Diffusion of Inclusion: Measuring Willingness

The purpose of the study was to: (1) examine psychometric properties of the Willingness to Adopt Inclusive Teaching Strategies (ITSinNE) instrument and (2) measure factors influencing a nurse educator\u27s willingness to adopt inclusive teaching strategies based in universal design for instruction (UDI). Universal design for instruction (UDI) is one approach to facilitate multiple ways of learning and evaluation in various learning environments for all learners; however, it is not well known or researched in nursing education. Diffusion of innovation theory (Rogers, 2003) and universal design for instruction (McGuire & Scott, 2006) provided the theoretical framework for the study. A cross-sectional design was used to measure educators\u27 willingness to adopt inclusive teaching strategies in nursing educational settings. A total of 311 nurse educators were recruited from professional nursing organization electronic mailing lists and conferences. The ITSinNE (55-items) consisted of four domains: Previous Teaching Strategies, Knowledge of Inclusive Teaching Strategies, Social System Support for Inclusive Teaching Strategies, and Willingness to Adopt Inclusive Teaching Strategies in Nursing Education. Cronbach\u27s alphas for almost all of the domain subscales were .7 or greater. The confirmatory factor analysis demonstrated adequate model fit on most indices (exogenous model: c2 = 0.00; RMSEA = .08; GFI = .96; TLI = .95; WRWR = 1.64; endogenous model: c2 = 0.00; RMSEA = .18; GFI = .89; TLI = .87; WRWR = 2.64). When the endogenous model domains were all freestanding, model fit indexes improved (c2 = 0.00; RMSEA = .098; GFI = .97; TLI = .96; WRWR = 1.24). The model as a whole explained 44.8% (R2 = .448) of the variance in WillAdITS. None of the characteristics of a nurse educator contributed to the model, except for years of teaching (B =.-.008, p \u3c .001) Reliability and validity estimates support the continued development of an instrument to examine nurse educator\u27s knowledge, support, and willingness to adopt inclusive teaching strategies. This will enable intervention research to enhance professional development fostering access to content and environments for all learners

Targeted Technology Applications for Infield Reserve Growth: A Synopsis of the Secondary Natural Gas Recovery Project Research, Gulf Coast Basin

A diverse and vast resource base of 1,295 trillion cubic feet (Tcf) of technically recoverable natural gas resources (including proved reserves, conventional resources, and nonconventional resources) was estimated by the National Petroleum Council (1992) in a recent analysis of domestic petroleum supplies. Of this resource base, 216 Tcf is predicted to be recoverable by reserve appreciation in existing fields in the lower 48 states. The integrated application of concepts and cost-effective technologies from the disciplines of geology, engineering, geophysics, and petrophysics will be required for converting these resources into producible reserves. In the last decade, characterization of the internal geometry of reservoirs, mainly oil reservoirs, has demonstrated a higher degree of compartmentalization than previously recognized. This compartmentalization, other than structural compartmentalization, is primarily a function of the depositional system and, secondarily, of the diagenetic history of the reservoir after deposition. The objective of a current infield reserve growth analysis of nonassociated natural gas reservoirs is to define the potential for incremental gas recovery based on better understanding of depositional and diagenetic heterogeneity within these reservoirs. Natural gas reserve growth (reserve appreciation) in conventional reservoirs has multiple components. Historically, extensions and deeper pool drilling have been the standard approach used by industry to achieve infield reserve additions. Recompletions of existing wells were often made without the concepts of reservoir heterogeneity or compartmentalization as a tool in recompletion strategy. Where significant geologic variation occurs, untapped, incompletely drained, or bypassed reservoir compartments remain to be drained of natural gas by new infield drilling or by recompleting strategically placed development wells. Today infield reserve growth is beginning to be based on an understanding of vertical and lateral heterogeneity that leads to recompletions in bypassed and incompletely drained reservoirs that were not previously recognized. In addition to concepts of reservoir heterogeneity and compartmentalization, new surface and downhole tools are being developed that will enhance the operator's ability to define these resource targets with greater precision and reliability. Examples of these tools now being developed and selectively used include borehole gravity, through-casing resistivity, cross-well geophysics, and surface three-dimensional seismic in the onshore.Bureau of Economic Geolog

Secondary Natural Gas Recovery: Targeted Technology Applications for Infield Reserve Growth: Case Studies Evaluating the Benefits of Secondary Gas Recovery, Onshore Gulf Coast, South Texas

Economic recovery of natural gas in reservoirs with near-tight to conventional porosity and permeability can be improved through geologically based infill-development strategies. Old gas fields may contain new infield reservoirs, incompletely drained reservoir compartments, untapped reservoir compartments, and bypassed reservoirs. These secondary resources may be identified by a combination of log evaluation and production and pressure analyses, and they are controlled by structural and stratigraphic heterogeneity. Many gas fields in the Gulf Coast may contain opportunities for identifying additional gas resources at modest costs. Remaining natural gas in these fields can be contacted either by recompleting existing wells that have bypassed reservoir compartments or by drilling strategically targeted infield wells. Exploration for new, untapped, or incompletely drained reservoir compartments or bypassed gas zones in old fields can be improved by using state-of-the-art formation evaluation tools and engineering, production, petrophysical, and geological analyses. The economics of developing and producing the secondary gas recovery (SGR) resource is evaluated for two producing properties in existing fields. The case I study area (North Mcfaddin field) had total operational and development costs (excluding royalties) of $0.58 per mcf, compared to total costs in case II (Agua Dulce field) of$0.83 per mcf. Future application of SGR concepts and technology to strategically targeted well locations and recompletions could further lower development costs.Bureau of Economic Geolog

Secondary Natural Gas Recovery: Targeted Technology Applications for Infield Reserve Growth in Deltaifc Sand-Rich Low to Conventional Permeability Reservoirs in the Wilcox Group, Lake Creek Field, Texas

The potential for secondary incremental recovery of natural gas exists in complex fluvial-deltaic reservoirs of the Texas Gulf Coast. Four deltaic parasequences were identified using well logs calibrated to cores in the G sandstone. Engineering evaluations of production performance and pressures are compared with reservoir facies; these evaluations demonstrate the importance of identifying reservoir facies in maximizing recovery of natural gas. A well-log-based model to predict the free-water level and effective gas permeabilities was tested and calibrated using Wilcox gas reservoirs. Key reservoir parameters of porosity, water saturation, permeability, and capillary pressure are related in a single equation. Analysis of natural gas reservoirs from the Wilcox Deltaic sandstones in the Houston Embayment (WX-1) in East Texas indicates that reserve growth potential of approximately 60 percent over the current estimate of ultimate recovery is possible in deltaic sandstone reservoirs in the Lake Creek Unit. Detailed geologic, engineering, and petrophysical evaluation of the G sandstone reservoir in the Lake Creek Unit indicates that the maximum additional incremental gas opportunities exist in the flank region adjacent to the area currently developed in the Lake Creek field. The location, number, and economic feasibility of additional wells required to convert this resource to producible reserves were not evaluated.Bureau of Economic Geolog

The aluminium-copper-gold ternary system

Despite Au, Al and Cu being individually very well-known elements, their ternary phase diagram has not been studied in as much detail as those of many other Au-containing ternaries. Here we review what is known, and consider the prospects for technological exploitation of some of the ternary compositions. The components of greatest interest in Al-Au-Cu may be the β-phases, at least two of which have shape memory properties. Of these, 'Spangold', which has the nominal stoichiometry Au7Cu5Al4, has received some attention for jewellery applications, while the edge compound Cu3Al is a well-known shape memory composition with corresponding specialised industrial uses. The properties of other β-phase compositions in the system have been scarcely investigated. The system also contains an extensive γ-phase, Al4AuxCu9-x, where x ranges from 0 to ~6.5, and the purple gold phase AuAl2

Towards precision medicine for pain: diagnostic biomarkers and repurposed drugs

We endeavored to identify objective blood biomarkers for pain, a subjective sensation with a biological basis, using a stepwise discovery, prioritization, validation, and testing in independent cohorts design. We studied psychiatric patients, a high risk group for co-morbid pain disorders and increased perception of pain. For discovery, we used a powerful within-subject longitudinal design. We were successful in identifying blood gene expression biomarkers that were predictive of pain state, and of future emergency department (ED) visits for pain, more so when personalized by gender and diagnosis. MFAP3, which had no prior evidence in the literature for involvement in pain, had the most robust empirical evidence from our discovery and validation steps, and was a strong predictor for pain in the independent cohorts, particularly in females and males with PTSD. Other biomarkers with best overall convergent functional evidence for involvement in pain were GNG7, CNTN1, LY9, CCDC144B, and GBP1. Some of the individual biomarkers identified are targets of existing drugs. Moreover, the biomarker gene expression signatures were used for bioinformatic drug repurposing analyses, yielding leads for possible new drug candidates such as SC-560 (an NSAID), and amoxapine (an antidepressant), as well as natural compounds such as pyridoxine (vitamin B6), cyanocobalamin (vitamin B12), and apigenin (a plant flavonoid). Our work may help mitigate the diagnostic and treatment dilemmas that have contributed to the current opioid epidemic

Observational study of the association of first insulin type in uncontrolled type 2 diabetes with macrovascular and microvascular disease

<p>Aims: To compare the risk of vascular disease, HbA1c and weight change, between first prescribed insulins in people with type 2 diabetes.</p> <p>Methods: People included in THIN United Kingdom primary care record database who began insulin (2000–2007) after poor control on oral glucose-lowering agents (OGLD) were grouped by the number of OGLDs in their treatment regimen immediately before starting insulin (n = 3,485). Within OGLD group, Cox regression compared macrovascular (all-cause mortality, myocardial infarction, acute coronary syndrome and stroke) and microvascular disease (peripheral neuropathy, nephropathy, and retinopathy) between insulin type (basal, pre-mix or Neutral Protamine Hagedorn, NPH) while ANCOVAs compared haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) and weight change.</p> <p>Results: Mean follow-up was 3.6 years. Rates of incident macrovascular events were similar when basal insulin was compared to pre-mix or NPH, adjusted hazard ratio versus basal: pre-mix 1.08 (95% CI 0.73, 1.59); NPH 1.00 (0.63, 1.58) after two OGLDs, and pre-mix 0.97 (0.46, 2.02); NPH 0.77 (0.32, 1.86) after three OGLDs. An increased risk of microvascular disease in NPH versus basal after 3 OGLDs, adjusted hazard ratio1.87 (1.04, 3.36), was not seen after two agents or in comparisons of basal and pre-mix. At one year, after two OGLDs, weight increase was less with basal compared with pre-mix. After three OGLDs, mean HbA1c had reduced less in basal versus pre-mix or NPH at 6–8 and at 9–11 months, and versus pre-mix at 12–14 months.</p> <p>Conclusion: We found no difference in the risk of macrovascular events between first insulins in the medium term when started during poor glycaemia control. The increased risk of microvascular events with NPH warrants further study. In certain groups, first use of basal insulin was associated with less gain in weight and decrease in HbA1c compared to other insulins.</p&gt

Secondary Natural Gas Recovery: Targeted Technology Applications for Infield Reserve Growth in Fluvial Reservoirs, Stratton Field, South Texas

Integrated evaluations of geology, geophysics, reservoir engineering, and petrophysics were conducted for mid-Oligocene-age fluvial reservoirs in Stratton field as part of this study. Located in South Texas within the Frio Fluvial-Deltaic Sandstone along the Vicksburg Fault Zone play (FR-4), Stratton field represents a mature gas field with significant opportunities for natural gas reserve appreciation. These fluvial reservoirs exhibit heterogeneity and often contain multiple compartments. The study identifies a considerable potential for reserve appreciation, with documented opportunities for a 100 percent increase in reserves within a large contiguous area of Stratton field, despite 40 years of prior development. Remaining natural gas reserves can be accessed through recompletion of existing wells that have bypassed reservoir compartments or by drilling infield wells to target compartments not effectively drained at current well spacing. Exploration efforts to discover new reservoirs, identify incompletely drained compartments, or tap bypassed gas zones in old fields can benefit from detailed geological studies integrating engineering, petrophysical, and geophysical methodologies. Various geophysical techniques, including 3-D surface seismic, vertical seismic profiling, amplitude versus offset, and 2-D seismic inversion, were utilized to visualize subtle changes in reservoir topology and compartment boundaries at depths as low as 6,800 ft. The study delineates three classes of compartment sizes based on analysis of ten groups of Frio reservoirs. Forward stochastic modeling of maximum gas recovery suggests that well spacings of 340, 200, and 60 acres (or less) offer optimal gas-contact efficiency in large, medium, and small compartment size reservoirs, respectively.Bureau of Economic Geolog