Results of phase change paint tests of 0.040 scale 50% forebody models (82-0) of the space shuttle orbiter in the AEDC VKF B hypersonic wind tunnel (OH75)

Post-test information and data are presented from phase change paint, aerodynamic heating wind tunnel tests of a Rockwell International space shuttle orbiter forebody model. These tests were conducted in the Arnold Engineering and Development Center von Karman Facility Tunnel B Hypersonic Wind Tunnel. The purpose of these tests was to determine the effect of simulated orbiter protuberances and penetrations (including RCS nozzles) on aerodynamic heating rates during simulated entry conditions

Using Professional Development to Build Pre-Service Teachers\u27 Self-Efficacy for Helping Students with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder to Learn

The current study determined if a professional development on PTSD would improve pre-service teachers’ self-efficacy for helping students with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) to learn. Participants consisted of 59 college students from one large, comprehensive, Mid-Southern university who were enrolled in an education program and an educational psychology course. Using a quasi-experimental method, participants either received the PTSD professional development (treatment) or regular instruction (control group). All participants completed a measure of demographics, a pre-test measure of selfefficacy for helping students with PTSD to learn, which was further dissected into four constructs (i.e., self-efficacy for identifying students with PTSD, adapting instruction to maximize learning, creating a safe and secure environment, and finding help), and a posttest measure of the same self-efficacy items. A one-way MANOVA indicated statistically significant differences between the two groups in self-efficacy for identifying students with PTSD. Furthermore, a paired-samples t-test revealed that the treatment groups’ selfefficacy scores on all four constructs significantly improved from pre- to post-test. Information is offered to support this finding; additionally, possible reasons for nonsignificant findings are discussed

Improvement of family caregivers’ knowledge of polypharmacy in the elderly after health education

The different health problems in elderly patients require complex management. However, if the use of medicines is uncontrolled, it will lead to polypharmacy. This study aimed to analyze the effect of health education on family caregivers’ knowledge of polypharmacy particularly to prevent drug therapy problem in elderly patients. This quasi-experimental study used one-group pre-test post-test design. The population was family caregivers who had elderly members in their care and lived within the working area of Bengkuring Public Health Center. The population members were selected according to the inclusion criteria until a minimum sample size was reached. Having met the criteria, the respondents were asked to fill in a pre-test questionnaire before they partook in the health education for polypharmacy and a post-test questionnaire after their participation. The pre-test and post-test information were then analyzed using a paired t-test. This study revealed that the family caregivers’ knowledge of polypharmacy improved by 32.5% with a probability value (p= 0.000< 0.001) less than the level of significance (5%). The contribution of the health education to the family caregivers’ knowledge of polypharmacy was 74.3%. There was an improvement in the family caregivers’ knowledge of polypharmacy after participating in the health education

Evaluation of HIV counseling and testing in ANC settings and adherence to short course antiretroviral prophylaxis for PMTCT in Francistown, Botswana

Worldwide, it is estimated that two million children are infected with HIV (USAID 2005). The vast majority of these infections are the result of mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) of the virus during pregnancy, labor, or breastfeeding. However, there are effective methods for prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT). Botswana is one of the first countries in the developing world with a national PMTCT program that uses an efficacious and complex regimen to reduce vertical transmission. At the time of this evaluation (August - December 2005), the standard of care for prevention of MTCT of HIV in Botswana included three-drug antiretroviral therapy for HIV-infected women with a CD4 count of 200 (300 mg AZT in the morning and 300 mg AZT in the evening); four weeks of AZT for their infants; single-dose maternal and infant nevirapine (NVP); and 12 months of free infant formula. Botswana's PMTCT program also provided routine HIV testing for all pregnant women during antenatal care (ANC) to identify HIV-positive women for prophylaxis or treatment. While programs often report the number of individuals beginning AZT and receiving nevirapine for PMTCT, effectiveness is dependent on the level of adherence of individuals to these regimens. To describe adherence of pregnant women to the current PMTCT regimen, the Horizons Program of the Population Council, in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Premiere Personnel in Botswana, conducted an evaluation to describe HIV-related services provided to women during their pregnancies, document the content of post-test counseling sessions for HIV-positive pregnant women, whether HIV-positive women remembered what had been discussed, the extent of AZT adherence based on self-reports, and the operational successes and barriers to adherence to AZT for PMTCT

How authentic should a learning context be? Using real and simulated profiles in a classroom intervention to improve safety on social network sites

With the rise of social network sites (SNSs), there is an increasing need for safety education within the current cyber society. To this end, a variety of educational materials have been developed to prepare children to be vigilant when interacting on such sites. However, little is known about the critical design aspects necessary to make these materials effective. In this study, we build on the results of two previous studies, in which we found that general instructional principles drawn from constructivism, such as collaborative learning, are not always appropriate to teach children how to behave safely online. This study therefore focuses on the importance of authentic learning and active learning as critical design features. A quasi-experimental study was conducted in secondary schools in order to compare the impact of two classroom interventions about the risks on SNSs. As part of the intervention, students were presented scaffolds towards different risks related to an SNS-profile through a series of questions. In the control condition, these questions concerned a simulated SNS-profile on paper containing signs of many risks. In the experimental condition, students had to answer the same questions about their own SNS-profile on a computer. It was hypothesized that the simulated profile would not be experienced as realistic, and that students would have difficulties identifying with it. On the other hand, teenagers were expected to be able to recognize more risks on the simulated ‘worst-case scenario’ profile than on their own profile, which would facilitate the scaffolding process in the control condition. The results of the study mostly confirmed these hypotheses. Furthermore, the question arose as to whether the intervention based on the student’s own rea listic profile was educationally more valuable than the intervention based on the simulated profile, but no such added value was found. On the contrary, the scaffolding questions about the simulated profile were found to be more effective in teaching the teenagers about the different categories of risks that were tackled. Based on these findings, the importance of an authentic setting was put into perspective. Within the context of a classroom intervention to promote safety on SNSs, the exercise based on the simulated SNS-profile is put forward as the more effective teaching strategy

Association of Painful musculoskeletal conditions and migraine headache with mental and sleep disorders among adults with disabilities, Spain, 2007-2008.

Introduction: The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence of musculoskeletal painful conditions and migraine/headache in a population with disabilities, and their association with anxiety, depression and sleep disorders. Methods: This cross-sectional study analyzed data from the Spanish Disability-Dependence Survey on 16932 subjects ≥18 years-of-age that suffer disabilities. The prevalence (CI 95%) of musculoskeletal painful conditions was considered through the diagnosis of arthritis, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, muscular dystrophy and neck or back pain. The prevalence of migraine/headache was also calculated. Factors associated to these painful conditions were analyzed separately for each sex using a logistic regression model. Results: The prevalence of musculoskeletal painful conditions was 66.9% (CI 95%: 66.2-67.6) and that of migraine/headache was 23.4% (CI95%:22.8-24.1), both of which were higher in women than in men. Factors associated to these painful conditions in both men and women included increased age, sleeping less than 6 hours, and concomitant chronic anxiety and/or depression. Conclusion: The prevalence of musculoskeletal painful conditions and migraine/headache is high in individuals with disability in Spain, especially in women, and these conditions often coexist with depression, anxiety and/or sleep disturbances. Our findings suggest that mental and/or sleep disorders should be considered alongside conventional treatments in subjects with disability and specific painful conditions in order to design effective programs to rehabilitate them and improve their quality of life

A tiered-layered-staged model for informed consent in personal genome testing

In recent years, developments in genomics technologies have led to the rise of commercial personal genome testing (PGT): broad genome-wide testing for multiple diseases simultaneously. While some commercial providers require physicians to order a personal genome test, others can be accessed directly. All providers advertise directly to consumers and offer genetic risk information about dozens of diseases in one single purchase. The quantity and the complexity of risk information pose challenges to adequate pre-test and post-test information provision and informed consent. There are currently no guidelines for what should constitute informed consent in PGT or how adequate informed consent can be achieved. In this paper, we propose a tiered-layered-staged model for informed consent. First, the proposed model is tiered as it offers choices between categories of diseases that are associated with distinct ethical, personal or societal issues. Second, the model distinguishes layers of information with a first layer offering minimal, indispensable information that is material to all consumers, and additional layers offering more detailed information made available upon request. Finally, the model stages informed consent as a process by feeding information to consumers in each subsequent stage of the process of undergoing a test, and by accommodating renewed consent for test result updates, resulting from the ongoing development of the science underlying PGT. A tiered-layered-staged model for informed consent with a focus on the consumer perspective can help overcome the ethical problems of information provision and informed consent in direct-to-consumer PGT.European Journal of Human Genetics advance online publication, 21 November 2012; doi:10.1038/ejhg.2012.237

Pre- and post-testing counseling considerations for the provision of expanded carrier screening : exploration of European geneticists’ views

Background: Carrier screening is generally performed with the aim of identifying healthy couples at risk of having a child affected with a monogenic disorder to provide them with reproductive options. Expanded carrier screening (ECS), which provides the opportunity for multiple conditions to be screened in one test, offers a more cost-effective and comprehensive option than screening for single disorders. However, implementation of ECS at a population level would have implications for genetic counseling practice. Methods: We conducted semi-structured interviews with sixteen European clinical and molecular geneticists with expertise in carrier screening to explore their views on the implementation of ECS in the clinical setting. Results: Using inductive content analysis, we identified content categories relevant to the pre- and post-test settings. Participants believed ECS would ideally be targeted at couples before pregnancy. There was some disagreement regarding the acceptability of performing ECS in individuals, with several participants actively opposing individual-based screening. In addition, participants discussed the importance of ensuring informed and voluntary participation in ECS, recommending measures to minimize external pressure on prospective parents to undergo testing. A need for adequate counseling to foster informed, autonomous reproductive decision-making and provide support for couples found to be at risk was emphasized. Conclusions: Practical challenges in optimizing pre-test education and post-test counseling should not be underestimated and they should be carefully addressed before implementing ECS in the clinical setting