Preparing society to create the world we need through“One Health”education

A previous concept paperpublished in this journal and a Press Release in June 2016 focused on the importance of raising awareness about the UN-2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and, in particular, developing a better understanding about the critical need to ensure the sustainability of people and the planet in this decade and beyond. A recurring theme that weaves through the literature and practical realities is that education presents the best option for ensuring a sustainable future– one that encompasses the health and well-being of humans, animals and the environment (One Health!). To this end, the One Health Education Task Force (OHETF), led by the One Health Commission in association with the One Health Initiative, agreed to conduct an online survey and conference in the fall of 2016to engage interested colleagues in a discussion about the possible application of One Health in K-12 (or equivalent) educational settings. Seventy-six people from around the world participated in the survey which focused on basic concepts, values and principles associated with One Health and Well-Being.  Input was sought on the various ways that One Health intersects with the UN Sustainable Development Goals and how they might work together toward common objectives.Questions also explored the why, how, and where One Health could be incorporated into K-12 curricula, and who should be involved in creating this new curriculum.  The survey also addressed the challenges that might be encountered in gaining support, funding and implementing a One Health and Well-Being curriculum globally. Overall, there was a great deal of agreement among participants as to the priorities and major challenges that would be encountered in moving this initiative forward and, most importantly, that this type of initiative is greatly needed. The online conference involved twenty-five participants, including ten who had also participatedin the survey, and others who had shown interest in previous publications and presentations on this topic.  The conference was designed to present the results of the survey and conduct a more in depth discussion about potential curriculum development designs, funding sources, and implementation challenges.  Five strategies were presented for K-12 One Health curriculum innovation, from teacher training programs and grants, to the development of a digital sharing network and knowledgebase.  Funding options were discussed and included multi-national organizations such as the United Nations and World Bank as well as large foundations that have funded major change initiatives in the past.  Critical points were made regarding the scope of this initiative and the need to integrate any curriculum with the diverse needs of local people, their cultures, and the particular One Health challenges facing their region. Importantly, a “Community of Practice” model was put forward as a means to support and promote the goals of One Health teaching and learning in a meaningful and supportive way for the benefit of all involved. This survey and conference provided valuable external input and support for the OHETF’s proposal to develop a global K-12 One Health -themed educational initiative. The perspectives reported here are also a useful account of the progress we have made as a One Health community in consolidating our values and principles so that they can drive meaningful change initiatives such as that being proposed. &nbsp

Determination of Interface Atomic Structure and Its Impact on Spin Transport Using Z-Contrast Microscopy and Density-Functional Theory

We combine Z-contrast scanning transmission electron microscopy with density-functional-theory calculations to determine the atomic structure of the Fe/AlGaAs interface in spin-polarized light-emitting diodes. A 44% increase in spin-injection efficiency occurs after a low-temperature anneal, which produces an ordered, coherent interface consisting of a single atomic plane of alternating Fe and As atoms. First-principles transport calculations indicate that the increase in spin-injection efficiency is due to the abruptness and coherency of the annealed interface.Comment: 16 pages (including cover), 4 figure

Single-Particle Density of States of a Superconductor with a Spatially Varying Gap and Phase Fluctuations

Recent experiments have shown that the superconducting energy gap in some cuprates is spatially inhomogeneous. Motivated by these experiments, and using exact diagonalization of a model d-wave Hamiltonian, combined with Monte Carlo simulations of a Ginzburg-Landau free energy functional, we have calculated the single-particle density of states LDOS$(\omega,r)$ of a model high-T$_c$ superconductor as a function of temperature. Our calculations include both quenched disorder in the pairing potential and thermal fluctuations in both phase and amplitude of the superconducting gap. Most of our calculations assume two types of superconducting regions: $\alpha$, with a small gap and large superfluid density, and $\beta$, with the opposite. If the $\beta$ regions are randomly embedded in an $\alpha$ host, the LDOS on the $\alpha$ sites still has a sharp coherence peak at $T = 0$, but the $\beta$ component does not, in agreement with experiment. An ordered arrangement of $\beta$ regions leads to oscillations in the LDOS as a function of energy. The model leads to a superconducting transition temperature $T_c$ well below the pseudogap temperature $T_{c0}$, and has a spatially varying gap at very low $T$, both consistent with experiments in underdoped Bi2212. Our calculated LDOS$(\omega,r)$ shows coherence peaks for $T T_c$, in agreement with previous work considering phase but not amplitude fluctuations in a homogeneous superconductor. Well above $T_c$, the gap in the LDOS disappears.Comment: 37 pages, 12 figures. Accepted by Phys. Rev. B. Scheduled Issue: 01 Nov 200

Preparing society to create the world we need through“One Health”education

A previous concept paperpublished in this journal and a Press Release in June 2016 focused on the importance of raising awareness about the UN-2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and, in particular, developing a better understanding about the critical need to ensure the sustainability of people and the planet in this decade and beyond. A recurring theme that weaves through the literature and practical realities is that education presents the best option for ensuring a sustainable future– one that encompasses the health and well-being of humans, animals and the environment (One Health!). To this end, the One Health Education Task Force (OHETF), led by the One Health Commission in association with the One Health Initiative, agreed to conduct an online survey and conference in the fall of 2016to engage interested colleagues in a discussion about the possible application of One Health in K-12 (or equivalent) educational settings.Seventy-six people from around the world participated in the survey which focused on basic concepts, values and principles associated with One Health and Well-Being.  Input was sought on the various ways that One Health intersects with the UN Sustainable Development Goals and how they might work together toward common objectives.Questions also explored the why, how, and where One Health could be incorporated into K-12 curricula, and who should be involved in creating this new curriculum.  The survey also addressed the challenges that might be encountered in gaining support, funding and implementing a One Health and Well-Being curriculum globally. Overall, there was a great deal of agreement among participants as to the priorities and major challenges that would be encountered in moving this initiative forward and, most importantly, that this type of initiative is greatly needed.The online conference involved twenty-five participants, including ten who had also participatedin the survey, and others who had shown interest in previous publications and presentations on this topic.  The conference was designed to present the results of the survey and conduct a more in depth discussion about potential curriculum development designs, funding sources, and implementation challenges.  Five strategies were presented for K-12 One Health curriculum innovation, from teacher training programs and grants, to the development of a digital sharing network and knowledgebase.  Funding options were discussed and included multi-national organizations such as the United Nations and World Bank as well as large foundations that have funded major change initiatives in the past.  Critical points were made regarding the scope of this initiative and the need to integrate any curriculum with the diverse needs of local people, their cultures, and the particular One Health challenges facing their region. Importantly, a “Community of Practice” model was put forward as a means to support and promote the goals of One Health teaching and learning in a meaningful and supportive way for the benefit of all involved.This survey and conference provided valuable external input and support for the OHETF’s proposal to develop a global K-12 One Health -themed educational initiative. The perspectives reported here are also a useful account of the progress we have made as a One Health community in consolidating our values and principles so that they can drive meaningful change initiatives such as that being proposed. 

An interdisciplinary knowledge translation intervention in long-term care: Study protocol for the vitamin D and osteoporosis study (ViDOS) pilot cluster randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND: Knowledge translation (KT) research in long-term care (LTC) is still in its early stages. This protocol describes the evaluation of a multifaceted, interdisciplinary KT intervention aimed at integrating evidence-based osteoporosis and fracture prevention strategies into LTC care processes. METHODS AND DESIGN: The Vitamin D and Osteoporosis Study (ViDOS) is underway in 40 LTC homes (n = 19 intervention, n = 21 control) across Ontario, Canada. The primary objectives of this study are to assess the feasibility of delivering the KT intervention, and clinically, to increase the percent of LTC residents prescribed ≥800 IU of vitamin D daily. Eligibility criteria are LTC homes that are serviced by our partner pharmacy provider and have more than one prescribing physician. The target audience within each LTC home is the Professional Advisory Committee (PAC), an interdisciplinary team who meets quarterly. The key elements of the intervention are three interactive educational sessions led by an expert opinion leader, action planning using a quality improvement cycle, audit and feedback reports, nominated internal champions, and reminders/point-of-care tools. Control homes do not receive any intervention, however both intervention and control homes received educational materials as part of the Ontario Osteoporosis Strategy. Primary outcomes are feasibility measures (recruitment, retention, attendance at educational sessions, action plan items identified and initiated, internal champions identified, performance reports provided and reviewed), and vitamin D (≥800 IU/daily) prescribing at 6 and 12 months. Secondary outcomes include the proportion of residents prescribed calcium supplements and osteoporosis medications, and falls and fractures. Qualitative methods will examine the experience of the LTC team with the KT intervention. Homes are centrally randomized to intervention and control groups in blocks of variable size using a computer generated allocation sequence. Randomization is stratified by home size and profit/nonprofit status. Prescribing data retrieval and analysis are performed by blinded personnel. DISCUSSION: Our study will contribute to an improved understanding of the feasibility and acceptability of a multifaceted intervention aimed at translating knowledge to LTC practitioners. Lessons learned from this study will be valuable in guiding future research and understanding the complexities of translating knowledge in LTC. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01398527

“Dogged” Search of Fresh Nakhla Surfaces Reveals New Alteration Textures

Special Issue: 74th Annual Meeting of the Meteoritical Society, August 8-12, 2011, London, U.K.International audienceCarbonaceous chondrites are considered as amongst the most primitive Solar System samples available. One of their primitive characteristics is their enrichment in volatile elements.This includes hydrogen, which is present in hydrated and hydroxylated minerals. More precisely, the mineralogy is expected to be dominated by phyllosilicates in the case of CM chondrites, and by Montmorillonite type clays in the case of CI. Here, in order to characterize and quantify the abundance of lowtemperature minerals in carbonaceous chondrites, we performed thermogravimetric analysis of matrix fragments of Tagish Lake, Murchison and Orgueil

Constraining the Origin of Impact Craters on Al Foils from the Stardust Interstellar Dust Collector

Preliminary examination (PE) of the aerogel tiles and Al foils from the Stardust Interstellar Dust Collector has revealed multiple impact features. Some are most likely due to primary impacts of interstellar dust (ISD) grains, and others are associated with secondary impacts of spacecraft debris, and possibly primary impacts of interplanetary dust particles (IDPs) [1, 2]. The current focus of the PE effort is on constraining the origin of the individual impact features so that definitive results from the first direct laboratory analysis of contemporary ISD can be reported. Because crater morphology depends on impacting particle shape and composition, in addition to the angle and direction of impact, unique particle trajectories are not easily determined. However, elemental analysis of the crater residues can distinguish real cosmic dust from the spacecraft debris, due to the low cosmic abundance of many of the elements in the spacecraft materials. We present here results from the elemental analysis of 24 craters and discuss the possible origins of 4 that are identified as candidate ISD impact

Origin and Evolution of Prebiotic Organic Matter as Inferred from the Tagish Lake Meteorite

The complex suite of organic materials in carbonaceous chondrite meteorites probably originally formed in the interstellar medium and/or the solar protoplanetary disk, but was subsequently modified in the meteorites' asteroidal parent bodies. The mechanisms of formation and modification are still very poorly understood. We carried out a systematic study of variations in the mineralogy, petrology, and soluble and insoluble organic matter in distinct fragments of the Tagish Lake meteorite. The variations correlate with indicators of parent body aqueous alteration and at least some molecules of pre-biotic importance formed during the alteration

Systematic sensitivity analysis of the full economic impacts of sea level rise

The potential impacts of sea level rise (SLR) due to climate change have been widely studied in the literature. However, the uncertainty and robustness of these estimates has seldom been explored. Here we assess the model input uncertainty regarding the wide effects of SLR on marine navigation from a global economic perspective. We systematically assess the robustness of computable general equilibrium (CGE) estimates to model’s inputs uncertainty. Monte Carlo (MC) and Gaussian quadrature (GQ) methods are used for conducting a Systematic sensitivity analysis (SSA). This design allows to both explore the sensitivity of the CGE model and to compare the MC and GQ methods. Results show that, regardless whether triangular or piecewise linear Probability distributions are used, the welfare losses are higher in the MC SSA than in the original deterministic simulation. This indicates that the CGE economic literature has potentially underestimated the total economic effects of SLR, thus stressing the necessity of SSA when simulating the general equilibrium effects of SLR. The uncertainty decomposition shows that land losses have a smaller effect compared to capital and seaport productivity losses. Capital losses seem to affect the developed regions GDP more than the productivity losses do. Moreover, we show the uncertainty decomposition of the MC results and discuss the convergence of the MC results for a decomposed version of the CGE model. This paper aims to provide standardised guidelines for stochastic simulation in the context of CGE modelling that could be useful for researchers in similar settings

Coordinated Microanalyses of Seven Particles of Probable Interstellar Origin from the Stardust Mission

Stardust, a NASA Discovery-class mission, was the first sample-return mission to return solid samples from beyond the Moon. Stardust was effectively two missions in one spacecraft: it returned the first materials from a known primitive solar system body, the Jupiter-family comet Wild 2; Stardust also returned a collector that was exposed to the contemporary interstellar dust stream for 200 days during the interplanetary cruise. Both collections present severe technical challenges in sample preparation and in analysis. By far the largest collection is the cometary one: approximately 300 micro g of material was returned from Wild 2, mostly consisting of approx. 1 ng particles embedded in aerogel or captured as residues in craters on aluminum foils. Because of their relatively large size, identification of the impacts of cometary particles in the collection media is straightforward. Reliable techniques have been developed for the extraction of these particles from aerogel. Coordinated analyses are also relatively straightforward, often beginning with synchrotron-based x-ray fluorescence (S-XRF), X-ray Absorption Near-Edge Spectoscopy (XANES) and x-ray diffraction (S-XRD) analyses of particles while still embedded in small extracted wedges of aerogel called ``keystones'', followed by ultramicrotomy and TEM, Scanning Transmission X-ray Microscopy (STXM) and ion microprobe analyses (e.g., Ogliore et al., 2010). Impacts in foils can be readily analyzed by SEM-EDX, and TEM analysis after FIB liftout sample preparation. In contrast, the interstellar dust collection is vastly more challenging. The sample size is approximately six orders of magnitude smaller in total mass. The largest particles are only a few pg in mass, of which there may be only approx.10 in the entire collection. The technical challenges, however, are matched by the scientific importance of the collection. We formed a consortium carry out the Stardust Interstellar Preliminary Examination (ISPE) to carry out an assessment of this collection, partly in order to characterize the collection in sufficient detail so that future investigators could make well-informed sample requests. The ISPE is the sixth PE on extraterrestrial collections carried out with NASA support. Some of the basic questions that we asked were: how many impacts are there in the collector, and what fraction of them have characteristics consistent with extraterrestrial materials? What is the elemental composition of the rock-forming elements? Is there crystalline material? Are there organics? Here we present coordinated microanalyses of particles captured in aerogel, using S-FTIR, S-XRF, STXM, S-XRD; and coordinated microanalyses of residues in aluminum foil, using SEMEDX, Auger spectroscopy, STEM, and ion microprobe. We discuss a novel approach that we employed for identification of tracks in aerogel, and new sample preparation techniques developed during the ISPE. We have identified seven particles - three in aerogel and four in foils - that are most consistent with an interstellar origin. The seven particles exhibit a large diversity in elemental composition. Dynamical evidence, supported supported by laboratory simulations of interstellar dust impacts in aerogel and foils, and numerical modeling of interstellar dust propagation in the heliosphere, suggests that at least some of the particles have high optical cross-section, perhaps due to an aggregate structure. However, the observations are most consistent with a variety of morphologie