The NASA planetary biology internship experience

By providing students from around the world with the opportunity to work with established scientists in the fields of biogeochemistry, remote sensing, and origins of life, among others, the NASA Planetary Biology Internship (PBI) Program has successfully launched many scientific careers. Each year approximately ten interns participate in research related to planetary biology at NASA Centers, NASA-sponsored research in university laboratories, and private institutions. The PBI program also sponsors three students every year in both the Microbiology and Marine Ecology summer courses at the Marine Biological Laboratory. Other information about the PBI Program is presented including application procedure

Skala NIHSS do powszechnego zastosowania w neurologii przez pielęgniarki

Stroke is a worldwide problem with significant morbidity and mortality. The National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) is a commonly used assessment tool. The NIHSS is used to assess patient status acutely, to assess treatment efficacy, and predict outcome in patients who speak many different languages. This article provides a review of the current state of research regarding validity and reliability of the English, Chinese, Hindi, and Spanish versions of the NIHSS used by international neuroscience nurses. (JNNN 2014;3(3):129–135)Udar mózgu stanowi ogólnoświatowy problem charakteryzujący się wysokim stopniem zachorowalności oraz umieralności. Skala The National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) jest powszechnie stosowanym narzędziem oceny. Wykorzystywana jest do wnikliwej oceny stanu zdrowia pacjenta, efektywności leczenia oraz do przewidywania wyników u pacjentów mówiących różnymi językami. Niniejszy artykuł stanowi przegląd aktualnego stanu badań dotyczących przydatności oraz rzetelności angielskiej, chińskiej, hinduskiej oraz hiszpańskiej wersji Skali NIHSS, wykorzystywanych przez pielęgniarki w dziedzinie nauk neurologicznych na świecie. (PNN 2014;3(3):129–135

An exploratory study on the impact of alternative approaches to the treatment of bullying at the middle/high school level in a southern New Jersey public school district

The purpose of this paper is to explore, in two separate studies, the impact of one comprehensive treatment and one curricular treatment on bullying behaviors within the context of a southern New Jersey school district. In the first study, 1280 middle school students were surveyed in the beginning of the school year and again at the end, after comprehensive treatment methods were applied. In the second study, a single high school writing class was observed both before and after the teaching of an anti-bullying curriculum. The first study showed an increase of students reporting that they were victims of bullying behavior in sixth and eighth grade with an 8% and 17% rise respectively. The seventh grade reported a reduction of 7.7%. The second study showed a decrease in bullying of 35% after the teaching of the anti-bullying curriculum, but external circumstances raise questions about the validity of that result

Badania opisowe funkcjonowania kognitywnego pacjentów po trzech latach od wystąpienia udaru mózgu z objawami ruchowymi

Background. Stroke, or brain attack, is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. In the poststroke period, intact cognition is needed to recognize dangerous situations, for problem solving, and forming new memories. Cognitive status 3 years after one particular type of ischemic stroke, motor stroke, has received minimal attention.Material and methods. This was a descriptive study of cognitive status of 60 patients 3 years following a motor stroke.Results. Of the patients available, 11 had died, 30 consented to a home visit and 19 were interviewed by telephone. The mean age of patients at the time of follow-up was 64 years and cognitive status was measured using three instruments. The median Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score at baseline was 26.00 (interquartile range, 22.25 to 28.00) and 28.50 (interquartile range, 25.75 to 30.00) at three years. Median scores on Cognistat (The Neurobehavioral Cognitive Status Examination) at baseline was 65.00 (interquartile range, 58.00 to 73.75) and 74.00 (interquartile range, 67.50 to 79.50) at three years. The mean cognitive subscore on the Functional Independence Measure (FIMTM) at baseline was 33.43 (+ 3.28) and 26.5 (+ 13.25) at three years. There were statistically significant differences between baseline and three years on each of the three cognitive measures.Conclusions. This study provides a rich description of the cognitive status of a group of individuals 3 years after motor stroke. Although limited by a small sample size neuroscience nurses need to be aware that cognitive status may not decline in this subtype of stroke. (PNN 2012;1(3):97-102)Wprowadzenie. Udar mózgu jest wiodącą przyczyną zgonów i inwalidztwa na całym świecie. W okresie następującym po udarze konieczne są nienaruszone funkcje kognitywne, potrzebne do rozpoznawania niebezpieczeństwa, rozwiązywania problemów oraz kształtowania nowych wspomnień. Do tej pory niewiele uwagi poświęcono funkcjonowaniu kognitywnemu pacjentów, którzy trzy lata wcześniej doznali niedokrwiennego udaru mózgu z ruchowymi objawami.Materiał i metody. Badania opisowe funkcjonowania kognitywnego 60 pacjentów trzy lata po udarze z ruchowymi objawami.Wyniki. Spośród wszystkich badanych pacjentów – 11 zmarło, 30 zgodziło się na wizytę domową, a 19 na kontakt telefoniczny. Średni wiek pacjentów w okresie trzech lat po udarze wynosił 64 lata; funkcje kognitywne mierzono przy użyciu trzech instrumentów. Średni wynik na Krótkiej skali oceny stanu psychicznego (Mini-Mental State Examination – MMSE) wyniósł 26,00 w linii bazowej (zakres międzykwartylowy od 22,25 do 28,00) i 28,50 (zakres międzykwartylowy od 25,75 do 30,00) trzy lata później. Średni wynik na skali Cognistat (The Neurobehavioral Cognitive Status Examination) w linii bazowej wyniósł 65,00 (zakres międzykwartylowy od 58,00do 73,75) i 74,00 (zakres międzykwartylowy od 67,50 do 79,50) po trzech latach. Średni wynik na podskali Skali niezależności funkcjonalnej (Functional Independence Measure – FIMTM) w linii bazowej wyniósł 33,43 (+ 3,28) i 26,5 (+ 13,25) po trzech latach. Zaobserwowano statystycznie istotne różnice między linią bazową a okresem po trzech latach na każdej z zastosowanych skal.Wnioski. Badania przedstawiają szczegółowy opis funkcjonowania kognitywnego grupy pacjentów trzy lata po udarze mózgu z objawami ruchowymi. Mimo małej próby pacjentów objętych badaniem, pielęgniarki neurologiczne powinny mieć świadomość, że funkcje kognitywne w tego rodzaju udarze mogą nie ulegać obniżeniu. (PNN 2012;1(3):97-102

The Power of Play for Wellness: Supporting Wellness Initiatives on Campus

This re ection seeks to highlight the role that access to institutional support and promotion of wellness opportunities plays in the overall health and wellbeing of students and the campus community. Opportunities for participation in wellness programming have helped me improve my self-esteem, grieve the loss of my grandmother, battle depression, believe that I could do things that I never thought I could, stay in school, nd purpose and meaning in my life, and build connections with others who have become essential people in my social support network. As a student, lifelong learner, and collegiate recreation professional, I believe it is imperative to have adequate campus resources available to students to support them on their personal journey of health and wellness. Research exploring the impact of recreational services upon users indicates that numerous positive bene ts are associated with participation, including academic success (Becker, Cooper, Atkins, & Martin, 2009; Belch, Gebel, & Mass, 2001; Brock, Carr, & Todd, 2015; Danbert, Pivarnik, McNeil, & Washington, 2014; Todd, Czyszczon, Carr, & Pratt, 2009), life skills development, and wellness development (NASPA Consortium, 2014). Resources such as campus recreation, outreach and education, and clinical services should work strategically in concert to provide services, programs, and educational opportunities to meet the wellness needs of a diverse student body and campus community

Cno Abundances Of Hydrogen-Deficient Carbon And R Coronae Borealis Stars: A View Of The Nucleosynthesis In A White Dwarf Merger

We present high-resolution (R similar to 50,000) observations of near-IR transitions of CO and CN of the five known hydrogen-deficient carbon (HdC) stars and four R Coronae Borealis (RCB) stars. We perform an abundance analysis of these stars by using spectrum synthesis and state-of-the-art MARCS model atmospheres for cool hydrogen-deficient stars. Our analysis confirms reports by Clayton and colleagues that those HdC stars exhibiting CO lines in their spectrum and the cool RCB star SAps are strongly enriched in (18)O(with (16)O/(18)Oratios ranging from 0.3 to 16). Nitrogen and carbon are in the form of (14)N and (12)C, respectively. Elemental abundances for CNO are obtained from C I, Ci2, CN, and CO lines. Difficulties in deriving the carbon abundance are discussed. Abundances of Na from Na I lines and S from S I lines are obtained. Elemental and isotopic CNO abundances suggest that HdC and RCB stars may be related objects, and that they probably formed from a merger of an He white dwarf with a C-O white dwarf.Robert A. Welch Foundation of Houston, TexasSwedish Research CouncilGS-2006A-C-13GS-2007A-DD-1McDonald Observator

Continuous hydroponic wheat production using a recirculating system

Continuous crop production, where plants of various ages are growing simultaneously in a single recirculating nutrient solution, is a possible alternative to batch production in a Controlled Ecological Life Support System. A study was conducted at John F. Kennedy Space Center where 8 trays (0.24 sq m per tray) of Triticum aestivum L. Yecora Rojo were grown simultaneously in a growth chamber at 23 C, 65 percent relative humidity, 1000 ppm CO2, continuous light, with a continuous flow, thin film nutrient delivery system. The same modified Hoagland nutrient solution was recirculated through the plant trays from an 80 L reservoir throughout the study. It was maintained by periodic addition of water and nutrients based on chemical analyses of the solution. The study was conducted for 216 days, during which 24 trays of wheat were consecutively planted (one every 9 days), 16 of which were grown to maturity and harvested. The remaining 8 trays were harvested on day 216. Grain yields averaged 520 g m(exp -2), and had an average edible biomass of 32 percent. Consecutive yields were unaffected by nutrient solution age. It was concluded that continual wheat production will work in this system over an extended period of time. Certain micronutrient deficiencies and toxicities posed problems and must be addressed in future continuous production systems