NASA/DOD Aerospace Knowledge Diffusion Research Project. Report 13: Source selection and information use by US aerospace engineers and scientists: Results of a telephone survey

A telephone survey of U.S. aerospace engineers and scientists belonging to the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) was conducted between December 4, 1991 and January 5, 1992. The survey was undertaken to (1) validate the telephone survey as an appropriate technique for collecting data from U.S. aerospace engineers and scientists; (2) collect information about how the results of NASA/DoD aerospace research are used in the R&D process; (3) identify those selection criteria which affect the use of federally-funded aerospace R&D; and (4) obtain information that could be used to develop a self-administered mail questionnaire for use with the same population. The average rating of importance of U.S. government technical reports was 2.5 (on a 4-point scale); The mean/median number of times U.S. government technical reports were used per 6 months was 8/2. Factors scoring highest for U.S. government technical reports were technical accuracy (2.9), reliable data and technical information (2.8), and contains comprehensive data and information (2.7) on a 4-point system. The factors scoring highest for influencing the use of U.S. government technical reports were relevance (3.1), technical accuracy (3.06), and reliable data/information (3.02). Ease of use, familiarity, technical accuracy, and relevance correlated with use of U.S. government technical reports. Survey demographics, survey questionnaire, and the NASA/DoD Aerospace Knowledge Diffusion Research Project publications list are included

NASA/DOD Aerospace Knowledge Diffusion Research Project. Report 12: An initial investigation into the production and use of Scientific and Technical Information (STI) at five NASA centers: Results of a telephone survey

A study was conducted to provide NASA management with an 'initial' look at the production and use of scientific and technical information (STI) at five NASA centers (Ames, Goddard, Langley, Lewis, and Marshall). The 550 respondents who were interviewed by telephone held favorable views regarding the NASA STI system. About 65 percent of the respondents stated that it is either very or somewhat important for them to publish their work through the NASA STI system. About 10 percent of those respondents encountered problems using the NASA STI system services for publication. The most frequently reported problem was 'the process is too time consuming' (8.6 percent). Overall, those respondents using the NASA STI system to publish their work rated the system as excellent (24.6 percent) or good (37.6 percent). About 79 percent of the respondents stated that it is either very or somewhat important for them to use the NASA STI system to access information. The most frequently reported problems were 'the time and effort it takes to locate and obtain information through the system' (14.4 percent). Overall, about 83 percent of the respondents stated that the NASA STI system is important to performing their work. Overall, about 73 percent of the respondents stated that the NASA STI system meets their information needs

Does training in motivational interviewing techniques increase providers\u27 use of patient self-management goals?

This program evaluation will consider the unique characteristics of a federally qualified health center and the identified gap in self-management goal documentation. Based on a needs assessment, a professional development program was developed to increase primary care providers\u27 knowledge and Motivational Interviewing technique skills to better construct and document goals

Analysis of De Novo HOXA 13 Polyalanine Expansions Supports Replication Slippage Without Repair in Their Generation

Polyalanine repeat expansion diseases are hypothesized to result from unequal chromosomal recombination, yet mechanistic studies are lacking. We identified two de novo cases of hand‐foot‐genital syndrome (HFGS) associated with polyalanine expansions in HOXA13 that afforded rare opportunities to investigate the mechanism. The first patient with HFGS was heterozygous for a de novo nine codon polyalanine expansion. Haplotype investigation showed that the expansion arose on the maternally inherited chromosome but not through unequal crossing over between homologs, leaving unequal sister chromatid exchange during mitosis or meiosis or slipped mispairing as possible explanations. The asymptomatic father of the second patient with HFGS was mosaic for a six codon polyalanine expansion. Multiple tissue PCR and clonal analysis of paternal fibroblasts showed only expansion/WT and WT/WT clones, and haplotype data showed that two unaffected offspring inherited the same paternal allele without the expansion, supporting a postzygotic origin. Absence of the contracted allele in the mosaic father does not support sister chromatid exchange in the origin of the expansion. Mosaicism for HOXA13 polyalanine expansions may be associated with a normal phenotype, making examination of parental DNA essential in apparently de novo HFGS cases to predict accurate recurrence risks. We could not find an example in the literature where unequal sister chromatid exchange has been proven for any polyalanine expansion, suggesting that the principal mechanism for polyalanine expansions (and contractions) is slipped mispairing without repair or that the true frequency of unequal sister chromatid exchange involving these repeats is low. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/97454/1/ajmga35843.pd

Ultrastructural, Cytochemical, and Immunocytochemical Studies on Bone and its Interfaces

Bone cells possess the ability to synthesize, secrete and direct the assembly and maintenance of extracellular matrix to form a functionally rigid and/or weight-bearing mineralized tissue complex, the skeleton. The skeleton not only supports and protects the organs and tissues of the body, but also acts as a mineral ion reservoir for maintaining systemic calcium balance (calcium homeostasis). The remarkable biological precision necessary for the formation, turnover and constant adaptation of bone to external mechanical forces is a dynamic process requiring a coordinated cellular effort relying on a variety of cell-cell and cell-matrix/mineral interactions. Indeed, cell-matrix interfaces found in a variety of locations in bone are sites potentially rich in signalling mechanisms related to bone modeling and remodeling. Detailed examination of the structure, composition and function of bone cells, and the extracellular matrix they produce and continuously remodel, is a complex task for such a mineralized tissue and requires integration and correlation of data from numerous sources. Various morphological approaches have added significantly to our understanding of bone form and function, and have allowed us to partly unravel some of the complex cellmatrix-mineral associations that occur during osteogenesis. In this context, the present article reviews some of our recent ultrastructural, cytochemical and immunocytochemical data on mammalian and avian intramembranous and endochondral bone formation (modeling) and turnover (remodeling)

HCV Genotypes, Characterization of Mutations Conferring Drug Resistance to Protease Inhibitors, and Risk Factors among Blood Donors in São Paulo, Brazil

Background: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a global health problem estimated to affect almost 200 million people worldwide. the aim of this study is to analyze the subtypes and existence of variants resistant to protease inhibitors and their association with potential HCV risk factors among blood donors in Brazil.Methods: Repeat anti-HCV reactive blood donors are systematically asked to return for retest, notification, and counseling in which they are interviewed for risk factors for transfusion-transmitted diseases. We analyzed 202 donors who returned for counseling from 2007 to 2010 and presented enzyme immunoassay-and immunoblot-reactive results. the HCV genotypes and resistance mutation analyses were determined by the direct sequencing of the NS5b and NS3 regions, respectively. the HCV viral load was determined using an in-house real-time PCR assay targeting the 5'-NCR.Results: HCV subtypes 1b, 1a, and 3a were found in 45.5%, 32.0%, and 18.0% of the donors, respectively. the mean viral load of genotype 1 was significantly higher than that of the genotype 3 isolates. Subtype 1a was more frequent among young donors and 3a was more frequent among older donors. Protease inhibitor-resistant variants were detected in 12.8% of the sequenced samples belonging to genotype 1, and a higher frequency was observed among subtype 1a (20%) in comparison to 1b (8%). There was no difference in the prevalence of HCV risk factors among the genotypes or drug-resistant variants.Conclusions: We found a predominance of subtype 1b, with an increase in the frequency of subtype 1a, in young subjects. Mutations conferring resistance to NS3 inhibitors were frequent in treatment-naive blood donors, particularly those infected with subtype 1a. These variants were detected in the major viral population of HCV quasispecies, have replicative capacities comparable to nonresistant strains, and could be important for predicting the response to antiviral triple therapy.Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)Fundacao Pro-Sangue/Hemocentro de São PauloFundacao Prosangue Hemoctr São Paulo, São Paulo, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Infect Dis Div DIPA, São Paulo, BrazilUniv São Paulo, Fac Med, Discipline Med Sci, São Paulo, BrazilHCFMUSP, Dept Pathol, LIM Lab Medice Lab 03, São Paulo, BrazilUniv Sao Joao del Rei, Divinopolis, MG, BrazilUniv São Paulo, Fac Med, Dept Infect Dis, São Paulo, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Infect Dis Div DIPA, São Paulo, BrazilWeb of Scienc

High-Resolution Scanning Electron Microscopy of Rat Incisor Ameloblasts

The internal three-dimensional organization of secretory and maturation stage ameloblasts was examined using field emission scanning electron microscopy. Particular attention was given to the structure of the Golgi apparatus, the distribution of smooth membrane tubulo-vesicular elements and their relationship with endosomal/lysosomal components. Rat incisors were fixed by intracardiac perfusion with glutaraldehyde, decalcified and divided into segments. The tissues were cryoprotected with glycerol and freeze-fractured. They were then macerated in osmium, and after conductive staining with osmium/tannic acid, the samples were critical-point dried and sputtered with gold. High-resolution scanning electron microscopy showed that ameloblasts contain a well-developed Golgi apparatus, even in the maturation stage where cells are generally believed not to be actively involved in protein secretion. Smooth tubulo-vesicular structures formed a complex network which extended throughout the cell. In secretory stage ameloblasts, this network reached into Tomes\u27 process and consisted of small and large tubules, and distended portions. The smaller tubules radiated from a central core of organelles towards the plasma membrane. Numerous lysosomal/endosomal elements were observed in the Golgi region, and in some cases smooth tubular portions were seen at the surface of multivesicular bodies. These data show that high-resolution scanning electron microscopy can be applied to correlate three-dimensional structural detail with the secretory and resorptive functions of ameloblasts

Utilizing standardized patients and high-fidelity simulation to promote interdisciplinary communication

Effective communication and the ability to perform medical and psychological aspects of care during stressful situations improve patient outcomes. Standardized patients and high fidelity simulation is utilized with high school, paramedic and nursing students to promote knowledge, skills, and attitudes of effective team communication in a controlled disaster setting

University American Sign Language Learners: Longitudinal Self- and Faculty Evaluation Ratings

Students who are Deaf or hard of hearing (D/HH) represent a small yet diverse population of students with individual needs who often receive educational services provided by sign language interpreters and teachers of the Deaf/hard of hearing (D/HH). Many interpreters and teachers appear unprepared to model fluent American Sign Language (ASL) skills when working with D/HH students who use sign language for communication and instruction. We investigated the ASL skills of 19 interpreting and Deaf education candidates within one university preparation program at two points in time: the end of ASL I class (Time 1) and a year later at the end of ASL IV (Time 2). We used video recordings of candidates’ signed renditions of a picture book, a rubric of 12 sign language indicators with five levels of proficiency across each indicator, and ratings conducted independently by the candidates and the five authors. Four of these authors were university professors in two different Deaf education/interpreting preparation programs and the fifth was a teacher at a residential school for the Deaf. Three have typical hearing and use ASL as a secondary language; two are Deaf and use ASL as their primary language. We compared candidates’ self-ratings to those of the five authors. We found that candidates tended to over-estimate their skills at T1; self-ratings and author ratings increased from T1 to T2, and candidates had higher agreement with most authors at T2 compared to T1. In addition, we found differences among ratings between the university faculty and the high school teacher. We discuss these differences in our findings and address implications for evaluating and improving university candidates’ ASL skills

Amelogenesis Imperfecta caused by N-Terminal Enamelin Point Mutations in Mice and Men is driven by Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress

‘Amelogenesis imperfecta’ (AI) describes a group of inherited diseases of dental enamel that have major clinical impact. Here, we identify the aetiology driving AI in mice carrying a p.S55I mutation in enamelin; one of the most commonly mutated proteins underlying AI in humans. Our data indicate that the mutation inhibits the ameloblast secretory pathway leading to ER stress and an activated unfolded protein response (UPR). Initially, with the support of the UPR acting in pro-survival mode, Enam(p.S55I) heterozygous mice secreted structurally normal enamel. However, enamel secreted thereafter was structurally abnormal; presumably due to the UPR modulating ameloblast behaviour and function in an attempt to relieve ER stress. Homozygous mutant mice failed to produce enamel. We also identified a novel heterozygous ENAM(p.L31R) mutation causing AI in humans. We hypothesize that ER stress is the aetiological factor in this case of human AI as it shared the characteristic phenotype described above for the Enam(p.S55I) mouse. We previously demonstrated that AI in mice carrying the Amelx(p.Y64H) mutation is a proteinopathy. The current data indicate that AI in Enam(p.S55I) mice is also a proteinopathy, and based on comparative phenotypic analysis, we suggest that human AI resulting from the ENAM(p.L31R) mutation is another proteinopathic disease. Identifying a common aetiology for AI resulting from mutations in two different genes opens the way for developing pharmaceutical interventions designed to relieve ER stress or modulate the UPR during enamel development to ameliorate the clinical phenotype