial Challenges 2014 Sample... Centennial Challenges 2014 Sample Return Robot Challenge. SUMMARY: This notice is issued in accordance with... compete may register. Centennial Challenges is a program of prize competitions to stimulate innovation in...

The Mock LISA Data Challenges: from Challenge 1B to Challenge 3

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Babak, Stanislav; Porter, Edward K; Gair, Jonathan; Baker, John G; Arnaud, Keith; Benacquista, Matthew J; Cornish, Neil J; Crowder, Jeff; Vallisneri, Michele; Cutler, Curt; Larson, Shane L; Plagnol, Eric; Vecchio, Alberto; Barack, Leor; Blaut, Arkadiusz; Fairhurst, Stephen; Harry, Ian; Gong Xuefei; Khurana, Deepak; Krolak, Andrzej

2008-01-01

The Mock LISA Data Challenges are a programme to demonstrate and encourage the development of LISA data-analysis capabilities, tools and techniques. At the time of this workshop, three rounds of challenges had been completed, and the next was about to start. In this paper we provide a critical analysis of the entries to the latest completed round, Challenge 1B. The entries confirm the consolidation of a range of data-analysis techniques for galactic and massive-black-hole binaries, and they include the first convincing examples of detection and parameter estimation of extreme-mass-ratio inspiral sources. In this paper we also introduce the next round, Challenge 3. Its data sets feature more realistic waveform models (e.g., galactic binaries may now chirp, and massive-black-hole binaries may precess due to spin interactions), as well as new source classes (bursts from cosmic strings, isotropic stochastic backgrounds) and more complicated nonsymmetric instrument noise

75 FR 47316 - Centennial Challenges 2010 Strong Tether Challenge

Science.gov (United States)

2010-08-05

... NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION Centennial Challenges 2010 Strong Tether Challenge... teams that wish to compete may register. Centennial Challenges is a program of prize competitions to..., please visit: http://www.spaceward.org/elevator2010-ts . For general information on the NASA Centennial...

The Mock LISA Data Challenges: from challenge 3 to challenge 4

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Babak, Stanislav; Petiteau, Antoine; Robinson, Emma L; Baker, John G; McWilliams, Sean T; Arnaud, Keith A; Benacquista, Matthew J; Cornish, Neil J; Adams, Matt; Larson, Shane L; Mandel, Ilya; Porter, Edward K; Vallisneri, Michele; Cutler, Curt; Vecchio, Alberto; Blaut, Arkadiusz; Bridges, Michael; Feroz, Farhan; Cohen, Michael; Gair, Jonathan R.

2010-01-01

The Mock LISA Data Challenges are a program to demonstrate LISA data-analysis capabilities and to encourage their development. Each round of challenges consists of one or more datasets containing simulated instrument noise and gravitational waves from sources of undisclosed parameters. Participants analyze the datasets and report best-fit solutions for the source parameters. Here we present the results of the third challenge, issued in April 2008, which demonstrated the positive recovery of signals from chirping galactic binaries, from spinning supermassive-black-hole binaries (with optimal SNRs between ∼10 and 2000), from simultaneous extreme-mass-ratio inspirals (SNRs of 10-50), from cosmic-string-cusp bursts (SNRs of 10-100), and from a relatively loud isotropic background with Ω gw (f) ∼ 10 -11 , slightly below the LISA instrument noise.

The Mock LISA Data Challenges: from challenge 3 to challenge 4

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Babak, Stanislav; Petiteau, Antoine; Robinson, Emma L [Max-Planck-Institut fuer Gravitationsphysik (Albert-Einstein-Institut), Am Muehlenberg 1, D-14476 Golm bei Potsdam (Germany); Baker, John G; McWilliams, Sean T; Arnaud, Keith A [Gravitational Astrophysics Laboratory, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, 8800 Greenbelt Rd, Greenbelt, MD 20771 (United States); Benacquista, Matthew J [Center for Gravitational Wave Astronomy, University of Texas at Brownsville, Brownsville, TX 78520 (United States); Cornish, Neil J; Adams, Matt [Department of Physics, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717 (United States); Larson, Shane L [Department of Physics, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322 (United States); Mandel, Ilya [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL (United States); Porter, Edward K [APC, UMR 7164, University Paris 7 Denis Diderot, 10, rue Alice Domon et Leonie Duquet, 75025 Paris Cedex 13 (France); Vallisneri, Michele; Cutler, Curt [Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91109 (United States); Vecchio, Alberto [School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B152TT (United Kingdom); Blaut, Arkadiusz [Institute of Theoretical Physics, University of Wroclaw, Wroclaw (Poland); Bridges, Michael; Feroz, Farhan [Astrophysics Group, Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB30HE (United Kingdom); Cohen, Michael [Theoretical Astrophysics, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States); Gair, Jonathan R., E-mail: Michele.Vallisneri@jpl.nasa.go [Institute of Astronomy, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB30HA (United Kingdom)

2010-04-21

The Mock LISA Data Challenges are a program to demonstrate LISA data-analysis capabilities and to encourage their development. Each round of challenges consists of one or more datasets containing simulated instrument noise and gravitational waves from sources of undisclosed parameters. Participants analyze the datasets and report best-fit solutions for the source parameters. Here we present the results of the third challenge, issued in April 2008, which demonstrated the positive recovery of signals from chirping galactic binaries, from spinning supermassive-black-hole binaries (with optimal SNRs between approx10 and 2000), from simultaneous extreme-mass-ratio inspirals (SNRs of 10-50), from cosmic-string-cusp bursts (SNRs of 10-100), and from a relatively loud isotropic background with OMEGA{sub gw}(f) approx 10{sup -11}, slightly below the LISA instrument noise.

Dry reforming of coke oven gases over activated carbon to produce syngas for methanol synthesis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

J.M. Bermudez; B. Fidalgo; A. Arenillas; J.A. Menendez [Instituto Nacional del Carbn, Oviedo (Spain)

2010-10-15

The dry reforming of coke oven gases (COG) over an activated carbon used as catalyst has been studied in order to produce a syngas suitable for methanol synthesis. The primary aim of this work was to study the influence of the high amount of hydrogen present in the COG on the process of dry reforming, as well as the influence of other operation conditions, such us temperature and volumetric hourly space velocity (VHSV). It was found that the reverse water gas shift (RWGS) reaction takes place due to the hydrogen present in the COG, and that its influence on the process increases as the temperature decreases. This situation may give rise to the consumption of the hydrogen present in the COG, and the consequent formation of a syngas which is inappropriate for the synthesis of methanol. This reaction can be avoided by working at high temperatures (about 1000{sup o}C) in order to produce a syngas that is suitable for methanol synthesis. It was also found that the RWGS reaction is favoured by an increase in the VHSV. In addition, the active carbon FY5 was proven to be an adequate catalyst for the production of syngas from COG. 25 refs., 7 figs., 2 tabs.

Histopathology of adult Pacific herring in Prince William Sound, Alaska, after the Exxon Valdez oil spill

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marty, G. S.; Okihiro, M. S.; Hinton, D. E.; Brown, E. D.; Hanes, D.

1999-01-01

The histopathology of Pacific herring sampled from oiled sites in Prince William Sound, Alaska, three weeks after the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill, is discussed. All samples showed multifocal hepatic necrosis and significantly increased tissue concentrations of polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH). In contrast, Pacific herring from reference sites in 1989 and from all sites in 1990 and 1991 did not have hepatic necrosis or increase PAH concentrations. Naphthalenes were the predominant PAH in all tissue samples. The development of hepatic necrosis and the predominance of naphthalenes in samples from 1989 is considered consistent with results obtained from recent laboratory studies indicating that crude oil exposure resulted in dose-dependent expression of viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus (VHSV). It was concluded that adult Pacific herring in Prince William Sound were likely exposed to Exxon Valdez oil in April 1989. Because Pacific herring near spawning condition in early spring are in a state of physiological stress, the added stress of oil exposure in 1989 could reasonably have led to expression of VHSV in these fish. The findings suggest that the immediate response to future large toxic spills should include consideration of the potential interaction of multiple stressors in exposed individuals. 29 refs., 7 tabs., 1 fig

Cognitive Challenges

Science.gov (United States)

... Privacy Policy Sitemap Learn Engage Donate About TSC Cognitive Challenges Approximately 45% to 60% of individuals with TSC develop cognitive challenges (intellectual disabilities), although the degree of intellectual ...

The Challenging Experience Questionnaire: Characterization of challenging experiences with psilocybin mushrooms.

Science.gov (United States)

Barrett, Frederick S; Bradstreet, Matthew P; Leoutsakos, Jeannie-Marie S; Johnson, Matthew W; Griffiths, Roland R

2016-12-01

Acute adverse psychological reactions to classic hallucinogens ("bad trips" or "challenging experiences"), while usually benign with proper screening, preparation, and support in controlled settings, remain a safety concern in uncontrolled settings (such as illicit use contexts). Anecdotal and case reports suggest potential adverse acute symptoms including affective (panic, depressed mood), cognitive (confusion, feelings of losing sanity), and somatic (nausea, heart palpitation) symptoms. Responses to items from several hallucinogen-sensitive questionnaires (Hallucinogen Rating Scale, the States of Consciousness Questionnaire, and the Five-Dimensional Altered States of Consciousness questionnaire) in an Internet survey of challenging experiences with the classic hallucinogen psilocybin were used to construct and validate a Challenging Experience Questionnaire. The stand-alone Challenging Experience Questionnaire was then validated in a separate sample. Seven Challenging Experience Questionnaire factors (grief, fear, death, insanity, isolation, physical distress, and paranoia) provide a phenomenological profile of challenging aspects of experiences with psilocybin. Factor scores were associated with difficulty, meaningfulness, spiritual significance, and change in well-being attributed to the challenging experiences. The factor structure did not differ based on gender or prior struggle with anxiety or depression. The Challenging Experience Questionnaire provides a basis for future investigation of predictors and outcomes of challenging experiences with classic hallucinogens. © The Author(s) 2016.

75 FR 21044 - Notice of Centennial Challenges 2011 CAFE Green Flight Challenge

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-22

... NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION [Notice (10-045)] Notice of Centennial Challenges...: Notice of Centennial Challenges 2011 CAFE Green Flight Challenge. SUMMARY: This notice is issued in... to compete may register. Centennial Challenges is a program of prize competitions to stimulate...

Overcoming challenges

Medline Plus

Full Text Available ... section Back to section menu It's Only Natural Planning ahead Breastfeeding and baby basics Making breastfeeding work ... It's Only Natural Overcoming challenges It's Only Natural Planning ahead Addressing breastfeeding myths Overcoming challenges Common questions ...

Overcoming challenges

Medline Plus

Full Text Available ... breastfeeding Overcoming challenges Common questions about breastfeeding and pain Breastfeeding checklist: How to get a good latch Finding ... myths Overcoming challenges Common questions about breastfeeding and pain Breastfeeding checklist: How to get a good latch Finding ...

The GREAT3 challenge

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Miyatake, H; Mandelbaum, R; Rowe, B

2014-01-01

The GRavitational lEnsing Accuracy Testing 3 (GREAT3) challenge is an image analysis competition that aims to test algorithms to measure weak gravitational lensing from astronomical images. The challenge started in October 2013 and ends 30 April 2014. The challenge focuses on testing the impact on weak lensing measurements of realistically complex galaxy morphologies, realistic point spread function, and combination of multiple different exposures. It includes simulated ground- and space-based data. The details of the challenge are described in [1], and the challenge website and its leader board can be found at http://great3challenge.info and http://great3.projects.phys.ucl.ac.uk/leaderboard/, respectively

The Challenging Experience Questionnaire: Characterization of challenging experiences with psilocybin mushrooms

Science.gov (United States)

Barrett, Frederick S.; Bradstreet, Matthew P.; Leoutsakos, Jeannie-Marie S.; Johnson, Matthew W.; Griffiths, Roland R.

2017-01-01

Acute adverse psychological reactions to classic hallucinogens (“bad trips”, or “challenging experiences”), while usually benign with proper screening, preparation, and support in controlled settings, remain a safety concern in uncontrolled settings (such as illicit use contexts). Anecdotal and case reports suggest potential adverse acute symptoms including affective (panic, depressed mood), cognitive (confusion, feelings of losing sanity), and somatic (nausea, heart palpitation) symptoms. Responses to items from several hallucinogen-sensitive questionnaires (Hallucinogen Rating Scale, the States of Consciousness Questionnaire, and the 5-Dimensional Altered States of Consciousness questionnaire) in an internet survey of challenging experiences with the classic hallucinogen psilocybin were used to construct and validate a Challenging Experience Questionnaire (CEQ). The stand-alone CEQ was then validated in a separate sample. Seven CEQ factors (grief, fear, death, insanity, isolation, physical distress, and paranoia) provide a phenomenological profile of challenging aspects of experiences with psilocybin. Factor scores were associated with the difficulty, meaningfulness, spiritual significance, and change in well-being attributed to the challenging experiences. The factor structure did not differ based on gender or prior struggle with anxiety or depression. The CEQ provides a basis for future investigation of predictors and outcomes of challenging experiences with psilocybin, and should be explored as a measure of challenging experiences with the broad class of classic hallucinogens. PMID:27856683

OCCURRENCE OF INFECTIOUS PANCREATIC NECROSIS VIRUS (IPNV) IN FARMED RAINBOW TROUT (ONCHORHYNCHUS MYKISS) IN KOSOVO

OpenAIRE

Agim Rexhepi; Kristaq Berxholli; Peter Scheinert; Afrim Hamidi; Kurtesh Sherifi

2013-01-01

This article describes the research carried out for the detection of viruses responsible for VHS, IHN and IPN diseases in farmed rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) in Kosovo for the three-year period between 2006 and 2008. Losses are often reported in trout fingerlings, but no virus has ever been isolated in the rainbow trout in Kosovo. A research project was carried out to determine the occurrence of VHSV, IHNV & IPNV from the samples of fish tissue and ovarian fluids from mature broodf...

Big data challenges

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bachlechner, Daniel; Leimbach, Timo

2016-01-01

Although reports on big data success stories have been accumulating in the media, most organizations dealing with high-volume, high-velocity and high-variety information assets still face challenges. Only a thorough understanding of these challenges puts organizations into a position in which...... they can make an informed decision for or against big data, and, if the decision is positive, overcome the challenges smoothly. The combination of a series of interviews with leading experts from enterprises, associations and research institutions, and focused literature reviews allowed not only...... framework are also relevant. For large enterprises and startups specialized in big data, it is typically easier to overcome the challenges than it is for other enterprises and public administration bodies....

Stable isotope views on ecosystem function: challenging or challenged?

Science.gov (United States)

Resco, Víctor; Querejeta, José I; Ogle, Kiona; Voltas, Jordi; Sebastià, Maria-Teresa; Serrano-Ortiz, Penélope; Linares, Juan C; Moreno-Gutiérrez, Cristina; Herrero, Asier; Carreira, José A; Torres-Cañabate, Patricia; Valladares, Fernando

2010-06-23

Stable isotopes and their potential for detecting various and complex ecosystem processes are attracting an increasing number of scientists. Progress is challenging, particularly under global change scenarios, but some established views have been challenged. The IX meeting of the Spanish Association of Terrestrial Ecology (AAET, Ubeda, 18-22 October 2009) hosted a symposium on the ecology of stable isotopes where the linear mixing model approach of partitioning sinks and sources of carbon and water fluxes within an ecosystem was challenged, and new applications of stable isotopes for the study of plant interactions were evaluated. Discussion was also centred on the need for networks that monitor ecological processes using stable isotopes and key ideas for fostering future research with isotopes.

Night Rover Challenge

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — The objective of the Night Rover Challenge was to foster innovations in energy storage technology. Specifically, this challenge asked competitors to create an energy...

Stable isotope views on ecosystem function: challenging or challenged?

Science.gov (United States)

Resco, Víctor; Querejeta, José I.; Ogle, Kiona; Voltas, Jordi; Sebastià, Maria-Teresa; Serrano-Ortiz, Penélope; Linares, Juan C.; Moreno-Gutiérrez, Cristina; Herrero, Asier; Carreira, José A.; Torres-Cañabate, Patricia; Valladares, Fernando

2010-01-01

Stable isotopes and their potential for detecting various and complex ecosystem processes are attracting an increasing number of scientists. Progress is challenging, particularly under global change scenarios, but some established views have been challenged. The IX meeting of the Spanish Association of Terrestrial Ecology (AAET, Úbeda, 18–22 October 2009) hosted a symposium on the ecology of stable isotopes where the linear mixing model approach of partitioning sinks and sources of carbon and water fluxes within an ecosystem was challenged, and new applications of stable isotopes for the study of plant interactions were evaluated. Discussion was also centred on the need for networks that monitor ecological processes using stable isotopes and key ideas for fostering future research with isotopes. PMID:20015858

Employment challenges in the future

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

2011-01-01

Discussion of challenges in employment challenges in Europe and a brief discription of the Danish flexicurity system......Discussion of challenges in employment challenges in Europe and a brief discription of the Danish flexicurity system...

CE Challenges : Work to Do

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Stjepandic, J; Verhagen, W.J.C.; Wognum, P.M.

2015-01-01

CE has been used for more than two decades now. Despite many successes and advantages, there are still many challenges to be addressed. These challenges are both technical and organisational. In the paper we will address the current challenges of CE. Many challenges

An All-School Library Challenge

Science.gov (United States)

Quirk, Connie

2005-01-01

The library media center is hosting an all-school team challenge, designed to celebrate reading and library skills. Students could choose from the contest categories like "Lord of the Rings", "Harry Potter", Author Facts Challenge and Opening Lines Challenge for the competition and those students who read more challenging books show their…

Big Data Challenges

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alexandru Adrian TOLE

2013-10-01

Full Text Available The amount of data that is traveling across the internet today, not only that is large, but is complex as well. Companies, institutions, healthcare system etc., all of them use piles of data which are further used for creating reports in order to ensure continuity regarding the services that they have to offer. The process behind the results that these entities requests represents a challenge for software developers and companies that provide IT infrastructure. The challenge is how to manipulate an impressive volume of data that has to be securely delivered through the internet and reach its destination intact. This paper treats the challenges that Big Data creates.

Challenge and Change

Science.gov (United States)

Mehaffy, George L.

2012-01-01

In the past twenty years, various industries have been forever altered by technology: newspapers, book publishing, the photography business, and many more. Higher education too faces unprecedented challenges primarily driven by rapid changes in technology. To meet these challenges and adapt to these changes, new models are needed. Six challenges…

78 FR 59974 - Centennial Challenges 2014 Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Airspace Operations Challenge (AOC)

Science.gov (United States)

2013-09-30

... NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION Centennial Challenges 2014 Unmanned Aircraft Systems... wish to compete may now register. Centennial Challenges is a program of prize competitions to stimulate...: http://www.uasaoc.org For general information on the NASA Centennial Challenges Program please visit...

Challenges as enablers for high quality Linked Data: insights from the Semantic Publishing Challenge

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anastasia Dimou

2017-01-01

Full Text Available While most challenges organized so far in the Semantic Web domain are focused on comparing tools with respect to different criteria such as their features and competencies, or exploiting semantically enriched data, the Semantic Web Evaluation Challenges series, co-located with the ESWC Semantic Web Conference, aims to compare them based on their output, namely the produced dataset. The Semantic Publishing Challenge is one of these challenges. Its goal is to involve participants in extracting data from heterogeneous sources on scholarly publications, and producing Linked Data that can be exploited by the community itself. This paper reviews lessons learned from both (i the overall organization of the Semantic Publishing Challenge, regarding the definition of the tasks, building the input dataset and forming the evaluation, and (ii the results produced by the participants, regarding the proposed approaches, the used tools, the preferred vocabularies and the results produced in the three editions of 2014, 2015 and 2016. We compared these lessons to other Semantic Web Evaluation Challenges. In this paper, we (i distill best practices for organizing such challenges that could be applied to similar events, and (ii report observations on Linked Data publishing derived from the submitted solutions. We conclude that higher quality may be achieved when Linked Data is produced as a result of a challenge, because the competition becomes an incentive, while solutions become better with respect to Linked Data publishing best practices when they are evaluated against the rules of the  challenge.

Identification and partial characterization of Taastrup virus: a newly identified member species of the Mononegavirales

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bock, J.O.; Lundsgaard, T.; Pedersen, P.A.

2004-01-01

with the glycoproteins of Filoviridae and Pneumovirinae, and a nucleoprotein (N) with homology to the nucleoprotein of viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus (VHSV), a member of the Rhabdoviridae. Highly conserved domains were identified in the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (L) between TV and other viruses within the order...... of Mononegavirales, and homology was found in particular with members of the Rhabdoviridae. The sequence similarities and the unique filovirus-like but nonidentical morphology unambiguously refer this newly identified virus to the order of Mononegavirales but to no family more than any to other within the order....

First Aid Challenge

Science.gov (United States)

Roman, Harry T.

2011-01-01

This article describes a challenge wherein students will be asked to design a portable first aid kit that is normally carried in a recreational vehicle (RV), but can also be hand-carried or backpacked off road for distances of approximately 1-2 miles. This can be a very practical challenge for the students because it touches everyone. Everybody…

Offshore northern Europe, the challenges

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bergseth, S.

1996-01-01

This paper relates to challenges of the offshore activity in the North Sea. It is appropriate to address these challenges in the context of generating values through efficient management of resources, markets, safety and technology, as the challenges lie therein. The petroleum industry is built to turn natural resources into market value, assuring broad benefits to stake holders and shareholders. In the following, the challenges facing the industry the industry offshore Northern Europe is examined on this background

National Drug IQ Challenge

Science.gov (United States)

... National Drug IQ Challenge 2017 Reto nacional del coeficiente intelectual (CI) sobre las drogas y el alcohol 2016 National Drug IQ Challenge 2016 Reto nacional del coeficiente intelectual (CI) sobre las drogas y el alcohol 2015 ...

The WCET Tool Challenge 2011

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hanxleden, Reinhard von; Holsti, Niklas; Lisper, Björn

Following the successful WCET Tool Challenges in 2006 and 2008, the third event in this series was organized in 2011, again with support from the ARTIST DESIGN Network of Excellence. Following the practice established in the previous Challenges, the WCET Tool Challenge 2011 (WCC'11) dened two kin...

WCET Tool Challenge 2011: Report

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bonenfant, Armelle; Cassé, Hugues; Bünte, Sven

2011-01-01

Following the successful WCET Tool Challenges in 2006 and 2008, the third event in this series was organized in 2011, again with support from the ARTIST DESIGN Network of Excellence. Following the practice established in the previous Challenges, the WCET Tool Challenge 2011 (WCC’11) defined two k...

Challenges of Virtual School Leadership

Science.gov (United States)

Richardson, Jayson W.; LaFrance, Jason; Beck, Dennis

2015-01-01

The purpose of this case study was to examine challenges faced by virtual school leaders in the United States. Through semistructured interviews, the researchers explored challenges faced by eighteen leaders of fully online or blended online programs. Analysis revealed six main challenges: funding, staff, accountability, time, parents, and…

The challenges of dismantling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sene, Monique; Lheureux, Yves; Leroyer, Veronique; Rollinger, Francois; Gauthier, Florence; Depauw, Denis; Reynal, Nathalie; Fraysse, Thierry; Burger, Eric; Bertrand, Adrien; Vallat, Christophe; Bernet, Philippe; Eimer, Michel; Boutin, Dominique; Bietrix, Philippe; Richard, Francoise; Piketty, Laurence; Mouchet, Chantal; Charre, Jean-Pierre

2014-01-01

This document gathers Power Point presentations which address the contexts and challenges of dismantling (legal framework, safety and radiation protection challenges, waste processing industry), and propose illustrations of dismantling challenges (example of operations to prepare EURODIF dismantling and CLIGEET work-group on EURODIF dismantling, examples of dismantling of EDF installations and CLIs' opinion on the dismantling of EDF installations, Brennilis dismantling follow-up performed by the CLI, examples of dismantling of CEA installations and opinion of a CLI on the dismantling of CEA installations)

Centennial Challenges Program

Science.gov (United States)

Ortega, Sam; Eberly, Eric

2015-01-01

NASA's Centennial Challenges Program was initiated in 2005 to directly engage the public in the process of advanced technology development. The program offers incentive prizes to generate revolutionary solutions to problems of interest to NASA and the nation. The program seeks innovations from diverse and nontraditional sources. Competitors are not supported by government funding and awards are only made to successful teams when the challenges are met. In keeping with the spirit of the Wright Brothers and other American innovators, the Centennial Challenge prizes are offered to independent inventors including small businesses, student groups, and individuals. These independent inventors are sought to generate innovative solutions for technical problems of interest to NASA and the nation and to provide them with the opportunity to stimulate or create new business ventures.

Challenges of serious games

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

B. Fernández-Manjón

2015-11-01

Full Text Available Although educational games have revealed to be a very effective focus in diverse situations, their use in education is still very limited. In this paper we analyse the main challenges concerning educational games that, from our perspective, have to be approached so that the use of this kind of games can be widespread. These challenges are classified in three main dimensions: socio-cultural, educational and technological. Once the challenges are identified, some possible measures are suggested to address or reduce these problems so that the use of educational games may be widespread.

Oral food challenges in children

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hye Yung Yum

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Many patients assume that allergic reactions against foods are responsible for triggering or worsening their allergic symptoms. Therefore, it is important to identify patients who would benefit from an elimination diet, while avoiding unnecessary dietary restrictions. The diagnosis of food allergy depends on the thorough review of the patients's medical history, results of supplemented trials of dietary elimination, and in vivo and in vitro tests for measuring specific IgE levels. However, in some cases the reliability of such procedures is suboptimal. Oral food challenges are procedures employed for making an accurate diagnosis of immediate and occasionally delayed adverse reactions to foods. The timing and type of the challenge, preparation of patients, foods to be tested, and dosing schedule should be determined on the basis of the patient's history, age, and experience. Although double-blind, placebo-controlled food challenges(DBPCFC are used to establish definitively if a food is the cause of adverse reactions, they are time-consuming, expensive and troublesome for physician and patients. In practice, An open challenge controlled by trained personnel is sufficient especially in infants and young children. The interpretation of the results and follow-up after a challenge are also important. Since theses challenges are relatively safe and informative, controlled oral food challenges could become the measure of choice in children.

Overcoming Safeguards Challenges

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Henriques, Sasha

2011-01-01

The focus of the 2010 IAEA International Safeguards Symposium was how best, from a technical perspective, to prepare for future verification challenges during this time of change. By bringing together the leading experts in the field from across the world, this symposium provided an opportunity for stakeholders to explore possible solutions in support of the IAEA's nuclear verification mission, and to identify areas where the different stakeholders in the safeguards business can help address these challenges

The glycoprotein genes and gene junctions of the fish rhabdoviruses spring viremia of carp virus and hirame rhabdovirus: Analysis of relationships with other rhabdoviruses

Science.gov (United States)

Bjorklund, H.V.; Higman, K.H.; Kurath, G.

1996-01-01

The nucleotide sequences of the glycoprotein genes and all of the internal gene junctions of the fish pathogenic rhabdoviruses spring viremia of carp virus (SVCV) and hirame rhabdovirus (HIRRV) have been determined from cDNA clones generated from viral genomic RNA. The SVCV glycoprotein gene sequence is 1588 nucleotides (nt) long and encodes a 509 amino acid (aa) protein. The HIRRV glycoprotein gene sequence comprises 1612 nt, coding for a 508 aa protein. In sequence comparisons of 15 rhabdovirus glycoproteins, the SVCV glycoprotein gene showed the highest amino acid sequence identity (31.2–33.2%) with vesicular stomatitis New Jersey virus (VSNJV), Chandipura virus (CHPV) and vesicular stomatitis Indiana virus (VSIV). The HIRRV glycoprotein gene showed a very high amino acid sequence identity (74.3%) with the glycoprotein gene of another fish pathogenic rhabdovirus, infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus (IHNV), but no significant similarity with glycoproteins of VSIV or rabies virus (RABV). In phylogenetic analyses SVCV was grouped consistently with VSIV, VSNJV and CHPV in the Vesiculovirus genus of Rhabdoviridae. The fish rhabdoviruses HIRRV, IHNV and viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus (VHSV) showed close relationships with each other, but only very distant relationships with mammalian rhabdoviruses. The gene junctions are highly conserved between SVCV and VSIV, well conserved between IHNV and HIRRV, but not conserved between HIRRV/IHNV and RABV. Based on the combined results we suggest that the fish lyssa-type rhabdoviruses HIRRV, IHNV and VHSV may be grouped in their own genus within the family Rhabdoviridae. Aquarhabdovirus has been proposed for the name of this new genus.

Can VHS Virus Bypass the Protective Immunity Induced by DNA Vaccination in Rainbow Trout?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dagoberto Sepúlveda

Full Text Available DNA vaccines encoding viral glycoproteins have been very successful for induction of protective immunity against diseases caused by rhabdoviruses in cultured fish species. However, the vaccine concept is based on a single viral gene and since RNA viruses are known to possess high variability and adaptation capacity, this work aimed at evaluating whether viral haemorrhagic septicaemia virus (VHSV, an RNA virus and member of Rhabdoviridae family, was able to evade the protective immune response induced by the DNA vaccination of rainbow trout. The experiments comprised repeated passages of a highly pathogenic VHSV isolate in a fish cell line in the presence of neutralizing fish serum (in vitro approach, and in rainbow trout immunized with the VHS DNA vaccine (in vivo approach. For the in vitro approach, the virus collected from the last passage (passaged virus was as sensitive as the parental virus to serum neutralization, suggesting that the passaging did not promote the selection of virus populations able to bypass the neutralization by serum antibodies. Also, in the in vivo approach, where virus was passaged several times in vaccinated fish, no increased virulence nor increased persistence in vaccinated fish was observed in comparison with the parental virus. However, some of the vaccinated fish did get infected and could transmit the infection to naïve cohabitant fish. The results demonstrated that the DNA vaccine induced a robust protection, but also that the immunity was non-sterile. It is consequently important not to consider vaccinated fish as virus free in veterinary terms.

The diesel challenge

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tobin, Geoff

1997-01-01

This article is focused on the challenges being faced by the diesel producer and these include a number of interesting developments which illustrate the highly competitive world of the European refiner. These include: The tightening quality requirements being legislated coupled with the availability of the ''city diesel'' from Scandinavia and elsewhere which is already being sold into the market. For a time there will be a clear means of product differentiation. One of the key questions is whether the consumer will value the quality difference; a growing demand for diesel which is outstripping the growth in gasoline demand and causing refiners headaches when it comes to balancing their supply/demand barrels; the emergence of alternative fuels which are challenging the traditional markets of the refiner and in particular, the niche markets for the higher quality diesel fuels. All of this at a time of poor margins and over-capacity in the industry with further major challenges ahead such as fuel oil disposal, tighter environmental standards and the likelihood of heavier, higher sulphur crude oils in the future. Clearly, in such a difficult and highly-competitive business environment it will be important to find low-cost solutions to the challenges of the diesel quality changes. An innovative approach will be required to identify the cheapest and best route to enable the manufacture of the new quality diesel. (Author)

Challenges: a state and compact perspective

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brown, H.

1987-01-01

The challenges facing states and compacts in their efforts to implement the Low-Level Waste Policy Amendments Act are described. Institutional challenges include: small-volume sites; compact maintenance; shifting agencies and changing personnel; and timing of progress. The technical challenge lies in the enormous number of plans, procedures, and regulations that have to be developed over the next four years. There are two main fiscal challenges: funding of day-to-day operations of compact commissions; and financing the siting and construction of new disposal sites. There are also two main regulatory challenges: host states must develop regulations for siting and selection of technology; and all states have to await federal regulations to be completed. The final challenge is political: whether a region can overcome public opposition and actually site a facility

Virtual Bridge Design Challenge

Science.gov (United States)

Mitts, Charles R.

2013-01-01

This design/problem-solving activity challenges students to design a replacement bridge for one that has been designated as either structurally deficient or functionally obsolete. The Aycock MS Technology/STEM Magnet Program Virtual Bridge Design Challenge is an authentic introduction to the engineering design process. It is a socially relevant…

Challenges for Nordic VET-systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jørgensen, Christian Helms

2015-01-01

, this challenge is not new. It has been on the agenda since the late 1960s following the crisis for apprenticeship and the growing demand for equal access to all levels of education. What is new, however, is that the challenge has intensified and the solutions developed since the 1970s don’t appear tenable today......The systems of vocational education and training (VET) in the Nordic Countries all face a similar challenge: to offer double qualifications. The Nordic VET-systems are expected to give access not only to skilled employment, but also to higher education. As an increasing share of young people....... This situation calls for new solutions to tackle the challenge of double qualifications. The question, which I will examine in this chapter, is how the Nordic VET-systems have handled this challenge in different ways and what these systems can learn from Switzerland, which is often highlighted as a model...

The medical leadership challenge in healthcare is an identity challenge.

Science.gov (United States)

Andersson, Thomas

2015-01-01

The purpose of this article is to describe and analyse the identity challenges that physicians with medical leadership positions face. Four qualitative case studies were performed to address the fact that identity is processual, relational and situational. Physicians with managerial roles were interviewed, as well as their peers, supervisors and subordinates. Furthermore, observations were made to understand how different identities are displayed in action. This study illustrates that medical leadership implies identity struggles when physicians have manager positions, because of the different characteristics of the social identities of managers and physicians. Major differences are related between physicians as autonomous individuals in a system and managers as subordinates to the organizational system. There are psychological mechanisms that evoke the physician identity more often than the managerial identity among physicians who are managers, which explains why physicians who are managers tend to remain foremost physicians. The implications of the findings, that there are major identity challenges by being both a physician and manager, suggest that managerial physicians might not be the best prerequisite for medical leadership, but instead, cooperative relationships between physicians and non-physician managers might be a less difficult way to support medical leadership. Acknowledging and addressing identity challenges can be important both in creating structures in organizations and designing the training for managers in healthcare (both physicians and non-physicians) to support medical leadership. Medical leadership is most often related to organizational structure and/or leadership skills, but this paper discusses identity requirements and challenges related to medical leadership.

Challenges in diagnosing tuberculosis in children

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rahman, Nadia; Pedersen, Karin Kæreby; Rosenfeldt, Vibeke

2012-01-01

Clinical investigations of childhood tuberculosis (TB) are challenged by the paucibacillary nature of the disease and the difficulties in obtaining specimens. We investigated the challenges in diagnosing TB in children in a low-incidence country.......Clinical investigations of childhood tuberculosis (TB) are challenged by the paucibacillary nature of the disease and the difficulties in obtaining specimens. We investigated the challenges in diagnosing TB in children in a low-incidence country....

Dewey's Challenge to Teachers

Science.gov (United States)

Fishman, Stephen M.; McCarthy, Lucille

2010-01-01

Given the serious social problems confronting Americans and others worldwide, the authors propose that Dewey's 1932 challenge to teachers is worthy of reconsideration by educators at all levels. In times similar to our own, Dewey challenged teachers to cultivate students' capacities to identify their happiness with what they can do to improve the…

Overcoming challenges

Medline Plus

Full Text Available ... facts about babies, breastmilk, and breastfeeding Overcoming challenges Common questions about breastfeeding and pain Breastfeeding checklist: How to get a good latch Finding support It takes a village: Building ...

Builders Challenge Quality Criteria Support Document

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

None

2009-06-01

This document provides guidance to U.S. home builders participating in Builders Challenge. To qualify for the Builders Challenge, a home must score 70 or less on the EnergySmart Home Scale (E-Scale). Homes also must meet the Builders Challenge Quality Cri

Challenges in fingertip replantation.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Jin-Soo; Yang, Jae-Won; Lee, Dong-Chul; Ki, Sae-Hwi; Roh, Si-Young

2013-11-01

Fingertip amputation is a challenging injury to manage. Among various reconstructive procedures, replantation results in superior outcome, but is seldom considered in many institutions. From the identification of vessel ends to reanastomosis of the submillimeter vessels, fingertip's highly specialized anatomy requires technical excellence. By addressing these anatomic challenges, fingertip replantation can be a routine reconstructive option for microvascular surgeons.

Challenges in Fingertip Replantation

OpenAIRE

Kim, Jin-Soo; Yang, Jae-Won; Lee, Dong-Chul; Ki, Sae-Hwi; Roh, Si-Young

2013-01-01

Fingertip amputation is a challenging injury to manage. Among various reconstructive procedures, replantation results in superior outcome, but is seldom considered in many institutions. From the identification of vessel ends to reanastomosis of the submillimeter vessels, fingertip's highly specialized anatomy requires technical excellence. By addressing these anatomic challenges, fingertip replantation can be a routine reconstructive option for microvascular surgeons.

Challenges in obesity research.

Science.gov (United States)

Palou, Andreu; Bonet, M Luisa

2013-09-01

Obesity is the main nutritional problem and one of the most important health problems in developed societies. Central to the challenge of obesity prevention and management is a thoroughly understanding of its determinants. Multiple socio-cultural, socio-economic, behavioural and biological factors--often interrelated and many of them still unknown or poorly understood--can contribute to the establishment and perpetuation of obese phenotypes. Here, we address current research challenges regarding basic aspects of obesity and emerging science for its control, including brown adipose tissue thermogenesis and browning of white fat as possible therapeutic targets for obesity, the influence of the microbioma, and genetics, epigenetics, nutrigenomics and nutrigenetics of obesity. We also highlight hot topics in relation to food and lifestyle as determinants of obesity, including the brain mechanisms underlying environmental motivation to eat, the biological control of spontaneous physical activity, the possible role of concrete foods and food components, and the importance of early life nutrition and environment. Challenges regarding the connections of obesity with other alterations and pathologies are also briefly addressed, as well as social and economical challenges in relation to healthy food production and lifestyle for the prevention of obesity, and technological challenges in obesity research and management. The objective is to give a panoramic of advances accomplished and still ahead relevant to the different stakeholders engaged in understanding and combating obesity. Copyright © AULA MEDICA EDICIONES 2013. Published by AULA MEDICA. All rights reserved.

Mobility Challenges

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Ole B.; Lassen, Claus

2011-01-01

This article takes point of departure in the challenges to understand the importance of contemporary mobility. The approach advocated is a cross-disciplinary one drawing on sociology, geography, urban planning and design, and cultural studies. As such the perspective is to be seen as a part...... of the so-called ‘mobility turn’ within social science. The perspective is illustrative for the research efforts at the Centre for Mobility and Urban Studies (C-MUS), Aalborg University. The article presents the contours of a theoretical perspective meeting the challenges to research into contemporary urban...... mobilities. In particular the article discusses 1) the physical city, its infrastructures and technological hardware/software, 2) policies and planning strategies for urban mobility and 3) the lived everyday life in the city and the region....

Report : business process intelligence challenge 2013

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Dongen, van B.F.; Weber, B.; Ferreira, D.R.; De Weerdt, J.; Lohmann, N.; Song, M.; Wohed, P.

2014-01-01

For the third time, the Business Process Intelligence workshop hosted the Business Process Intelligence Challenge. The goal of this challenge is twofold. On the one hand, the challenge allows researchers and practitioners in the field to show their analytical capabilities to a broader audience. On

Work Group report: oral food challenge testing.

Science.gov (United States)

Nowak-Wegrzyn, Anna; Assa'ad, Amal H; Bahna, Sami L; Bock, S Allan; Sicherer, Scott H; Teuber, Suzanne S

2009-06-01

Oral food challenges are procedures conducted by allergists/immunologists to make an accurate diagnosis of immediate, and occasionally delayed, adverse reactions to foods. The timing of the challenge is carefully chosen based on the individual patient history and the results of skin prick tests and food specific serum IgE values. The type of the challenge is determined by the history, the age of the patient, and the likelihood of encountering subjective reactions. The food challenge requires preparation of the patient for the procedure and preparation of the office for the organized conduct of the challenge, for a careful assessment of the symptoms and signs and the treatment of reactions. The starting dose, the escalation of the dosing, and the intervals between doses are determined based on experience and the patient's history. The interpretation of the results of the challenge and arrangements for follow-up after a challenge are important. A negative oral food challenge result allows introduction of the food into the diet, whereas a positive oral food challenge result provides a sound basis for continued avoidance of the food.

6 CFR 7.30 - Classification challenges.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 6 Domestic Security 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Classification challenges. 7.30 Section 7.30... INFORMATION Classified Information § 7.30 Classification challenges. (a) Authorized holders of information... classified are encouraged and expected to challenge the classification status of that information pursuant to...

Preventing and managing challenging behaviour.

Science.gov (United States)

Hallett, Nutmeg

2018-02-21

Patients exhibiting challenging behaviour, which includes any non-verbal, verbal or physical behaviour, is a significant issue in healthcare settings. Preventing such behaviour and the harm it can cause is important for healthcare organisations and individuals, and involves following a public health model comprised of three tiers: primary, secondary and tertiary prevention. Primary prevention aims to reduce the risk of challenging behaviour occurring in the first instance; secondary prevention involves reducing the risk associated with imminent challenging behaviour and its potential escalation; and tertiary prevention focuses on minimising the physical and emotional harm caused by challenging behaviours, during and after an event. De-escalation should be the first-line response to challenging behaviour, and healthcare staff should use a range of techniques - maintaining safety, self-regulation, effective communication, and assessment and actions - to reduce the incidence of challenging behaviour. In some situations, physical interventions may be required to protect the safety of the individual, healthcare staff and other individuals involved, and healthcare staff should be aware of local policies and procedures for this. Following a serious incident, where there was potential or actual harm to patients and healthcare staff, healthcare organisations should use post-incident reviews to learn from the situation, while healthcare staff should be offered the opportunity for debriefing. Positive responses to challenging behaviour at an organisational and individual level can lead to improved work environments for healthcare staff and optimal patient care and outcomes. ©2018 RCN Publishing Company Ltd. All rights reserved. Not to be copied, transmitted or recorded in any way, in whole or part, without prior permission of the publishers.

Machine Learning wins the Higgs Challenge

CERN Multimedia

Abha Eli Phoboo

2014-01-01

The winner of the four-month-long Higgs Machine Learning Challenge, launched on 12 May, is Gábor Melis from Hungary, followed closely by Tim Salimans from the Netherlands and Pierre Courtiol from France. The challenge explored the potential of advanced machine learning methods to improve the significance of the Higgs discovery.   Winners of the Higgs Machine Learning Challenge: Gábor Melis and Tim Salimans (top row), Tianqi Chen and Tong He (bottom row). Participants in the Higgs Machine Learning Challenge were tasked with developing an algorithm to improve the detection of Higgs boson signal events decaying into two tau particles in a sample of simulated ATLAS data* that contains few signal and a majority of non-Higgs boson “background” events. No knowledge of particle physics was required for the challenge but skills in machine learning - the training of computers to recognise patterns in data – were essential. The Challenge, hosted by Ka...

Unique Identification Project Issues and Challenges Unique ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Multiple authentication methods · UID adoption can help improve pro-poor delivery systems · Technology Challenges … Biometric Challenges · Rural Biometric Challenges · Biometric De-Duplication · Architecture Challenges · Network Infrastructure · Security, Fraud Detection · Managing multiple risks · UID goals can be ...

Challenges in Designing Mechatronic Systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Torry-Smith, Jonas; Qamar, Ahsan; Achiche, Sofiane

2013-01-01

Development of mechatronic products is traditionally carried out by several design experts from different design domains. Performing development of mechatronic products is thus greatly challenging. In order to tackle this, the critical challenges in mechatronics have to be well understood and well...... supported through applicable methods and tools. This paper aims at identifying the major challenges, by conducting a systematic and thorough survey of the most relevant research work in mechatronic design. Solutions proposed in literature are assessed and illustrated through a case study in order...... to investigate if the challenges can be handled appropriately by the methods, tools, and mindsets suggested by the mechatronic community. Using a real world mechatronics case, the paper identifies the areas where further research is required, by showing a clear connection between the actual problems faced during...

Overcoming challenges

Medline Plus

Full Text Available ... menu It's Only Natural Planning ahead Breastfeeding and baby basics Making breastfeeding work for you Addressing breastfeeding ... in the African-American community Incredible facts about babies, breastmilk, and breastfeeding Overcoming challenges Common questions about ...

Overcoming challenges

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Full Text Available ... Disease and Stroke HIV and AIDS Mental Health Pain Pregnancy Reproductive Health Sexual Health Sexually Transmitted Infections ... breastfeeding Overcoming challenges Common questions about breastfeeding and pain Breastfeeding checklist: How to get a good latch ...

Overcoming challenges

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Full Text Available ... into your life Breastfeeding in daily life: At home and in public Laws that support breastfeeding 10 ... and jobs View all pages in this section Home It's Only Natural Overcoming challenges It's Only Natural ...

Grand Challenges facing Storage Systems

CERN Multimedia

CERN. Geneva

2004-01-01

In this talk, we will discuss the future of storage systems. In particular, we will focus on several big challenges which we are facing in storage, such as being able to build, manage and backup really massive storage systems, being able to find information of interest, being able to do long-term archival of data, and so on. We also present ideas and research being done to address these challenges, and provide a perspective on how we expect these challenges to be resolved as we go forward.

Challenges in aerospace medicine education.

Science.gov (United States)

Grenon, S Marlene; Saary, Joan

2011-11-01

Aerospace medicine training and research represents a dream for many and a challenge for most. In Canada, although some opportunities exist for the pursuit of education and research in the aerospace medicine field, they are limited despite the importance of this field for enabling safe human space exploration. In this commentary, we aim to identify some of the challenges facing individuals wishing to get involved in the field as well as the causal factors for these challenges. We also explore strategies to mitigate against these.

Cognitive Challenges

Science.gov (United States)

... Alliance Our Story Our Vision Our Team Our Leadership Our Results Our Corporate Policies FAQs Careers Contact Us Media Store Privacy Policy Sitemap Learn Engage Donate About TSC Cognitive Challenges Approximately 45% to 60% of individuals with TSC ...

The competitive challenge in banking

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Boot, A.W.A.; Schmeits, A.

2005-01-01

The increasingly competitive environment poses challenges to bankers. This paper emphasizes relationship banking as a prime source of the banks' comparative advantage. The proliferation of transaction-oriented banking (trading and financial market activities) does however seriously challenge

Designing the robot inclusive space challenge

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rajesh Elara Mohan

2015-11-01

Full Text Available A novel robotic challenge, namely the robot inclusive spaces (RIS challenge, is proposed in this paper, which is a cross disciplinary and design focused initiative. It aims to foster the roboticists, architects, and designers towards realizing robot friendly social spaces. Contrary to conventional robotics competitions focusing on designing robots and its component technologies, robot inclusive spaces challenge adopts an interdisciplinary “design for robots” strategy to overcome the traditional research problem in real world deployments of social robots. In order to realize the RIS, various architectural elements must be adapted including: design principles for inclusive spaces, lighting schemes, furniture choices and arrangement, wall and floor surfaces, pathways among others. This paper introduces the format and design principles of RIS challenge, presents a first run of the challenge, and gives the corresponding analysis.

iSTEM: The Aerospace Engineering Challenge

Science.gov (United States)

English, Lyn D.; King, Donna T.; Hudson, Peter; Dawes, Les

2014-01-01

The authors developed The Paper Plane Challenge as one of a three-part response to The Aerospace Engineering Challenge. The Aerospace Engineering Challenge was the second of three multi-part activities that they had developed with the teachers during the year. Their aim was to introduce students to the exciting world of engineering, where they…

Overcoming challenges

Medline Plus

Full Text Available ... breastfeeding means to them. Subscribe To receive Breastfeeding email updates Enter email Submit Overcoming challenges Breastfeeding has a long list ... breastfeeding means to them. Subscribe To receive Breastfeeding email updates Enter email Submit All material contained on ...

2010 Panel on the Biomaterials Grand Challenges

Science.gov (United States)

Reichert, William “Monty”; Ratner, Buddy D.; Anderson, James; Coury, Art; Hoffman, Allan S.; Laurencin, Cato T.; Tirrell, David

2014-01-01

In 2009, the National Academy for Engineering issued the Grand Challenges for Engineering in the 21st Century comprised of 14 technical challenges that must be addressed to build a healthy, profitable, sustainable, and secure global community (http://www.engineeringchallenges.org). Although crucial, none of the NEA Grand Challenges adequately addressed the challenges that face the biomaterials community. In response to the NAE Grand Challenges, Monty Reichert of Duke University organized a panel entitled Grand Challenges in Biomaterials at the at the 2010 Society for Biomaterials Annual Meeting in Seattle. Six members of the National Academies—Buddy Ratner, James Anderson, Allan Hoffman, Art Coury, Cato Laurencin, and David Tirrell—were asked to propose a grand challenge to the audience that, if met, would significantly impact the future of biomaterials and medical devices. Successfully meeting these challenges will speed the 60-plus year transition from commodity, off-the-shelf biomaterials to bioengineered chemistries, and biomaterial devices that will significantly advance our ability to address patient needs and also to create new market opportunities. PMID:21171147

Statistics Poster Challenge for Schools

Science.gov (United States)

Payne, Brad; Freeman, Jenny; Stillman, Eleanor

2013-01-01

The analysis and interpretation of data are important life skills. A poster challenge for schoolchildren provides an innovative outlet for these skills and demonstrates their relevance to daily life. We discuss our Statistics Poster Challenge and the lessons we have learned.

Estimating challenge load due to disease outbreaks and other challenges using reproduction records of sows.

Science.gov (United States)

Mathur, P K; Herrero-Medrano, J M; Alexandri, P; Knol, E F; ten Napel, J; Rashidi, H; Mulder, H A

2014-12-01

A method was developed and tested to estimate challenge load due to disease outbreaks and other challenges in sows using reproduction records. The method was based on reproduction records from a farm with known disease outbreaks. It was assumed that the reduction in weekly reproductive output within a farm is proportional to the magnitude of the challenge. As the challenge increases beyond certain threshold, it is manifested as an outbreak. The reproduction records were divided into 3 datasets. The first dataset called the Training dataset consisted of 57,135 reproduction records from 10,901 sows from 1 farm in Canada with several outbreaks of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS). The known disease status of sows was regressed on the traits number born alive, number of losses as a combination of still birth and mummified piglets, and number of weaned piglets. The regression coefficients from this analysis were then used as weighting factors for derivation of an index measure called challenge load indicator. These weighting factors were derived with i) a two-step approach using residuals or year-week solutions estimated from a previous step, and ii) a single-step approach using the trait values directly. Two types of models were used for each approach: a logistic regression model and a general additive model. The estimates of challenge load indicator were then compared based on their ability to detect PRRS outbreaks in a Test dataset consisting of records from 65,826 sows from 15 farms in the Netherlands. These farms differed from the Canadian farm with respect to PRRS virus strains, severity and frequency of outbreaks. The single-step approach using a general additive model was best and detected 14 out of the 15 outbreaks. This approach was then further validated using the third dataset consisting of reproduction records of 831,855 sows in 431 farms located in different countries in Europe and America. A total of 41 out of 48 outbreaks detected

Challenges in obesity research

OpenAIRE

Palou, Andreu; Bonet, M. Luisa

2013-01-01

Obesity is the main nutritional problem and one of the most important health problems in developed societies. Central to the challenge of obesity prevention and management is a thoroughly understanding of its determinants. Multiple socio-cultural, socio-economic, behavioural and biological factors -often interrelated and many of them still unknown or poorly understood- can contribute to the establishment and perpetuation of obese phenotypes. Here, we address current research challenges regard...

Overcoming challenges

Medline Plus

Full Text Available ... Contact Us Blog Popular topics Vision and mission Leadership Programs and activities In your community Funding opportunities Internships and jobs View all pages in this section Home It's Only Natural Overcoming challenges It's Only Natural Planning ahead Addressing breastfeeding myths ...

The challenge of sustainability

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Orr, D.W.

1993-01-01

This paper discusses sustainability in a world that has changed rapidly. The author suggests that ecological assumptions embedded in communism and capitalism are badly flawed, but the flaws were not apparent when there were fewer than a billion people on earth living at low technology levels. Sustaining the earth's vital signs is a challenge to our perception of time, and the numbers - population, environmental damage, oil consumption, waste disposal - are too large to comprehend easily. There is a global debate about what sustainability means. In fact the challenge of sustainability is 6 different challenges: overcoming the tendency to deny inconvenient realities; establishing accurate indicators of human and ecological health; questions about the kinds of technology necessary to make the transition to sustainability; education; the need for an emotional bond between man and nature; rebuilding the existing democratic institutions. 16 refs

Global challenges in energy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dorian, James P.; Franssen, Herman T.; Simbeck, Dale R. MD

2006-01-01

Environmental and security concerns are stimulating global interest in hydrogen power, renewable energy, and advanced transportation technologies, but no significant movement away from oil and a carbon-based world economy is expected soon. Over the longer-term, however, a transition from fossil fuels to a non-carbon-based economy will likely occur, affecting the type of environment future generations may encounter. Key challenges will face the world's energy industry over the next few decades to ensure a smooth transition-challenges which will require government and industry solutions beginning as early as today. This paper identifies four critical challenges in energy and the choices which will have to be made on how best to confront growing pollution caused by fossil fuels and how to facilitate an eventual revolutionary-like transition to a non-carbon-based global economy

Exploring the challenges faced by polytechnic students

Science.gov (United States)

Matore, Mohd Effendi @ Ewan Mohd; Khairani, Ahmad Zamri

2015-02-01

This study aims to identify other challenges besides those already faced by students, in seven polytechnics in Malaysia as a continuation to the previous research that had identified 52 main challenges faced by students using the Rasch Model. The explorative study focuses on the challenges that are not included in the Mooney Problem Checklist (MPCL). A total of 121 polytechnic students submitted 183 written responses through the open questions provided. Two hundred fifty two students had responded from a students' perspective on the dichotomous questions regarding their view on the challenges faced. The data was analysed qualitatively using the NVivo 8.0. The findings showed that students from Politeknik Seberang Perai (PSP) gave the highest response, which was 56 (30.6%) and Politeknik Metro Kuala Lumpur (PMKL) had the lowest response of 2 (1.09%). Five dominant challenges were identified, which were the English language (32, 17.5%), learning (14, 7.7%), vehicles (13, 7.1%), information technology and communication (ICT) (13, 7.1%), and peers (11, 6.0%). This article, however, focus on three apparent challenges, namely, English language, vehicles, as well as computer and ICT, as the challenges of learning and peers had been analysed in the previous MPCL. The challenge of English language that had been raised was regarding the weakness in commanding the aspects of speech and fluency. The computer and ICT challenge covered the weakness in mastering ICT and computers, as well as computer breakdowns and low-performance computers. The challenge of vehicles emphasized the unavailability of vehicles to attend lectures and go elsewhere, lack of transportation service in the polytechnic and not having a valid driving license. These challenges are very relevant and need to be discussed in an effort to prepare polytechnics in facing the transformational process of polytechnics.

Five challenges for public administrations in Europe

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ongaro Edoardo

2015-12-01

Full Text Available This article examines five ‘challenges’ facing most administrative systems across Europe. The first challenge stems from the increasingly asymmetric nature of European multilevel governance; the second challenge arises from the missed opportunity of reforming in the absence of a dominant administrative paradigm; the third challenge lies in rescuing and transforming the welfare state; the fourth challenge is concerned with making the most of the knowledge generated in the field of strategic management for strategically managing public services; the fifth challenge lies in staff (demotivation. These challenges are pitched at very different levels: some are related to issues of public governance, some to issues of scholarly and practitioners’ collective understandings of public administration in Europe, and some to trends in the global economy, and notably the financial, economic and fiscal ‘crises’.

They rose to the challenge!

CERN Multimedia

Anaïs Schaeffer

2015-01-01

The Challenge-Based Innovation programme is a Masters-level initiative developed at CERN in collaboration with many universities around the world. The first programme saw 45 students take part, and their final results were presented at an official "gala" held on 26 February.   On 26 February, after their official presentations, the six CBI teams presented their prototypes to the public in the IdeaSquare building.   As part of the IdeaSquare project, the Challenge-Based Innovation (CBI) programme is based on a very pragmatic question: can the tools and results produced by basic research (like that being carried out at CERN) be used to solve societal problems? If so, how? To answer this question, 45 students from very different professional and cultural backgrounds formed six teams, each with a specific societal challenge to solve (see here). Over a six-month period – from September 2014 to February 2015 – the six teams worked on the challenge in o...

Software challenges in extreme scale systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sarkar, Vivek; Harrod, William; Snavely, Allan E

2009-01-01

Computer systems anticipated in the 2015 - 2020 timeframe are referred to as Extreme Scale because they will be built using massive multi-core processors with 100's of cores per chip. The largest capability Extreme Scale system is expected to deliver Exascale performance of the order of 10 18 operations per second. These systems pose new critical challenges for software in the areas of concurrency, energy efficiency and resiliency. In this paper, we discuss the implications of the concurrency and energy efficiency challenges on future software for Extreme Scale Systems. From an application viewpoint, the concurrency and energy challenges boil down to the ability to express and manage parallelism and locality by exploring a range of strong scaling and new-era weak scaling techniques. For expressing parallelism and locality, the key challenges are the ability to expose all of the intrinsic parallelism and locality in a programming model, while ensuring that this expression of parallelism and locality is portable across a range of systems. For managing parallelism and locality, the OS-related challenges include parallel scalability, spatial partitioning of OS and application functionality, direct hardware access for inter-processor communication, and asynchronous rather than interrupt-driven events, which are accompanied by runtime system challenges for scheduling, synchronization, memory management, communication, performance monitoring, and power management. We conclude by discussing the importance of software-hardware co-design in addressing the fundamental challenges for application enablement on Extreme Scale systems.

Challenges Facing Group Work Online

Science.gov (United States)

Chang, Bo; Kang, Haijun

2016-01-01

Online group work can be complicated because of its asynchronous characteristics and lack of physical presence, and its requirements for skills in handling technology, human relationships, and content-related tasks. This study focuses on the administrative, logistical and relationship-related challenges in online group work. Challenges in areas…

ITER safety challenges and opportunities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Piet, S.J.

1991-01-01

Results of the Conceptual Design Activity (CDA) for the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) suggest challenges and opportunities. ''ITER is capable of meeting anticipated regulatory dose limits,'' but proof is difficult because of large radioactive inventories needing stringent radioactivity confinement. We need much research and development (R ampersand D) and design analysis to establish that ITER meets regulatory requirements. We have a further opportunity to do more to prove more of fusion's potential safety and environmental advantages and maximize the amount of ITER technology on the path toward fusion power plants. To fulfill these tasks, we need to overcome three programmatic challenges and three technical challenges. The first programmatic challenge is to fund a comprehensive safety and environmental ITER R ampersand D plan. Second is to strengthen safety and environment work and personnel in the international team. Third is to establish an external consultant group to advise the ITER Joint Team on designing ITER to meet safety requirements for siting by any of the Parties. The first of the three key technical challenges is plasma engineering -- burn control, plasma shutdown, disruptions, tritium burn fraction, and steady state operation. The second is the divertor, including tritium inventory, activation hazards, chemical reactions, and coolant disturbances. The third technical challenge is optimization of design requirements considering safety risk, technical risk, and cost. Some design requirements are now too strict; some are too lax. Fuel cycle design requirements are presently too strict, mandating inappropriate T separation from H and D. Heat sink requirements are presently too lax; they should be strengthened to ensure that maximum loss of coolant accident temperatures drop

Seven challenges for neuroscience.

Science.gov (United States)

Markram, Henry

2013-01-01

Although twenty-first century neuroscience is a major scientific enterprise, advances in basic research have not yet translated into benefits for society. In this paper, I outline seven fundamental challenges that need to be overcome. First, neuroscience has to become "big science" - we need big teams with the resources and competences to tackle the big problems. Second, we need to create interlinked sets of data providing a complete picture of single areas of the brain at their different levels of organization with "rungs" linking the descriptions for humans and other species. Such "data ladders" will help us to meet the third challenge - the development of efficient predictive tools, enabling us to drastically increase the information we can extract from expensive experiments. The fourth challenge goes one step further: we have to develop novel hardware and software sufficiently powerful to simulate the brain. In the future, supercomputer-based brain simulation will enable us to make in silico manipulations and recordings, which are currently completely impossible in the lab. The fifth and sixth challenges are translational. On the one hand we need to develop new ways of classifying and simulating brain disease, leading to better diagnosis and more effective drug discovery. On the other, we have to exploit our knowledge to build new brain-inspired technologies, with potentially huge benefits for industry and for society. This leads to the seventh challenge. Neuroscience can indeed deliver huge benefits but we have to be aware of widespread social concern about our work. We need to recognize the fears that exist, lay them to rest, and actively build public support for neuroscience research. We have to set goals for ourselves that the public can recognize and share. And then we have to deliver on our promises. Only in this way, will we receive the support and funding we need.

Why employees with higher challenging appraisals style are more affectively engaged at work? The role of challenging stressors: a moderated mediation model.

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Shin-Huei; Wu, Chia-Huei; Chen, Mei-Yen; Chen, Lung Hung

2014-10-01

Challenging stressors have been positively linked to various work outcomes. However, the role of individual differences in stress appraisal in shaping the function of challenging stressors and work outcomes has been rarely discussed. Drawing on the individual differences perspective, the authors propose that employees higher in challenge appraisal are more likely to have challenging stressors and are more responsive to such stressors to have a higher positive affect at work. Results obtained from 117 employees supported the hypotheses. The results indicated that challenge appraisal is positively related to challenging stressors. In addition, challenging stressors has a positive association with positive affect at work when challenge appraisal is high but has a null association when challenge appraisal is low. The findings suggest that challenging stressors does not necessarily bring positive work outcomes as suggested in past studies and highlight the importance of considering dispositional tendency in stress appraisal when looking into the function of challenging stressors and work outcomes. © 2014 International Union of Psychological Science.

Eight challenges in phylodynamic inference

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Simon D.W. Frost

2015-03-01

Full Text Available The field of phylodynamics, which attempts to enhance our understanding of infectious disease dynamics using pathogen phylogenies, has made great strides in the past decade. Basic epidemiological and evolutionary models are now well characterized with inferential frameworks in place. However, significant challenges remain in extending phylodynamic inference to more complex systems. These challenges include accounting for evolutionary complexities such as changing mutation rates, selection, reassortment, and recombination, as well as epidemiological complexities such as stochastic population dynamics, host population structure, and different patterns at the within-host and between-host scales. An additional challenge exists in making efficient inferences from an ever increasing corpus of sequence data.

Overcoming challenges

Medline Plus

Full Text Available ... we are What we do Programs and activities Work with us Contact Us Blog Popular topics Vision and mission Leadership Programs and activities In your community Funding opportunities Internships and jobs View all pages in this section Home It's Only Natural Overcoming challenges It's Only Natural ...

ITER safety challenges and opportunities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Piet, S.J.

1992-01-01

This paper reports on results of the Conceptual Design Activity (CDA) for the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) suggest challenges and opportunities. ITER is capable of meeting anticipated regulatory dose limits, but proof is difficult because of large radioactive inventories needing stringent radioactivity confinement. Much research and development (R ampersand D) and design analysis is needed to establish that ITER meets regulatory requirements. There is a further oportunity to do more to prove more of fusion's potential safety and environmental advantages and maximize the amount of ITER technology on the path toward fusion power plants. To fulfill these tasks, three programmatic challenges and three technical challenges must be overcome. The first step is to fund a comprehensive safety and environmental ITER R ampersand D plan. Second is to strengthen safety and environment work and personnel in the international team. Third is to establish an external consultant group to advise the ITER Joint Team on designing ITER to meet safety requirements for siting by any of the Parties. The first of three key technical challenges is plasma engineering - burn control, plasma shutdown, disruptions, tritium burn fraction, and steady state operation. The second is the divertor, including tritium inventory, activation hazards, chemical reactions, and coolant disturbances. The third technical challenge is optimization of design requirements considering safety risk, technical risk, and cost

Challenging experiences: gender differences in task choice

NARCIS (Netherlands)

de Pater, I.E.; van Vianen, A.E.M.; Fischer, A.H.; van Ginkel, W.P.

2009-01-01

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to examine: gender differences in the choice to perform challenging tasks, gender differences in the actual performance of challenging tasks, and the impact of challenging experiences on supervisors' evaluations of individuals' potential for career advancement.

Millennium Challenge Account

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Tarnoff, Curt

2008-01-01

.... foreign aid initiative. The Millennium Challenge Account (MCA) provides assistance through a competitive selection process to developing nations that are pursing political and economic reforms in three areas...

Challenging Identities

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

depends on the conceptual or ideological constellation in which it takes part. This volume on one hand demonstrates the role of notions of identity in a variety of European contexts, and on the other hand highlights how there may be reasons to challenge the use of the term and corresponding social...

Circuit-Adaptive Challenge Balancing in Racing Games

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Rietveld, A.; Bakkes, S.; Roijers, D.

2014-01-01

In this paper, we propose a novel approach to challenge balancing in racing games: circuit-adaptive challenge balancing. We propose to automatically adapt the actual racing circuit - while it is being played - such that the performed circuit adaptations intelligently balance the challenge for all

Educational Leadership: Key Challenges and Ethical Tensions

Science.gov (United States)

Duignan, Patrick

2007-01-01

"Educational Leadership" is a major research book on contemporary leadership challenges for educational leaders. In this groundbreaking new work, educational leaders in schools, including teachers, are provided with ways of analysing and resolving common but complex leadership challenges. Ethical tensions inherent in these challenges are…

'Blue Whale Challenge': A Game or Crime?

Science.gov (United States)

Mukhra, Richa; Baryah, Neha; Krishan, Kewal; Kanchan, Tanuj

2017-11-11

A bewildering range of games are emerging every other day with newer elements of fun and entertainment to woo youngsters. Games are meant to reduce stress and enhance the cognitive development of children as well as adults. Teenagers are always curious to indulge in newer games; and e-gaming is one such platform providing an easy access and quicker means of entertainment. The particular game challenge which has taken the world by storm is the dangerous "Blue Whale Challenge" often involving vulnerable teenagers. The Blue Whale Challenge is neither an application nor internet based game but the users get a link through social media chat groups to enter this "deadly" challenge game. This probably is the only game where the participant has to end his/her life to complete the game. The innocent teenagers are being targeted based on their depressed psychology and are coercively isolated from their social milieux on the pretext of keeping the challenges confidential. To add to the woes, no option is offered to quit the challenge even if the contender is unable to complete the challenge. Blue Whale Challenge in its sheer form could be seen as an illegal, unethical and inhumane endeavor in our present society. The present communication discusses the severe effects of the game on teenagers, the ethical concerns involved and the preventive measures necessary to curb it.

The Challenge of the Deanship.

Science.gov (United States)

Montez, Joni; Wolverton, Mimi

This paper addresses the evolution of the kinds of challenges that deans have met over time and examines perceptions of today's deans concerning their ability to deal effectively with current challenges. A sample of deans (n=695) in the colleges of education, business, liberal arts, and nursing at 360 public and private institutions was surveyed…

Anticipating flow assurance challenges through geochemistry

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Flannery, M. [Fluid Evaluation and Sampling Technologies (FEAST) Team, Shell International Exploration and Production (United Kingdom)

2008-07-01

The behaviour of reservoir fluids pose a challenge at all stages of petroleum production, from the reservoir to refinery. The challenges sometimes stem from sub-optimal operations or inappropriate system design, with assumptions of similar fluid properties across the field. Hydrocarbon fluid phase behaviour is the product of local PVT conditions and the geochemical identity of the fluids. An appropriate development scenario along with anticipation of production challenges, can benefit from early integration of engineering and geochemical understanding of hydrocarbon fluids. This paper presented field examples of how the kerogen type and maturity, and later post-generation alteration processes such as biodegradation, water washing, TSR can influence likely flow assurance challenges in the production stream. The confounding issues of multiple charges and overlaying signatures were also discussed.

Monitoring challenges and innovative ideas

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

O' Neill, R.V.; Hunsaker, C.T.; Levine, D.A.

1990-01-01

Monitoring programs are difficult to design even when they focus on specific problems. Ecosystems are complex, and it is often impossible to predetermine what aspects of system structure or dynamics will respond to a specific insult. It is equally difficult to interpret whether a response is a stabilizing compensatory mechanism or a real loss of capacity to maintain the ecosystem. The problems are compounded in a broad monitoring program designed to assess ecosystem health'' at regional and continental scales. It is challenging in the extreme to monitor ecosystem response, at any scale, to past insults as well as an unknown future array of impacts. The present paper will examine some of the fundamental issues and challenges raised by large-scale monitoring efforts. The challenges will serve as a framework and as an excuse to discuss several important topics in more detail. Following the discussion of challenges, we suggest some basic innovations that could be important across a range of monitoring programs. The innovations include integrative measures, innovative methodology, and creative interpretation. 59 refs., 1 tab.

Next Generation Innovation Policy and Grand Challenges

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kuhlmann, Stefan; Rip, Arie

2018-01-01

The paper explores transformative ways to address Grand Challenges, while locating them in a broader diagnosis of ongoing changes. Coping with Grand Challenges is a challenge in its own right, for policy as well as for science, technology, and innovation actors. The paper presents building blocks

Community Challenge Grantees

Data.gov (United States)

Department of Housing and Urban Development — HUD's Community Challenge Grants aim to reform and reduce barriers to achieving affordable, economically vital and sustainable communities. The funds are awarded to...

IT Challenges for Space Medicine

Science.gov (United States)

Johnson-Throop, Kathy

2010-01-01

This viewgraph presentation reviews the various Information Technology challenges for aerospace medicine. The contents include: 1) Space Medicine Activities; 2) Private Medical Information; 3) Lifetime Surveillance of Astronaut Health; 4) Mission Medical Support; 5) Data Repositories for Research; 6) Data Input and Output; 7) Finding Data/Information; 8) Summary of Challenges; and 9) Solutions and questions.

Hydrogen production using thermocatalytic decomposition of methane on Ni30/activated carbon and Ni30/carbon black.

Science.gov (United States)

Srilatha, K; Viditha, V; Srinivasulu, D; Ramakrishna, S U B; Himabindu, V

2016-05-01

Hydrogen is an energy carrier of the future need. It could be produced from different sources and used for power generation or as a transport fuel which mainly in association with fuel cells. The primary challenge for hydrogen production is reducing the cost of production technologies to make the resulting hydrogen cost competitive with conventional fuels. Thermocatalytic decomposition (TCD) of methane is one of the most advantageous processes, which will meet the future demand, hence an attractive route for COx free environment. The present study deals with the production of hydrogen with 30 wt% of Ni impregnated in commercially available activated carbon and carbon black catalysts (samples coded as Ni30/AC and Ni30/CB, respectively). These combined catalysts were not attempted by previous studies. Pure form of hydrogen is produced at 850 °C and volume hourly space velocity (VHSV) of 1.62 L/h g on the activity of both the catalysts. The analysis (X-ray diffraction (XRD)) of the catalysts reveals moderately crystalline peaks of Ni, which might be responsible for the increase in catalytic life along with formation of carbon fibers. The activity of carbon black is sustainable for a longer time compared to that of activated carbon which has been confirmed by life time studies (850 °C and 54 sccm of methane).

Challenges of Collaborative Product Styling in Design Teams

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ovesen, Nis

2016-01-01

Apart from a long list of advantages, design students face certain challenges when working collectively in groups on form, styling and aesthetics. An investigation about these challenges has been carried out and a number of challenges have been identified. The most apparent challenges relate to d...... to different aesthetic preferences, lack of tools and methods, and difficulties in establishing form related requirements. The challenges are presented and design quality, as well as some solution strategies, is discussed....

Space Robotics Challenge

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — The Space Robotics Challenge seeks to infuse robot autonomy from the best and brightest research groups in the robotics community into NASA robots for future...

Ecological Challenges for Closed Systems

Science.gov (United States)

Nelson, Mark; Dempster, William; Allen, John P.

2012-07-01

Closed ecological systems are desirable for a number of purposes. In space life support systems, material closure allows precious life-supporting resources to be kept inside and recycled. Closure in small biospheric systems facilitates detailed measurement of global ecological processes and biogeochemical cycles. Closed testbeds facilitate research topics which require isolation from the outside (e.g. genetically modified organisms; radioisotopes) so their ecological interactions and fluxes can be studied separate from interactions with the outside environment. But to achieve and maintain closure entails solving complex ecological challenges. These challenges include being able to handle faster cycling rates and accentuated daily and seasonal fluxes of critical life elements such as carbon dioxide, oxygen, water, macro- and mico-nutrients. The problems of achieving sustainability in closed systems for life support include how to handle atmospheric dynamics including trace gases, producing a complete human diet and recycling nutrients and maintaining soil fertility, the sustaining of healthy air and water and preventing the loss of crucial elements from active circulation. In biospheric facilities the challenge is also to produce analogues to natural biomes and ecosystems, studying processes of self-organization and adaptation in systems that allow specification or determination of state variables and cycles which may be followed through all interactions from atmosphere to soils. Other challenges include the dynamics and genetics of small populations, the psychological challenges for small isolated human groups and measures and options which may be necessary to ensure long-term operation of closed ecological systems.

Globalisation and international compatibility - a challenge to ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The contexts of institutions for higher education are in flux with consequent learning challenges. One of these challenges is that of globalisation and the need for international compatibility. Another challenge is that Mode 2 learning programmes, material and methods need to be relevant to the specific context in which they ...

Mechatronic Design - Still a Considerable Challenge

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Torry-Smith, Jonas; Qamar, Ahsan; Achiche, Sofiane

2011-01-01

Development of mechatronic products is traditionally carried out by several design experts from different design domains. Performing development of mechatronic products is thus greatly challenging. In order to tackle this, the critical challenges in mechatronics have to be well understood and well...... supported through applicable methods and tools. This paper aims at identifying the major challenges, by conducting a survey of the most relevant research work in mechatronic design. Solutions proposed in literature are assessed and illustrated through a case study in order to investigate, if the challenges...... can be handled appropriately by the methods, tools, and mindsets suggested by the mechatronic community. Using a real world mechatronics case, the paper identifies the areas where further research is required, by showing a clear connection between the actual problems faced during the design task...

The challenge of conceiving

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansen, Claus Thorp; Jørgensen, Ulrik

2011-01-01

the perspective of engineering design challenges where the need for problem identification is obvious to avoid the pitfall to reproduce and piecemeal engineer already existing product or service concepts. Problem identification is not a simple desk research task as it often involves a multitude of actors having......One of the big challenges in the CDIO approach to engineering education is the first part focusing on conceiving problems to be handled and eventually solved. Traditional engineering education has been dominated by its focus on technical disciplines emphasising their individual tool box of problem...

Challenges facing production grids

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pordes, Ruth; /Fermilab

2007-06-01

Today's global communities of users expect quality of service from distributed Grid systems equivalent to that their local data centers. This must be coupled to ubiquitous access to the ensemble of processing and storage resources across multiple Grid infrastructures. We are still facing significant challenges in meeting these expectations, especially in the underlying security, a sustainable and successful economic model, and smoothing the boundaries between administrative and technical domains. Using the Open Science Grid as an example, I examine the status and challenges of Grids operating in production today.

Meeting the Challenge of Crohn's Disease

Science.gov (United States)

... page please turn JavaScript on. Feature: Crohn's Disease Meeting the Challenge of Crohn's Disease Past Issues / Winter ... Living with Crohn's Disease / What Is Crohn's Disease / Meeting the Challenge of Crohn's Disease Winter 2016 Issue: ...

Patients who challenge.

Science.gov (United States)

Ward, Michael; Savulescu, Julian

2006-12-01

Individuals have different values. They seek to express their individuality even when receiving medical care. It is a part of modern medical practice and respect for patient autonomy to show respect for different values. We give an account of what it means to respect different values and challenging patients in medical practice. Challenging choices are often choices which are perceived by many to be either irrational or against a person's interests, such as engaging in harmful or excessively risky activities. When the medical profession is involved in such choices, the basic medical principle of acting in a person's best interests is challenged. Often doctors refuse to respect controversial choices on paternalistic grounds. We should all respect and facilitate the controversial choices of competent individuals, subject to resource limitations, our own and others well-being and autonomy, and the public interest. But more importantly, sometimes such choices make for a better, more autonomous life. Sometimes, such choices reflect considerations of global well-being or altruism, or idiosyncratic attitudes to risk. Sometimes, they reflect unusual values. However, in some other cases, controversial choices are irrational and are not expressions of our autonomy. Doctors should assist patients to make rational if individual choices. The patient also bears the responsibility for bringing his beliefs to the attention of the clinician.

The Terawatt Challenge

Science.gov (United States)

Haegel, Nancy

In response to concerns about accelerating climate change, the world is uniting to both envision and enable a global energy system that supports a sustainable environment and broad economic prosperity. Growth in the technology and the deployment of renewable energy has been dramatic. Evidence can be seen in the growth of photovoltaics (PV) and wind as contributors to worldwide electricity production over the last decade. PV and wind provided 1.2% and 3.7% of global electricity production in 2015, compared to 0.1% and 1.3% respectively in 2005. These numbers indicate both the rapid increase in the rate of deployment, as well as the remaining work to be done to extend this trend to transform a massive energy system and provide a significant fraction of the world's future energy demand with renewable energy. Based on recent trends, it is highly likely that global cumulative PV installation will reach terawatt scale in the next few decades. The challenges, as well as the resulting impact, vary greatly depending on whether we envision 1 TW ( 15% of 2015 global electricity capacity), 3 TW ( 50% of 2015 global electricity capacity) or 10 TW, a level that could drive electrification of transportation and industrial sectors and production of solar fuels. This presentation will draw upon the work of the 2016 GA-SERI (Global Alliance of Solar Energy Research Institutes) Terawatt Workshop to assess the feasibility and summarize the challenges for PV as a primary energy source. These challenges include the continuing demand for improved efficiency and reliability, the required magnitude of capital expenditure, the need for a sustainable industry (both financially and environmentally), as well as needs for grid modernization and consistent policies that support global climate goals. Physicists can play important roles in addressing this full range of challenges, from materials science to public policy, as well as in education of the public and its future leaders.

How do challenges increase customer loyalty to online games?

Science.gov (United States)

Teng, Ching-I

2013-12-01

Despite the design of various challenge levels in online games, exactly how these challenges increase customer loyalty to online games has seldom been examined. This study investigates how such challenges increase customer loyalty to online games. The study sample comprises 2,861 online gamers. Structural equation modeling is performed. Analytical results indicate that the relationship between challenge and loyalty intensifies when customers perceive that overcoming challenges takes a long time. Results of this study contribute to efforts to determine how challenges and challenge-related perceptions impact customer loyalty to online games.

Managing voluntary turnover through challenging assignments

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Preenen, P.T.Y.; de Pater, I.E.; van Vianen, A.E.M.; Keijzer, L.

2011-01-01

This study examines employees’ challenging assignments as manageable means to reduce turnover intentions, job search behaviors, and voluntary turnover. Results indicate that challenging assignments are negatively related to turnover intentions and job search behaviors and that these relationships

Managing voluntary turnover through challenging assignments

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Preenen, P.T.Y.; Pater, I.E. de; Vianen, A.E.M. van; Keijzer, L.

2011-01-01

This study examines employees' challenging assignments as manageable means to reduce turnover intentions, job search behaviors, and voluntary turnover. Results indicate that challenging assignments are negatively related to turnover intentions and job search behaviors and that these relationships

Introducing "optimal challenges" in resident training

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sørensen, Anette Bagger; Christensen, Mette Krogh

Background: Residents are often caught between two interests: the resident’s desire to participate in challenging learning situations and the department’s work planning. However, these interests may clash if they are not coordinated by the senior doctors, and challenging learning situations risk...... that the residents benefit from the intervention because they experienced more optimal challenges than before the intervention. However, the matching of resident and case seems to work against the established culture in the department: The daily work has for many years been organized so that senior doctors have...... their “own” patients and they do not “share” patients with residents. Thus the patients were accustomed to have their “own” specialist doctor. Conclusion: The intervention generated optimal challenges, but revealed the need for more team-based organization of senior doctors and residents’ working...

Cultural challenges to the psychiatric enterprise.

Science.gov (United States)

Fabrega, H

1995-01-01

Two challenges to psychiatry emanating from the study of cultural differences in mental illness are reviewed. The first challenge, conducted under the banner of cultural relativism, appeared to undermine the validity of psychiatric disorders. The misconceptions of this challenge, as embodied in the excesses of the labeling theory of sociology, were associated with the writings of antipsychiatrists and rejection of the community mental health movement. The result of all this was a devaluation of insights inherent in the cultural perspective. The second challenge draws emphasis to the pervasive role played by cultural differences in every facet of the psychiatric enterprise. Its relevance and contributions are briefly summarized. The study of the cultural sciences as they pertain to psychiatry offers a necessary corrective to the increasing impersonality and reductionism that is coming to characterize the neurobiologic approach.

Reflections of a Faraday Challenge Day Leader

Science.gov (United States)

Sewell, Keira

2014-01-01

Keira Sewell has just finished her second year as a Challenge Leader for the Faraday Challenge, a STEM-based scheme run by the Institution of Engineering and Technology. Aimed at 12-13 year-old students, its purpose is to engage students in future careers in engineering. Each year, a new challenge is held in over sixty schools and universities…

Challenges and Opportunities for Libraries in Pakistan

OpenAIRE

Shafiq UR, Rehman; Pervaiz, Ahmad

2007-01-01

Abstract: This paper, based on review of literature, observation, and informal conversations, discusses various challenges regarding finance, collection development, ICTs, human resources, library education, library association and research & development faced by library profession in Pakistan. The opportunities to meet these challenges have also been explored. Keywords: Library challenges and opportunities (Pakistan); Librarianship (Pakistan); Library issues; Library profession in Pa...

Maasai Mara - the Challenges of a World Unique Ecosystem

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

The report describes the complex challenges of the Maasai Mara in Kenya. The report is based on stakeholder and research inputs from the Maasai Mara Science and Development Summit in April 2015 at the Maasai Mara University, arranged by the Maasai Mara Science and Development Initiative. The emer....... The emerging challenges are categorized into: (1) land use and climate challenges: (2) ecosystem challenges; (3) political and economic challenges; (4) human and cultural challenges....

Urban mental health: Challenges and perspectives

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Okkels, Niels

2018-01-01

Purpose of review: To provide an update on urban mental health and highlight the challenges that require urgent attention. Recent findings: The majority of the world's population live in towns and urbanization is expected to increase in all areas of the world. Challenges to mental health in urban...... services. Fast and unstructured urbanization, such as that seen in many developing countries, further exacerbates these challenges. There are promising initiatives emerging including initiatives to end homelessness, to improve access to green areas in urban environments, to provide emergency psychiatric...

Cultural Challenges of Social-Economic Innovation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bajde, Domen; Ottlewski, Lydia

2016-01-01

Purpose We introduce the concept of social-economic innovation (SEI) and point to cultural challenges involved in instituting SEI. In the second part of the paper, we delve into the alternative exchange system of “Housing for help” (HFH) to explore the challenging negotiation of roles and relations...... of the cultural processes and challenges involved in instituting unconventional social-economic systems. The paucity of existent research and the preliminary nature of our study call for further investigation. Practical implications The study informs individual and institutional efforts to negotiate...

Challenges, opportunities and trends in engineering education

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rosen, M.A.

2005-01-01

Many challenges and opportunities face the engineering profession and engineering education. The engineering profession advances best if challenges are properly addressed, opportunities beneficially exploited and reasoned speculation made on future trends. In this article, the author presents his views on some of the challenges and opportunities facing the engineering education, and possible future trends, with the objective of fostering continued discussion of and action on these issues. This topic is of great importance because the development of engineering education is strongly influenced by the challenges and opportunities it faces and how it responds, and by anticipated future trends. (author)

The Cross-Cultural Knowledge Sharing Challenge

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Persson, John Stouby

2013-01-01

Cross-cultural offshoring in software development challenges effective knowledge sharing. While research has suggested temporarily co-locating participants to address this challenge, few studies are available on what knowledge sharing practices emerge over time when co-locating cross-cultural sof...

Small finance banks: Challenges

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jayadev M

2017-12-01

Full Text Available A recent innovation in the Indian banking structure has been the formation of a new banking institution—small finance banks (SFBs. These banks are expected to penetrate into financial inclusion by providing basic banking and credit services with a differentiated banking model to the larger population. In this context the new SFBs have multiple challenges in coming out with a new, differentiated business model. The challenges include building low cost liability portfolio, technology management, and balancing the regulatory compliances. This paper also presents the top of mind views of three senior executives of new small finance banks.

Environmental challenge

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Conable, B.; Warford, J.; Partow, Z.; Lutz, E.; Munasinghe, M.

1991-09-01

The contents include the following: Development and the Environment: A Global Balance; Evolution of the World Bank's Environmental Policy; Accounting for the Environment; Public Policy and the Environment; Managing Drylands; Environmental Action Plans in Africa; Agroforestry in Sub-Saharan Africa; Irrigation and the Environmental Challenge; Curbing Pollution in Developing Countries; Global Warming and the Developing World; and The Global Environment Facility

Training Staff to Manage Challenging Behaviour

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Oorsouw, W.M.W.J. van; Embregts, P.J.C.M.; Bosman, A.M.T.; Jahoda, A.

2010-01-01

Background - A training package for staff working with clients presenting challenging behaviour was developed to (1) increase their knowledge regarding challenging behaviour, and (2) to improve the quality of physical intervention techniques. The latter aim was intended to reduce staff anxiety about

Inequality and Development Challenges | IDRC - International ...

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

2013-08-30

Inequality and Development Challenges. Couverture du livre Inequality and Development Challenges. Editor(s):. Maria Clara Couto Soares, Mario Scerri et Rasigan Maharajh. Publisher(s):. Routledge, CRDI. August 30, 2013. ISBN: 9780415710329. 372 pages. e-ISBN: 9781552505571. Download PDF · Read the e-book.

Challenges and opportunities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Morgan, G.

1998-01-01

Challenges and opportunities facing the Canadian natural gas industry were discussed. The greatest opportunity is that the industry will become part of a fully functioning continental gas market for the first time in history. The challenge will be to ensure that the access to continental markets, which the Alliance project would provide, moves forward in a timely way, especially if the proposed merger between Canada's two dominant natural gas pipelines occurs. The second challenge is to find ways to deal with global warming in a more sensible and knowledgeable way. In the view of this author, the implications of the Kyoto greenhouse gas emission protocol could be potentially devastating to the competitiveness of the North American economy. According to the author, the emission stabilization policy will save the Earth only 0.05 degree C of warming in 2025 based on projected planetary temperature rise from 1990 to 2050. By 2050, the stabilization of emissions will have resulted in savings of only 0.10 degrees C, still a negligible amount. The impact of the Canadian Kyoto obligation was analyzed using federal Department of the Environment data. It was noted that in order for Canada to meet its commitment of reducing greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by 6 per cent by 2008-2012, actual annual reduction in emission would have to amount to 20-25 per cent. To achieve that would require unimaginably drastic measures. 1 tab., 1 fig

50 top IT project management challenges

CERN Document Server

Doraiswamy, Premanand

2012-01-01

This book offers a focused and concise summary of 50 challenges facing today's IT project manager. The authors draw on years of practical experience (rather than classroom theory) to outline these challenges and offer useful tips and advice on how to deal with them.

DuraChem trademark - challenges and solutions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Howard, I.S.; Bowan, B.W.; Kirshe, M.H.

1996-01-01

Vitrification of low-level ion exchange resins represents numerous challenges never before successfully accomplished. These challenges include (1) Feed material preparation and transfer, (2) Melter temperature and volume control, (3) Glass composition, stabilization, and control, and (4) Off-gas treatment and particulate capture. The DuraChem trademark team of Chem-Nuclear Systems, Inc. and GTS Duratek, Inc. began its journey in 1994 and is in the process of starting-up the first centralized vitrification facility for commercial ion-exchange and filtration media. This paper addresses each of the challenges and provides an update of this unique volume-reduction and stabilization technology

THORP and after - challenging state decisions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bowden, P.; Lawrence, J.

1994-01-01

This article looks at an increasing trend for European Community law to be used by those seeking to challenge decisions taken at a national level which effect the environment. The debate over the future operation of British Nuclear Fuels Ltd's Thermal Oxide Reprocessing Plant at the Sellafield site (THORP) is used as an example of this trend. The United Kingdom government's energy policy authorised the construction and operation of the THORP plant. The decision to continue with the project has been challenged by Greenpeace and Lancashire County Council acting cooperatively. Their challenge was based on Community law and legislation. (UK)

Practical Challenges for Digital Watermarking Applications

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sharma Ravi K

2002-01-01

Full Text Available The field of digital watermarking has recently seen numerous articles covering novel techniques, theoretical studies, attacks, and analysis. In this paper, we focus on an emerging application to highlight practical challenges for digital watermarking applications. Challenges include design considerations, requirements analysis, choice of watermarking techniques, speed, robustness, and the tradeoffs involved. We describe common attributes of watermarking systems and discuss the challenges in developing real world applications. Our application uses digital watermarking to connect ordinary toys to the digital world. The application captures important aspects of watermarking systems and illustrates some of the design issues faced.

Homeland Security. Management Challenges Facing Federal Leadership

Science.gov (United States)

2002-12-01

Security Management Challenges Facing Federal Leadership 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER 5b. GRANT NUMBER 5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT NUMBER 6. AUTHOR(S) 5d. PROJECT...including attention to management practices and key success factors. HOMELAND SECURITY Management Challenges Facing Federal Leadership www.gao.gov/cgi...significant management and coordination challenges if it is to provide this leadership and be successful in preventing and responding to any future

Safety analysis - current and future regulatory challenges

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jamieson, T., E-mail: Terry.Jamieson@cnsc-ccsn.gc.ca [Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission, Ottawa, ON (Canada)

2015-07-01

'Full text:' The current and future regulatory challenges associated with deterministic safety analysis are reviewed, including: 1. The CNSC's and safety control areas. 2. Traditional safety analysis approach. 3. Experience gained and impact. 4. Current analysis and regulatory approaches. 5. Current status. 6. Complexity and challenges In particular, the technical, regulatory and strategic aspects of these challenges are discussed. (author)

Safety analysis - current and future regulatory challenges

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jamieson, T.

2015-01-01

'Full text:' The current and future regulatory challenges associated with deterministic safety analysis are reviewed, including: 1. The CNSC's and safety control areas. 2. Traditional safety analysis approach. 3. Experience gained and impact. 4. Current analysis and regulatory approaches. 5. Current status. 6. Complexity and challenges In particular, the technical, regulatory and strategic aspects of these challenges are discussed. (author)

Common Breastfeeding Challenges

Science.gov (United States)

... or duplicated without permission of the Office on Women’s Health in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Citation of the source is appreciated. Page last updated: March 02, 2018. Common breastfeeding challenges Breastfeeding can be ...

The boomer challenge.

Science.gov (United States)

Barr, Paul

2014-01-01

Hospitals and the rest of health care will have to make some major adjustments to meet the needs of the aging baby boom generation. The first article in our year-long series inventories the many challenges that lie ahead.

Data Challenges

CERN Multimedia

McCubbin, N A

Some two years ago we planned a series of Data Challenges starting at the end of 2001. At the time, that seemed to be comfortingly far in the future... Well, as the saying goes, doesn't time fly when you are having fun! ATLAS Computing is now deep in the throes of getting the first Data Challenge (DC0) up and running. One of the main aims of DC0 is to have a software 'release' in which we can generate full physics events, track all particles through the detector, simulate the detector response, reconstruct the event, and study it, with appropriate data storage en route. As all software is "always 95% ready" (!), we have been able to do most of this, more or less, for some time. But DC0 forces us to have everything working, together, at the same time: a reality check. DC0 should finish early next year, and it will be followed almost immediately afterwards by DC1 (DC0 was foreseen as the 'check' for DC1). DC1 will last into the middle of 2002, and has two major goals. The first is generation, simulation, and r...

Nasal mucosal blood flow after intranasal allergen challenge

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Holmberg, K.; Bake, B.; Pipkorn, U.

1988-01-01

The nasal mucosal blood flow in patients with allergic rhinitis was determined at nasal allergen challenges with the 133 Xenon washout method. Determinations were made in 12 subjects before and 15 minutes after challenge with diluent and increasing doses of allergen. The time course was followed in eight subjects by means of repeated measurements during 1 hour after a single allergen dose. Finally, the blood flow was measured after unilateral allergen challenge in the contralateral nasal cavity. A dose-dependent decrease in blood flow was found after nasal challenge with increasing doses of allergens, whereas challenge with diluent alone did not induce any changes. The highest allergen dose, which also induced pronounced nasal symptoms, resulted in a decrease in blood flow of 25% (p less than 0.001). The time-course study demonstrated a maximum decrease in blood flow 10 to 20 minutes after challenge and then a gradual return to baseline. Unilateral allergen challenge resulted in a decrease in blood flow in the contralateral, unchallenged nasal cavity, suggesting that part of the allergen-induced changes in blood flow were reflex mediated

Respiratory challenge MRI: Practical aspects

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fiona C. Moreton

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Respiratory challenge MRI is the modification of arterial oxygen (PaO2 and/or carbon dioxide (PaCO2 concentration to induce a change in cerebral function or metabolism which is then measured by MRI. Alterations in arterial gas concentrations can lead to profound changes in cerebral haemodynamics which can be studied using a variety of MRI sequences. Whilst such experiments may provide a wealth of information, conducting them can be complex and challenging. In this paper we review the rationale for respiratory challenge MRI including the effects of oxygen and carbon dioxide on the cerebral circulation. We also discuss the planning, equipment, monitoring and techniques that have been used to undertake these experiments. We finally propose some recommendations in this evolving area for conducting these experiments to enhance data quality and comparison between techniques.

LHC luminosity upgrade detector challenges

CERN Multimedia

CERN. Geneva; de Roeck, Albert; Bortoletto, Daniela; Wigmans, Richard; Riegler, Werner; Smith, Wesley H

2006-01-01

LHC luminosity upgrade: detector challenges The upgrade of the LHC machine towards higher luminosity (1035 cm -2s-1) has been studied over the last few years. These studies have investigated scenarios to achieve the increase in peak luminosity by an order of magnitude, as well as the physics potential of such an upgrade and the impact of a machine upgrade on the LHC DETECTORS. This series of lectures will cover the following topics: • Physics motivation and machine scenarios for an order of magnitude increase in the LHC peak luminosity (lecture 1) • Detector challenges including overview of ideas for R&D programs by the LHC experiments: tracking and calorimetry, other new detector developments (lectures 2-4) • Electronics, trigger and data acquisition challenges (lecture 5) Note: the much more ambitious LHC energy upgrade will not be covered

The Challenge of Prejudice: Counsellors' Talk about Challenging Clients' Prejudices

Science.gov (United States)

Spong, Sheila J.

2012-01-01

This paper considers the implications for training and practice of counsellors' responses to the notion of challenging clients' prejudices. It explores tensions in counselling discourse between social responsibility, responsibility to the client and responsibility for one's self as counsellor. Three focus groups of counsellors were asked whether a…

The challenges of risk society for impact assessment

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Larsen, Sanne Vammen

2017-01-01

, the challenge of delivering assessments and predictions and the challenge of handling differences of opinion and debate. Through a case example of integration of climate change in strategic environmental assessment, the paper uses empirical evidence from a survey and a series of interviews to carry out......This paper takes its point of departure in Ulrich Beck’s theory of risk society and the aspects that characterise this society. The paper puts forward a hypothe- sis, on which theoretical challenges the characteristics of risk society pose to impact assessment as a decision support tool; namely...... a preliminary discussion of how the theoretical challenges are reflected in practice. The case study results show that the challenge of delivering assessments and predictions in a risk society is reflected in the current state of practice, while the challenge of handling differences of opinion and debate...

Asia's new challenges

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Brach, Juliana; Vang, Jan

2012-01-01

Asian countries are currently undergoing significant changes with respect to their role in and interaction with the international economy. Despite their heterogeneity, Asian countries share the common aim to upgrade capacities, skills and capabilities. This paper aims at unpacking the challenges ...

Visualizing news: obstacles, challenges, and solutions

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Dr. Piet Bakker; Gerard Smit; Yael de Haan; Laura Buijs

2013-01-01

Depicting news graphically is considered an apt way to deal with challenges of modern journalism: to disclose big data, and present news attractively, visually, and fast to grasp. This study delves into reported obstacles and challenges for the production of news visualizations. It focuses on the

The 24-Hour Mathematical Modeling Challenge

Science.gov (United States)

Galluzzo, Benjamin J.; Wendt, Theodore J.

2015-01-01

Across the mathematics curriculum there is a renewed emphasis on applications of mathematics and on mathematical modeling. Providing students with modeling experiences beyond the ordinary classroom setting remains a challenge, however. In this article, we describe the 24-hour Mathematical Modeling Challenge, an extracurricular event that exposes…

The Challenge of A Sustainability Change

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Winkel, Thomas Dyrmann; Poulsen, Søren Bolvig; Rosenstand, Claus Andreas Foss

2015-01-01

Changing a company’s role and position in its context towards a more ambitious profile centred on waste minimisation can be challenging due to external factors such as regulations and economic logics, but also internal challenges of transforming visions into supporting activities can hinder the r...

22 CFR 9.8 - Classification challenges.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 22 Foreign Relations 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Classification challenges. 9.8 Section 9.8 Foreign Relations DEPARTMENT OF STATE GENERAL SECURITY INFORMATION REGULATIONS § 9.8 Classification... classification status is improper are expected and encouraged to challenge the classification status of the...

Multi-scale biomedical systems: measurement challenges

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Summers, R

2016-01-01

Multi-scale biomedical systems are those that represent interactions in materials, sensors, and systems from a holistic perspective. It is possible to view such multi-scale activity using measurement of spatial scale or time scale, though in this paper only the former is considered. The biomedical application paradigm comprises interactions that range from quantum biological phenomena at scales of 10-12 for one individual to epidemiological studies of disease spread in populations that in a pandemic lead to measurement at a scale of 10+7. It is clear that there are measurement challenges at either end of this spatial scale, but those challenges that relate to the use of new technologies that deal with big data and health service delivery at the point of care are also considered. The measurement challenges lead to the use, in many cases, of model-based measurement and the adoption of virtual engineering. It is these measurement challenges that will be uncovered in this paper. (paper)

Ireland’s Competitiveness Challenge 2014

OpenAIRE

2014-01-01

Ireland’s Competitiveness Challenge 2014, which is produced under the Action Plan for Jobs 2014, outlines the National Competitiveness Council’s view of the main competitiveness issues confronting the business sector in Ireland over the medium term, and sets out a series of policy responses required to address these challenges. Building on their earlier benchmarking of Irish competitiveness, the Council focus on six major themes in the 2014 report: addressing cost competitiveness; broadening ...

Systems Challenges for Hypersonic Vehicles

Science.gov (United States)

Hunt, James L.; Laruelle, Gerard; Wagner, Alain

1997-01-01

This paper examines the system challenges posed by fully reusable hypersonic cruise airplanes and access to space vehicles. Hydrocarbon and hydrogen fueled airplanes are considered with cruise speeds of Mach 5 and 10, respectively. The access to space matrix is examined. Airbreathing and rocket powered, single- and two-stage vehicles are considered. Reference vehicle architectures are presented. Major systems/subsystems challenges are described. Advanced, enhancing systems concepts as well as common system technologies are discussed.

The Challenges of Leadership.

Science.gov (United States)

Myrtle, Robert C

Perhaps in no other period in recent times have the challenges leaders face been so profound. In these times of uncertainty and turbulence, we look to leaders who create a sense of purpose, who generate feelings of trust and optimism, and who tap the passion, talent, and efforts of those so essential to the success of the organization and of the people it serves. Our research suggests that becoming the leader whom people look to and admire requires an active commitment to responding to 5 essential leadership challenges. These are (1) creating a sense of purpose, (2) devising means for aligning the actions of the followers with that sense of purpose, (3) establishing a context that enables others to behave in a way that is consistent with the vision and values of the organization, (4) ensuring that the work that is done provides meaning to those engaging in the work activities, and (5) adding to the sum of everyone's knowledge through learning through reflective actions. In this article, we describe these challenges and offer suggestions that you can take to become a more effective and respected leader.

CHALLENGES OF SOFTWARE QUALITY ASSURANCE AND TESTING

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Md.Shahadat Hossain

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Uncertainty exists in Software Company over the world. Software quality problem is leading issue for the software industry. The issue exists from 40 years or 50 years long. The industry is suffering and closing for this issue. In this circumstance, it is important to address and remove its root cause. Otherwise, day by day industry economic loss will increase. I figure out some vital challenges of software quality assurance and testing which have been facing by software industries. The research focused on several small and medium software companies of the world. This paper represents different category of challenges along with responsible stakeholders. This research finds out that testing tools are available testing elements are available testing process has improved but still software has some testing challenges. My research figured out the bottleneck of challenges and explained in this paper. Here software engineers have scope to improve & overcome those challenges. This paper suggests systematic approach to solve the problem.

Evolutionary conservation and expression of miR-10a-3p in olive flounder and rock bream.

Science.gov (United States)

Jo, Ara; Im, Jennifer; Lee, Hee-Eun; Jang, Dongmin; Nam, Gyu-Hwi; Mishra, Anshuman; Kim, Woo-Jin; Kim, Won; Cha, Hee-Jae; Kim, Heui-Soo

2017-09-10

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) that mainly bind to the seed sequences located within the 3' untranslated region (3' UTR) of target genes. They perform an important biological function as regulators of gene expression. Different genes can be regulated by the same miRNA, whilst different miRNAs can be regulated by the same genes. Here, the evolutionary conservation and expression pattern of miR-10a-3p in olive flounder and rock bream was examined. Binding sites (AAAUUC) to seed region of the 3' UTR of target genes were highly conserved in various species. The expression pattern of miR-10a-3p was ubiquitous in the examined tissues, whilst its expression level was decreased in gill tissues infected by viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus (VHSV) compared to the normal control. In the case of rock bream, the spleen, kidney, and liver tissues showed dominant expression levels of miR-10a-3p. Only the liver tissues in the rock bream samples infected by the iridovirus indicated a dominant miR-10a-3p expression. The gene ontology (GO) analysis of predicted target genes for miR-10a-3p revealed that multiple genes are related to binding activity, catalytic activity, cell components as well as cellular and metabolic process. Overall the results imply that the miR-10a-3p could be used as a biomarker to detect VHSV infection in olive flounder and iridovirus infection in rock bream. In addition, the data provides fundamental information for further study of the complex interaction between miR-10a-3p and gene expression. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Distribution of T Cells in Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) Skin and Responsiveness to Viral Infection

Science.gov (United States)

Leal, Esther; Granja, Aitor G.; Zarza, Carlos; Tafalla, Carolina

2016-01-01

Although the skin constitutes the first line of defense against waterborne pathogens, there is a great lack of information regarding the skin associated lymphoid tissue (SALT) and whether immune components of the skin are homogeneously distributed through the surface of the fish is still unknown. In the current work, we have analyzed the transcription of several immune genes throughout different rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) skin areas. We found that immunoglobulin and chemokine gene transcription levels were higher in a skin area close to the gills. Furthermore, this skin area as well as other anterior sections also transcribed significantly higher levels of many different immune genes related to T cell immunity such as T cell receptor α (TCRα), TCRγ, CD3, CD4, CD8, perforin, GATA3, Tbet, FoxP3, interferon γ (IFNγ), CD40L and Eomes in comparison to posterior skin sections. In agreement with these results, immunohistochemical analysis revealed that anterior skin areas had a higher concentration of CD3+ T cells and flow cytometry analysis confirmed that the percentage of CD8+ T lymphocytes was also higher in anterior skin sections. These results demonstrate for the first time that T cells are not homogeneously distributed throughout the teleost skin. Additionally, we studied the transcriptional regulation of these and additional T cell markers in response to a bath infection with viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus (VHSV). We found that VHSV regulated the transcription of several of these T cell markers in both the skin and the spleen; with some differences between anterior and posterior skin sections. Altogether, our results point to skin T cells as major players of teleost skin immunity in response to waterborne viral infections. PMID:26808410

Global challenges

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Blix, H.

1990-01-01

A major challenge now facing the world is the supply of energy needed for growth and development in a manner which is not only economically viable but also environmentally acceptable and sustainable in view of the demands of and risks to future generations. The internationally most significant pollutants from energy production through fossil fuels are SO 2 and NO x which cause acid rain, and CO 2 which is the most significant contributor to the greenhouse effect. Nuclear power, now providing about 17% of the world's electricity and 5% of the primary energy already is making a notable contribution to avoiding these emissions. While the industrialized countries will need more energy and especially electricity in the future, the needs of the developing countries are naturally much larger and present a tremendous challenge to the shaping of the world's future energy supply system. The advanced countries will have to accept special responsibilities, as they can most easily use advanced technologies and they have been and remain the main contributors to the environmental problems we now face. Energy conservation and resort to new renewable energy sources, though highly desirable, appear inadequate alone to meet the challenges. The world can hardly afford to do without an increased use of nuclear power, although it is strongly contested in many countries. The objections raised against the nuclear option focus on safety, waste management and disposal problems and the risk for proliferation of nuclear weapons. These issues are not without their problems. The risk of proliferation exists but will not appreciably diminish with lesser global reliance on nuclear power. The waste issue is more of a political than a technical problem. The use of nuclear power, or any other energy source, will never be at zero risk, but the risks are constantly reduced by new techniques and practices. The IAEA sees it as one of its priority tasks to promote such techniques. (author)

The RERS 2017 Challenge and Workshop

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Jasper, Marc; Fecke, Maximilian; Steffen, Bernhard; Schordan, Markus; Meijer, Jeroen; Pol, Jaco van de; Howar, Falk; Siegel, Stephen F.

RERS is an annual verification challenge that focuses on LTL and reachability properties of reactive systems. In 2017, RERS was extended to a one day workshop that in addition to the original challenge program also featured an invited talk about possible future developments. As a satellite of ISSTA

Navigating Transitions: Challenges for Engineering Students

Science.gov (United States)

Moore-Russo, Deborah; Wilsey, Jillian N.; Parthum, Michael J., Sr.; Lewis, Kemper

2017-01-01

As college students enter engineering, they face challenges when they navigate across various transitions. These challenges impact whether a student can successfully adapt to the rigorous curricular requirements of an engineering degree and to the norms and expectations that are particular to engineering. This article focuses on the transitions…

The challenges of pharmacy education in Yemen.

Science.gov (United States)

Al-Worafi, Yaser Mohammed

2014-10-15

Pharmacy education in Yemen has faced many challenges since its introduction in the 1980s. Most Yemeni pharmacy schools, especially private ones, are experiencing difficulties in providing the right quality and quantity of clinical educational experiences. Most of these challenges are imbedded in a teaching style and curricula that have failed to respond to the needs of the community and country. The slow shift from traditional drug-dispensing to a patient-centered or focused approach in pharmacy practice requires a fundamental change in the roles and responsibilities of both policymakers and educators. The purpose of this paper is twofold: (1) to discuss the challenges facing the pharmacy education in Yemen; (2) to provided recommendations to overcome challenges.

Hopes and Challenges

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

无

2010-01-01

China tops the medal tally again at the Asian Games but still faces challenges in some events The curtain of the 16th Asian Games has fallen, but the 15 days of exciting competitions will be recorded in the history of the Games.

An Evaluation of ChalleNGe Graduates DOD Employability

Science.gov (United States)

2018-01-22

initial reading and applied math TABE scores are more likely to complete ChalleNGe. In addition, those graduates who begin ChalleNGe with higher TABE...each site is given discretion in how it structures its program. As a result, the academic goals of the ChalleNGe sites vary. Some seek to have...students arrive at ChalleNGe at low levels of reading comprehension, writing, and basic math ; they simply are not ready to acquire a second language

Sustainable Materials Management (SMM) Electronics Challenge Data

Science.gov (United States)

On September 22, 2012, EPA launched the SMM Electronics Challenge. The Challenge encourages electronics manufacturers, brand owners and retailers to strive to send 100 percent of the used electronics they collect from the public, businesses and within their own organizations to third-party certified electronics refurbishers and recyclers. The Challenge??s goals are to: 1). Ensure responsible recycling through the use of third-party certified recyclers, 2). Increase transparency and accountability through public posting of electronics collection and recycling data, and 3). Encourage outstanding performance through awards and recognition. By striving to send 100 percent of used electronics collected to certified recyclers and refurbishers, Challenge participants are ensuring that the used electronics they collect will be responsibly managed by recyclers that maximize reuse and recycling, minimize exposure to human health and the environment, ensure the safe management of materials by downstream handlers, and require destruction of all data on used electronics. Electronics Challenge participants are publicly recognized on EPA's website as a registrant, new participant, or active participant. Awards are offered in two categories - tier and champion. Tier awards are given in recognition of achieving all the requirements under a gold, silver or bronze tier. Champion awards are given in two categories - product and non-product. For champion awards, a product is an it

Mathematical olympiad challenges

CERN Document Server

Andreescu, Titu

2000-01-01

Mathematical Olympiad Challenges is a rich collection of problems put together by two experienced and well-known professors and coaches of the U.S. International Mathematical Olympiad Team. Hundreds of beautiful, challenging, and instructive problems from algebra, geometry, trigonometry, combinatorics, and number theory were selected from numerous mathematical competitions and journals. An important feature of the work is the comprehensive background material provided with each grouping of problems. The problems are clustered by topic into self-contained sections with solutions provided separately. All sections start with an essay discussing basic facts and one or two representative examples. A list of carefully chosen problems follows and the reader is invited to take them on. Additionally, historical insights and asides are presented to stimulate further inquiry. The emphasis throughout is on encouraging readers to move away from routine exercises and memorized algorithms toward creative solutions to open-e...

A reflective teaching challenge to motivate educational innovation.

Science.gov (United States)

Edwards, Roger A; Kirwin, Jennifer; Gonyeau, Michael; Matthews, S James; Lancaster, Jason; DiVall, Margarita

2014-06-17

To describe a teaching challenge intended to increase faculty use of evidence-based and student-centered instructional strategies in the demanding school of pharmacy context with technology-savvy students. A teaching challenge was created that required faculty members to incorporate a "new-to-you" innovative teaching method in a class, course, or experiential activity. The method was linked to at least 1 of 7 evidence-based principles for effective teaching. Faculty members were exposed to colleagues' teaching strategies via brief voluntary presentations at department meetings. A post-challenge survey provided assessment data about the challenge. Responses to a baseline survey provided additional information about what faculty members were already doing (52% response rate). Eighty-one percent of faculty respondents completed the challenge. A wide array of new strategies (13 categories such as flipped classrooms and social media) was implemented and 75% included the use of technology. Nearly all respondents (96%) thought that participation in the challenge was worth the effort and planned to participate again the following year. All faculty members intended to continue using their new strategy and 56% planned additional modifications with future implementations. The challenge demonstrated how multiple goals of curricular improvement, faculty development, and student-centered instruction could be achieved together. The teaching challenge motivated most of the faculty members to try something new to them. Links between evidence-based principles and day-to-day activities were strengthened. The new-to-you design placed the challenge within reach of faculty members regardless of their background, subject, or experience.

Preservice Teachers' Perceptions of Challenging Behavior

Science.gov (United States)

Butler, Anne; Monda-Amaya, Lisa

2016-01-01

Challenging behavior can have adverse effects on both students and teachers, and preservice teachers often report feeling ill prepared to manage this behavior. The purpose of this study was to examine (a) preservice teacher perceptions of student and teacher behavior during scenarios of challenging behavior, (b) alternative solutions or strategies…

The Marihuana Dilemma: Challenge to Commanders.

Science.gov (United States)

The marihuana dilemma poses a major challenge to commanders in the US Army today. The problem was analyzed as to the characteristics of the drug...available to commanders to meet the challenge. The essay concludes that marihuana should not be legalized; drug users or former drug users should not be

Training Staff to Manage Challenging Behaviour

Science.gov (United States)

van Oorsouw, Wietske M. W. J.; Embregts, Petri J. C. M.; Bosman, Anna M. T.; Jahoda, Andrew

2010-01-01

Background: A training package for staff working with clients presenting challenging behaviour was developed to (1) increase their knowledge regarding challenging behaviour, and (2) to improve the quality of physical intervention techniques. The latter aim was intended to reduce staff anxiety about dealing with incidents and limit physical risk of…

Activities to Address Challenges in Digital Innovation

OpenAIRE

Lund , Jesper

2014-01-01

Part 3: Structures and Networks; International audience; Based on a literature review, this paper identifies four socio-technical challenges relating to innovation actor’s interactions in digital innovation. Furthermore, the paper explores how these challenges can be addressed. The challenges are investigated in a case study of digital innovation. The study is based on a two year long research and development project where an e-newspaper concept and a demonstrator based on e-paper technology ...

The challenges of amblyopia treatment

OpenAIRE

Maconachie, Gail D.E.; Gottlob, Irene

2015-01-01

The treatment of amblyopia, particularly anisometropic (difference in refractive correction) and/or strabismic (turn of one eye) amblyopia has long been a challenge for many clinicians. Achieving optimum outcomes, where the amblyopic eye reaches a visual acuity similar to the fellow eye, is often impossible in many patients. Part of this challenge has resulted from a previous lack of scientific evidence for amblyopia treatment that was highlight by a systematic review by Snowdon et al. in 199...

Evergreening, patent challenges, and effective market life in pharmaceuticals.

Science.gov (United States)

Hemphill, C Scott; Sampat, Bhaven N

2012-03-01

Observers worry that generic patent challenges are on the rise and reduce the effective market life of drugs. A related concern is that challenges disproportionately target high-sales drugs, reducing market life for these "blockbusters." To study these questions, we examine new data on generic entry over the past decade. We show that challenges are more common for higher sales drugs. We also demonstrate a slight increase in challenges over this period, and a sharper increase for early challenges. Despite this, effective market life is stable across drug sales categories, and has hardly changed over the decade. To better understand these results, we examine which patents are challenged on each drug, and show that lower quality and later expiring patents disproportionately draw challenges. Overall, this evidence suggests that challenges serve to maintain, not reduce, the historical baseline of effective market life, thereby limiting the effectiveness of "evergreening" by branded firms. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Higgs Machine Learning Challenge 2014

CERN Document Server

Olivier, A-P; Bourdarios, C ; LAL / Orsay; Goldfarb, S ; University of Michigan

2014-01-01

High Energy Physics (HEP) has been using Machine Learning (ML) techniques such as boosted decision trees (paper) and neural nets since the 90s. These techniques are now routinely used for difficult tasks such as the Higgs boson search. Nevertheless, formal connections between the two research fields are rather scarce, with some exceptions such as the AppStat group at LAL, founded in 2006. In collaboration with INRIA, AppStat promotes interdisciplinary research on machine learning, computational statistics, and high-energy particle and astroparticle physics. We are now exploring new ways to improve the cross-fertilization of the two fields by setting up a data challenge, following the footsteps of, among others, the astrophysics community (dark matter and galaxy zoo challenges) and neurobiology (connectomics and decoding the human brain). The organization committee consists of ATLAS physicists and machine learning researchers. The Challenge will run from Monday 12th to September 2014.

Sustainable Materials Management (SMM) Electronics Challenge Data

Data.gov (United States)

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency — On September 22, 2012, EPA launched the SMM Electronics Challenge. The Challenge encourages electronics manufacturers, brand owners and retailers to strive to send...

7 CFR 1230.639 - Additional absentee voter challenge period.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... Voter Request List indicated they had returned their ballot are not subject to challenge during this... period. FSA county offices will notify all challenged persons that documentation such as sales documents... challenged producers as soon as practicable but no later than November 9, 2000. (f) Challenged ballot. A...

NASA Space Rocket Logistics Challenges

Science.gov (United States)

Neeley, James R.; Jones, James V.; Watson, Michael D.; Bramon, Christopher J.; Inman, Sharon K.; Tuttle, Loraine

2014-01-01

The Space Launch System (SLS) is the new NASA heavy lift launch vehicle and is scheduled for its first mission in 2017. The goal of the first mission, which will be uncrewed, is to demonstrate the integrated system performance of the SLS rocket and spacecraft before a crewed flight in 2021. SLS has many of the same logistics challenges as any other large scale program. Common logistics concerns for SLS include integration of discreet programs geographically separated, multiple prime contractors with distinct and different goals, schedule pressures and funding constraints. However, SLS also faces unique challenges. The new program is a confluence of new hardware and heritage, with heritage hardware constituting seventy-five percent of the program. This unique approach to design makes logistics concerns such as commonality especially problematic. Additionally, a very low manifest rate of one flight every four years makes logistics comparatively expensive. That, along with the SLS architecture being developed using a block upgrade evolutionary approach, exacerbates long-range planning for supportability considerations. These common and unique logistics challenges must be clearly identified and tackled to allow SLS to have a successful program. This paper will address the common and unique challenges facing the SLS programs, along with the analysis and decisions the NASA Logistics engineers are making to mitigate the threats posed by each.

Advances and Challenges in Convergent Communication Networks

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Toral-Cruz, Homero; Mihovska, Albena

2017-01-01

Welcome to this special issue of Wireless Personal Communications on Advances and Challenges in Convergent Communication Networks. The main purpose of this special issue is to present new progresses and challenges in convergent networks. Communication networks play an important role in our daily...... life because they allow communicating and sharing contents between heterogeneous nodes around the globe. The emergence of multiple network architectures and emerging technologies have resulted in new applications and services over a heterogeneous network. This heterogeneous network has undergone...... significant challenges in recent years, such as the evolution to a converged network with the capability to support multiple services, while maintaining a satisfactory level of QoE/QoS, security, efficiency and trust. The special issue on Advances and Challenges in Convergent Communication Networks...

Oral food challenge outcomes in a pediatric tertiary care center.

Science.gov (United States)

Abrams, Elissa M; Becker, Allan B

2017-01-01

Oral food challenges are the clinical standard for diagnosis of food allergy. Little data exist on predictors of oral challenge failure and reaction severity. A retrospective chart review was done on all pediatric patients who had oral food challenges in a tertiary care pediatric allergy clinic from 2008 to 2010. 313 oral challenges were performed, of which the majority were to peanut (105), egg (71), milk (41) and tree nuts (29). There were 104 (33%) oral challenge failures. Children were more likely to fail an oral challenge if they were older (P = .04), had asthma (P = .001) or had atopic dermatitis (P = .03). Risk of challenge failure was significantly different between food allergens, with more failures noted for peanut than for tree nuts, milk or egg (P = .001). Among challenge failures, 19% met criteria for anaphylaxis. Significantly more tree nut and peanut challenges met criteria for anaphylaxis than milk or egg (P Skin test size and specific IgE level were significantly higher in those who failed oral challenges (P < .001). The highest rate of challenge failure and severity of failure was to cashew, with 63% of cashew challenges reacting, of which 80% met clinical criteria for anaphylaxis. The risk of challenge failure differed with type of food studied, with peanut and tree nut having a higher risk of challenge failure and anaphylaxis. Cashew in particular carried a high risk and caution must be exercised when performing these types of oral challenges in children.

Success of Breast Cancer Startup Challenge Inspires Second Challenge | Poster

Science.gov (United States)

By Thomas Stackhouse, Joseph Conrad, and Michele Newton, Contributing Writers, and Rosemarie Truman, Guest Writer Sixty-one teams have been accepted into, and are now competing in, the Neuro Startup Challenge, a new collaboration established by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) with The Center for Advancing Innovation (CAI) and Heritage Provider Network, Inc.

Challenges to Nordic Police Research

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Holmberg, Lars

2015-01-01

The paper will cover three main points: A short description of published police research in the Nordic countries; a somewhat longer discussion of the nature of, and challenges to, Nordic police research and, finally, a critique of the homeliness of research.......The paper will cover three main points: A short description of published police research in the Nordic countries; a somewhat longer discussion of the nature of, and challenges to, Nordic police research and, finally, a critique of the homeliness of research....

Challenges in modelling nanoparticles for drug delivery

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barnard, Amanda S

2016-01-01

Although there have been significant advances in the fields of theoretical condensed matter and computational physics, when confronted with the complexity and diversity of nanoparticles available in conventional laboratories a number of modeling challenges remain. These challenges are generally shared among application domains, but the impacts of the limitations and approximations we make to overcome them (or circumvent them) can be more significant one area than another. In the case of nanoparticles for drug delivery applications some immediate challenges include the incompatibility of length-scales, our ability to model weak interactions and solvation, the complexity of the thermochemical environment surrounding the nanoparticles, and the role of polydispersivity in determining properties and performance. Some of these challenges can be met with existing technologies, others with emerging technologies including the data-driven sciences; some others require new methods to be developed. In this article we will briefly review some simple methods and techniques that can be applied to these (and other) challenges, and demonstrate some results using nanodiamond-based drug delivery platforms as an exemplar. (topical review)

Overcoming the Challenges of Co-creation

Science.gov (United States)

Pandya, R.; Udu-gama, N.; Goodwin, M.; Otellini, P.

2016-12-01

There is growing interest in co-creation, especially for community-related issues like climate change, resilience, pollution, and environmental justice. Nevertheless, co-creation is still not mainstream practice in either geosciences or the world of decision-makers. This presents many challenges. On the science side, challenges include a paucity of training opportunities, lack of funding for co-creation, difficulty publishing or otherwise getting credit for the effort, and a perceived lack of prestige compared to theoretical research. On the community side, parallel challenges include a lack of experience working with scientists or thinking about geoscience's relevance to community issues, tight budgets and competing priorities, the need for outputs beyond publications, and the difficulty including science among a range of factors. Additionally, scientists and community leaders often work across public and private sectors and must navigate different approaches to data, privacy, and accountability. We'll use this session to explore opportunities to overcome the challenges of co-creation. Systems thinking suggests a range of approaches: enabling individuals, reducing specific challenges, changing the relationship between the elements of the systems, and changing the goals or mindsets of the systems - each more powerful than the last. For example, mentoring and coaching enables individuals, and pro-bono work eases the challenge of getting professional credit. New modes of output, like plain language abstracts, change the relationship between publications and other outputs. We can work on changing mindsets by publicizing and celebrating individual successes. With more effort and impact, we can build collaborations in the collective impact model, where we bring scientific and community organizations together around a common agenda and shared measurement. Building on these examples, we will use this session to collect strategies and opportunities from all participants.

Challenging and valuable

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Van Hal, J.D.M.

2008-01-01

Challenging and valuable Inaugural speech given on May 7th 2008 at the occasion of the acceptance of the position of Professor Sustainable Housing Transformation at the faculty of Architeeture of the Delft University of Technology by Prof. J.D.M. van Hal MSc PhD.

BPI Challenge 2014

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Dongen, B.F. van

2014-01-01

BPI Challenge 2014: Similar to other ICT companies, Rabobank Group ICT has to implement an increasing number of software releases, while the time to market is decreasing. Rabobank Group ICT has implemented the ITIL-processes and therefore uses the Change-proces for implementing these so called

Wearable sensors: modalities, challenges, and prospects.

Science.gov (United States)

Heikenfeld, J; Jajack, A; Rogers, J; Gutruf, P; Tian, L; Pan, T; Li, R; Khine, M; Kim, J; Wang, J; Kim, J

2018-01-16

Wearable sensors have recently seen a large increase in both research and commercialization. However, success in wearable sensors has been a mix of both progress and setbacks. Most of commercial progress has been in smart adaptation of existing mechanical, electrical and optical methods of measuring the body. This adaptation has involved innovations in how to miniaturize sensing technologies, how to make them conformal and flexible, and in the development of companion software that increases the value of the measured data. However, chemical sensing modalities have experienced greater challenges in commercial adoption, especially for non-invasive chemical sensors. There have also been significant challenges in making significant fundamental improvements to existing mechanical, electrical, and optical sensing modalities, especially in improving their specificity of detection. Many of these challenges can be understood by appreciating the body's surface (skin) as more of an information barrier than as an information source. With a deeper understanding of the fundamental challenges faced for wearable sensors and of the state-of-the-art for wearable sensor technology, the roadmap becomes clearer for creating the next generation of innovations and breakthroughs.

Résultats challenge

CERN Multimedia

Club de pétanque

2015-01-01

C'est avec un temps magnifique que se disputait pour la deuxième année le Challenge de notre cher ami Patrick DURAND le jeudi 30 juillet 2015. Vingt-six personnes formées en doublettes s'affrontaient pour trois parties .Après des parties très serrées le juge arbitre Claude JOUVE épaulé par Alain PHILIPONA déclarait  vainqueur l'imbattable Claude MACARI suivi de très près par Eric DARMEDRU et à la troisième place Christian JOUVE. La première féminine était Mireille ROCHE. La soirée se clôturait par une succulente paëlla préparée par Jennifer et sa maman Sylvie JOUVE. Rendez-vous à tous pour le jeudi 27 août 2015 pour le challenge Jean-Claude FROT Nos concours sont ouverts à tous les amateurs de pétanque.

Safeguards challenges of Fast Breeder Reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ko, H. S.

2010-01-01

Although the safeguards system of Sodium Fast Reactor (SFR) seems similar to that of Light Water Reactor (LWR), it was raised safeguards challenges of SFR that resulted from the visual opacity of liquid sodium, chemical reactivity of sodium and other characteristics of fast reactor. As it is the basic concept stage of the safeguards of SFR in Korea, this study tried to analyze the latest similar study of safeguards issues of the Fast Breeder Reactor (FBR) at Joyo and Monju in Japan. For this reason, this study is to introduce some potential safeguards challenges of Fast Breeder Reactor. With this analysis, future study could be to address the safeguards challenges of SFR in Korea

The Challenges of Adopting International Financial Reporting ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The Challenges of Adopting International Financial Reporting System in Nigeria. ... Nigeria is going to adopt International Financial Reporting Standard (IFRS) ... its challenges and to proffer solutions that would ensure seamless transition in ...

Recognizing and overcoming challenges of couple interview research.

Science.gov (United States)

Mellor, Ruth M; Slaymaker, Emma; Cleland, John

2013-10-01

In this article we discuss some methodological and ethical challenges we faced when conducting a couple-based study on men's role in contraceptive switching, and how we overcame them. The challenges we discuss include recruiting couples with a range of experiences, ensuring informed consent of participants, maintaining confidentiality within interviews, and participants discussing interview content between interviews. As appropriate, we have drawn on study participants' views of these challenges. We conclude that although couple research poses challenges, they can be overcome or minimized, and that for certain research questions this methodology is well worth using.

"Egg Races" and Other Practical Challenges

Science.gov (United States)

Auty, Geoff

2013-01-01

This article presents ideas behind science and technology challenges and shares experiences of "egg races." Different challenges were set, but there was always the need to transport an egg across some obstacle course without breaking it. It was so popular in the 1980s that the term "egg race" came to mean any kind of simple…

Challenges when electricity markets face the investment phase

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Finon, Dominique; Johnsen, Tor Arnt; Midttun, Atle

2004-01-01

Deregulation of electricity industry in Europe has tended to start with a grace period of energy surplus inherited from the previously expansive coordinated economies and further amplified by better resource utilisation from extended international trade. The regulatory challenge has therefore primarily been to allocate existing generation to consumers in an efficient way. However, as energy demand increases, due to economic growth, the challenge of providing new capacity surfaces. The Nordic region, which has been a pioneer in internationalising and deregulating electricity, is now approaching this stage, ahead of most of the rest of Europe. While the Nordic case is characterised by specificities related to hydropower it also raises the more general challenge of capacity expansion under a deregulated market economy. The article therefore discusses how the Nordic investment challenges of today shed light on more generic challenges that may become more general European challenges of tomorrow. In a final section, the article discusses policy options available to address the investment/price-hike challenge. The argument is put forward that recursion to some degree of coordinated governance might seem necessary if solutions are confined within large-scale technical systems. However, within the context of a small-scale decentralised technological development, one may be more confident of competitive solutions. (Author)

Statistical Challenges in Modeling Big Brain Signals

KAUST Repository

Yu, Zhaoxia; Pluta, Dustin; Shen, Tong; Chen, Chuansheng; Xue, Gui; Ombao, Hernando

2017-01-01

Brain signal data are inherently big: massive in amount, complex in structure, and high in dimensions. These characteristics impose great challenges for statistical inference and learning. Here we review several key challenges, discuss possible

Managing Challenges in a Multi Contractor Project

Science.gov (United States)

King, Ron

2011-01-01

The presentation provides a project description, describes the integrated product team, and review project challenges. The challenges include programmatic, technical, basic drop tests, heavy drop tests, C-17 envelope expansion, and Ares I-X.

Internal quality assurance reviews: challenges and processes ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Internal quality assurance reviews: challenges and processes – Walter Sisulu University\\'s Business, Management Sciences and Law Faculty. ... This article examines some of the challenges and processes followed by six of the departments ...

Spinal cord grey matter segmentation challenge.

Science.gov (United States)

Prados, Ferran; Ashburner, John; Blaiotta, Claudia; Brosch, Tom; Carballido-Gamio, Julio; Cardoso, Manuel Jorge; Conrad, Benjamin N; Datta, Esha; Dávid, Gergely; Leener, Benjamin De; Dupont, Sara M; Freund, Patrick; Wheeler-Kingshott, Claudia A M Gandini; Grussu, Francesco; Henry, Roland; Landman, Bennett A; Ljungberg, Emil; Lyttle, Bailey; Ourselin, Sebastien; Papinutto, Nico; Saporito, Salvatore; Schlaeger, Regina; Smith, Seth A; Summers, Paul; Tam, Roger; Yiannakas, Marios C; Zhu, Alyssa; Cohen-Adad, Julien

2017-05-15

An important image processing step in spinal cord magnetic resonance imaging is the ability to reliably and accurately segment grey and white matter for tissue specific analysis. There are several semi- or fully-automated segmentation methods for cervical cord cross-sectional area measurement with an excellent performance close or equal to the manual segmentation. However, grey matter segmentation is still challenging due to small cross-sectional size and shape, and active research is being conducted by several groups around the world in this field. Therefore a grey matter spinal cord segmentation challenge was organised to test different capabilities of various methods using the same multi-centre and multi-vendor dataset acquired with distinct 3D gradient-echo sequences. This challenge aimed to characterize the state-of-the-art in the field as well as identifying new opportunities for future improvements. Six different spinal cord grey matter segmentation methods developed independently by various research groups across the world and their performance were compared to manual segmentation outcomes, the present gold-standard. All algorithms provided good overall results for detecting the grey matter butterfly, albeit with variable performance in certain quality-of-segmentation metrics. The data have been made publicly available and the challenge web site remains open to new submissions. No modifications were introduced to any of the presented methods as a result of this challenge for the purposes of this publication. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Challenges in implementing electronic hand hygiene monitoring systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Conway, Laurie J

2016-05-02

Electronic hand hygiene (HH) monitoring systems offer the exciting prospect of a more precise, less biased measure of HH performance than direct observation. However, electronic systems are challenging to implement. Selecting a system that minimizes disruption to the physical infrastructure and to clinician workflow, and that fits with the organization's culture and budget, is challenging. Getting front-line workers' buy-in and addressing concerns about the accuracy of the system and how the data will be used are also difficult challenges. Finally, ensuring information from the system reaches front-line workers and is used by them to improve HH practice is a complex challenge. We describe these challenges in detail and suggests ways to overcome them. Copyright © 2016 Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Censorship Challenges to Books in Scottish Public Libraries

Science.gov (United States)

Taylor, Kelly; McMenemy, David

2013-01-01

Censorship challenges to books in UK public libraries have received renewed attention recently. This study sought to establish the incidence of censorship challenges to books in Scottish public libraries in the years 2005-2009 and the actions taken in response to these challenges. It was found that eight local authorities in Scotland had received…

Energy challenges and strategic challenges in the 21. Century

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Paillard, Christophe-Alexandre

2011-01-01

Prices of fossil fuels are still increasing in 2011. This trend should accentuate in the next years. Because natural resources are indeed limited and without any possibility of quickly reversing current consuming habits, world consumers must find a way to limit the impact of these bullish tendencies. This challenge must be confronted to the lack of credible alternative to fossil fuels. In fact, there is no energy with comparable qualities to oil and gas. Thus other resources will keep a low profile in the world energy balance in the next twenty years. This phenomenon of scarcity and a high level of dependency to hydrocarbons will have four consequences: redefinition of military and economic alliances; calling into questions the positions of established powers; implementation of policies which aim to reduce any external dependency; upholding of the Middle East as a key energy area, due to the amount of its natural reserves. In such a context, producing countries will try to preserve their resources from any external lust. For all, any energy policy based on abstinence should contribute to limit the risks of a possible world energy crisis. However, such a development seems to be unlikely on the mid term. Energy will stay one of the major challenges of the 21. century

Communication Challenge Softball

Science.gov (United States)

Moran, Tom; Vance, Mike

2005-01-01

Communication Challenge Softball is a developmentally appropriate game for middle school students. The game allows them to develop new communication skills using American Sign Language (signing). Traditional softball has been a part of physical education for years, and remains a popular sport played by children in community leagues throughout the…

Continuing challenges in nuclear air cleaning

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moeller, D.W.

1976-01-01

The safe operation of nuclear facilities is heavily dependent upon the adequate performance of air cleaning systems. Although many problems have been solved, new questions and new challenges continue to arise. These are well illustrated by weaknesses in air cleaning and ventilating systems revealed by the Browns Ferry fire, and the need to develop additional data on the reliability of such systems, particularly under emergency conditions, as revealed by the Reactor Safety Study. Assessments of the degree to which engineered safety features can compensate for deficiencies in nuclear power plant sites continue to challenge those involved in risk/benefit evaluations. Additional challenges are being generated by the air cleaning requirements associated with the commercial development of the liquid metal fast breeder reactor

Projectile Motion Hoop Challenge

Science.gov (United States)

Jordan, Connor; Dunn, Amy; Armstrong, Zachary; Adams, Wendy K.

2018-04-01

Projectile motion is a common phenomenon that is used in introductory physics courses to help students understand motion in two dimensions. Authors have shared a range of ideas for teaching this concept and the associated kinematics in The Physics Teacher; however, the "Hoop Challenge" is a new setup not before described in TPT. In this article an experiment is illustrated to explore projectile motion in a fun and challenging manner that has been used with both high school and university students. With a few simple materials, students have a vested interest in being able to calculate the height of the projectile at a given distance from its launch site. They also have an exciting visual demonstration of projectile motion when the lab is over.

Characterizing challenged Minnesota ballots

Science.gov (United States)

Nagy, George; Lopresti, Daniel; Barney Smith, Elisa H.; Wu, Ziyan

2011-01-01

Photocopies of the ballots challenged in the 2008 Minnesota elections, which constitute a public record, were scanned on a high-speed scanner and made available on a public radio website. The PDF files were downloaded, converted to TIF images, and posted on the PERFECT website. Based on a review of relevant image-processing aspects of paper-based election machinery and on additional statistics and observations on the posted sample data, robust tools were developed for determining the underlying grid of the targets on these ballots regardless of skew, clipping, and other degradations caused by high-speed copying and digitization. The accuracy and robustness of a method based on both index-marks and oval targets are demonstrated on 13,435 challenged ballot page images.

The challenges of maintaining indigenous ecological knowledge

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Joe McCarter

2014-09-01

Full Text Available Increased interest in indigenous ecological knowledge (IEK has led to concern that it is vulnerable amidst social and ecological change. In response, multiple authors have recommended the establishment of programs for the maintenance and revitalization of IEK systems. However, few studies have analyzed the methods, opportunities, and challenges of these programs. This is a critical gap, as IEK maintenance is challenging and will require layered and evidence-based solutions. We seek to build a foundation for future approaches to IEK maintenance. First, we present a systematic literature review of IEK maintenance programs (n = 39 and discuss the opportunities and challenges inherent in five broad groups of published approaches. Second, we use two case studies from the Republic of Vanuatu to illustrate these challenges in more depth. The first case study takes a community-based approach, which has inherent strengths (e.g., localized organization. It has, however, faced practical (e.g., funding and epistemological (changing modes of knowledge transmission challenges. The second case study seeks to facilitate IEK transmission within the formal school system. Although this model has potential, it has faced significant challenges (e.g., lack of institutional linkages. We conclude that supporting and strengthening IEK is important but that serious attention is needed to account for the social, situated, and dynamic nature of IEK. In closing, we use the review and case studies to propose four principles that may guide adaptive and flexible approaches for the future maintenance of IEK systems.

Challenges and opportunities for REDD+

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pasgaard, Maya; Sun, Zhanli; Müller, Daniel

2016-01-01

Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation (REDD+) is a promising mechanism of payments for ecosystem services with the aim to effectively reduce emissions in an efficient and equitable manner. REDD+ is part of the Paris-agreement reached at the UNFCCC COP21 in December 2015...... the opportunities and challenges of REDD+ for achieving effective, efficient and equitable outcomes and co-benefits (3E+). We substantiate our survey results with a literature review. Results suggest that the challenges in achieving the 3E+ relate to the disproportionality between deforestation drivers...

Challenges to Business Excellence: Some Empirical Evidence

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Brown Alan

2014-11-01

Full Text Available The business excellence models are used by many organisations around the world as a strategic driver for business improvement and in some cases as the basis for applications for awards based on the models. These include the Baldrige, EFQM, Australian Business Excellence Framework and many other national and regional models. Whilst many award recipients showcase their achievements, comparatively little is known about the challenges and impediments they face in reaching and sustaining high levels of success as evidenced by winning awards. This paper seeks to identify challenges faced by examining the experience of a sample of Australian Business Excellence Award winners. Findings suggest that the primary challenges include; leadership support, drive and consistency throughout the organisation and communicating strategy and making it meaningful for people at all levels. The study also found variability in challenges across organisations.

The Climate Change Challenge for Land Professionals

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Enemark, Stig

2014-01-01

“Climate change is the defining challenge of our time”. This statement by UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon (2009) is still valid. The challenges of food shortage, environmental degradation and natural disasters are to a large extent caused by the overarching challenge of climate change, while...... the rapid urbanisation is a general trend that in itself has a significant impact on climate change. Measures for adaptation to climate change must be integrated into strategies for poverty reduction to ensure sustainable development and for meeting the Millennium Development Goals and beyond. Sustainable...... monitoring systems and systems for land administration and management should serve as a basis for climate change mitigation and adaptation as well as prevention and management of natural disasters. In facing the climate change challenge the role of land professionals is twofold: • Monitoring change...

Neonatal Vaccination: Challenges and Intervention Strategies.

Science.gov (United States)

Morris, Matthew C; Surendran, Naveen

2016-01-01

While vaccines have been tremendously successful in reducing the incidence of serious infectious diseases, newborns remain particularly vulnerable in the first few months of their life to life-threatening infections. A number of challenges exist to neonatal vaccination. However, recent advances in the understanding of neonatal immunology offer insights to overcome many of those challenges. This review will present an overview of the features of neonatal immunity which make vaccination difficult, survey the mechanisms of action of available vaccine adjuvants with respect to the unique features of neonatal immunity, and propose a possible mechanism contributing to the inability of neonates to generate protective immune responses to vaccines. We surveyed recent published findings on the challenges to neonatal vaccination and possible intervention strategies including the use of novel vaccine adjuvants to develop efficacious neonatal vaccines. Challenges in the vaccination of neonates include interference from maternal antibody and excessive skewing towards Th2 immunity, which can be counteracted by the use of proper adjuvants. Synergistic stimulation of multiple Toll-like receptors by incorporating well-defined agonist-adjuvant combinations to vaccines is a promising strategy to ensure a protective vaccine response in neonates. © 2016 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Telecommunications Reform in Nigeria: The Marketing Challenges ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Telecommunications Reform in Nigeria: The Marketing Challenges. ... Journal of Research in National Development ... This paper discusses the telecommunications reforms process, the role of the regulatory body (Nigeria Commission, the current state of the telecommunication sector and the marketing challenges in ...

Statistical Challenges in Modeling Big Brain Signals

KAUST Repository

Yu, Zhaoxia

2017-11-01

Brain signal data are inherently big: massive in amount, complex in structure, and high in dimensions. These characteristics impose great challenges for statistical inference and learning. Here we review several key challenges, discuss possible solutions, and highlight future research directions.

Knowledge Management Challenges For Global Business

OpenAIRE

Veli Denizhan Kalkan

2011-01-01

Managing organizational knowledge effectively is a prerequisite for securing competitive advantages in the global marketplace. The field of knowledge management brings out important challenges for global business practices. Based on a comprehensive academic and popular literature review, this paper identifies six main knowledge management challenges faced by global business today. These are developing a working definition of knowledge, dealing with tacit knowledge and utilization of informati...

Strategical challenges for the Copenhagen conference

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

2009-01-01

A CARA team analyzed the impacts and challenges generated by the new climatic, energetic and food situation of our security: conflict of interests between the North and South countries, USA-China equation, the european Union, France specificities. This analyse points out the main challenges for the France and the European Union during the world conference on the climate in december 2009 at Copenhagen. (A.L.B.)

The merits of measuring challenge and hindrance appraisals.

Science.gov (United States)

Searle, Ben J; Auton, Jaime C

2015-01-01

The challenge-hindrance framework has shown that challenge stressors (work characteristics associated with potential personal gain) tend to have positive outcomes, whereas hindrance stressors (those which obstruct goals) have negative outcomes. However, typical research methods assume that stressors allocated to these categories are appraised consistently by different people and across different situations. We validate new measures of challenge and hindrance appraisals and demonstrate their utility in stress research. We used a cross-sectional survey of American employees (Study 1, n = 333), a diary survey of Australian employees (Study 2, n = 241), and a survey of Australian college students whose performance was evaluated independently (Study 3, n = 350). Even after accounting for the effects of stressors, challenge and hindrance appraisals consistently explained unique variance in affective states, with indications that stressors have indirect effects via appraisals. Such effects were seen within- as well as between-participants (Study 2). Appraisals also had expected associations with specific coping behaviors (Study 1), while challenge appraisal was associated with task performance (Study 3). The scales of challenge and hindrance appraisals were psychometrically sound across multiple contexts. RESULTS highlight the merit of considering appraisal in stress research.

Challenges of Big Data Analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Fan, Jianqing; Han, Fang; Liu, Han

2014-06-01

Big Data bring new opportunities to modern society and challenges to data scientists. On one hand, Big Data hold great promises for discovering subtle population patterns and heterogeneities that are not possible with small-scale data. On the other hand, the massive sample size and high dimensionality of Big Data introduce unique computational and statistical challenges, including scalability and storage bottleneck, noise accumulation, spurious correlation, incidental endogeneity, and measurement errors. These challenges are distinguished and require new computational and statistical paradigm. This article gives overviews on the salient features of Big Data and how these features impact on paradigm change on statistical and computational methods as well as computing architectures. We also provide various new perspectives on the Big Data analysis and computation. In particular, we emphasize on the viability of the sparsest solution in high-confidence set and point out that exogeneous assumptions in most statistical methods for Big Data can not be validated due to incidental endogeneity. They can lead to wrong statistical inferences and consequently wrong scientific conclusions.

CHALLENGES IN CROSS CULTURAL ADVERTISING

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yuni Retnowati

2016-04-01

Full Text Available At first, marketing practitioners and academics consider standardized approaches to marketing and advertising strategies in globalization, and then some studies proved that the standardization of advertising across culture is not valid. Therefore, cross cultural advertising takes local culture into account when conveying messages in advertisements. Cross cultural understanding is very important in order to produce successful localized advertising that would reflect the cultural values and norms of intended audience. Challenge in cross cultural advertising is the problem of communicating to people of diverse cultural background. Cross cultural solutions are applied in areas such as language, communication style, images and cultural values. Cross cultural advertising is simply about using common sense and analyzing how the different elements of an advertising campaign are impacted by culture and modifying them to best speak to the target audience. Other challenges are determining between standardization and adaptation of cultural values content of advertising when facing different people from diverse cultures. In academic side, the challenge is preparing students to design advertisements that communicate effectively to diverse cultures.

Challenges of Working in a Multicultural Environment.

Science.gov (United States)

Howland, Joan S.

2001-01-01

Addresses challenges faced when working in a multicultural library setting and discusses the need for library administration to create supportive environments. Highlights include fluctuating power dynamics; merging diverse opinions and approaches; overcoming perceived lack of empathy; tokenism; accountability; and transforming challenges into…

Energy challenges in Asia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Niquet, V.

2007-01-01

Energy challenges represent one of the most important security paradigms in the Asia Pacific region where you have a mixture of growing energy dependency, fuelled by high economic growth, the emergence of new major players like China and India, and a quasi-complete absence of regional regulatory mechanisms to tackle the challenges in a multilateral way. These challenges mostly concern Japan and China, where crucial energy issues are aggravated by power rivalry, historical and ideological issues, and a lack of both economic and political harmony between them. Neither countries are self sufficient in terms of energy needs. This can lead to a shared analysis and common approaches regarding Japan and China concerning this issue. Their cases are. however very different and the solutions applied are related to different world views that are not easily reconcilable. Both countries share common objectives: both want security and stable supply. But there are also big divergences and these divergences could be new sources of conflict and misunderstanding between Tokyo and Beijing. One of the main differences is history related. Both China and Japan are uneasy regarding outside energy dependency. In Japan, memories of the pre-war oil embargo have not disappeared. The oil shocks of the 70's renewed this uneasiness. However, Japan's outside dependency is not new. Tokyo has learned to live with it, finding a system to alleviate this vulnerability in cooperation with its partners, multilateral institutions like the International Energy Agency (IEA). China's outside dependency is new. The country's dependency on oil, which began in 1993, is particularly challenging since the principles of independence, non interference and military autonomy, principles at the core of Maoist foreign strategy, did not completely disappear in spite of China's new policy of reform and opening up. China's leadership, even the fourth generation, did not forget its isolation during the 60's and 70's

Terabit Wireless Communication Challenges

Science.gov (United States)

Hwu, Shian U.

2012-01-01

This presentation briefly discusses a research effort on Terabit Wireless communication systems for possible space applications. Recently, terahertz (THz) technology (300-3000 GHz frequency) has attracted a great deal of interest from academia and industry. This is due to a number of interesting features of THz waves, including the nearly unlimited bandwidths available, and the non-ionizing radiation nature which does not damage human tissues and DNA with minimum health threat. Also, as millimeter-wave communication systems mature, the focus of research is, naturally, moving to the THz range. Many scientists regard THz as the last great frontier of the electromagnetic spectrum, but finding new applications outside the traditional niches of radio astronomy, Earth and planetary remote sensing, and molecular spectroscopy particularly in biomedical imaging and wireless communications has been relatively slow. Radiologists find this area of study so attractive because t-rays are non-ionizing, which suggests no harm is done to tissue or DNA. They also offer the possibility of performing spectroscopic measurements over a very wide frequency range, and can even capture signatures from liquids and solids. According to Shannon theory, the broad bandwidth of the THz frequency bands can be used for terabit-per-second (Tb/s) wireless communication systems. This enables several new applications, such as cell phones with 360 degrees autostereoscopic displays, optic-fiber replacement, and wireless Tb/s file transferring. Although THz technology could satisfy the demand for an extremely high data rate, a number of technical challenges need to be overcome before its development. This presentation provides an overview the state-of-the- art in THz wireless communication and the technical challenges for an emerging application in Terabit wireless systems. The main issue for THz wave propagation is the high atmospheric attenuation, which is dominated by water vapor absorption in the THz

Workplace Charging Challenge Mid-Program Review: Employees Plug In

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

None, None

2015-12-31

The EV Everywhere Workplace Charging Challenge aims to have 500 U.S. employers offering workplace charging by 2018. These reports describe the progress made in the Challenge. In 2015, the Workplace Charging Challenge celebrated a major milestone – it reached the halfway point to its goal of 500 Challenge partners committed to installing workplace charging by 2018. More than 250 employers have joined as Challenge partners and the installation of workplace charging as a sustainable business practice is growing across the country. Their efforts have resulted in more than 600 workplaces with over 5,500 charging stations accessible to nearly one million employees. In 2015, more than 9,000 PEV-driving employees charged at these worksites on a regular basis. Our Workplace Charging Challenge Mid-Program Review reports this progress and other statistics related to workplace charging, including employee satisfaction and charger usage.

Ethical challenges in neonatal intensive care nursing.

Science.gov (United States)

Strandås, Maria; Fredriksen, Sven-Tore D

2015-12-01

Neonatal nurses report a great deal of ethical challenges in their everyday work. Seemingly trivial everyday choices nurses make are no more value-neutral than life-and-death choices. Everyday ethical challenges should also be recognized as ethical dilemmas in clinical practice. The purpose of this study is to investigate which types of ethical challenges neonatal nurses experience in their day-to-day care for critically ill newborns. Data were collected through semi-structured qualitative in-depth interviews. Phenomenological-hermeneutic analysis was applied to interpret the data. Six nurses from neonatal intensive care units at two Norwegian hospitals were interviewed on-site. The study is designed to comply with Ethical Guidelines for Nursing Research in the Nordic Countries and the Helsinki declaration. Findings suggest that nurses experience a diverse range of everyday ethical challenges related to challenging interactions with parents and colleagues, emotional strain, protecting the vulnerable infant, finding the balance between sensitivity and authority, ensuring continuity of treatment, and miscommunication and professional disagreement. A major finding in this study is how different agents involved in caring for the newborn experience their realities differently. When these realities collide, ethical challenges arise. Findings suggest that acting in the best interests of the child becomes more difficult in situations involving many agents with different perceptions of reality. The study presents new aspects which increases knowledge and understanding of the reality of nursing in a neonatal intensive care unit, while also demanding increased research in this field of care. © The Author(s) 2014.

Challenges in sexual medicine

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Cellek, Selim; Giraldi, Annamaria

2012-01-01

The sexual medicine field has been in mode of revolution until recently. Like all other fields of biomedical research, the economic situation around the world has had a negative impact on the field's momentum-research funding bodies, regulatory bodies and pharmaceutical companies seem to have...... placed sexual medicine in their low-priority list. But this is not the only challenge the field is facing. The successful development of phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5) inhibitors for treatment of erectile dysfunction (ED) means that research in this area seems to have slowed. However, there remain...... several unmet medical needs within sexual medicine such as premature ejaculation, severe ED and hypoactive sexual desire disorder, which await novel therapeutic approaches. Despite these challenges, research into finding and developing such therapies is likely to continue in the sexual medicine field...

Clinical Parameters and Challenges of Managing Cervicofacial ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Introduction: Necrotizing fasciitis is a severe soft tissue infection. In our environment, patients presenting with this infection are usually financially incapacitated and, therefore, their management can be challenging. This paper aimed to document the pattern and challenges encountered in the management of cervicofacial ...

Palestinian Refugees : Challenges of Repatriation and Development

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

Palestinian Refugees : Challenges of Repatriation and Development. Couverture du livre Palestinian Refugees : Challenges of Repatriation and Development. Directeur(s):. Rex Brynen et Roula El-Rifai. Maison(s) d'édition: I.B. Tauris, CRDI. 14 avril 2007. ISBN : 9781845113117. 224 pages. e-ISBN : 9781552502310.

Dietary Supplements: Regulatory Challenges and Research Resources.

Science.gov (United States)

Dwyer, Johanna T; Coates, Paul M; Smith, Michael J

2018-01-04

Many of the scientific and regulatory challenges that exist in research on the safety, quality and efficacy of dietary supplements are common to all countries as the marketplace for them becomes increasingly global. This article summarizes some of the challenges in supplement science and provides a case study of research at the Office of Dietary Supplements at the National Institutes of Health, USA, along with some resources it has developed that are available to all scientists. It includes examples of some of the regulatory challenges faced and some resources for those who wish to learn more about them.

The Green Challenge in Constrution Management

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Christensen, Knud

1999-01-01

In the years to come,the building and constuction industry,will be met with an increasing amaount of environmental management demands.Contractors can prepare themselves to meet these challenges by devoloping environmental management systems.......In the years to come,the building and constuction industry,will be met with an increasing amaount of environmental management demands.Contractors can prepare themselves to meet these challenges by devoloping environmental management systems....

Conclusion: challenges for the future.

Science.gov (United States)

North, D W

1993-12-01

The title "Challenges for the Future" implies the challenge to summarize a very complex meeting. Of necessity, I will present a personal impression. My interest is in risk assessment, which I define as a process for summarizing science in support of decision making. Risk assessment is sometimes regarded as arcane numerology, a rigid process of computing risk numbers in which much available science is unused. I am a strong advocate for the broader definition of risk assessment. It is encouraging to learn how much science is becoming available for use in risk assessment for gasoline, its components, and alternative fuels.

Grand Challenges of Enterprise Integration

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Brosey, W.D; Neal, R.E.; Marks, D.

2001-04-01

Enterprise Integration connects and combines people, processes, systems, and technologies to ensure that the right people and the right processes have the right information and the right resources at the right time. A consensus roadmap for Technologies for Enterprise Integration was created as part of an industry/government/academia partnership in the Integrated Manufacturing Technology Initiative (IMTI). Two of the grand challenges identified by the roadmapping effort will be addressed here--Customer Responsive Enterprises and Totally Connected Enterprises. Each of these challenges is briefly discussed as to the current state of industry and the future vision as developed in the roadmap.

The Moon Challenge

Science.gov (United States)

Fitzsimmons, Pat; Leddy, Diana; Johnson, Lindy; Biggam, Sue; Locke, Suzan

2013-01-01

This article describes a first-grade research project that incorporates trade books and challenges misconceptions. Educators see the power of their students' wonder at work in their classrooms on a daily basis. This wonder must be nourished by students' own experiences--observing the moon on a crystal clear night--as well as by having…

The energy challenge

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1992-01-01

This chapter addresses the challenge of switching US energy dependency from fossil fuels to renewable sources of energy for economic and environmental reasons. The topics discussed include the role of fossil fuels in the US economy, the role of chlorofluorocarbons and fossil fuel combustion on the greenhouse effect, energy choices, and the role of energy efficiency and nuclear energy

Positron-emission tomography imaging of long-term shape recognition challenges

OpenAIRE

Rosier, A.; Cornette, L.; Dupont, P.; Bormans, G.; Michiels, J.; Mortelmans, L.; Orban, G. A.

1997-01-01

Long-term visual memory performance was impaired by two types of challenges: a diazepam challenge on acquisition and a sensory challenge on recognition. Using positron-emission tomography regional cerebral blood flow imaging, we studied the effect of these challenges on regional brain activation during the delayed recognition of abstract visual shapes as compared with a baseline fixation task. Both challenges induced a significant decrease in differential activation in the left fusiform gyrus...

The Electric Car Challenge.

Science.gov (United States)

Diehl, Brian E.

1997-01-01

Describes the Electric Car Challenge during which students applied methods of construction to build lightweight, strong vehicles that were powered by electricity. The activity required problem solving, sheet metal work, electricity, design, and construction skills. (JOW)

Brazil World Cup Challenges

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

MANSUR, R.

2012-12-01

Full Text Available Overcoming the productivity challenge is the main benefit of the 2014 World Cup for Brazilian people. The sustainable development of our cultural tourism industry will catapult the new middle class growing up rate.

A Typical Verification Challenge for the GRID

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van de Pol, Jan Cornelis; Bal, H. E.; Brim, L.; Leucker, M.

2008-01-01

A typical verification challenge for the GRID community is presented. The concrete challenge is to implement a simple recursive algorithm for finding the strongly connected components in a graph. The graph is typically stored in the collective memory of a number of computers, so a distributed

Inequality and Development Challenges | CRDI - Centre de ...

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

Inequality and Development Challenges. Couverture du livre Inequality and Development Challenges. Directeur(s):. Maria Clara Couto Soares, Mario Scerri et Rasigan Maharajh. Maison(s) d'édition: Routledge, CRDI. 30 août 2013. ISBN : 9780415710329. 372 pages. e-ISBN : 9781552505571. Téléchargez le PDF.

BSN completion barriers, challenges, incentives, and strategies.

Science.gov (United States)

Duffy, Marie T; Friesen, Mary Ann; Speroni, Karen Gabel; Swengros, Diane; Shanks, Laura A; Waiter, Pamela A; Sheridan, Michael J

2014-04-01

The objectives of this study were to explore RN perceptions regarding barriers/challenges and incentives/supports for BSN completion and identify recommendations to increase RN BSN completion. The Institute of Medicine's 2011 The Future of Nursing report recommended the proportion of RNs with a BSN increase to 80% by 2020. This qualitative study included 41 RNs who participated in 1 of 6 focus groups based on their BSN completion status. Primary themes were sacrifices, barriers/challenges, incentives/supports, value, how to begin, and pressure. Primary BSN completion barriers/challenges were work-life balance and economic issues. Incentives/supports identified were financial compensation, assistance from employer and academic institution, and encouragement from family. Institutional strategies recommended for increasing BSN completion rates were improved access to education and financial support facilitated by collaboration between hospitals and academic institutions. Exploring RN barriers/challenges and incentives/supports for BSN completion can lead to implementation of institutional strategies, such as tuition reimbursement and academic collaboration.

Involving other communities through challenges and cooperation

CERN Document Server

Nellist, Clara; The ATLAS collaboration

2015-01-01

The ATLAS collaboration has recently setup three projects targeting citizen science or specific communities : The goal of the HiggsML project was to bring particle physicists and data scientists together through a challenge: compete online to obtain the best Higgs to tau tau signal significance on a set of ATLAS fully simulated signal and background. The challenge ran from May to September 2014, drawing considerable attention. In total, there were 1785 teams that participated, making it the most popular challenge at the time on the Kaggle platform. The ATLAS@home project allows volunteers to run simulations of collisions in the ATLAS detector. During the first year the community mostly consisted of software fans, who were attracted by the technical challenge and contributed greatly to the debugging through the message boards on the website. With the start of LHC, the number of people attracted for outreach reasons grew. Higgs Hunters is the first Particle Physics project hosted on the web-based citizen scienc...

Student reflections on learning with challenging tasks: `I think the worksheets were just for practice, and the challenges were for maths'

Science.gov (United States)

Russo, James; Hopkins, Sarah

2017-09-01

The current study considered young students' (7 and 8 years old) experiences and perceptions of mathematics lessons involving challenging (i.e. cognitively demanding) tasks. We used the Constant Comparative Method to analyse the interview responses ( n = 73) regarding what work artefacts students were most proud of creating and why. Five themes emerged that characterised student reflections: enjoyment, effort, learning, productivity and meaningful mathematics. Overall, there was evidence that students embraced struggle and persisted when engaged in mathematics lessons involving challenging tasks and, moreover, that many students enjoyed the process of being challenged. In the second section of the paper, the lesson structure preferences of a subset of participants ( n = 23) when learning with challenging tasks are considered. Overall, more students preferred the teach-first lesson structure to the task-first lesson structure, primarily because it activated their cognition to prepare them for work on the challenging task. However, a substantial minority of students (42 %) instead endorsed the task-first lesson structure, with several students explaining they preferred this structure precisely because it was so cognitively demanding. Other reasons for preferring the task-first structure included that it allowed the focus of the lesson to be on the challenging task and the subsequent discussion of student work. A key implication of these combined findings is that, for many students, work on challenging tasks appeared to remain cognitively demanding irrespective of the structure of the lesson.

Five Decades: From Challenge to Acclaim.

Science.gov (United States)

Melina, Vesanto

2016-09-01

What can make your work as a dietitian so meaningful that you begin each day with enthusiasm, and if you so choose, retain that joy in your work for 5 decades or more? Three themes are: (i) doing work that profoundly makes sense to you, (ii) inspiring others (and yourself) to make healthful choices, and (iii) moving through challenges to success. Initially it can be challenging to make a living through work that is most deeply meaningful or closest to your heart. Yet it is well worth finding the balance between practicality and movement in the desired direction. Other challenges faced by dietitians involve helping others to adopt new, more healthful lifestyle choices. As health professionals, our attitudes towards plant-based diets have changed dramatically during these past decades. This article examines our evolving perspectives of plant-based diets, and uses this as an example of movement through challenges to success and acclaim. Vegetarian and vegan diets that were considered entirely inappropriate for many stages of the life cycle in the 1970s are now seen to confer health benefits. This applies to well-designed plant-based diets, thus offering a significant role for dietitians as creative leaders in this field.

Challenges and solutions for climate change

CERN Document Server

Gaast, Wytze

2012-01-01

The latest scientific knowledge on climate change indicates that higher greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere through unchecked emissions will provoke severe climate change and ocean acidification threatening environmental structures on which humanity relies. Climate change therefore poses major socio-economic, technical and environmental challenges which will have serious impacts on countries’ pathways towards sustainable development. As a result, climate change and sustainable development have increasingly become interlinked. A changing climate makes achieving Millennium Development Goals more difficult and expensive, so there is every reason to achieve development goals with low greenhouse gas emissions. This leads to the following five challenges discussed by Challenges and Solutions for Climate Change: To place climate negotiations in the wider context of sustainability, equity and social change so that development benefits can be maximised at the same time as decreasing greenhouse gas emissi...

Challenges in biomimetic design and innovation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lenau, Torben Anker; Barfoed, Michael; Shu, Li

Biomimetic design copies desired principles found in nature and implement them into artificial applications. Applications could be products we use in our daily life but it can also be used to inspire material innovation. However there are significant challenges in performing biomimetic design. One....... This is a key issue in design and innovation work where problem identification and systematic search for suitable solution principle are major activities. One way to deal with this challenge is to use a biology search method. The use of such a method is illustrated with a case story describing the design...... including the terminology and knowledge organisation. It is often easy to recognise the splendour of a biological solution, but it can be much more difficult to understand the underlying mechanisms. Another challenge in biomimetic design is the search and identification of relevant solutions in nature...

WERF Nutrient Challenge investigates limits of nutrient removal technologies.

Science.gov (United States)

Neethling, J B; Clark, D; Pramanik, A; Stensel, H D; Sandino, J; Tsuchihashi, R

2010-01-01

The WERF Nutrient Challenge is a multi-year collaborative research initiative established in 2007 to develop and provide current information about wastewater treatment nutrients (specifically nitrogen and phosphorus in wastewater), their characteristics, and bioavailability in aquatic environments to help regulators make informed decisions. The Nutrient Challenge will also provide data on nutrient removal so that treatment facilities can select sustainable, cost-effective methods and technologies to meet permit limits. To meet these goals, the Nutrient Challenge has teamed with a wide array of utilities, agencies, consultants, universities and other researchers and practitioners to collaborate on projects that advance these goals. The Nutrient Challenge is focusing on a different approach to collaborating and leveraging resources (financial and intellectual) on research projects by targeting existing projects and research that correspond with its goals and funding those aspects that the Nutrient Challenge identified as a priority. Because the Nutrient Challenge is focused on collaboration, outreach is an absolutely necessary component of its effectiveness. Through workshops, webinars, a web portal and online compendium, published papers, and conference lectures, the Nutrient Challenge is both presenting important new information, and soliciting new partnerships.

Investing in space the challenge for Europe

CERN Document Server

European Space Agency. Noordwijk. Long-Term Space Policy Committee; Naja, G

1999-01-01

This is the second report of the European Space Agency's Long-term Space Policy Committee (LSPC). The report addresses three challenges that Europe faces at the turn of the century, challenges that will influence its future based on economic prosperity, quality of life, collective security and global solidarity.

Physics challenges for advanced fuel cycle assessment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Giuseppe Palmiotti; Massimo Salvatores; Gerardo Aliberti

2014-06-01

Advanced fuel cycles and associated optimized reactor designs will require substantial improvements in key research area to meet new and more challenging requirements. The present paper reviews challenges and issues in the field of reactor and fuel cycle physics. Typical examples are discussed with, in some cases, original results.

Physics challenges for advanced fuel cycle assessment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Salvatores, Massimo; Aliberti, Gerardo; Palmiotti, Giuseppe

2014-06-17

Advanced fuel cycles and associated optimized reactor designs will require substantial improvements in key research area to meet new and more challenging requirements. The present paper reviews challenges and issues in the field of reactor and fuel cycle physics. Typical examples are discussed with, in some cases, original results.

How the Project Approach Challenges Young Children

Science.gov (United States)

Burns, Marcia V.; Lewis, Alisha L.

2016-01-01

In this article, educators at University Primary School in Champaign, Illinois, share examples and understandings of the ways The Project Approach challenges young children to think critically about topics of importance in their world. Project investigations that provoke academic and social challenges for individuals and classroom communities of…

Challenges and Prospects of Traditional Food Processing ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This paper focuses on challenges and prospects of traditional food processing technologies and their products in Nigeria. The major objective of the paper is to identify the challenges confronting traditional food processing technologies as well as the potentials the traditional food processing technologies has in boosting the ...

Design, Results and Plans for Power Beaming Competitive Challenge

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shelef, Ben

2008-01-01

In our context, Power Beaming refers to the extraction of useable electrical power from a directed electromagnetic beam. In order to promote interest in this technology, the Spaceward Foundation proposed and is managing a technology prize challenge based on a Space Elevator design scenario. The challenge has a prize purse of $2M, provided by NASA's Centennial Challenges office. This paper covers the considerations that went into the design of the challenge, a brief chronology of past results, and plans for the future

Women in the Teaching Profession: Impacts and Challenges

OpenAIRE

A. M. Sultana; Norhirdawati. M. Zahir; Norzalan. H. Yaacob

2014-01-01

Recently in Malaysia, women's participation in teaching profession has increased. The increasing trend of women’s participation in the teaching profession poses challenges in families, especially in the developing countries like Malaysia. One of these challenges, concerns in balancing their role between family and job responsibility that faced by many women teachers. The purpose of this study is to discover how women teachers' impact on family happiness and the challenges faced by them in bal...

Anthropocene Age Wicked Challenges

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Edgeman, Rick; Wu, Zhaohui

2015-01-01

weather events, drought, and desertification; threatened food supplies; water pollution, air pollution, and soil contamination; and the connection of these to disease, violence, and terrorism. Wicked challenges are discussed in relation to enterprise excellence, sustainability, resilience and robustness...

Challenges of Integrating Affordable and Sustainable Housing in Malaysia

Science.gov (United States)

Syed Jamaludin, S. Z. H.; Mahayuddin, S. A.; Hamid, S. H. A.

2018-04-01

Developing countries including Malaysia have begun to comprehend the needs for affordable and sustainable housing development. The majority of the population is still aspiring for a comfortable, safe and reasonably priced house. Households in the low-middle income range face difficulties to find housing that can satisfy their needs and budget. Unfortunately, most of the housing development programs are considering affordability rather than sustainable aspects. Furthermore, developers are more interested in profit and neglect sustainability issues. Thus, the aim of this paper is to review the challenges in integrating affordable housing and sustainable practices in Malaysia. This paper is produced based on an extensive literature review as a basis to develop strategies of integrated affordable and sustainable housing in Malaysia. The challenges are divided into four sections, namely market challenges, professional challenges, societal challenges and technological challenges. The outcomes of this paper will assist in the decision making involving housing development and in enhancing quality of life for sustainable communities.

Threat ≠ prevention, challenge ≠ promotion: the impact of threat, challenge and regulatory focus on attention to negative stimuli.

Science.gov (United States)

Sassenberg, Kai; Sassenrath, Claudia; Fetterman, Adam K

2015-01-01

The purpose of the current experiment was to distinguish between the impact of strategic and affective forms of gain- and loss-related motivational states on the attention to negative stimuli. On the basis of the counter-regulation principle and regulatory focus theory, we predicted that individuals would attend more to negative than to neutral stimuli in a prevention focus and when experiencing challenge, but not in a promotion focus and under threat. In one experiment (N = 88) promotion, prevention, threat, or challenge states were activated through a memory task, and a subsequent dot probe task was administered. As predicted, those in the prevention focus and challenge conditions had an attentional bias towards negative words, but those in promotion and threat conditions did not. These findings provide support for the idea that strategic mindsets (e.g., regulatory focus) and hot emotional states (e.g., threat vs. challenge) differently affect the processing of affective stimuli.

Challenges in Request Management

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sommer, Anita Friis

2014-01-01

and its customers. The study provides an insight into a new area of supply chain management, including the process activity flow and challenges involved across the process. Furthermore, the method is dyadic including the customer in the case study, which is rare in related research....... profitability. This research study seeks to investigate the challenges of RQM in practice. Existing demand chain management literature is used as a basis for developing a RQM framework. RQM is investigated through an explorative research design in a dyadic B2B case study including a global industrial company......Request management (RQM) is a new term used for managing customer requests for new products. It is the counterpart to typical product development processes, which has no direct customer involvement. It is essential to manage customer requests in a structured and efficient way to obtain...

Interdisciplinary and physics challenges of network theory

Science.gov (United States)

Bianconi, Ginestra

2015-09-01

Network theory has unveiled the underlying structure of complex systems such as the Internet or the biological networks in the cell. It has identified universal properties of complex networks, and the interplay between their structure and dynamics. After almost twenty years of the field, new challenges lie ahead. These challenges concern the multilayer structure of most of the networks, the formulation of a network geometry and topology, and the development of a quantum theory of networks. Making progress on these aspects of network theory can open new venues to address interdisciplinary and physics challenges including progress on brain dynamics, new insights into quantum technologies, and quantum gravity.

Oral food challenge outcomes in a pediatric tertiary care center

OpenAIRE

Abrams, Elissa M.; Becker, Allan B.

2017-01-01

Background Oral food challenges are the clinical standard for diagnosis of food allergy. Little data exist on predictors of oral challenge failure and reaction severity. Methods A retrospective chart review was done on all pediatric patients who had oral food challenges in a tertiary care pediatric allergy clinic from 2008 to 2010. Results 313 oral challenges were performed, of which the majority were to peanut (105), egg (71), milk (41) and tree nuts (29). There were 104 (33%) oral challenge...

Crowdsourcing for Challenging Technical Problems - It Works!

Science.gov (United States)

Davis, Jeffrey R.

2011-01-01

The NASA Johnson Space Center Space Life Sciences Directorate (SLSD) and Wyle Integrated Science and Engineering (Wyle) will conduct a one-day business cluster at the 62nd IAC so that IAC attendees will understand the benefits of open innovation (crowdsourcing), review successful results of conducting technical challenges in various open innovation projects, and learn how an organization can effectively deploy these new problem solving tools to innovate more efficiently and effectively. Results from both the SLSD open innovation pilot program and the open innovation workshop conducted by the NASA Human Health and Performance Center will be discussed. NHHPC members will be recruited to participate in the business cluster (see membership http://nhhpc.nasa.gov) and as IAF members. Crowdsourcing may be defined as the act of outsourcing tasks that are traditionally performed by an employee or contractor to an undefined, generally large group of people or community (a crowd) in the form of an open call. The open call may be issued by the organization wishing to find a solution to a particular problem or complete a task, or by an open innovation service provider on behalf of that organization. In 2008, the SLSD, with the support of Wyle, established and implemented pilot projects in open innovation (crowdsourcing) to determine if these new internet-based platforms could indeed find solutions to difficult technical challenges. These unsolved technical problems were converted to problem statements, called Challenges by some open innovation service providers, and were then posted externally to seek solutions to these problems. In addition, an open call was issued internally to NASA employees Agency wide (11 Field Centers and NASA HQ) using an open innovation service provider crowdsourcing platform to post NASA challenges from each Center for the others to propose solutions). From 2008 to 2010, the SLSD issued 34 challenges, 14 externally and 20 internally. The 14 external

7 CFR 1230.631 - Challenge of votes.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... the voting period, the ballots of producers may be challenged at the FSA county office. (b) Who can... in-person ballot or an absentee ballot whose name is posted on the In-Person Voter Registration List... notify all challenged persons that documentation such as sales documents, tax records, or other similar...

Diagnostic challenges in celiac disease

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M Haghighat

2014-04-01

Full Text Available   1-The most important challenge in diagnosis of celiac disease is not- performing the diagnostic tests in suspected persons. Because of multi-organ damage and multiple manifestations of disease, diagnosis of celiac disease may be delayed. It seems general physicians should be awared about uncommon presentations of disease and indications of celiac tests 2-The second most important challenge is in patients with suspected disease but negative serologic tests. In these cases evaluating of HLA can be useful. 3- The third challenge is in cases with positive serologic tests but negative histopathological findings. There may be false positive serologic response or consumption of gluten before testing. We recommend introduction of gluten for at least 3 mo and re- endoscopy and if diagnosis is equivocal HLA-typing  for DQ8 and  DQ2 should be done. 4-The forth challenge is about performing endoscopy. Based on guideline from ESPGHAN if there are typical clinical manifestations of celiac disease, Anti-TTG more than ten times UPN , positive Anti-EMA and HLA DQ2, performing endoscopy may not be necessary, but many physicians don’t agree with this idea. 5-In people who are genetically predisposed to celiac disease antibody levels may be fluctuating thus endoscopy with biopsy should be done in these patients. 6-In children lower than 2years, Anti- TTG and Anti –EMA have low sensitivity. we recommend Anti-TTG and Anti-DGP in these patients. 7-Resolution of symptoms after gluten free diet is not necessarily a feature of celiac disease. This condition may be seen in patients with IBS or non-celiac gluten sensitivity.  

Challenges to Public Health

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

First page Back Continue Last page Graphics. Challenges to Public Health. Tracing of the infection. Isolation of patients to stop spread. Laboratory diagnosis. Hospitalization &Treatment. Stock pile & supply of drugs. Planning & mitigation. Information to public. Support to SEARO countries.

Overcoming Family Planning Challenges in Africa: Toward Meeting ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

USER

Overcoming Family Planning Challenges in Africa: Toward Meeting. Unmet Need ... The challenges posed are greater in ... Gaps in meeting women's needs persist especially ..... WHO. Everybody's business: Strengthening health systems to.

Environmental Policy of Serbia and Challenges of Accession to Europe

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Darko Nadić

2012-01-01

Full Text Available This article analyzes the environmental policy of the Republic of Serbia within the context of accession conditions to the European Union. The main challenges of environmental integration of the environmental policies of Serbia are: economic challenges, the sustainable development challenge, administrative challenges, democratic deficiency challenges, and political challenges. These challenges, while flaws of the environmental policy in Serbia, are no different than the challenges faced by other Central Eastern European countries during the accession process. However, the influence of the global economic crisis, the constant political crisis and unclear definition of the political scene in Serbia, an incomplete vision of environmental education, as well as too much "green" marketing activities and a lack of true law implementation, are additional factors that make the process of environmental accession of Serbia to the EU even more difficult. Therefore, the harmonization of the Serbian environmental legal frame with the European one must be followed by the harmonization of actions of political institutions, social groups and individual citizens, and the overall democratization of society.

Zero Energy Schools: The Challenges

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Torcellini, Paul A [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)

2017-09-29

School buildings have a lot of potential to achieve zero energy (ZE) in new construction as well as in retrofits. There are many examples of schools operating at ZE, and many technical resources available to guide school districts and their design and construction teams through the process. When school districts embark on the path to ZE, however, they often confront challenges related to processes and a perception that ZE buildings require 'new,' unconventional, and expensive technologies, materials, or equipment. Here are some of the challenges school districts and their design and construction teams commonly encounter, and the solutions they use to overcome them.

Challenge of the oil market

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jaidah, A M

1981-11-01

The oil market is experiencing a different environment in 1981 as demand for OPEC oil fades while customers run down their inventories. The oil-producing countries face a new challenge, but the need of consuming countries for secure oil supplies and the need of producing countries to broaden their economies and reduce dependence on a depleting resource continue. Two episodes 1973 to 1975 and late 1978 to the present, illustrate the current market situation. The impact of these episodes is the basis for recommended long-run goals that go beyond market management to the real challenge of converting oil resources into the real assets of economic development. (DCK)

The challenges for human factors in knowledge work

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ipsen, Christine; Møller, Niels; Jensen, Per Langaa

2011-01-01

The development towards a service and knowledge intensive economy arise new challenges for ergonomics and human factors. Knowledge on work within mass service production exists, but the challenges within knowledge work have still to be addressed. The focus of this paper is on some of the challeng...... with the demands of the knowledge intensive work when KPI’s are central management tools. Especially handling the balance between high motivation and enthusiasm and burn out will be addressed....

The concept of professionalism and librarians challenges of ICT ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This paper studied professional statues of librarians in relation to the challenges of using ICTs in provision of information services in the library. On this, competencies of librarians, challenges of librarians to use ICTs, and challenges of professional practice of librarians in academic libraries were studied. 82% of the ...

Case study: The Challenge of sustainability

OpenAIRE

Kennell, James

2014-01-01

Tourism can be a challenging subject for students because it is both dynamic and susceptible to economic turbulence and shifts in trends. Tourism: A Modern Synthesis is an essential textbook for tourism students looking for a clear and comprehensive introduction to their studies which helps overcome these challenges. The authors apply a strong business approach to the subject reflecting developments in the teaching and content of modern courses and the text covers both key principles and cont...

Advanced nuclear plants: Meeting the economic challenge

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Redding, J.R.; MacGregor, P.R.

1993-01-01

This article examines the economic challenges to nuclear power meeting the forecasted power demand of the end of the century. The topics of the article include the economic challenge, safety, competition from other energy sources, a US case study, environmental costs, capital costs, reducing operation and maintenance costs, and non-technical features

The Challenges Facing Accounting Education: The Nigerian ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The need of the accounting profession to effectively and continuously meet new challenges confronting it and adapt its services to changing conditions and circumstances has become a necessity to the survival of the profession and the society. The challenges confronting the accountant on his role to the society at large in a ...

Challenging a court settlement: Concept, legal nature and methods of challenging in domestic and comparative law

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Salma Marija

2011-01-01

Full Text Available In this paper the author offers analysis of rules regulating the challenging of a court settlement in light of the evolution and legal nature of the court settlement in domestic and comparative law (Austrian, German, and Hungarian laws. The method of the procedural challenge depended on the understanding whether the settlement is an agreement (contract between parties before the court or it is a decision of the court (on acceptance or rejection of the proposal of the parties to reach a settlement. In the earlier instance the method of challenge is by filing of an action, and in the latter instance it represents a form of a legal remedy, most often extraordinary legal remedy - request for repetition of a trial, against final and binding decision of the court by which the settlement was either accepted or rejected. Theoretical dilemma about the legal nature of the court settlement, had an effect on normative regulations, as well as on court practice. In the Serbian law, this dilemma was resolved by enactment of the Civil Procedure Code which explicitly regulates that court settlement is challenged by an action before the court. As a result of this, the idea of a court settlement, as a form of an agreement, prevailed in the legal system. However, considerable procedural effects of the court settlement cannot be ignored. The principal procedural effect is that the litigation is terminated. Further, the court settlement represents a form of an executive title.

Marketing and branding in Islamic countries, challenges and ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Marketing and branding in Islamic countries, challenges and capacities. ... the basic concepts, capabilities and challenges of branding and marketing in Muslim countries are examined. ... EMAIL FREE FULL TEXT EMAIL FREE FULL TEXT

Challenges Associated with Teaching and Learning of English ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Challenges Associated with Teaching and Learning of English Grammar in Nigerian Secondary Schools. ... Abstract. This paper discussed the challenges which are associated with the teaching and ... AJOL African Journals Online. HOW TO ...

Who's Challenging Who? Changing Attitudes towards Those Whose Behaviour Challenges

Science.gov (United States)

Hutchinson, L. M.; Hastings, R. P.; Hunt, P. H.; Bowler, C. L.; Banks, M. E.; Totsika, V.

2014-01-01

Background: Although staff attitudes towards individuals with intellectual disability (ID) whose behaviour challenges may be an important part of a positive support culture, very little research has focused on the development of training specifically designed to change staff attitudes. Positive contact is hypothesised to be an effective way to…

Exploiting HPC Platforms for Metagenomics: Challenges and Opportunities (MICW - Metagenomics Informatics Challenges Workshop: 10K Genomes at a Time)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Canon, Shane

2011-10-12

DOE JGI's Zhong Wang, chair of the High-performance Computing session, gives a brief introduction before Berkeley Lab's Shane Canon talks about "Exploiting HPC Platforms for Metagenomics: Challenges and Opportunities" at the Metagenomics Informatics Challenges Workshop held at the DOE JGI on October 12-13, 2011.

Higher education in the face of social challenges

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Adrián Cuevas Jiménez

2016-08-01

Full Text Available Higher education refers to the subsequent training to high school education; that is undergraduate and graduate; whose mission is to preserve; develop and disseminate culture. Throughout the history of higher education it has undergone a process of transformation; mainly due to the development of knowledge and the transformation of society. In the process they highlighted two great moments; in the first; which culminated in the mid-twentieth century; it conceived the higher education institution encompassing all knowledge of society; and who graduated was ready to perform professionally throughout life; the second time; after those dates; it is conceivable that knowledge is no longer exclusive to the institution of higher education; and there can be no efficient performance without continuous training and continuous updating of knowledge. The objective of this work is to point out the general goals and some strategies of the students’ formation of superior education; to confront the big challenges that it faces today the society. To define this goals and strategies four challenge levels are considered: a physical; structural and politicalideological challenges; b challenges around the scientifictechnician and of the knowledge advances; c challenges of the internal structure of the formative process and the access to the superior education; and d challenges in the formation of values in the students. 

Censoring the Imagination: Challenges to Children's Books.

Science.gov (United States)

Saltman, Judith

1998-01-01

Presents a brief history of the censorship of children's books, and then focuses on recent challenges. The view of literature as a socializing force is discussed, and examples of challenged books in the United States and Canada are provided, illustrating different reasons for censorship on both sides of the political and social spectrum. (AEF)

Technological and engineering challenges of fusion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maisonnier, David; Hayward, Jim

2008-01-01

The current fusion development scenario in Europe assumes the sequential achievement of key milestones. Firstly, the qualification of the DEMO/reactor physics basis in ITER, secondly, the qualification of materials for in-vessel components in IFMIF and, thirdly, the qualification of components and processes in DEMO. Although this scenario is constrained by budgetary considerations, it assumes the resolution of many challenges in physics, technology and engineering. In the first part of the paper, the technological and engineering challenges to be met in order to satisfy the current development scenario will be highlighted. These challenges will be met by an appropriate share of the work between ITER, IFMIF, DEMO and the necessary accompanying programme, which will have to include a number of dedicated facilities (e.g. for the development of H and CD systems). In the second part of the paper, the consequences of a considerable acceleration of the fusion development programme will be discussed. Although most of the technological and engineering challenges identified above will have to be met within a shorter timescale, it is possible to limit the requirements and expectation for a first fusion power plant with respect to those adopted for the current fusion development scenario. However, it must be recognised that such a strategy will inevitably result in increased risk and a reduction in the economy of the plant. (author)

Breaking the Code on Challenging Waste - 13267

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Witzeman, John; Estes, Charles; White, Aaron

2013-01-01

Mixed low-level wastes (MLLW) with no available path to treatment or disposal have been longstanding challenges for DOE facilities. Today, mixed wastes with no path to treatment or disposal frequently present themselves in the form of combinations of problematic matrixes, problematic EPA Hazardous Waste Codes, and security classification requirements. In order to successfully treat and disposition these challenging wastes, waste management personnel must be more inquisitive and challenge the status quo more than ever before. All aspects of the waste from how it was generated to how the waste is currently being managed must be revisited. Each fact, the basis of each decision, and each regulatory determination must be investigated and validated. Since many of the difficult waste streams were generated several years ago, it can be quite challenging to locate knowledgeable generators from the time of generation. Significant investigation is often required to obtain the needed information to evaluate legacy waste streams. Special attention must be paid to the little things that may not seem central to the issues being investigated. Solutions are sometimes found in these details. (authors)

Biggest challenges in bioinformatics.

Science.gov (United States)

Fuller, Jonathan C; Khoueiry, Pierre; Dinkel, Holger; Forslund, Kristoffer; Stamatakis, Alexandros; Barry, Joseph; Budd, Aidan; Soldatos, Theodoros G; Linssen, Katja; Rajput, Abdul Mateen

2013-04-01

The third Heidelberg Unseminars in Bioinformatics (HUB) was held on 18th October 2012, at Heidelberg University, Germany. HUB brought together around 40 bioinformaticians from academia and industry to discuss the 'Biggest Challenges in Bioinformatics' in a 'World Café' style event.

Biggest challenges in bioinformatics

OpenAIRE

Fuller, Jonathan C; Khoueiry, Pierre; Dinkel, Holger; Forslund, Kristoffer; Stamatakis, Alexandros; Barry, Joseph; Budd, Aidan; Soldatos, Theodoros G; Linssen, Katja; Rajput, Abdul Mateen

2013-01-01

The third Heidelberg Unseminars in Bioinformatics (HUB) was held in October at Heidelberg University in Germany. HUB brought together around 40 bioinformaticians from academia and industry to discuss the ‘Biggest Challenges in Bioinformatics' in a ‘World Café' style event.

The challenges of ecotox testing of nanomaterials and the BPR

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansen, Steffen Foss

2015-01-01

The European Biocidal Product Regulation (BPR) requires dedicated risk assessment of nanomaterials. When it comes to ecotoxicological testing of nanomaterials, meeting these requirements is especially challenging. Overall, these challenges fall into four overall categories: 1) materials character......The European Biocidal Product Regulation (BPR) requires dedicated risk assessment of nanomaterials. When it comes to ecotoxicological testing of nanomaterials, meeting these requirements is especially challenging. Overall, these challenges fall into four overall categories: 1) materials...... characterization, 2) exposure preparation, 3) monitoring stability and 4) monitoring time. In this paper, the challenges are presented and discussed. There is no easy manner in which to deal with the challenges related to ecotoxicological testing of nanomaterials in the light of the BPR requirements. It short...

Challenges in Continuum Modelling of Intergranular Fracture

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Coffman, Valerie; Sethna, James P.; Ingraffea, A. R.

2011-01-01

of grain boundaries, but also in crucial ways on edges, corners and triple junctions of even greater geometrical complexity. To address the first two challenges, we explore the physical underpinnings for creating functional forms to capture the hierarchical commensurability structure in the grain boundary......Intergranular fracture in polycrystals is often simulated by finite elements coupled to a cohesive zone model for the interfaces, requiring cohesive laws for grain boundaries as a function of their geometry. We discuss three challenges in understanding intergranular fracture in polycrystals. First...... properties. To address the last challenge, we demonstrate a method for atomistically extracting the fracture properties of geometrically complex local regions on the fly from within a finite element simulation....

Challenges to Resistance Welding

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Song, Quanfeng

This report originates from the compulsory defense during my Ph.D. study at the Technical University of Denmark. Resistance welding is an old and well-proven technology. Yet the emergence of more and more new materials, new designs, invention off new joining techniques, and more stringent...... requirement in quality have imposed challenges to the resistance welding. More some research and development have to be done to adapt the old technology to the manufacturing industry of the 21st century. In the 1st part of the report, the challenging factors to the resistance welding are reviewed. Numerical...... simulation of resistance welding has been under development for many years. Yet it is no easy to make simulation results reliable and accurate because of the complexity of resistance welding process. In the 2nd part of the report numerical modeling of resistance welding is reviewed, some critical factors...

Challenging gender stereotypes: Theory of mind and peer group dynamics.

Science.gov (United States)

Mulvey, Kelly Lynn; Rizzo, Michael T; Killen, Melanie

2016-11-01

To investigate the social cognitive skills related to challenging gender stereotypes, children (N = 61, 3-6 years) evaluated a peer who challenged gender stereotypic norms held by the peer's group. Participants with false belief theory of mind (FB ToM) competence were more likely than participants who did not have FB ToM to expect a peer to challenge the group's stereotypes and propose that the group engage in a non-stereotypic activity. Further, participants with FB ToM rated challenging the peer group more positively. Participants without FB ToM did not differentiate between their own and the group's evaluation of challenges to the group's stereotypic norms, but those with ToM competence asserted that they would be more supportive of challenging the group norm than would the peer group. Results reveal the importance of social-cognitive competencies for recognizing the legitimacy of challenging stereotypes, and for understanding one's own and other group perspectives. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Data Modeling Challenges of Advanced Interoperability.

Science.gov (United States)

Blobel, Bernd; Oemig, Frank; Ruotsalainen, Pekka

2018-01-01

Progressive health paradigms, involving many different disciplines and combining multiple policy domains, requires advanced interoperability solutions. This results in special challenges for modeling health systems. The paper discusses classification systems for data models and enterprise business architectures and compares them with the ISO Reference Architecture. On that basis, existing definitions, specifications and standards of data models for interoperability are evaluated and their limitations are discussed. Amendments to correctly use those models and to better meet the aforementioned challenges are offered.

Challenges in industrial fermentation technology research

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Formenti, Luca Riccardo; Nørregaard, Anders; Bolic, Andrijana

2014-01-01

Industrial fermentation processes are increasingly popular, and are considered an important technological asset for reducing our dependence on chemicals and products produced from fossil fuels. However, despite their increasing popularity, fermentation processes have not yet reached the same...... engineering challenges: scaling up and scaling down fermentation processes, the influence of morphology on broth rheology and mass transfer, and establishing novel sensors to measure and control insightful process parameters. The greatest emphasis is on the challenges posed by filamentous fungi, because...

Launch Creativity with Ping-Pong Ball Challenge

Science.gov (United States)

Kornoelje, Joanne; Roman, Harry T.

2011-01-01

Educators at Thomas A. Edison Middle School have worked together to bring invention information and activities to life. One activity in particular, Ping-Pong Ball Invention Challenge, has proven a great success. The Ping-Pong Ball Invention Challenge was inspired by the basic rules for PBS's "Design Squad"'s "Pop Fly" activity. In this article,…

MO-E-12A-01: Quantitative Imaging: Techniques, Applications, and Challenges

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jackson, E; Jeraj, R; McNitt-Gray, M; Cao, Y

2014-01-01

The first symposium in the Quantitative Imaging Track focused on the introduction of quantitative imaging (QI) by illustrating the potential of QI in diagnostic and therapeutic applications in research and patient care, highlighting key challenges in implementation of such QI applications, and reviewing QI efforts of selected national and international agencies and organizations, including the FDA, NCI, NIST, and RSNA. This second QI symposium will focus more specifically on the techniques, applications, and challenges of QI. The first talk of the session will focus on modalityagnostic challenges of QI, beginning with challenges of the development and implementation of QI applications in single-center, single-vendor settings and progressing to the challenges encountered in the most general setting of multi-center, multi-vendor settings. The subsequent three talks will focus on specific QI challenges and opportunities in the modalityspecific settings of CT, PET/CT, and MR. Each talk will provide information on modality-specific QI techniques, applications, and challenges, including current efforts focused on solutions to such challenges. Learning Objectives: Understand key general challenges of QI application development and implementation, regardless of modality. Understand selected QI techniques and applications in CT, PET/CT, and MR. Understand challenges, and potential solutions for such challenges, for the applications presented for each modality

Policing Challenged and People’s Expectations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Thakur Mohan Shrestha

2015-04-01

Full Text Available Peace, security, rule of law, and sustainable development are driving principles in a democratic notion of developing country like Nepal. "3Is': Injustice, Insecurity and Imbalance have been reflecting in the post transitional Nepal. The study came with the objectives of investigating the peoples' perceptions on the adaptation of policing, the challenges and expectation. The information was collected from 1111(N respondents all over the country from different ways of life, applying mixed method questionnaire survey and interview. The research show the need of system based policing like 'intelligence-led'; 'police public partnership', and 'proactive' respectively. The influence of politicization, political instability, external influence, lack of role model leadership, open border, rampant corruption, nepotism-favoritism, lack of research are the major challenges in the security organizations. Furthermore, most educated and high profile personalities have less interest to encourage their generation in police services. People are expecting proficient and accountable police forces. Keywords: Policing, Challenges, People's Expectation

Cognitive Radio RF: Overview and Challenges

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Van Tam Nguyen

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Cognitive radio system (CRS is a radio system which is aware of its operational and geographical environment, established policies, and its internal state. It is able to dynamically and autonomously adapt its operational parameters and protocols and to learn from its previous experience. Based on software-defined radio (SDR, CRS provides additional flexibility and offers improved efficiency to overall spectrum use. CRS is a disruptive technology targeting very high spectral efficiency. This paper presents an overview and challenges of CRS with focus on radio frequency (RF section. We summarize the status of the related regulation and standardization activities which are very important for the success of any emerging technology. We point out some key research challenges, especially implementation challenges of cognitive radio (CR. A particular focus is on RF front-end, transceiver, and analog-to-digital and digital-to-analog interfaces which are still a key bottleneck in CRS development.

Addressing Safeguards Challenges for the Future

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Majali, Raed; Yim, Man-Sung [Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2015-10-15

IAEA safeguard system is considered the corner stone of the international nuclear nonproliferation regime. Effective implementation of this legal instrument enables the IAEA to draw a conclusion with a high degree of confidence on the peaceful use of nuclear material and activities in the state. This paper aims to provide an opportunity to address various challenges encountered by IAEA. Strengthening safeguards system for verification is one of the most urgent challenges facing the IAEA. The IAEA should be able to provide credible assurance not only about declared use of nuclear material and facilities but also about the absence of undeclared material and activities. Implementation of IAEA safeguards continue to play a vital role within the nuclear non-proliferation regime. IAEA must move towards more enhanced safeguards system that is driven by the full use of all the safeguards available relevant information. Safeguards system must be responsive to evolving challenges and continue innovation through efficient implementations of more effective safeguards.

Challenges of youth participation in participatory action research

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wattar, Laila; Fanous, Sandrine; Berliner, Peter

2012-01-01

Paamiut Youth Voice (PYV) is a Participatory Action Research (PAR) project, exploring youth perceptions, experiences, and the promotion of well-being in Paamiut, Greenland. Active youth participation remained a key challenge in the development of the local community through the locally initiated...... community mobilisation programme Paamiut Asasara. The challenges of youth participation in PYV are investigated in order to explore the implications of youth participation in PAR projects. The discussion of challenges is based on a methodological account of experiences from the research process clarifying...

Key ecological challenges for closed systems facilities

Science.gov (United States)

Nelson, Mark; Dempster, William F.; Allen, John P.

2013-07-01

Closed ecological systems are desirable for a number of purposes. In space life support systems, material closure allows precious life-supporting resources to be kept inside and recycled. Closure in small biospheric systems facilitates detailed measurement of global ecological processes and biogeochemical cycles. Closed testbeds facilitate research topics which require isolation from the outside (e.g. genetically modified organisms; radioisotopes) so their ecological interactions and fluxes can be studied separate from interactions with the outside environment. But to achieve and maintain closure entails solving complex ecological challenges. These challenges include being able to handle faster cycling rates and accentuated daily and seasonal fluxes of critical life elements such as carbon dioxide, oxygen, water, macro- and mico-nutrients. The problems of achieving sustainability in closed systems for life support include how to handle atmospheric dynamics including trace gases, producing a complete human diet, recycling nutrients and maintaining soil fertility, the maintenance of healthy air and water and preventing the loss of critical elements from active circulation. In biospheric facilities, the challenge is also to produce analogues to natural biomes and ecosystems, studying processes of self-organization and adaptation in systems that allow specification or determination of state variables and cycles which may be followed through all interactions from atmosphere to soils. Other challenges include the dynamics and genetics of small populations, the psychological challenges for small isolated human groups and backup technologies and strategic options which may be necessary to ensure long-term operation of closed ecological systems.

Creating Occupational Therapy: The Challenges to Defining a Profession.

Science.gov (United States)

Reed, Kathlyn L

2018-05-08

The creation of a new profession in the early 20th century, such as occupational therapy, required a commitment to certain ideas and a willingness to accept certain challenges. This study examines the commitment to the idea of therapeutic and health supporting occupation by the early leaders and proponents of the profession and the challenges they faced in gaining acceptance of occupational therapy as a profession capable of delivering a valued health care service to society. Six challenges are reviewed as they occurred in the history of the profession and as they continue to challenge the profession into the present era.

Electric Vehicle Battery Challenge

Science.gov (United States)

Roman, Harry T.

2014-01-01

A serious drawback to electric vehicles [batteries only] is the idle time needed to recharge their batteries. In this challenge, students can develop ideas and concepts for battery change-out at automotive service stations. Such a capability would extend the range of electric vehicles.

The challenges of big data.

Science.gov (United States)

Mardis, Elaine R

2016-05-01

The largely untapped potential of big data analytics is a feeding frenzy that has been fueled by the production of many next-generation-sequencing-based data sets that are seeking to answer long-held questions about the biology of human diseases. Although these approaches are likely to be a powerful means of revealing new biological insights, there are a number of substantial challenges that currently hamper efforts to harness the power of big data. This Editorial outlines several such challenges as a means of illustrating that the path to big data revelations is paved with perils that the scientific community must overcome to pursue this important quest. © 2016. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

Ergonomics and sustainability – challenges from global supply chains

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hasle, Peter; Jensen, Per Langaa

2012-01-01

The development of globalised supply chains is a major challenge for sustainability. For several years, there has been discussion within the profession whether and how ergonomics and human factors can play a role. Based on our research, we have identified five major challenges from global supply...... chains especially related to the social aspects of sustainability: (1) criteria for social sustainability, (2) the role of key performance indicators in the management of supply chains, (3) the constant changes in supply chains, (4) the challenge in establishing participation, and (5) the development...... of agency and regulatory mechanisms. There are obviously no clear and simple solutions to these challenges. One possible avenue for progress might lie in acquiring a greater understanding of the challenges from global supply chains and developing a strategy which combines social and long-term business...

Value Creation Challenges in Multichannel Retail Business Models

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mika Yrjölä

2014-08-01

Full Text Available Purpose: The purpose of the paper is to identify and analyze the challenges of value creation in multichannel retail business models. Design/methodology/approach: With the help of semi-structured interviews with top executives from different retailing environments, this study introduces a model of value creation challenges in the context of multichannel retailing. The challenges are analyzed in terms of three retail business model elements, i.e., format, activities, and governance. Findings: Adopting a multichannel retail business model requires critical rethinking of the basic building blocks of value creation. First of all, as customers effortlessly move between multiple channels, multichannel formats can lead to a mismatch between customer and firm value. Secondly, retailers face pressures to use their activities to form integrated total offerings to customers. Thirdly, multiple channels might lead to organizational silos with conflicting goals. A careful orchestration of value creation is needed to determine the roles and incentives of the channel parties involved. Research limitations/implications: In contrast to previous business model literature, this study did not adopt a network-centric view. By embracing the boundary-spanning nature of the business model, other challenges and elements might have been discovered (e.g., challenges in managing relationships with suppliers. Practical implications: As a practical contribution, this paper has analyzed the challenges retailers face in adopting multichannel business models. Customer tendencies for showrooming behavior highlight the need for generating efficient lock-in strategies. Customized, personal offers and information are ways to increase customer value, differentiate from competition, and achieve lock-in. Originality/value: As a theoretical contribution, this paper empirically investigates value creation challenges in a specific context, lowering the level of abstraction in the mostly

Privacy Challenges of Genomic Big Data.

Science.gov (United States)

Shen, Hong; Ma, Jian

2017-01-01

With the rapid advancement of high-throughput DNA sequencing technologies, genomics has become a big data discipline where large-scale genetic information of human individuals can be obtained efficiently with low cost. However, such massive amount of personal genomic data creates tremendous challenge for privacy, especially given the emergence of direct-to-consumer (DTC) industry that provides genetic testing services. Here we review the recent development in genomic big data and its implications on privacy. We also discuss the current dilemmas and future challenges of genomic privacy.

The challenge for the oil industry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Myrvang, G.

1993-01-01

The conference paper deals with the Norwegian Government policy on the challenge for the oil industry. Three main topics are addressed. First, the author gives a short outline of the main characteristics of the present situation and derives the most important challenges in coming years. Secondly, there are given some thoughts to how the industry may cope with this situation. Finally, the paper discusses the role of the authorities and how to stimulate continued exploration and development of fields on the Norwegian continental shelf

Theory Challenges of the Accelerating Universe

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Linder, Eric V.

2007-01-01

The accelerating expansion of the universe presents an exciting, fundamental challenge to the standard models of particle physics and cosmology. I highlight some of the outstanding challenges in both developing theoretical models and interpreting without bias the observational results from precision cosmology experiments in the next decade that will return data to help reveal the nature of the new physics. Examples given focus on distinguishing a new component of energy from a new law of gravity, and the effect of early dark energy on baryon acoustic oscillations

Report on the second Mock LISA data challenge

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Babak, Stanislav; Porter, Edward K; Baker, John G; Benacquista, Matthew J; Cornish, Neil J; Littenberg, Tyson B; Crowder, Jeff; Cutler, Curt; Vallisneri, Michele; Larson, Shane L; Vecchio, Alberto; Auger, Gerard; Barack, Leor; Blaut, Arkadiusz; Bloomer, Ed; Clark, James; Brown, Duncan A; Fairhurst, Stephen; Christensen, Nelson; Gair, Jonathan R

2008-01-01

The Mock LISA data challenges are a program to demonstrate LISA data-analysis capabilities and to encourage their development. Each round of challenges consists of several data sets containing simulated instrument noise and gravitational waves from sources of undisclosed parameters. Participants are asked to analyze the data sets and report the maximum information about the source parameters. The challenges are being released in rounds of increasing complexity and realism: here we present the results of Challenge 2, issued in Jan 2007, which successfully demonstrated the recovery of signals from nonspinning supermassive-black-hole binaries with optimal SNRs between ∼10 and 2000, from ∼20 000 overlapping galactic white-dwarf binaries (among a realistically distributed population of 26 million), and from the extreme-mass-ratio inspirals of compact objects into central galactic black holes with optimal SNRs ∼100

Current Status and Challenges in Wind Energy Assessment

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gryning, Sven-Erik; Badger, Jake; Hahmann, Andrea N.

2014-01-01

Here we discuss the status and challenges in the development of atlases for the assessment of the regional and global wind resources. The text more specifically describes a methodology that is under development at DTU Wind Energy in Denmark. As the wind assessment is based on mesoscale modelling,......, some of the specific challenges in mesoscale modelling for wind energy purposes are discussed such as wind profiles and long-term statistics of the wind speed time series. Solutions to these challenges will help secure an economic and effective deployment of wind energy....

Corporate income tax and the international challenge

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Folkvord Benn

2014-11-01

Full Text Available Although globalization has contributed immensely to growth and prosperity around the world, it is a growing challenge for tax policy makers. Globalization and greater mobility of tax bases increase the relative importance of taxes in corporations’ investment decisions. The combination of highly mobile capital, inadequacies in existing tax laws and a total change of international business environment have led to the fundamental problem in international tax law labeled by the OECD as the problem of BEPS (Base Erosion and Profit Shifting, along with severe competition among countries to attract investments and business activities. These challenges are the topic for the 2014 seminar of the Nordic Tax Research Council. Based on the Nordic national reports we discuss these challenges

The Challenges of Malaysian Dry Ports Development

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jagan Jeevan

2015-03-01

Full Text Available This paper examines the functions and challenges of dry ports development in Malaysia through 11 face-to-face interviews with dry port stakeholders. The findings reveal that Malaysian dry ports are developed to accelerate national and international business, to activate intermodalism in the nation, to promote regional economic development and to enhance seaport competitiveness. Malaysian dry ports perform the function of transport and logistics, information processing, seaports and value-added services. Challenges facing Malaysian dry ports include insufficient railway tracks, unorganized container planning on the rail deck, highly dependent on single mode of transportation, poor recognition from the seaport community, and competition from localized seaports. This paper further indicates strategies for coping with these challenges and identifies future opportunities for Malaysian dry ports development.

The Challenges in Communication

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

First page Back Continue Last page Overview Graphics. The Challenges in Communication. The conflict between connection oriented and connectionless. The seamless integration needs of broadcast, unicast and multicast in the midst growing security concerns. Like Indian roads – need to carry voice, internet traffic, video ...

Presidential Transition. Challenges and Opportunities

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Walker, David

2000-01-01

.... Attention to these themes will help the new administration successfully implement its agenda and address both long-standing and newly emerging management, fiscal, and other challenges that confront...

Managing the Fukushima Challenge

Science.gov (United States)

Suzuki, Atsuyuki

2014-01-01

The Fukushima Daiichi accident raises a fundamental question: Can science and technology prevent the inevitability of serious accidents, especially those with low probabilities and high consequences? This question reminds us of a longstanding challenge with the trans-sciences, originally addressed by Alvin Weinberg well before the Three Mile Island and Chernobyl accidents. This article, revisiting Weinberg's issue, aims at gaining insights from the accident with a special emphasis on the sociotechnical or human behavioral aspects lying behind the accident's causes. In particular, an innovative method for managing the challenge is explored referring to behavioral science approaches to a decision-making process on risk management; such as managing human behavioral risks with information asymmetry, seeking a rational consensus with communicative action, and pursuing procedural rationality through interactions with the outer environment. In short, this article describes the emerging need for Japan to transform its national safety management institutions so that these might be based on interactive communication with parties inside and outside Japan. PMID:24954604

The challenges of being an insider in storytelling research.

Science.gov (United States)

Blythe, Stacy; Wilkes, Lesley; Jackson, Debra; Halcomb, Elizabeth

2013-01-01

To describe the challenges related to being an 'insider' researcher in a study that uses a feminist-informed storytelling research design and to discuss practical strategies to manage these challenges. The positioning of the researcher in qualitative research has numerous methodological implications. Often, qualitative researchers share similar experiences or characteristics with their participants. Such an 'insider' position provides challenges for the researcher in conducting the research. Understanding these challenges and planning how to manage them is beneficial for the researcher and for the conduct of the project. This paper is based on the research team's experience of undertaking a feminist-informed storytelling study exploring the experiences of Australian women providing long-term foster care. This paper provides a discussion of the methodology used in the investigation. Four challenges resulting from the insider status of the primary researcher were identified as affecting the research: assumed understanding, ensuring analytic objectivity, dealing with emotions and participants' expectations. Strategies to address these challenges include: 'participant probing', 'researcher reflexivity', review by an 'outsider' researcher, identifying the risk, debriefing, making the aims and use of study outcomes clear, and acknowledging participants' expectations. Methods to implement these strategies are described. The use of an insider researcher was beneficial to our study design and helped with recruitment and rapport, enabling collaboration and the generation of stories rich in content. By identifying the challenges associated with insider research and using strategies to mitigate them, researchers can effectively use an insider position in conjunction with a storytelling research design. ImplicaTIONS FOR FUTURE RESEARCH/PRACTICE: Further investigation of the insider in different qualitative research designs would be useful in identifying challenges and benefits

Addressing complex challenges using a co-innovation approach

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Vereijssen, Jessica; Srinivasan, M.S.; Dirks, Sarah; Fielke, Simon; Jongmans, C.T.; Agnew, Natasha; Klerkx, Laurens; Pinxterhuis, Ina; Moore, John; Edwards, Paul; Brazendale, Rob; Botha, Neels; Turner, James A.

2017-01-01

Co-innovation can be effective for complex challenges – involving interactions amongst multiple stakeholders, viewpoints, perceptions, practices and interests across programmes, sectors and national systems. Approaches to challenges in the primary sector have tended to be linear, where tools and

Orbital Cellulitis: Clinical Course and Management Challenges. The ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Orbital Cellulitis: Clinical Course and Management Challenges. The Lagos State University Teaching Hospital Experience. ... The major management challenges were poor financial status of patients precluding necessary diagnostic laboratory and imaging studies. Early recognition, diagnosis and treatment are crucial to ...

Challenges and Opportunities of Airborne Metagenomics

KAUST Repository

Behzad, H.

2015-05-06

Recent metagenomic studies of environments, such as marine and soil, have significantly enhanced our understanding of the diverse microbial communities living in these habitats and their essential roles in sustaining vast ecosystems. The increase in the number of publications related to soil and marine metagenomics is in sharp contrast to those of air, yet airborne microbes are thought to have significant impacts on many aspects of our lives from their potential roles in atmospheric events such as cloud formation, precipitation, and atmospheric chemistry to their major impact on human health. In this review, we will discuss the current progress in airborne metagenomics, with a special focus on exploring the challenges and opportunities of undertaking such studies. The main challenges of conducting metagenomic studies of airborne microbes are as follows: 1) Low density of microorganisms in the air, 2) efficient retrieval of microorganisms from the air, 3) variability in airborne microbial community composition, 4) the lack of standardized protocols and methodologies, and 5) DNA sequencing and bioinformatics-related challenges. Overcoming these challenges could provide the groundwork for comprehensive analysis of airborne microbes and their potential impact on the atmosphere, global climate, and our health. Metagenomic studies offer a unique opportunity to examine viral and bacterial diversity in the air and monitor their spread locally or across the globe, including threats from pathogenic microorganisms. Airborne metagenomic studies could also lead to discoveries of novel genes and metabolic pathways relevant to meteorological and industrial applications, environmental bioremediation, and biogeochemical cycles.

Collaboration challenges in systematic reviews: a survey of health sciences librarians.

Science.gov (United States)

Nicholson, Joey; McCrillis, Aileen; Williams, Jeff D

2017-10-01

While many librarians have been asked to participate in systematic reviews with researchers, often these researchers are not familiar with the systematic review process or the appropriate role for librarians. The purpose of this study was to identify the challenges and barriers that librarians face when collaborating on systematic reviews. To take a wider view of the whole process of collaborating on systematic reviews, the authors deliberately focused on interpersonal and methodological issues other than searching itself. To characterize the biggest challenges that librarians face while collaborating on systematic review projects, we used a web-based survey. The thirteen-item survey included seventeen challenges grouped into two categories: methodological and interpersonal. Participants were required to indicate the frequency and difficulty of the challenges listed. Open-ended questions allowed survey participants to describe challenges not listed in the survey and to describe strategies used to overcome challenges. Of the 17 challenges listed in the survey, 8 were reported as common by over 40% of respondents. These included methodological issues around having too broad or narrow research questions, lacking eligibility criteria, having unclear research questions, and not following established methods. The remaining challenges were interpersonal, including issues around student-led projects and the size of the research team. Of the top 8 most frequent challenges, 5 were also ranked as most difficult to handle. Open-ended responses underscored many of the challenges included in the survey and revealed several additional challenges. These results suggest that the most frequent and challenging issues relate to development of the research question and general communication with team members. Clear protocols for collaboration on systematic reviews, as well as a culture of mentorship, can help librarians prevent and address these challenges.

Dosimetry challenges for implementing emerging technologies

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yin Fangfang; Oldham, Mark; Cai Jing; Wu Qiuwen, E-mail: Fangfang.yin@duke.ed [Department of Radiation Oncology Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27516 (United States)

2010-11-01

During the last 10 years, radiation therapy technologies have gone through major changes, mainly related introduction of sophisticated delivery and imaging techniques to improve the target localization accuracy and dose conformity. While implementation of these emerging technologies such as image-guided SRS/SBRT, IMRT/IMAT, IGRT, 4D motion management, and special delivery technologies showed substantial clinical gains for patient care, many other factors, such as training/quality, efficiency/efficacy, and cost/effectiveness etc. remain to be challenging. This talk will address technical challenges for dosimetry verification of implementing these emerging technologies in radiation therapy.

Cross-cultural research: challenge and competence.

Science.gov (United States)

Clark, Mary Jo

2012-07-01

Increasing globalization, population diversity and health disparities among non-dominant cultures necessitate cross-cultural research. Research with other cultures is fraught with challenges that must be addressed by the competent cross-cultural researcher. Areas for consideration include choice of research foci, ethical concerns, cultural adaptation of research measurements and interventions, participant recruitment and retention, strategies for data collection and analysis, dissemination of findings and perspectives of time. Approaches to dealing with these challenges are addressed, with an emphasis on community-based participatory research. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

Confronting new technological challenges in HEP

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Savoy-Navarro, Aurore

2000-01-01

The new technological challenges that will have to be confronted in HEP are mainly due to the new physics issues. What is beyond the standard model? That is the question. This review will first list the physics demands in order to explore this unknown world. It will then show with appropriate examples, how the new physics will require confronting new technological challenges in: designing new accelerators, developing new detectors, designing new front-end readout systems and using the new software and hardware tools for the online readout and DAQ systems

Challenges Regarding IP Core Functional Reliability

Science.gov (United States)

Berg, Melanie D.; LaBel, Kenneth A.

2017-01-01

For many years, intellectual property (IP) cores have been incorporated into field programmable gate array (FPGA) and application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) design flows. However, the usage of large complex IP cores were limited within products that required a high level of reliability. This is no longer the case. IP core insertion has become mainstream including their use in highly reliable products. Due to limited visibility and control, challenges exist when using IP cores and subsequently compromise product reliability. We discuss challenges and suggest potential solutions to critical application IP insertion.

Globalization, Adjustment and the Challenge of Inclusive Growth ...

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

Globalization, Adjustment and the Challenge of Inclusive Growth (Indonesia, Philippines and Viet Nam). This project seeks to better understand the challenge of inclusive growth in the context of ... the productivity-business cycle interaction. Dossiers. Industry churning, the labor market and workers' welfare. Dossiers.

Moral forces: interpreting ethical challenges in military operations

NARCIS (Netherlands)

de Graaff, Miriam

2017-01-01

The studies presented in this dissertation reveal three broad types of ethical challenges during military operations at an individual level that are caused by social interactions of military personnel, regardless of rank. The first encompasses ethical challenges related to encounters with other

Challenges in radon management at uranium mining operations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Paulka, Sharon

2011-01-01

Full text: Radon and its radioactive decay products are present some unique challenges to radiation protection professionals working at the uranium mining operations. This paper will detail some examples of these challenges and methods that can be employed to ensure doses to workers and members of the public are kept As Low As Reasonably Achievable (ALARA). Examples will be presented for conventional open pit and underground mining and In Situ recovery operations. One of the challenges facing new operations seeking approval is the demonstration that radon and its radioactive decay products sourced from the operations will not adversely impact local populations, Methodologies recently employed in the most recent environmental impact statements from uranium mining companies seeking approval are reviewed. The International Commission of Radiological Protection are currently reviewing the dose conversion factors used radon and its decay products. The challenges this change will present to uranium mining operators are presented.

Scenario-Based Digital Forensics Challenges in Cloud Computing

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Erik Miranda Lopez

2016-10-01

Full Text Available The aim of digital forensics is to extract information to answer the 5Ws (Why, When, Where, What, and Who from the data extracted from the evidence. In order to achieve this, most digital forensic processes assume absolute control of digital evidence. However, in a cloud environment forensic investigation, this is not always possible. Additionally, the unique characteristics of cloud computing create new technical, legal and architectural challenges when conducting a forensic investigation. We propose a hypothetical scenario to uncover and explain the challenges forensic practitioners face during cloud investigations. Additionally, we also provide solutions to address the challenges. Our hypothetical case scenario has shown that, in the long run, better live forensic tools, development of new methods tailored for cloud investigations and new procedures and standards are indeed needed. Furthermore, we have come to the conclusion that forensic investigations biggest challenge is not technical but legal.

Challenging tasks: The role of employees' and supervisors' goal orientations

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Preenen, P.; van Vianen, A.; de Pater, I.

2014-01-01

Research shows that challenging jobs stimulate employee learning and retention. Nevertheless, empirical knowledge on what influences the amount of challenging tasks employees perform in their job is lacking. In this study, we examined the extent to which the performance of challenging tasks is

Challenged assumptions and invisible effects

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wimmelmann, Camilla Lawaetz; Vitus, Kathrine; Jervelund, Signe Smith

2017-01-01

for the implementation—different from the assumed conditions—not only challenge the implementation of the intervention but also potentially produce unanticipated yet valuable effects. Research implications – Newly arrived immigrants represent a hugely diverse and heterogeneous group of people with differing values......Purpose – The objective of this study was to examine any unanticipated effects of an educational intervention among newly arrived adult immigrants attending a language school in Denmark. Methodology – A qualitative case study was conducted including interviews with nine informants, observations....... In particular, the assumed (power) relations inherent in immigrant-oriented educational health interventions, in which immigrants are in a novice position, are challenged, as the immigrants are experienced adults (and parents) in regard to healthcare. The paper proposes that such unexpected conditions...

Present challenges in hadrontherapy techniques

Science.gov (United States)

Amaldi, U.; Braccini, S.

2011-07-01

Hadrontherapy is a high-precision technique in cancer radiation therapy, which allows obtaining a superior conformal treatment with respect to photons used in conventional radiation therapy. To reach this ambitious goal without reducing the patient throughput needed in a hospital-based environment, the physical and radiobiological properties of charged hadrons, protons and carbon ions in particular, have to be exploited at best, making use of the most modern technologies issued from research in nuclear and particle physics. In the present days, we are assisting to a continuous technological challenge, leading to the conception and to the development of innovative methods and instruments. In this paper, the most relevant challenges in dose delivery systems, gantries, imaging, quality assurance and particle accelerators are reviewed.

In vivo gluten challenge in coeliac disease

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

HJ Ellis

2001-01-01

Full Text Available In vivo gluten challenge has been used since the early 1950s to study the role of cereal fractions in celiac disease. While early studies relied on crude indicators of celiac toxicity, the advent of jejunal biopsy and sophisticated immunohistochemical techniques has allowed accurate studies to be performed. Studies to determine the nature of the cereal component that is toxic to patients with celiac disease have concentrated on wheat because of its nutritional importance. A number of in vitro studies indicated the presence of one or more celiac-activating epitopes with the N-terminus of the A-gliadin molecule. In vivo challenge with three synthetic peptides subsequently indicated the toxicity of a peptide corresponding to amino acids 31 to 49 of A-gliadin. In vivo gluten challenge is the gold standard for the assessment of celiac toxicity; however, jejunal biopsy is a relatively invasive procedure, thus, other methods have been investigated. Direct infusion of the rectum with gluten has been shown to result in an increase in mucosal intraepithelial lymphocytes, occurring only in celiac patients. This method has been used to study the celiac toxicity of gliadin subfractions. The in vitro technique of small intestinal biopsy organ culture is also a useful tool and appears to give the same results as in vivo challenge. The importance of tiny amounts of gliadin in the diet, such as that which occurs in wheat starch, has been studied by in vivo challenge; this technique has clarified the position of oats in the gluten-free diet. Several studies suggest that this cereal may be included in the diet of most adult celiac patients. Studies of the transport of gliadin across the enterocyte following ingestion or challenge suggest that gliadin may be metabolized by a different pathway in celiac disease. This could result in an abnormal presentation to the immune system, triggering a pathogenic rather than a tolerogenic response.

KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT CHALLENGES IN NEW BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Ole Kjeldal; Ahmed-Kristensen, Saeema; Jensen, Nevena

2011-01-01

The empirical study this paper is based upon, aimed to identify and describe knowledge management challenges, throughout the new business development process. This paper reports findings from the study, as well as the framework used for analysing the KM challenges, which can be applied to other...... in the early phases. Furthermore, two new roles of the early phase, besides instigating projects, were found. This study contributes to the development of support tools for knowledge management in industry and to research with a deeper understanding of the new business development process....... case studies for comparison. Six interviews and 2 full-day workshops, gathering the perspectives of 76 people from an energy-utilities company forms the empirical background of the study. Six categories of knowledge management challenges were identified and, within each, central issues were extracted...

Microreaction for microfuel processing: Challenges and prospects

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shah, K.; Besser, R.S. [New Jersey Center for Microchemical Systems, Department of Chemical, Biomedical and Material Engineering, Stevens Institute of Technology, Castle Point on Hudson, Hoboken, NJ 07030 (United States); Ouyang, X. [Laboratory of Genius of the Catalytic Processes (LGPC), Centre National de la Recherche Scinetifique (CNRS), Lyon (France)

2005-03-01

The processing of high density liquid hydrocarbon fuels appears to be the most promising method of supplying a hydrogen stream for feeding portable fuel cells. Furthermore, microchemical systems are a strong enabling aspect of compact fuel processors due to their advantageous heat and mass transport and inherent compactness. However, a number of crucial challenges exist for the realization of practical fuel processors. In this article, these challenges are addressed, and two examples are shown of how the challenges can be attacked in the context of implementation of microchemical systems. The examples involve (a) appropriate measurement of kinetics in microchannel-catalyst systems with preferential oxidation of carbon monoxide as a model, and (b) thermal integration of reactor components with a methanol steam reformer as a model. (Abstract Copyright [2005], Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

The challenge of legitimizing spatially differentiated regulation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Thorsøe, Martin Hvarregaard; Graversgaard, Morten; Noe, Egon

2017-01-01

Differentiating regulation is a promising approach to agri-environmental regulation that may potentially reduce the environmental impact of agriculture at the lowest possible costs for the farmers and society, but also possesses a number of challenges. In this article, we explore the challenges...... to the legitimacy of agri-environmental regulation that occurs when the regulatory regime changes from general regulation to differentiated regulation. The analysis is based on a case study of the implementation of the Buffer zone act in Denmark – a regulation that prevents agricultural production in a 10 (later 9......) meter fringe around selected waterbodies. We distinguish between two different ways of legitimizing: Producing knowledge and participation. We conclude that to harvest some of the obvious benefits of differentiated regulation a number of challenges must be resolved, 1) ensuring legitimacy...

Challenges to State Legitimacy and Institutional Channels of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This article engages the debate on state legitimacy and fragility in Africa. It analyses the historical and empirical challenges to state legitimacy and how they relate to constructions of institutional channels of political participation on the continent. The study challenges mainstream westerncentric explanations that sweepingly

Challenges Confronting Beginning Researchers in Conducting Literature Reviews

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Der-Thanq; Wang, Yu-Mei; Lee, Wei Ching

2016-01-01

Conducting literature review is a complicated, sometimes confusing and laborious process that beginning educational researchers, especially graduate students, often find challenging. However, in the past these challenges were hardly considered, but in more recent times they have been increasingly considered by various faculties and graduate…

Multimodal Challenge: Analytics Beyond User-computer Interaction Data

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Di Mitri, Daniele; Schneider, Jan; Specht, Marcus; Drachsler, Hendrik

2018-01-01

This contribution describes one the challenges explored in the Fourth LAK Hackathon. This challenge aims at shifting the focus from learning situations which can be easily traced through user-computer interactions data and concentrate more on user-world interactions events, typical of co-located and

ARL and Association 3.0: Ten Management Challenges

Science.gov (United States)

Funk, Carla J.

2009-01-01

Association management in today's "association 3.0" environment presents some new challenges and new perspectives on old ones. This paper summarizes 10 such challenges including collaboration, diversity, innovation, transparency, financial stability, member benefits, knowledge-based decision-making, a demand-driven association model, pro-activity…

Solidary Dimension of Bio-Ethical Challenges in Croatian Society

OpenAIRE

MATULIĆ, Tonči

2006-01-01

This contribution investigates the solidary dimensions of bio-ethical challenges with special reflection on their situation and demands in Croatian society. The research unfolds in several stages. The introduction questions the state of today's cultural situation within which bio-ethical challenges emerge. In continuation, the paper investigates relations between social issues as a world notion and bio-ethical challenges that undoubtedly constitute a vital component of that issue. This is par...

Understanding doctors' ethical challenges as role virtue conflicts.

Science.gov (United States)

McDougall, Rosalind

2013-01-01

This paper argues that doctors' ethical challenges can be usefully conceptualised as role virtue conflicts. The hospital environment requires doctors to be simultaneously good doctors, good team members, good learners and good employees. I articulate a possible set of role virtues for each of these four roles, as a basis for a virtue ethics approach to analysing doctors' ethical challenges. Using one junior doctor's story, I argue that understanding doctors' ethical challenges as role virtue conflicts enables recognition of important moral considerations that are overlooked by other approaches to ethical analysis. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Six challenges in the eradication of infectious diseases

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Petra Klepac

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Eradication and elimination are increasingly a part of the global health agenda. Once control measures have driven infection to low levels, the ecology of disease may change posing challenges for eradication efforts. These challenges vary from identifying pockets of susceptibles, improving monitoring during and after the endgame, to quantifying the economics of disease eradication versus sustained control, all of which are shaped and influenced by processes of loss of immunity, susceptible build-up, emergence of resistance, population heterogeneities and non-compliance with control measures. Here we discuss how modelling can be used to address these challenges.

Challenge testing of gametes to enhance their viability

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Callesen, Henrik

2010-01-01

of survival mechanism that enables them to come through the process. The details of the mechanism remain unknown but, if identified, it could have immense potential as a new way to improve the viability of embryos produced by ART. However, few publications describe systematic ways to challenge test gametes...... and then to use the results as a basis for improving gamete viability. Furthermore, new methods to monitor the reactions of gametes to such challenge tests are needed. In the present review, these two issues are discussed, as are some of the conditions necessary before a challenge test protocol can be part...

Crowd Sourcing for Challenging Technical Problems and Business Model

Science.gov (United States)

Davis, Jeffrey R.; Richard, Elizabeth

2011-01-01

Crowd sourcing may be defined as the act of outsourcing tasks that are traditionally performed by an employee or contractor to an undefined, generally large group of people or community (a crowd) in the form of an open call. The open call may be issued by an organization wishing to find a solution to a particular problem or complete a task, or by an open innovation service provider on behalf of that organization. In 2008, the Space Life Sciences Directorate (SLSD), with the support of Wyle Integrated Science and Engineering, established and implemented pilot projects in open innovation (crowd sourcing) to determine if these new internet-based platforms could indeed find solutions to difficult technical challenges. These unsolved technical problems were converted to problem statements, also called "Challenges" or "Technical Needs" by the various open innovation service providers, and were then posted externally to seek solutions. In addition, an open call was issued internally to NASA employees Agency wide (10 Field Centers and NASA HQ) using an open innovation service provider crowd sourcing platform to post NASA challenges from each Center for the others to propose solutions). From 2008 to 2010, the SLSD issued 34 challenges, 14 externally and 20 internally. The 14 external problems or challenges were posted through three different vendors: InnoCentive, Yet2.com and TopCoder. The 20 internal challenges were conducted using the InnoCentive crowd sourcing platform designed for internal use by an organization. This platform was customized for NASA use and promoted as NASA@Work. The results were significant. Of the seven InnoCentive external challenges, two full and five partial awards were made in complex technical areas such as predicting solar flares and long-duration food packaging. Similarly, the TopCoder challenge yielded an optimization algorithm for designing a lunar medical kit. The Yet2.com challenges yielded many new industry and academic contacts in bone

Having Fun and Accepting Challenges Are Natural Instincts: Jigsaw Puzzles to Challenge Students and Test Their Abilities While Having Fun!

Science.gov (United States)

Rodenbaugh, Hanna R.; Lujan, Heidi L.; Rodenbaugh, David W.; DiCarlo, Stephen E.

2014-01-01

Because jigsaw puzzles are fun, and challenging, students will endure and discover that persistence and grit are rewarded. Importantly, play and fun have a biological place just like sleep and dreams. Students also feel a sense of accomplishment when they have completed a puzzle. Importantly, the reward of mastering a challenge builds confidence…

THE THIRD GRAVITATIONAL LENSING ACCURACY TESTING (GREAT3) CHALLENGE HANDBOOK

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mandelbaum, Rachel; Kannawadi, Arun; Simet, Melanie; Rowe, Barnaby; Kacprzak, Tomasz; Bosch, James; Miyatake, Hironao; Chang, Chihway; Gill, Mandeep; Courbin, Frederic; Jarvis, Mike; Armstrong, Bob; Lackner, Claire; Leauthaud, Alexie; Nakajima, Reiko; Rhodes, Jason; Zuntz, Joe; Bridle, Sarah; Coupon, Jean; Dietrich, Jörg P.

2014-01-01

The GRavitational lEnsing Accuracy Testing 3 (GREAT3) challenge is the third in a series of image analysis challenges, with a goal of testing and facilitating the development of methods for analyzing astronomical images that will be used to measure weak gravitational lensing. This measurement requires extremely precise estimation of very small galaxy shape distortions, in the presence of far larger intrinsic galaxy shapes and distortions due to the blurring kernel caused by the atmosphere, telescope optics, and instrumental effects. The GREAT3 challenge is posed to the astronomy, machine learning, and statistics communities, and includes tests of three specific effects that are of immediate relevance to upcoming weak lensing surveys, two of which have never been tested in a community challenge before. These effects include many novel aspects including realistically complex galaxy models based on high-resolution imaging from space; a spatially varying, physically motivated blurring kernel; and a combination of multiple different exposures. To facilitate entry by people new to the field, and for use as a diagnostic tool, the simulation software for the challenge is publicly available, though the exact parameters used for the challenge are blinded. Sample scripts to analyze the challenge data using existing methods will also be provided. See http://great3challenge.info and http://great3.projects.phys.ucl.ac.uk/leaderboard/ for more information

eHealth Recruitment Challenges

Science.gov (United States)

Thompson, Debbe; Canada, Ashanti; Bhatt, Riddhi; Davis, Jennifer; Plesko, Lisa; Baranowski, Tom; Cullen, Karen; Zakeri, Issa

2006-01-01

Little is known about effective eHealth recruitment methods. This paper presents recruitment challenges associated with enrolling African-American girls aged 8-10 years in an eHealth obesity prevention program, their effect on the recruitment plan, and potential implications for eHealth research. Although the initial recruitment strategy was…

Projectile Motion Hoop Challenge

Science.gov (United States)

Jordan, Connor; Dunn, Amy; Armstrong, Zachary; Adams, Wendy K.

2018-01-01

Projectile motion is a common phenomenon that is used in introductory physics courses to help students understand motion in two dimensions. Authors have shared a range of ideas for teaching this concept and the associated kinematics in "The Physics Teacher" ("TPT"); however, the "Hoop Challenge" is a new setup not…

Expressive communication of children with autism: the use of challenging behaviour.

Science.gov (United States)

Chiang, Hsu-Min

2008-11-01

There is a lack of empirical research investigating challenging behaviour in children with autism with severe speech impairments in naturalistic settings. The aim of the present study was to investigate challenging behaviour among Australian and Taiwanese children with autism who are non-verbal or have limited speech (i.e. less than five functional words) in school settings and to address the following questions: (1) What are the communicative characteristics (e.g. communicative functions, partners, activities and partner's responses) of challenging behaviour? (2) Do sample characteristics (e.g. age, severity of autism, adaptive behaviour level, the use of graphic symbols, the use of non-symbolic acts, the use of speech) associate with the amount of challenging behaviour? (3) Do cultural differences exist in communicative variables of challenging behaviour? Naturalistic observations were used to investigate challenging behaviour in children with autism. A total of 32 (17 Australian and 15 Taiwanese) children with autism who were non-verbal or had limited speech participated in the current study and each participant was videotaped for 2 h during his/her everyday school routines. Sixteen out of 32 children had challenging behaviour. Challenging behaviour was used for requesting and rejecting communicative functions. A paired-samples t-test revealed that no significant differences existed in the frequency of occurrence between request and reject. Challenging behaviour was directed to adults and peers. A paired-samples t-test revealed that challenging behaviour was directed to adults significantly more frequently than to peers. Communicative partners showed different responses (e.g. deny, no response, delivered, removed, acknowledge) to challenging behaviour. A repeated-measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) revealed a main effect for partner response. Deny was the most common response. Challenging behaviour occurred across a variety of classroom activities (e

Overcoming challenges: The Koeberg simulator project

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marin, J: Bruchental, S.; Lagerwall, J.R.

2006-01-01

As the nuclear power simulation training industry matures, the needs of the individual training facilities are becoming increasingly diverse. To respond to this trend, simulation vendors must offer a greater level of customization, and as such, are facing increasingly challenging projects. In 2002, CAE embarked on such a project for South Africas Koeberg nuclear power station. This simulator upgrade project, carried out in two phases, served as a unique exercise in product customization. In the first phase, CAE replaced the simulation servers, the software environment, and re-hosted the existing plant models. In the second phase, CAE replaced several of the existing thermal-hydraulics models to improve simulator fidelity. Throughout this project, CAE overcame a series of challenges stemming from project-specific requirements. In fact, the retention of the legacy software maintenance tools, the preservation of the instructor station package, and the interfacing with the existing hardware panel elements presented a number of opportunities for innovation. In the end, CAE overcame the challenges and acquired invaluable experience in doing so. (author)

The 20-20-20 Airship Challenge

Science.gov (United States)

Kiessling, Alina; Diaz, Ernesto; Miller, Sarah; Rhodes, Jason

2014-06-01

A NASA Centennial Challenge; (http://www.nasa.gov/directorates/spacetech/centennial_challenges/index.html) is in development to spur innovation in stratospheric airships as a science platform. We anticipate a million dollar class prize for the first organization to fly a powered airship that remains stationary at 20km (65,000 ft) altitude for over 20 hours with a 20kg payload. The design must be scalable to longer flights with more massive payloads.In NASA’s constrained budget environment, there are few opportunities for space missions in astronomy and Earth science, and these have very long lead times. We believe that airships (powered, maneuverable, lighter-than-air vehicles) could offer significant gains in observing time, sky and ground coverage, data downlink capability, and continuity of observations over existing suborbital options at competitive prices. We seek to spur private industry (or non-profit institutions, including FFRDCs and Universities) to demonstrate the capability for sustained airship flights as astronomy and Earth science platforms. This poster will introduce the challenge in development and provide details of who to contact for more information.

Nurse managers' challenges in project management.

Science.gov (United States)

Suhonen, Marjo; Paasivaara, Leena

2011-11-01

To analyse the challenges that nurse managers meet in project management. Project management done by nurse managers has a significant role in the success of projects conducted in work units. The data were collected by open interviews (n = 14). The participants were nurse managers, nurses and public health nurses. Data analysis was carried out using qualitative content analysis. The three main challenges nurse managers faced in project management in health-care work units were: (1) apathetic organization and management, (2) paralysed work community and (3) cooperation between individuals being discouraged. Nurse managers' challenges in project management can be viewed from the perspective of the following paradoxes: (1) keeping up projects-ensuring patient care, (2) enthusiastic management-effective management of daily work and (3) supporting the work of a multiprofessional team-leadership of individual employees. It is important for nurse managers to learn to relate these paradoxes to one another in a positive way. Further research is needed, focusing on nurse managers' ability to promote workplace spirituality, nurse managers' emotional intelligence and their enthusiasm in small projects. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Grand societal challenges in information systems research and education

CERN Document Server

vom Brocke, Jan; Hofmann, Sara; Tumbas, Sanja

2015-01-01

This book examines how information systems research and education can play a major role in contributing to solutions to the Societal Grand Challenges formulated in "The Millennium Project" (millenium-project.org). Individual chapters focus on specific challenges, review existing approaches and contributions towards solutions in information systems research and outline a research agenda for these challenges. The topics considered in this volume range from climate change, population growth, global ICT availability, breakthroughs in science and technology and energy demand to ethical decision-making, policymaking, gender status and transnational crime prevention. It is the first book to present ideas on how the Information Systems discipline can contribute to the solution on this wide spectrum of grand societal challenges.

78 FR 255 - Resumption of the Population Estimates Challenge Program

Science.gov (United States)

2013-01-03

... commenter would like the Census Bureau to continue to leave open the option for a challenging county-level... Challenging Certain Population and Income Estimates'' to ``Procedure for Challenging Population Estimates'' to... governmental unit. In those instances where a non-functioning county-level government or statistical equivalent...

Big Data and Analytics in Higher Education: Opportunities and Challenges

Science.gov (United States)

Daniel, Ben

2015-01-01

Institutions of higher education are operating in an increasingly complex and competitive environment. This paper identifies contemporary challenges facing institutions of higher education worldwide and explores the potential of Big Data in addressing these challenges. The paper then outlines a number of opportunities and challenges associated…

Human Resource Challenges to Integrating HIV Pre-Exposure ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

AJRH Managing Editor

These challenges paralleled current challenges related to integration of antiretroviral therapy (ART) and ..... is not additional work but is rather another HIV ... should be added to performance contracts (terms of ... stress and burnout, difficulty adhering to time- ... Similarly, the role of ... (diploma level) nursing officers or clinical.

Key regulatory challenges for future nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Todreas, Neil E.

2001-01-01

Key regulatory challenges for future nuclear power plants are concerned with fuel and cladding materials taken to higher burnup and operated at higher temperatures. Particular challenges are related to reduction in waste toxicity, understanding and control of coolant corrosion, qualification of fuel particles, new maintenance practices

Postmodern Critiques Still Challenge the Study of Religion

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Paldam, Ella

2013-01-01

In this introduction, I argue that the postmodern challenge analyzed by Armin W. Geertz in his paper from 2000 still poses a fundamental challenge in the contemporary study of religion. My own field studies among the Chumash Indians of South-central California in 2010 illustrate how postmodernity...

VAST Challenge 2015: Mayhem at Dinofun World

Science.gov (United States)

2015-10-25

Crouser Abstract— A fictitious amusement park and a larger-than-life hometown football hero provided participants in the VAST Challenge 2015 with an...last year was a weekend tribute to Scott Jones, internationally renowned football (“soccer,” in US terminology) star. Scott Jones is from a town...Challenge: history , scope, and outcomes. Information Visualization, 13(4):301–312, 2014. [2] Visual Analytics Benchmark Repository, http://hcil2

TRAGEDI CHALLENGER (TINJAUAN ETIKA KANTIAN DAN ETIKA UTILITARIAN

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sudaryanto Sudaryanto

2016-08-01

Full Text Available A lot of scientific experiments motivated by utilitarian attitudes. Experiments are expected to give satisfactory results or benefits. If an experiment has been carried out with the correct procedure, then the failure of an experiment is morally acceptable, because the nature of the experiments it is always a risk. The launch of the Challenger can be incorporated into the experimental category. Through the review process, engineering procedures and the launch of Challenger's failure status can be determined in terms of Kantian and Utilitarian ethics. The study is a research library, with a hermeneutic approach. The methodical elements used in this study are description, analysis, synthesis, and reflection. The results of this study indicate that the engineering procedures and Challenger launch decision to ignore the real risks are taken into account technically. Therefore, the failure of the Challenger mission in terms of Kantian and Utilitarian ethics can not be accepted.

Challenge-driven attention: interacting frontal and brainstem systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rajeev D S Raizada

2008-03-01

Full Text Available The world is an unpredictable place, presenting challenges that fl uctuate from moment to moment. However, the neural systems for responding to such challenges are far from fully understood. Using fMRI, we studied an audiovisual task in which the trials' diffi culty and onset times varied unpredictably. Two regions were found to increase their activation for challenging trials, with their activities strongly correlated: right frontal cortex and the brainstem. The frontal area matched regions found in previous human studies of cognitive control, and activated in a graded manner with increasing task diffi culty. The brainstem responded only to the most diffi cult trials, showing a phasic activity pattern paralleling locus coeruleus recordings in monkeys. These results reveal a bridge between animal and human studies, and suggest interacting roles for the brainstem and right frontal cortex: the brainstem may signal that an attentional challenge is occurring, while right frontal cortex allocates cognitive resources in response.

Big data in complex systems challenges and opportunities

CERN Document Server

Azar, Ahmad; Snasael, Vaclav; Kacprzyk, Janusz; Abawajy, Jemal

2015-01-01

This volume provides challenges and Opportunities with updated, in-depth material on the application of Big data to complex systems in order to find solutions for the challenges and problems facing big data sets applications. Much data today is not natively in structured format; for example, tweets and blogs are weakly structured pieces of text, while images and video are structured for storage and display, but not for semantic content and search. Therefore transforming such content into a structured format for later analysis is a major challenge. Data analysis, organization, retrieval, and modeling are other  foundational challenges treated in this book. The material of this book will be useful for researchers and practitioners in the field of big data as well as advanced undergraduate and graduate  students. Each of the 17 chapters in the book opens with a chapter abstract and key terms list. The chapters are organized along the lines of problem description, related works, and analysis of the results and ...

Sustainable Materials Management (SMM) Federal Green Challenge (FGC) Data

Data.gov (United States)

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency — The Federal Green Challenge (FGC) is a national effort under EPA's Sustainable Materials Management (SMM) Program, challenging EPA and other federal agencies...

Ecosystems Vulnerability Challenge and Prize Competition

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, J. H.; Frame, M. T.; Ferriter, O.; Recker, J.

2014-12-01

Stimulating innovation and private sector entrepreneurship is an important way to advance the preparedness of communities, businesses and individuals for the impacts of climate change on certain aspects of ecosystems, such as: fire regimes; water availability; carbon sequestration; biodiversity conservation; weather-related hazards, and the spread of invasive species. The creation of tools is critical to help communities and natural resource managers better understand the impacts of climate change on ecosystems and the potential resulting implications for ecosystem services and conservation efforts. The Department of the Interior is leading an interagency effort to develop the Ecosystems Vulnerability theme as part of the President's Climate Action Plan. This effort will provide seamless access to relevant datasets that can help address such issues as: risk of wildfires to local communities and federal lands; water sensitivity to climate change; and understanding the role of ecosystems in a changing climate. This session will provide an overview of the proposed Ecosystem Vulnerability Challenge and Prize Competition, outlining the intended audience, scope, goals, and overall timeline. The session will provide an opportunity for participants to offer new ideas. Through the Challenge, access will be made available to critical datasets for software developers, engineers, scientists, students, and researchers to develop and submit applications addressing critical science issues facing our Nation today. Application submission criteria and guidelines will also be discussed. The Challenge will be open to all sectors and organizations (i.e. federal, non-federal, private sector, non-profits, and universities) within the United States. It is anticipated the Challenge will run from early January 2015 until spring of 2015.

INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATIVE COMPETENCE - A FURTHER CHALLENGE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Робин Кранмер

2017-12-01

Full Text Available This article focuses on types of challenge to intercultural communicators arising during communication between those with a good level of intercultural competence and those with a lower level and which relate to communicative style. Those with weaker intercultural competence tend to have limited awareness of variation in communicative style and its link to language and culture. As a result, they often continue using aspects of the communicative style of their first language when using a for-eign language. They may even criticise ethnocentrically aspects of the communicative style associated with that foreign language. This can create specific challenges for a more interculturally competent communicator who may well understand the behaviour in question but find it hard to deal with. The key aim of this article is to analyse these challenges prior to hypothesising what underlying skills and prac-tical strategies might help communicators to deal with them. Relevant skills are sought in existing lit-erature and the further processes used in generating hypotheses are described. Skills are identified which include the capacities to deal with negative comments on your own communicative style, to per-suade your fellow communicator of its validity, to negotiate compromises and to steer the communica-tion towards a mutually satisfactory dynamic. Besides outlining the forms further research needs to take, the article concludes by stressing the importance of better understanding these challenges and of incorporating the development of skills for dealing with them into a variety of teaching programmes containing an intercultural component.

Challenging environmental mythology: wrestling Zeus

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Dini, J. W; Lehr, Jay H

2003-01-01

.... At a time when the public can be thoroughly confused between fact and fiction regarding our environmental concerns, this book proposes to challenge our concerns in clear, jargon free language that we can...

Technology Transfer Challenges for High-Assurance Software Engineering Tools

Science.gov (United States)

Koga, Dennis (Technical Monitor); Penix, John; Markosian, Lawrence Z.

2003-01-01

In this paper, we describe our experience with the challenges thar we are currently facing in our effort to develop advanced software verification and validation tools. We categorize these challenges into several areas: cost benefits modeling, tool usability, customer application domain, and organizational issues. We provide examples of challenges in each area and identrfj, open research issues in areas which limit our ability to transfer high-assurance software engineering tools into practice.

Challenges facing the marketing of scientific and research institutes

OpenAIRE

Bogdan Sojkin

2015-01-01

This article presents the challenges that scientific research institutions face in terms of their marketing, which have been divided into two groups of those associated with internal marketing and those linked to external marketing. The most significant and important determinants that constitute challenges to both internal and external marketing were described. The key aspects of each of the identified challenges were indicated, as was their impact on the implementation of the marketing polic...

Challenge Beginning Teacher Beliefs

Science.gov (United States)

Lannin, John K.; Chval, Kathryn B.

2013-01-01

As beginning teachers start to recognize the complexity of teaching mathematics in elementary school classrooms and how their new vision for teaching mathematics creates new challenges, they experience discomfort--a healthy awareness that much is to be learned. Brousseau (1997) notes that changes in the roles that are implicitly assigned to the…

Helping Children with Attentional Challenges in the Montessori Classroom: Introduction

Science.gov (United States)

Nehring Massie, Catherine

2017-01-01

Catherine Nehring Massie provides important contextual information in considering children with attentional challenges. She discusses the prevalence of attentional challenges in today's culture and the contributing factors. She gives a general overview of the spectrum of attentional challenges and some of the indicators in children. Her history of…

Adaptive Embedded Systems – Challenges of Run-Time Resource Management

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Understanding and efficiently controlling the dynamic behavior of adaptive embedded systems is a challenging endavor. The challenges come from the often very complicated interplay between the application, the application mapping, and the underlying hardware architecture. With MPSoC, we have...... the technology to design and fabricate dynamically reconfigurable hardware platforms. However, such platforms will pose new challenges to tools and methods to efficiently explore these platforms at run-time. This talk will address some of the challenges of run-time resource management in adaptive embedded...... systems....

Current Challenges in Cancer Treatment.

Science.gov (United States)

Zugazagoitia, Jon; Guedes, Cristiano; Ponce, Santiago; Ferrer, Irene; Molina-Pinelo, Sonia; Paz-Ares, Luis

2016-07-01

In this review, we highlight the current concepts and discuss some of the current challenges and future prospects in cancer therapy. We frequently use the example of lung cancer. We conducted a nonsystematic PubMed search, selecting the most comprehensive and relevant research articles, clinical trials, translational papers, and review articles on precision oncology and immuno-oncology. Papers were prioritized and selected based on their originality and potential clinical applicability. Two major revolutions have changed cancer treatment paradigms in the past few years: targeting actionable alterations in oncogene-driven cancers and immuno-oncology. Important challenges are still ongoing in both fields of cancer therapy. On the one hand, druggable genomic alterations are diverse and represent only small subsets of patients in certain tumor types, which limits testing their clinical impact in biomarker-driven clinical trials. Next-generation sequencing technologies are increasingly being implemented for molecular prescreening in clinical research, but issues regarding clinical interpretation of large genomic data make their wide clinical use difficult. Further, dealing with tumor heterogeneity and acquired resistance is probably the main limitation for the success of precision oncology. On the other hand, long-term survival benefits with immune checkpoint inhibitors (anti-programmed death cell protein-1/programmed death cell ligand-1[PD-1/L1] and anti-cytotoxic T lymphocyte antigen-4 monoclonal antibodies) are restricted to a minority of patients, and no predictive markers are yet robustly validated that could help us recognize these subsets and optimize treatment delivery and selection. To achieve long-term survival benefits, drug combinations targeting several molecular alterations or cancer hallmarks might be needed. This will probably be one of the most challenging but promising precision cancer treatment strategies in the future. Targeting single molecular

Cost-Effective Additive Manufacturing in Space: HELIOS Technology Challenge Guide

Science.gov (United States)

DeVieneni, Alayna; Velez, Carlos Andres; Benjamin, David; Hollenbeck, Jay

2012-01-01

Welcome to the HELIOS Technology Challenge Guide. This document is intended to serve as a general road map for participants of the HELIOS Technology Challenge [HTC] Program and the associated inaugural challenge: HTC-01: Cost-Effective Additive Manufacturing in Space. Please note that this guide is not a rule book and is not meant to hinder the development of innovative ideas. Its primary goal is to highlight the objectives of the HTC-01 Challenge and to describe possible solution routes and pitfalls that such technology may encounter in space. Please also note that participants wishing to demonstrate any hardware developed under this program during any future HELIOS Technology Challenge showcase event(s) may be subject to event regulations to be published separately at a later date.

Challenges in the management of cervicofacial necrotizing fasciitis ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Background: Necrotizing fascitis is uncommon but a life threatening cervico-facial infection, which is characterized by aggressive spread of inflammation and necrosis of the tissues. In our environment clinical presentation is often late and patient's management at this stage is very challenging. We present the challenges in ...

49 CFR 218.97 - Good faith challenge procedures.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 49 Transportation 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Good faith challenge procedures. 218.97 Section... Derails § 218.97 Good faith challenge procedures. (a) Employee responsibility. An employee shall inform the railroad or employer whenever the employee makes a good faith determination that the employee has...

Online Learning: Addressing Challenges and Seizing Opportunities. Hawaii

Science.gov (United States)

Alliance for Excellent Education, 2010

2010-01-01

America's K-12 education system faces three significant challenges: (1) increased global demands for skilled workers, (2) significant financial shortfalls, and (3) a looming teacher shortage. Independently, these factors present significant challenges for U.S. schools. In combination, they create a national imperative for swift action to create a…

Classroom Challenges: Working with Pupils with Communication Disorders

Science.gov (United States)

Zebron, Shupikai; Mhute, Isaac; Musingafi, Maxwell Constantine Chando

2015-01-01

The challenge of actively involving students with communication disorders in the formal education systems prompted this desktop study on some of the challenges and problems associated with students with communication disorders in the classroom. This paper examines the relationship between communication disorders and learning from a very basic and…

Parental perceptions in egg allergy: does egg challenge make a difference?

Science.gov (United States)

Kemp, Andrew Stewart; Allen, Clare Wendy; Campbell, Dianne Elisabeth

2009-11-01

The aim of the study was to determine the effect of an oral egg challenge in egg sensitized children on parental perceptions relating to their child's allergy. A questionnaire was completed by parents for 167 children attending a tertiary paediatric clinic with egg sensitization. The questionnaires included 10 questions concerning parental perceptions of their child's egg allergy. Parental perceptions of those children who had not had an egg challenge (n = 83) were compared with those whose children had a positive (n = 27) and those with a negative (n = 57) egg challenge. A significant difference (p = parents in the CN group expected little or no future inconvenience for the child. The responses of parents whose child had undergone an egg challenge differed significantly (p = expectation of little or no future discomfort for the child and whether others treated the child differently. The performance of an egg challenge was associated with reduced adverse parental concerns. For 6/10 parameters, expectations concerning egg allergy in children who had been challenged were significantly better than those who had never been challenged irrespective of the challenge outcome. The greater certainty provided by the performance of a food challenge may be a positive outcome in both CP and CN children.

Challenges for effective counter-terrorism communication

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lindekilde, Lasse; Parker, David; Pearce, Julia

2017-01-01

Growing concerns about small-scale, low sophistication terrorist attacks, and the difficulties they present for security services, make public coproduction of security increasingly necessary. Communication to ensure that the public(s) is aware of the role they can play will be central to this....... This article, based on interviews with 30 expert practitioners, explores challenges associated with communication designed to prevent radicalisation, interdict attack planning and mitigate the impacts of a terrorist attack in the UK and Denmark. The interplay between these challenges and the contemporary...... terrorist context are analysed, highlighting that new, or adapted, communications and approaches may be necessary....

Challenge of COPD: Getting Tested

Science.gov (United States)

... please turn JavaScript on. Feature: The Challenge of COPD Getting Tested Past Issues / Fall 2014 Table of Contents Getting Tested Everyone at risk for COPD who has cough, sputum production, or shortness of ...

South African Academic Health--the future challenge.

Science.gov (United States)

van Zyl, G J

2004-02-01

In South Africa, significant changes in Academic Health have taken place since the first democratic elections in 1994. Academic Health came from a separated academic hospital, departmental-based curriculum and research focussed on achievement, and an abundance of money, to a position of integrated service delivery with specific reference to primary health care, separation of service levels, a new integrated curriculum, research focussed according to the need and contract research, and financial constraints with limited budgets. The management of this change is a task challenging the manager in all fields of Academic Health. Leaders need to know their environment and organisation to be able to manage change. Academic Health centres are experiencing major changes as a result of the effects of managed care, reduced rate and growing expenditure on health services. In addition to restructuring of the clinical services, Academic Health centres are being challenged to sustain their academic mission and priorities in the face of resource constraints. In order to tackle these challenges, institutions need physicians in administrative positions at all levels who can provide leadership and thoughtful managerial initiatives. The future challenge for managers focuses on service delivery, research, health education and training, Academic Health management, professionalism and financial management.

Health technology assessment in Iran: challenges and views

Science.gov (United States)

Olyaeemanesh, Alireza; Doaee, Shila; Mobinizadeh, Mohammadreza; Nedjati, Mina; Aboee, Parisa; Emami-Razavi, Seyed Hassan

2014-01-01

Background: Various decisions have been made on technology application at all levels of the health system in different countries around the world. Health technology assessment is considered as one of the best scientific tools at the service of policy- makers. This study attempts to investigate the current challenges of Iran’s health technology assessment and provide appropriate strategies to establish and institutionalize this program. Methods: This study was carried out in two independent phases. In the first, electronic databases such as Medline (via Pub Med) and Scientific Information Database (SID) were searched to provide a list of challenges of Iran’s health technology assessment. The views and opinions of the experts and practitioners on HTA challenges were studied through a questionnaire in the second phase which was then analyzed by SPSS Software version 16. This has been an observational and analytical study with a thematic analysis. Results: In the first phase, seven papers were retrieved; from which, twenty- two HTA challenges in Iran were extracted by the researchers; and they were used as the base for designing a structured questionnaire of the second phase. The views of the experts on the challenges of health technology assessment were categorized as follows: organizational culture, stewardship, stakeholders, health system management, infrastructures and external pressures which were mentioned in more than 60% of the cases and were also common in the views. Conclusion: The identification and prioritization of HTA challenges which were approved by those experts involved in the strategic planning of the Department of Health Technology Assessment will be a step forward in the promotion of an evidence- based policy- making and in the production of comprehensive scientific evidence. PMID:25695015

Intercultural challenges in offshore software development outsourcing relationship: an empirical study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khan, S.U.; Azeem, M.I.

2016-01-01

The importance of intercultural challenges is recognized by both the practitioners and researchers in offshore software development outsourcing (OSDO) relationships. These challenges affect almost all the activities involved in offshore software development outsourcing relationships especially communication, mutual understanding, interpretation and decision making processes etc. which in turn leads to project failure. In our previous published study we identified, through systematic literature review (SLR), various intercultural challenges faced by vendors in OSDO relationship. The aim of this study was to validate these findings through industry practitioners and to identify its intensity as well as to identify any other intercultural challenges, faced by vendor organizations in OSDO relationships. We performed questionnaire surveys with 41 experts from different software companies. A seven point likert scale was used to determine the significance of each intercultural challenge. Our findings indicate that all the intercultural challenges are critical for OSDO vendors. We further analyzed these challenges based on different variables, such as company size, company type, expert's job/position etc. We have identified that there is no significant difference in the intercultural challenges based on company type and expert's experience level. We identified that language and language proficiency is the most commonly agreed and difference in social behavior is the most commonly disagreed intercultural challenge in the category of both sizes of company. Similarly language and language proficiency is the most commonly agreed challenge based on experts job positions. (author)

Challenges for Research on Intelligence

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Earl Hunt

2013-10-01

Full Text Available After 100 years of research, the definition of the field is still inadequate. The biggest challenge we see is moving away from a de-factor definition of intelligence in terms of test scores, but at the same time making clear what the boundaries of the field are. We then present four challenges for the field, two within a biological and two within a social context. These revolve around the issues of the malleability of intelligence and its display in everyday life, outside of a formal testing context. We conclude that developments in cognitive neuroscience and increases in the feasibility of monitoring behavior outside of the context of a testing session offer considerable hope for expansion of our both the biological and social aspects of individual differences in cognition.

CULTURAL GLOBALISATION AND CHALLENGES TO TRADITIONAL COMMUNICATION THEORIES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lauren Movius

2010-01-01

Full Text Available This article reviews existing traditional media theories, and analyses the challenges that the current developments of globalisation present to them. The article provides a short history of the concept of globalisation, and reviews the primary theoretical approaches to globalisation that are critical to communication scholars. The article also examines how globalisation challenges the ways in which media and communication have traditionally been theorised. Specifically, the cultural imperialism theory is discussed, as well as the main challenges to the theory. Audience reception studies, which focus on how audiences negotiate meaning differently in specific cultural contexts, are highlighted as the key critique of cultural imperialism

Medical rescue of naval combat: challenges and future.

Science.gov (United States)

Jin, Hai; Hou, Li-Jun; Fu, Xiao-Bing

2015-01-01

There has been no large-scale naval combat in the last 30 years. With the rapid development of battleships, weapons manufacturing and electronic technology, naval combat will present some new characteristics. Additionally, naval combat is facing unprecedented challenges. In this paper, we discuss the topic of medical rescue at sea: what challenges we face and what we could do. The contents discussed in this paper contain battlefield self-aid buddy care, clinical skills, organized health services, medical training and future medical research programs. We also discuss the characteristics of modern naval combat, medical rescue challenges, medical treatment highlights and future developments of medical rescue at sea.

Refugee status determination: three challenges

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Martin Jones

2009-04-01

Full Text Available Refugee status determination (RSD, which is vital to the protection of so many asylum seekers worldwide, is at best an imperfect, haphazard and challenging process. It merits greater attention and appropriate reform.

A Challenge to Watson

Science.gov (United States)

Detterman, Douglas K.

2011-01-01

Watson's Jeopardy victory raises the question of the similarity of artificial intelligence and human intelligence. Those of us who study human intelligence issue a challenge to the artificial intelligence community. We will construct a unique battery of tests for any computer that would provide an actual IQ score for the computer. This is the same…

A Water-Service Challenge

Science.gov (United States)

Roman, Harry T.

2011-01-01

It is important to let students see the value of mathematics in design--and how mathematics lends perspective to problem solving. In this article, the author describes a water-service challenge which enables students to design a water utility system that uses surface runoff into an open reservoir as the potable water source. This challenge…

Challenges and opportunities in dermal/transdermal delivery

OpenAIRE

Paudel, Kalpana S; Milewski, Mikolaj; Swadley, Courtney L; Brogden, Nicole K; Ghosh, Priyanka; Stinchcomb, Audra L

2010-01-01

Transdermal drug delivery is an exciting and challenging area. There are numerous transdermal delivery systems currently available on the market. However, the transdermal market still remains limited to a narrow range of drugs. Further advances in transdermal delivery depend on the ability to overcome the challenges faced regarding the permeation and skin irritation of the drug molecules. Emergence of novel techniques for skin permeation enhancement and development of methods to lessen skin i...

Microwave Photonics: current challenges towards widespread application.

Science.gov (United States)

Capmany, José; Li, Guifang; Lim, Christina; Yao, Jianping

2013-09-23

Microwave Photonics, a symbiotic field of research that brings together the worlds of optics and radio frequency is currently facing several challenges in its transition from a niche to a truly widespread technology essential to support the ever-increasing values for speed, bandwidth, processing capability and dynamic range that will be required in next generation hybrid access networks. We outline these challenges, which are the subject of the contributions to this focus issue.

Big data challenges: Impact, potential responses and research needs

OpenAIRE

Bachlechner, Daniel; Leimbach, Timo

2016-01-01

Although reports on big data success stories have been accumulating in the media, most organizations dealing with high-volume, high-velocity and high-variety information assets still face challenges. Only a thorough understanding of these challenges puts organizations into a position in which they can make an informed decision for or against big data, and, if the decision is positive, overcome the challenges smoothly. The combination of a series of interviews with leading experts from enterpr...

Challenges facing the marketing of scientific and research institutes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bogdan Sojkin

2015-12-01

Full Text Available This article presents the challenges that scientific research institutions face in terms of their marketing, which have been divided into two groups of those associated with internal marketing and those linked to external marketing. The most significant and important determinants that constitute challenges to both internal and external marketing were described. The key aspects of each of the identified challenges were indicated, as was their impact on the implementation of the marketing policy at institutions.

The Google Online Marketing Challenge and Research Opportunities

Science.gov (United States)

Neale, Larry; Treiblmaier, Horst; Henderson, Vani; Hunter, Lee; Hudson, Karen; Murphy, Jamie

2009-01-01

The Google Online Marketing Challenge is an ongoing collaboration between Google and academics, to give students experiential learning. The Challenge gives student teams US$200 in AdWords, Google's flagship advertising product, to develop online marketing campaigns for actual businesses. The end result is an engaging in-class exercise that…

Safeguards by Design Challenge

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Alwin, Jennifer Louise [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)

2016-09-13

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) defines Safeguards as a system of inspection and verification of the peaceful uses of nuclear materials as part of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty. IAEA oversees safeguards worldwide. Safeguards by Design (SBD) involves incorporation of safeguards technologies, techniques, and instrumentation during the design phase of a facility, rather that after the fact. Design challenge goals are the following: Design a system of safeguards technologies, techniques, and instrumentation for inspection and verification of the peaceful uses of nuclear materials. Cost should be minimized to work with the IAEA’s limited budget. Dose to workers should always be as low are reasonably achievable (ALARA). Time is of the essence in operating facilities and flow of material should not be interrupted significantly. Proprietary process information in facilities may need to be protected, thus the amount of information obtained by inspectors should be the minimum required to achieve the measurement goal. Then three different design challenges are detailed: Plutonium Waste Item Measurement System, Marine-based Modular Reactor, and Floating Nuclear Power Plant (FNPP).

Safeguards by Design Challenge

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alwin, Jennifer Louise

2016-01-01

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) defines Safeguards as a system of inspection and verification of the peaceful uses of nuclear materials as part of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty. IAEA oversees safeguards worldwide. Safeguards by Design (SBD) involves incorporation of safeguards technologies, techniques, and instrumentation during the design phase of a facility, rather that after the fact. Design challenge goals are the following: Design a system of safeguards technologies, techniques, and instrumentation for inspection and verification of the peaceful uses of nuclear materials. Cost should be minimized to work with the IAEA's limited budget. Dose to workers should always be as low are reasonably achievable (ALARA). Time is of the essence in operating facilities and flow of material should not be interrupted significantly. Proprietary process information in facilities may need to be protected, thus the amount of information obtained by inspectors should be the minimum required to achieve the measurement goal. Then three different design challenges are detailed: Plutonium Waste Item Measurement System, Marine-based Modular Reactor, and Floating Nuclear Power Plant (FNPP).

Challenge Based Innovation gala

CERN Multimedia

CERN. Geneva; Utriainen, Tuuli Maria; Toivonen, Harri; Nordberg, Markus

2014-01-01

Challenge Based Innovation gala   There’s a new experiment starting in CERN called IdeaLab where we work together with detector R&D researchers to help them to bridge their knowledge into a more human, societally oriented context. Currently we are located in B153, but will move our activities to a new facility next to the Globe in May 2014. One of our first pilot projects is a 5 month course CBI (Challenge Based Innovation) where two multidisciplinary student teams join forces with Edusafe & TALENT projects at CERN. Their goal is to discover what kind of tools for learning could be created in collaboration with the two groups. After months of user interviews and low resolution prototyping they are ready to share the results with us in the form of an afternoon gala. We warmly welcome you to join us to see the students' results and experience the prototypes they have conceived. The event is in three parts, you are welcome to visit all of them,...

[Challenges of Digital Medicine].

Science.gov (United States)

Blaser, Jürg

2018-06-01

Challenges of Digital Medicine Abstract. Digitization is increasingly covering more and more sectors, including medicine. To ensure medical operation 365 × 24 hours, progressively more human and financial resources are necessary. The transformation of patient histories from paper into electronic patient records focused initially on documentation. Today, hospital information systems are increasingly used as a platform for the communication of all professionals involved in the patient process - in Switzerland, however, so far without providing patients direct access to their data. Digititizing processes intend to increase efficiency, but also to enhance clinical and administrative decision support and quality assurance. The introduction of the electronic patient record in Switzerland in 2020 is expected to provide cross-company, more complete documentation of patient care. Multimorbid patients, often treated in different institutions and by different specialists, should benefit from this in particular. Advances in artificial intelligence offer new opportunities in medicine. Challenges include ensuring reliable data protection, and better interoperability of the systems involved. Semantically structured, machine-readable data exchange is a necessity for both networked services and internationally competitive research.

Challenges in Infective Endocarditis.

Science.gov (United States)

Cahill, Thomas J; Baddour, Larry M; Habib, Gilbert; Hoen, Bruno; Salaun, Erwan; Pettersson, Gosta B; Schäfers, Hans Joachim; Prendergast, Bernard D

2017-01-24

Infective endocarditis is defined by a focus of infection within the heart and is a feared disease across the field of cardiology. It is frequently acquired in the health care setting, and more than one-half of cases now occur in patients without known heart disease. Despite optimal care, mortality approaches 30% at 1 year. The challenges posed by infective endocarditis are significant. It is heterogeneous in etiology, clinical manifestations, and course. Staphylococcus aureus, which has become the predominant causative organism in the developed world, leads to an aggressive form of the disease, often in vulnerable or elderly patient populations. There is a lack of research infrastructure and funding, with few randomized controlled trials to guide practice. Longstanding controversies such as the timing of surgery or the role of antibiotic prophylaxis have not been resolved. The present article reviews the challenges posed by infective endocarditis and outlines current and future strategies to limit its impact. Copyright © 2017 American College of Cardiology Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The coffee-time challenge

CERN Document Server

CERN Bulletin

2010-01-01

The challenge to identify the LEP events displayed on coffee tables in Restaurant 1 (Bulletin 02-03/2010) sparked interest among readers who do not have the opportunity to see them . Table 1, Table 2, Table 3, Table 4, Table 5, Table 6, Table 7, Table 8, Table 9, Table 10, Table 11, Table 12 Table 13, Table 14, Table 15, Table 16       We have therefore decided to open the challenge to these readers by displaying the events on the web. We are also extending the deadline accordingly to 2 March. There are 16 events in total (in two areas), four from each of the four LEP experiments, and they include examples of different particle decays observed at LEP during its 11 years of operation. The list below indicates the decay channels represented. We are offering a prize of the ATLAS pop-up book, Voyage to the Heart of Matter, for the correct identification of all 16 events.  Entries should indicate the table number corresponding to each of the decays listed. There wi...

ATLAS Data Challenge 1

CERN Document Server

Poulard, G

2003-01-01

In 2002 the ATLAS experiment started a series of Data Challenges (DC) of which the goals are the validation of the Computing Model, of the complete software suite, of the data model, and to ensure the correctness of the technical choices to be made. A major feature of the first Data Challenge (DC1) was the preparation and the deployment of the software required for the production of large event samples for the High Level Trigger (HLT) and physics communities, and the production of those samples as a world-wide distributed activity. The first phase of DC1 was run during summer 2002, and involved 39 institutes in 18 countries. More than 10 million physics events and 30 million single particle events were fully simulated. Over a period of about 40 calendar days 71000 CPU-days were used producing 30 Tbytes of data in about 35000 partitions. In the second phase the next processing step was performed with the participation of 56 institutes in 21 countries (~ 4000 processors used in parallel). The basic elements of ...

Session Introduction: Challenges of Pattern Recognition in Biomedical Data.

Science.gov (United States)

Verma, Shefali Setia; Verma, Anurag; Basile, Anna Okula; Bishop, Marta-Byrska; Darabos, Christian

2018-01-01

The analysis of large biomedical data often presents with various challenges related to not just the size of the data, but also to data quality issues such as heterogeneity, multidimensionality, noisiness, and incompleteness of the data. The data-intensive nature of computational genomics problems in biomedical informatics warrants the development and use of massive computer infrastructure and advanced software tools and platforms, including but not limited to the use of cloud computing. Our session aims to address these challenges in handling big data for designing a study, performing analysis, and interpreting outcomes of these analyses. These challenges have been prevalent in many studies including those which focus on the identification of novel genetic variant-phenotype associations using data from sources like Electronic Health Records (EHRs) or multi-omic data. One of the biggest challenges to focus on is the imperfect nature of the biomedical data where a lot of noise and sparseness is observed. In our session, we will present research articles that can help in identifying innovative ways to recognize and overcome newly arising challenges associated with pattern recognition in biomedical data.

Student nurses' perceived challenges of nursing in India.

Science.gov (United States)

Garner, S L; Raj, L; Prater, L S; Putturaj, M

2014-09-01

A profound nursing shortage exists in India. Increasingly nursing students in India are opting to migrate to practise nursing abroad upon graduation. Perceptions and attitudes about nursing are shaped during student experiences. The purpose in conducting this research was to illuminate student nurses' perceived challenges of nursing in India. This study took place at a hospital-based, private mission non-profit school of nursing in Bengaluru, India. Purposive sampling of nursing students yielded 14 participants. Photovoice, a qualitative participatory action research methodology, was used. Data were collected between August 2013 and January 2014. A strong international collaboration between researchers resulted in qualitative thematic interpretation of photographs, critical group dialogue transcripts, individual journal entries and detailed field notes. Two main themes were identified including the perceived challenges of a hierarchal system and challenges related to limited nursing workforce capacity. Subcategories of a hierarchal system included challenges related to image, safety, salary and balance. Subcategories of limited workforce capacity were migration, work overload, physical demand, incongruence between theory and practice, and knowledge. Nursing as a profession in India is still in its infancy when measured against standard criteria. Change in health policy is needed to improve salary, safety for nurses, and nurse to patient ratios to address hierarchal and workforce capacity challenges in India. © 2014 International Council of Nurses.

Academic staff recruitment and retention challenges at the University ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Academic staff recruitment and retention challenges at the University of Botswana medical school. ... To document the medical school's staff recruitment and retention trends and challenges, and to propose ... AJOL African Journals Online.

Evaluation of the South Oxnard Challenge Project 1997-2001

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Turner, Susan

2002-01-01

... and Accountability Challenge Grants. The first "Challenge Grants" provided approximately 50 million dollars for 14 counties to develop comprehensive, multi-agency plans designed to provide a "continuum" of responses to juvenile delinquency...

Collaboration challenges in systematic reviews: a survey of health sciences librarians

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Joey Nicholson

2017-10-01

Results: Of the 17 challenges listed in the survey, 8 were reported as common by over 40% of respondents. These included methodological issues around having too broad or narrow research questions, lacking eligibility criteria, having unclear research questions, and not following established methods. The remaining challenges were interpersonal, including issues around student-led projects and the size of the research team. Of the top 8 most frequent challenges, 5 were also ranked as most difficult to handle. Open-ended responses underscored many of the challenges included in the survey and revealed several additional challenges. Conclusions: These results suggest that the most frequent and challenging issues relate to development of the research question and general communication with team members. Clear protocols for collaboration on systematic reviews, as well as a culture of mentorship, can help librarians prevent and address these challenges.  This article has been approved for the Medical Library Association’s Independent Reading Program.

Knowledge and challenges of serodiscordant couples living among ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Depression (51.4%) was the major challenge outlined by respondents followed by social isolation (37.1%). Despite these challenges the respondents exhibited relatively good knowledge on prevention measures as 69.2% resorted to the use of condoms and 92.3% did not share sharp objects. It was also revealed that there ...

The ABCs of Challenging Behavior: Understanding Basic Concepts

Science.gov (United States)

Meadan, Hedda; Ayvazo, Shiri; Ostrosky, Michaelene M.

2016-01-01

Many young children engage in challenging behaviors that could have short- and long-term negative effects for both the children and their families. Challenging behaviors refer to "any repeated pattern of behavior, or perception of behavior, that interferes with or is at risk of interfering with optimal learning or engagement in prosocial…