Moving Ahead: Factors contributing to successful transition of people with intellectual disabilities from congregated to community-based residential options in two regions in Ireland

This report details the findings of a research project entitled Moving Ahead. The project aimed to examine factors that contribute to the successful transfer of people with intellectual disabilities from congregated to community-based living in two regional areas in Ireland. It was undertaken by a team of researchers from Ireland and the UK, led by Dr. Christine Lineha

Mapping the National Disability Policy Landscape

This report was undertaken as part of the Moving Ahead project, a research study that aimed to examine the role of factors that contribute to the successful transfer of residents with intellectual disabilities from congregated to community-based living arrangements in two regional areas in Ireland. The study was undertaken by a team of researchers from Ireland and the UK, led by Trinity College Dublin

Living Arrangement Options for People with Intellectual Disabilities: A Scoping Review

This is one of a pair of reports prepared for the Moving Ahead Project. Its partner policy review, Mapping the National Intellectual Disability Landscape (Linehan et al., 2014), outlines current disability services, practices and policies in Ireland. This rapid scoping review provides a brief overview of national and international research exploring living arrangement options for people with intellectual disabilities

Foreclosure and Health Status

In 2009, more than 2.8 million housing units in the U.S. received a foreclosure notice. That represents about 1 in every 45 properties and a 120% increase in the number of foreclosed properties since 2007. Real estate experts predict even more foreclosures in 2010 as high unemployment continues. The cascading effects of the foreclosure crisis on the U.S. economy are all too clear; the effects on individuals’ health status are less obvious. This Issue Brief summarizes two studies that examine the health implications of foreclosure and reveal a vulnerable population that may benefit from coordinated health and financial services

Comment on 'Non-equilibrium thermodynamics of light absorption'

A recent paper by Meszéna and Westerhoff (1999 J. Phys. A: Math. Gen. 32 301) has aimed to address what is referred to as a principal question of biological thermodynamics, the possibility of describing photosynthesis in terms of non-equilibrium thermodynamics. The issue is associated with a misrepresentation of the fundamental photophysics involved, and as a result the analysis is invalid

Cyclotomy and Ramanujan sums in quantum phase locking

Phase-locking governs the phase noise in classical clocks through effects described in precise mathematical terms. We seek here a quantum counterpart of these effects by working in a finite Hilbert space. We use a coprimality condition to define phase-locked quantum states and the corresponding Pegg-Barnett type phase operator. Cyclotomic symmetries in matrix elements are revealed and related to Ramanujan sums in the theory of prime numbers. The employed mathematical procedures also emphasize the isomorphism between algebraic number theory and the theory of quantum entanglementComment: 6 pages, 3 figures, version accepted at Phys. Lett.

Quantification of aluminum-induced changes in wheat root architecture by X-ray microcomputed tomography

Root architectural traits are of fundamental importance for plant performance, especially under unfavorable soil conditions. This study examined the effect of aluminum (Al) toxicity in different growing media (nutrient solutions and soil) on root architecture of two wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivars with different Al tolerances. Seedlings were grown in acidic and limed soil and in two contrasting nutrient solutions. Root systems of soil-grown plants were scanned using x-ray microcomputed tomography (µCT) while that of nutrient solution–grown plants were assesses using WinRhizo, 3 and 5 days after planting (DAP), respectively. Aluminum caused significant reduction of all examined root traits (number of seminal roots, root length, length of the longest seminal root, root surface area, and root volume). Growth in acidic soil caused significant reduction in root length, length of the longest seminal root, and root surface area at 5 DAP. Soil-grown plants produced a larger root system compared to plants grown in nutrient solutions. Aluminum toxicity–induced differences of root traits were also found between different nutrient solutions. Beside the well-known reduction of root length, Al toxicity had a profound effect on other root architectural traits. X-ray µCT has revealed root architectural changes under specific conditions of acidic, Al-toxic soil. Differences obtained in Al-induced effects on root architecture between different nutrient solutions as well as between different growing systems emphasize the need for further study of root architecture, especially under specific conditions of Al toxicity in acidic soils

Relationship between diffusion capacity and small airway abnormality in COPDGene.

Impaired single breath carbon monoxide diffusing capacity (DLCO) is associated with emphysema. Small airways disease (SAD) may be a precursor lesion to emphysema, but the relationship between SAD and DLCO is undescribed. We hypothesized that in mild COPD, functional SAD (fSAD) defined by computed tomography (CT) and Parametric Response Mapping methodology would correlate with impaired DLCO. Using data from ever-smokers in the COPDGene cohort, we established that fSAD correlated significantly with lower DLCO among both non-obstructed and GOLD 1-2 subjects. The relationship between DLCO with CT-defined emphysema was present in all GOLD stages, but most prominent in severe disease. TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCT00608764. Registry: COPDGene. Registered 06 February 2008, retrospectively registered

Undergraduate Course in Environmental Design and Manufacturing

This paper is a progress report on the development of an undergraduate course in environmental design and manufacturing. The importance of the topic is clear from National Academy of Engineering statements regarding the need to incorporate content on sustainable technology. The multidisciplinary team includes academic faculty from engineering, science, liberal studies, and business in collaboration with industry partners. The team\u27s approach is to create a case-based course by adapting existing educational modules from Ford Motor Company. The group has received National Science Foundation funding for this project (DUE-0511322), and the project is currently in its beginning phases