A Case Study Analysis of the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet’s Design/Build Pilot Projects

The current economic climate has forced transportation agencies to evaluate opportunities to save money. One possible opportunity lies in Design/Build (DB) delivery. In 2006, with the approval of the Kentucky General Assembly, The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet selected ten projects to be developed through the Design/Build method. DB delivery offers many attainable advantages, the most notable being expedited delivery. The research described herein presents a case study of these DB pilot projects in order to capture lessons learned on the use of the DB delivery method on future projects. In order to determine which projects are suitable for DB delivery, a scorecard was developed based upon factors observed over the course of the DB pilot projects. Another important aspect of the DB pilot projects was their cost, it was believed their costs were much higher than a comparable design/bid/build (DBB) projects. However, after a thorough cost analysis, it was determined that the DB projects cost the Cabinet only an estimated three percent more than comparable DBB projects. The DB pilot projects have had mixed results. Several recommendations are provided that will assist agencies with DB project selection and successful management of DB projects

Analysis of the apparent biphasic axonal transport kinetics of fucosylated glycoproteins

Following intraocular injection of [3H]fucose, which labels many glycoproteins of retinal ganglion cells, the accumulation of transported radioactivity arriving at the superior colliculus (nerve terminals) peaks within a few hours and decays with a time course of hours. Then, over a period of several days, radioactivity again accumulates at the superior colliculus and then decays with a half-life of days. The second peak also represents fast transported material since it occurs almost simultaneously along the optic nerve and tract as well as at the nerve endings. Such data have been interpreted as evidence for both a group of rapidly released, rapidly transported glycoproteins (first peak) and a group of slowly released but rapidly transported glycoproteins (second peak). We investigated this supposition by studying in more detail the metabolism of some individual fucosylated proteins in both the retina and superior colliculus. We noted that much of the radioactivity incorporated in fucosylated glycoproteins at the retina was rapidly metabolized (with a turnover on the order of hours), while the remainder of the fucosylated moieties had a metabolic half-life on the order of days. This was also true of the metabolic behavior of several individual glycoproteins, selected for study because they are major components of the group committed to transport and accumulating in two waves at the superior colliculus. In other experiments we injected [35S]methionine intraocularly and examined the metabolism in the retina and the kinetics of transport to the superior colliculus of the peptide backbone of these same individual proteins. In contrast to the two waves of accumulation of radioactivity from [3H]fucose, accumulation of radioactivity of the peptide backbone of the same glycoproteins was monophasic. Our explanation of these data involves the presence of two types of fucose moieties on the peptides. One group of fucose moieties is labile and is lost from the peptide backbone over a period of hours. Other fucose moieties are approximately as metabolically stable as the peptide backbones to which they are attached. The actual peptide backbones of the glycoproteins are committed to rapid transport over a period of several days. Thus, the first (and most prominent) peak of transported radioactivity in [3H]fucosylated glycoproteins does not represent a discrete phase of transport but, rather, is the summation of kinetics of gradual arrival of proteins and the rapid drop in their specific radioactivity as the more labile moieties of [3H]fucose are lost.( TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS

Validity and worth in the science curriculum: learning school science outside the laboratory

It is widely acknowledged that there are problems with school science in many developed countries of the world. Such problems manifest themselves in a progressive decline in pupil enthusiasm for school science across the secondary age range and the fact that fewer students are choosing to study the physical sciences at higher levels and as careers. Responses to these developments have included proposals to reform the curriculum, pedagogy and the nature of pupil discussion in science lessons. We support such changes but argue from a consideration of the aims of science education that secondary school science is too rooted in the science laboratory; substantially greater use needs to be made of out-of-school sites for the teaching of science. Such usage should result in a school science education that is more valid and more motivating and is better at fulfilling defensible aims of school science education. Our contention is that laboratory-based school science teaching needs to be complemented by out-of-school science learning that draws on the actual world (e.g. through fieldtrips), the presented world (e.g. in science centres, botanic gardens, zoos and science museums) and the virtual worlds that are increasingly available through information and communications technologies (ICT)

Getting evidence into policy: The need for deliberative strategies?

Getting evidence into policy is notoriously difficult. In this empirical case study we used document analysis and key informant interviews to explore the Australian federal government’s policy to implement a national bowel cancer screening programme, and the role of evidence in this policy. Our analysis revealed a range of institutional limitations at three levels of national government: within the health department, between government departments, and across the whole of government. These limitations were amplified by the pressures of the 2004 Australian federal election campaign. Traditional knowledge utilisation approaches, which rely principally on voluntarist strategies and focus on the individual, rather than the institutional level, are often insufficient to ensure evidence-based implementation. We propose three alternative models, based on deliberative strategies which have been shown to work in other settings: review of the evidence by a select group of experts whose independence is enshrined in legislation and whose imprimatur is required before policy can proceed; use of an advisory group of experts who consult widely with stakeholders and publish their review findings; or public discussion of the evidence by the media and community groups who act as more direct conduits to the decision-makers than researchers. Such deliberative models could help overcome the limitations on the use of evidence by embedding public review of evidence as the first step in the institutional decision-making processes. Highlights  Achieving evidence-based policy implementation is much harder than the rhetoric suggests.  Our case study showed traditional voluntarist approaches are not enough to overcome institutional filtering of the evidence.  Deliberative strategies open up the decision-making processes to greater expert and public scrutiny.  Our framework illustrates the potential for deliberative strategies to increase the relative weight of evidence in policy.  This article challenges researchers and policy-makers to acknowledge and address the institutional context of decision-making. Keywords: Australia; Health policy; Decision-making; Evidence; Knowledge utilisation; Bowel cancer; Screening; DeliberativeNHMR

Evolution of RFID applications in construction:A literature review

Radio frequency identification (RFID) technology has been widely used in the field of construction during the last two decades. Basically, RFID facilitates the control on a wide variety of processes in different stages of the lifecycle of a building, from its conception to its inhabitance. The main objective of this paper is to present a review of RFID applications in the construction industry, pointing out the existing developments, limitations and gaps. The paper presents the establishment of the RFID technology in four main stages of the lifecycle of a facility: planning and design, construction and commission and operation and maintenance. Concerning this last stage, an RFID application aiming to facilitate the identification of pieces of furniture in scanned inhabited environments is presented. Conclusions and future advances are presented at the end of the paper

Harnessing innovative technologies to advance children's mental health: Behavioral parent training as an example

Disruptive behaviors of childhood are among the most common reasons for referral of children to mental health professionals. Behavioral parent training (BPT) is the most efficacious intervention for these problem behaviors, yet BPT is substantially underutilized beyond university research and clinic settings. With the aim of addressing this research-to-practice gap, this article highlights the considerable, but largely unrealized, potential for technology to overcome the two most pressing challenges hindering the diffusion of BPT: (1). The dearth of BPT training and supervision opportunities for therapists who work with families of children with disruptive behaviors and; (2). The failure to engage and retain families in BPT services when services are available. To this end, this review presents a theoretical framework to guide technological innovations in BPT and highlights examples of how technology is currently being harnessed to overcome these challenges. This review also discusses recommendations for using technology as a delivery vehicle to further advance the field of BPT and the potential implications of technological innovations in BPT for other areas of children’s mental health are discussed

Putting it into perspective: Mathematics in the undergraduate science curriculum

Mathematics and science are tightly interwoven, yet they are often treated as distinct disciplines in the educational context. This study details the development, implementation and outcomes of a teaching intervention that highlights the links between mathematics and science, in the form of a first-year interdisciplinary course. A mixed method study using surveys and focus groups was employed to investigate undergraduate science students' perceptions of their experiences. Findings reveal that students bring strong beliefs about the nature of mathematics and science from secondary school, which can impact significanly on the success of interdisciplinary science-mathematics courese at the teritary level. Despite this, a range of beneficial outcomes can arise from such courses when they are delivered within a framework of analysing real-world issues. However, students with weak mathematical skills derived little benefit from an interdisciplinary approach and are likely to disengage from learning, in comparision with students who enter university with a solid foundation in mathematics

Learning to Teach About Ideas and Evidence in Science : The Student Teacher as Change Agent

A collaborative curriculum development project was set up to address the lack of good examples of teaching about ideas and evidence and the nature of science encountered by student teachers training to teach in the age range 11-16 in schools in England. Student and teacher-mentor pairs devised, taught and evaluated novel lessons and approaches. The project design required increasing levels of critique through cycles of teaching, evaluation and revision of lessons. Data were gathered from interviews and students' reports to assess the impact of the project on student teachers and to what extent any influences survived when they gained their first teaching posts. A significant outcome was the perception of teaching shifting from the delivery of standard lessons in prescribed ways to endeavours demanding creativity and decision-making. Although school-based factors limited newly qualified teachers' chances to use new lessons and approaches and therefore act as change-agents in schools, the ability to critique curriculum materials and the recognition of the need to create space for professional dialogue were durable gains

Field Research Is Essential to Counter Virological Threats

The interface between humans and wildlife is changing and, with it, the potential for pathogen introduction into humans has increased. Avian influenza is a prominent example, with an ongoing outbreak showing the unprecedented expansion of both geographic and host ranges. Research in the field is essential to understand this and other zoonotic threats. Only by monitoring dynamic viral populations and defining their biology in situ can we gather the information needed to ensure effective pandemic preparation.</p