6,730 research outputs found
Development of the Motivational Interviewing Supervision and Training Scale
The movement to use empirically supported treatments has increased the need for researchers and supervisors to evaluate therapistsā adherence to and the quality with which they implement those interventions. Few empirically supported approaches exist for providing these types of evaluations. This is also true for motivational interviewing, an empirically supported intervention important in the addictions field. This study describes the development and psychometric evaluation of the Motivational Interviewing Supervision and Training Scale (MISTS), a measure intended for use in training and supervising therapists implementing motivational interviewing. Satisfactory interrater reliability was found (generalizability coefficient p2 = .79), and evidence was found supporting the convergent and discriminant validity of the MISTS. Recommendations for refinement of the measure and future research are discussed
Building-based Decision-making: A Shared Planning Model for Inclusive Schools
When given support and the opportunity to work in building-based planning teams, teachers can implement remarkable school reforms
Kirigami Actuators
Thin elastic sheets bend easily and, if they are patterned with cuts, can
deform in sophisticated ways. Here we show that carefully tuning the location
and arrangement of cuts within thin sheets enables the design of mechanical
actuators that scale down to atomically-thin 2D materials. We first show that
by understanding the mechanics of a single, non-propagating crack in a sheet we
can generate four fundamental forms of linear actuation: roll, pitch, yaw, and
lift. Our analytical model shows that these deformations are only weakly
dependent on thickness, which we confirm with experiments at centimeter scale
objects and molecular dynamics simulations of graphene and MoS nanoscale
sheets. We show how the interactions between non-propagating cracks can enable
either lift or rotation, and we use a combination of experiments, theory,
continuum computational analysis, and molecular dynamics simulations to provide
mechanistic insights into the geometric and topological design of kirigami
actuators.Comment: Soft Matter, 201
Performance Metrics for the Objective Assessment of Capacitive Deionization Systems
In the growing field of capacitive deionization (CDI), a number of
performance metrics have emerged to describe the desalination process.
Unfortunately, the separation conditions under which these metrics are measured
are often not specified, resulting in optimal performance at minimal removal.
Here we outline a system of performance metrics and reporting conditions that
resolves this issue. Our proposed system is based on volumetric energy
consumption (Wh/m) and throughput productivity (L/h/m) reported for a
specific average concentration reduction, water recovery, and feed salinity. To
facilitate and rationalize comparisons between devices, materials, and
operation modes, we propose a nominal standard testing condition of removing 5
mM from a 20 mM NaCl feed solution at 50% water recovery for CDI research.
Using this separation, we compare the desalination performance of a
flow-through electrode (fte-CDI) cell and a flow between membrane (fb-MCDI)
device, showing how significantly different systems can be compared in terms of
generally desirable desalination characteristics. In general, we find that
performance analysis must be considered carefully so to not allow for ambiguous
separation conditions or the maximization of one metric at the expense of
another. Additionally, for context we discuss a number of important underlying
performance indicators and cell characteristics that are not performance
measures in and of themselves but can be examined to better understand
differences in performance
Haemoglobin mass responses and performance outcomes among high-performance swimmers following a three-week Live-High, Train-High camp at 2,320m
Greater quantification and characterisation of training load (TL) throughout Live-High, Train-High (LHTH) altitude (ALT) training is required to identify periodisation strategies that may lead to physiological and performance improvements in swimmers. Purpose: This study aimed to examine the physiological responses and performance outcomes of fourteen high-performance swimmers (FINA points: 836.0 Ā± 35.1) following three-weeks of LHTH at 2,320m, while characterising the training load periodisation strategy adopted during the intervention. Methods: Haemoglobin (Hb) mass was measured pre-, seven- and fourteen-days post-ALT via CO rebreathing. Performance in each athleteās primary event at national standard meets were converted to FINA points and compared from pre-to-post ALT. TL was quantified at sea level (SL) and ALT through session rating of perceived exertion (RPE), where duration of each session was multiplied by its RPE for each athlete, with all sessions totalled to give a weekly TL. Pre-to-post ALT changes were evaluated using repeated-measures ANOVA.Results: Hb mass increased significantly from 798Ā±182g pre-ALT, to 828Ā±187g at seven-days post (p=0.013) and 833Ā±205g 14-days post-ALT (p=0.026). Weekly TL increased from SL (3179Ā±638 au) during week one (4797Ā±1349 au, p<0.001) and week two (4373Ā±967 au, p<0.001), but not week three (3511Ā±730 au, p=0.149). No evidence of improved SL swimming performance was identified. Conclusion: A periodisation strategy characterised by a sharp spike in TL followed by a slight de-load towards the end of a LHTH intervention led to improved physiological characteristics but no change in the competitive performance of high-performance swimmers.<br/
An integrated circuit for chip-based analysis of enzyme kinetics and metabolite quantification
We have created a novel chip-based diagnostic tools based upon quantification of metabolites using enzymes specific for their chemical conversion. Using this device we show for the first time that a solid-state circuit can be used to measure enzyme kinetics and calculate the Michaelis-Menten constant. Substrate concentration dependency of enzyme reaction rates is central to this aim. Ion-sensitive field effect transistors (ISFET) are excellent transducers for biosensing applications that are reliant upon enzyme assays, especially since they can be fabricated using mainstream microelectronics technology to ensure low unit cost, mass-manufacture, scaling to make many sensors and straightforward miniaturisation for use in point-of-care devices. Here, we describe an integrated ISFET array comprising 216 sensors. The device was fabricated with a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) process. Unlike traditional CMOS ISFET sensors that use the Si3N4 passivation of the foundry for ion detection, the device reported here was processed with a layer of Ta2O5 that increased the detection sensitivity to 45 mV/pH unit at the sensor readout. The drift was reduced to 0.8 mV/hour with a linear pH response between pH 2 ā 12. A high-speed instrumentation system capable of acquiring nearly 500 fps was developed to stream out the data. The device was then used to measure glucose concentration through the activity of hexokinase in the range of 0.05 mM ā 231 mM, encompassing glucoseās physiological range in blood. Localised and temporal enzyme kinetics of hexokinase was studied in detail. These results present a roadmap towards a viable personal metabolome machine
Evaluation of pyrrolidine and pyrazolone derivatives as inhibitors of trypanosomal phosphodiesterase B1 (TbrPDEB1)
Author Posting. Ā© The Author(s), 2015. This is the author's version of the work. It is posted here by permission of Elsevier for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Tetrahedron Letters 56 (2015): 2832-2835, doi:10.1016/j.tetlet.2015.04.061.Human African trypanosomiasis (HAT) is a parasitic disease, caused by the protozoan pathogen
Trypanosoma brucei, which affects thousands every year and which is in need of new therapeutics.
Herein we report the synthesis and assessment of a series of pyrrolidine and pyrazolone derivatives of
human phosphodiesterase 4 (hPDE4) inhibitors for the assessment of their activity against the
trypanosomal phosphodiesterase TbrPDEB1. The synthesized compounds showed weak potency against
TbrPDEB1.We acknowledge funding from the National Institutes of Health (R01AI082577)
KSC VAB Aeroacoustic Hazard Assessment
NASA Kennedy Space Center (KSC) carried out an analysis of the effects of aeroacoustics produced by stationary solid rocket motors in processing areas at KSC. In the current paper, attention is directed toward the acoustic effects of a motor burning within the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB). The analysis was carried out with support from ASRC Aerospace who modeled transmission effects into surrounding facilities. Calculations were done using semi-analytical models for both aeroacoustics and transmission. From the results it was concluded that acoustic hazards in proximity to the source of ignition and plume can be severe; acoustic hazards in the far-field are significantly lower
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