IITA Cooperative Agreement Projects for Classroom Usability

Based on this review, the following conclusions are drawn regarding the 'school readiness' of the sites. All six of the sites had great appeal to the reviewers and therefore we can conclude that each has tremendous potential for use in the classroom. None, however, were given a completely 'school-ready' assessment. With recommended revisions, each site will be a valuable asset to the classroom teacher. For each as well, teachers particularly had problems with access or finding them, but once there, felt they all had some relevance. Many of the weaknesses noted related to lack of guidance for teachers with links to their curriculum or provision of activities. Other weaknesses related to the lack of educational purpose, however, this may be addressed in the development of strong teacher resources and guides linked to the sites. For those sites with a weak or without a teacher's guide, adding this component would be worth the expenditure of time and money needed

Smith Lever 3(d) Extension Evaluation and Outcome Reporting--A Scorecard to Assist Federal Program Leaders

The Government Performance Results Act requires that federal agencies and programs set goals and measure outcomes (USGAO, 1996); however, program managers find it difficult to make the transition from measuring program outputs to developing outcome-related measures (USGAO, 1997). The Hoffman EEOR Scorecard was developed to help federal Smith Lever 3(d) program leaders with this problem by blending the LOGIC Evaluation Model with the utilization of Extension evaluation and outcome reporting (EEOR) ideal practices. The utility of this question-based scorecard for all Smith Lever 3(d) programs is exemplified through its use with the CSREES Extension Integrated Pest Management Implementation Program

Web-Based Instruction and Learning: Analysis and Needs Assessment

An analysis and needs assessment was conducted to identify kindergarten through grade 14 (K-14) customer needs with regard to using the World Wide Web (WWW) for instruction and to identify obstacles K-14 teachers face in utilizing NASA Learning Technologies products in the classroom. The needs assessment was conducted as part of the Dryden Learning Technologies Project which is a collaboration between Dryden Flight Research Center (DFRC), Edwards, California and Tne Pennsylvania State University (PSU), University Park, Pennsylvania. The overall project is a multiyear effort to conduct research in the development of teacher training and tools for Web-based science, mathematics and technology instruction and learning

Development and validation of the Influence Regulation and Deinfluentization Scale (DEI-beh)

Our article presents work on the development and validation of Influence Regulation and Deinfluentization Scale (DEI-beh). Reviewing concepts regarding its influence constitutes an introduction to the original deinfluentization concept coined by Barbara Kożusznik. The author’s theory has provided the basis for creating a diagnostic tool. The elaborated DEI-beh method consists in evaluating conditions which determine managerial effectiveness and shape reciprocal influences among team members. Our article describes this tool’s creation and its validation procedure. Positive relationships between DEI-beh’s individual dimensions and temperament characteristics, defined in Pavlov’s concept (1952), and selected personality traits, proposed in the Five-Factor Model Personality by Costa and McCrae (1992), confirm the tool’s external validity

Trendy zmian rodzajów stosowanych kardiologicznych wszczepialnych urządzeń elektronicznych z perspektywy 14-letniego okresu wykonywania procedur w referencyjnym ośrodku kardiologicznym

Introduction. Indications for the use of cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIEDs) have been expanded over the years, just as there has been progress in CIED technology. Open cardiothoracic surgeries have been replaced by transvenous procedures conducted with only local anesthesia. These factors have effected certain changes in the quantity, proportions, and types of implanted devices. However, it takes a long observation period to determine the direction, duration, or rapidity of such trend changes as well as to project the relevant figures for the future.Material and methods. This retrospective analysis included CIED implantation procedures performed at our center in the period from 2002 to 2015. The analyses were based on medical records, including: procedure logs, procedure reports, and outpatient follow-up entries. This manuscript includes a year-by-year analysis of selected types of CIED-related procedures, i.e.: de novo device implantation, device replacement, and device upgrade procedures.Results. A total of 7,921 CIED-related procedures were conducted in the evaluated period. Female patients constituted 52% and males 48% (mean age 72.7 years). De novo device implantation procedures constituted 68.5% of all CIED-related procedures, device replacement due to predicted battery depletion was conducted in 24.4% of cases, and the remaining 7.1% of procedures were classified as ‘other’. The de novo device implantation group involved pacemaker (PM) implantation procedures (81.7%) including single-chamber atrial (AAI) (6.2%) and ventricular (VVI) (49.6%) devices and dual-chamber atrioventricular (DDD) (43.8%) devices. The remaining 18.3% of the de novo procedures were implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICD) (83.2%) including dual (ICD-DR) (26.0%) and single-chamber (ICD-VR) (57.2%) devices and cardiac resynchronization therapy defibrillators (CRT-D) (16.7%). Single-chamber to dual-chamber pacemaker replacement procedures constituted 82.4% of all CIED upgrade procedures. The remaining 17.6% of device upgrade procedures included adding new functions, such as terminating ventricular tachyarrhythmias (upgrade to ICD) and/or cardiac resynchronization (upgrade to CRT-D).Conclusions. The general rise in the number of CIED-related procedures saw increasing proportions of ICD and CRT device use both in the de novo device implantation and device upgrade groups. Our projections indicate a persistent trend of increasing number of CIED-related procedures discussed in this manuscript.Wstęp. Wskazania do stosowania kardiologicznych wszczepialnych urządzeń elektronicznych (CIED) przez lata się rozszerzyły, a także dokonała się ewolucja rozwiązań technologicznych implantowanych urządzeń. Operacje torakokardiochirurgiczne ustąpiły miejsca technikom zabiegowym z wykorzystaniem układu żylnego i wykonywanym w tylko miejscowym znieczuleniu. Wszystkie te czynniki łącznie modelują zmianę liczby i proporcji oraz rodzajów urządzeń implantowanych podczas procedur. Ukierunkowanie, trwałość lub dynamika zmian trendów są jednak widoczne dopiero w dłuższych okresach, co jednocześnie pozwala na szacowanie wartości prognostycznych.Materiał i metody. Oceną retrospektywną objęto zabiegi CIED wykonane w ośrodku w latach 2002–2015. Analizę badanego materiału przeprowadzono z wykorzystaniem informacji zawartych w dokumentacji medycznej, w tym w księgach zabiegowych i protokołach wykonanej procedury, oraz zaczerpnięto z przeprowadzonych poszpitalnych badań kontrolnych. W opracowaniu uwzględniono coroczną analizę wyodrębnionych grup zabiegów, takich jak implantacje pierwszorazowe (de novo), wymiany urządzeń, modernizacje (up-grade).Wyniki. W badanym okresie przeprowadzono łącznie 7921 zabiegów z zakresu CIED. Stosunek odsetków kobiet do mężczyzn wynosił 52% v. 48% (śr. wieku: 72,7 roku). Implantacje de novo stanowiły 68,5% wszystkich wykonanych procedur, wymiany urządzeń z powodu wyczerpywania się baterii zasilających dotyczyły 24,4% przypadków, a 7,1% stanowiły pozostałe zabiegi. W grupie pierwszorazowych procedur wszczepienia stymulatorów (PM) dotyczyły 81,7% zabiegów, w tym: przedsionkowych (AAI) — 6,2%, komorowych (VVI) — 49,6%, przedsionkowo-komorowych (DDD) — 43,8%. Pozostałe 18,3% procedur de novo tworzyły w 83,2% układy kardiowertująco-defibrylujące (ICD), w tym w 26,0% — ICD-DR, w 57,2% — ICD-VR, a w 16,7% — wzbogacone o funkcję resynchornizacji CRT-D. Modernizacje w obrębie układów stymulujących objęły 82,4% wszystkich zabiegów o charakterze up-grade. Zabiegi up-grade wzbogacające dotychczasowy układ o urządzenie z nowymi funkcjami, takimi jak przerywanie tachyarytmii komorowych (do → ICD) i/lub resynchronizację serca (do → CRT-D), stanowiły 17,6% wszystkich modyfikacji.Wnioski. Wzrostowi ogólnej liczby wykonywanych zabiegów CIED towarzyszyło zwiększanie udziału zakładanych urządzeń z rozszerzonym zakresem terapii o funkcje antyarytmiczne i/lub resynchronizujące zarówno w grupach zabiegów de novo, jak i up-grade. Szacowane wartości prognostyczne wskazują na utrzymanie się trendu wzrostu liczby wykonywania procedur CIED z urządzeniami analizowanych w opracowaniu

The World Wide Web as a Medium of Instruction: What Works and What Doesn't

A conference was held on March 18-20, 1997 to investigate the lessons learned by the Aeronautics Cooperative Agreement Projects with regard to the most effective strategies for developing instruction for the World Wide Web. The conference was a collaboration among the NASA Aeronautics and Space Transportation Technology Centers (Ames, Dryden, Langley, and Lewis), NASA Headquarters, the University of Idaho and The Pennsylvania State University. The conference consisted of presentations by the Aeronautics Cooperative Agreement Teams, the University of Idaho, and working sessions in which the participants addressed teacher training and support, technology, evaluation and pedagogy. The conference was also undertaken as part of the Dryden Learning Technologies Project which is a collaboration between the Dryden Education Office and The Pennsylvania State University. The DFRC Learning Technology Project goals relevant to the conference are as follows: conducting an analysis of current teacher needs, classroom infrastructure and exemplary instructional World Wide Web sites, and developing models for Web-enhanced learning environments that optimize teaching practices and student learning

Detection of discoloration in diesel fuel based on gas chromatographic fingerprints

In the countries of the European Community, diesel fuel samples are spiked with Solvent Yellow 124 and either Solvent Red 19 or Solvent Red 164. Their presence at a given concentration indicates the specific tax rate and determines the usage of fuel. The removal of these so-called excise duty components, which is known as fuel "laundering", is an illegal action that causes a substantial loss in a government's budget. The aim of our study was to prove that genuine diesel fuel samples and their counterfeit variants (obtained from a simulated sorption process) can be differentiated by using their gas chromatographic fingerprints that are registered with a flame ionization detector. To achieve this aim, a discriminant partial least squares analysis, PLS-DA, for the genuine and counterfeit oil fingerprints after a baseline correction and the alignment of peaks was constructed and validated. Uninformative variables elimination (UVE), variable importance in projection (VIP), and selectivity ratio (SR), which were coupled with a bootstrap procedure, were adapted in PLS-DA in order to limit the possibility of model overfitting. Several major chemical components within the regions that are relevant to the discriminant problem were suggested as being the most influential. We also found that the bootstrap variants of UVE-PLS-DA and SR-PLS-DA have excellent predictive abilities for a limited number of gas chromatographic features, 14 and 16, respectively. This conclusion was also supported by the unitary values that were obtained for the area under the receiver operating curve (AUC) independently for the model and test sets

New Evidence on the Green House Model of Nursing Home Care: Synthesis of Findings and Implications for Policy, Practice, and Research

OBJECTIVE: To synthesize new findings from the THRIVE Research Collaborative (The Research Initiative Valuing Eldercare) related to the Green House (GH) model of nursing home care and broadly consider their implications. DATA SOURCES: Interviews and observations conducted in GH and comparison homes, Minimum Data Set (MDS) assessments, Medicare data, and Online Survey, Certification and Reporting data. STUDY DESIGN: Critical integration and interpretation of findings based on primary data collected 2011-2014 in 28 GH homes (from 16 organizations), and 15 comparison nursing home units (from 8 organizations); and secondary data derived from 2005 to 2010 for 72 GH homes (from 15 organizations) and 223 comparison homes. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Implementation of the GH model is inconsistent, sometimes differing from design. Among residents of GH homes, adoption lowers hospital readmissions, three MDS measures of poor quality, and Part A/hospice Medicare expenditures. Some evidence suggests the model is associated with lower direct care staff turnover. CONCLUSIONS: Recommendations relate to assessing fidelity, monitoring quality, capitalizing opportunities to improve care, incorporating evidence-based practices, including primary care providers, supporting high-performance workforce practices, aligning Medicare financial incentives, promoting equity, informing broad culture change, and conducting future research

Paleoenvironments during the Rhaetian transgression and the colonization history of marine biota in the Fatric Unit (Western Carpathians)

Terminal Triassic environmental changes are characterized by an integrated study of lithology, litho- and cyclostratigraphy, paleontology, mineralogy, geochemistry and rock magnetism in the Tatra Mts. The Carpathian Keuper sequence was deposited in an arid environment with only seasonal rivers, temporal lakes and swamps with scarce vegetation. Combination of a wide range of $\delta^{18}O$ values (-0.7 to +2.7) with negative $\delta^{13}C$ values documents dolomite precipitation either from brackish or hypersaline lake water, or its derivation from pore water comparably to the Recent Coorong B-dolostone. Negative $\delta^{13}C$ values indicate microbial C productivity. Rhaetian transgressive deposits with restricted Rhaetavicula fauna accumulated in nearshore swamps and lagoons. Associations of foraminifers, bivalves and sharks in the Zliechov Basin were controlled by physical factors. Bivalve mollusc biostromes were repetitively destroyed by storms, and temporary firm bottoms were colonized by oysters and burrowers. Subsequent black shale deposition recorded input of eolian dust. Bottom colonization by pachyodont bivalves, brachiopod and corals started much later, during highstand conditions. Facies evolution also revealed by geochemical data, C and O isotope curves reflect eustatic and climatic changes and help reconstruct the evolution of Rhaetian marine carbonate ramp. The Fatra Formation consists of 100 kyr eccentricity and 40 kyr obliquity cycles; much finer rhythmicity may record monsoon-like climatic fluctuations. Fluvial and eolian events were indicated by analysis of grain size and content of clastic quartz, concentrations of foraminiferal (Agathammina) tests in thin laminae indicates marine ingression events. Magnetic susceptibility (MS) variations reflect the distribution of authigenic and detrital constituents in the sequence. Increasing trend of MS correlates with the regressive Carpathian Keuper sequence and culminates within the bottom part of the Fatra Formation. Decreasing trend of MS is observed upwards the transgressive deposits of the Fatra Formation

Przypadek niedrożności żyły bezimiennej — wpływ na wybór postępowania zabiegowego w stałej elektroterapii serca

Successful transvenous insertion of cardiac pacing leads during pacemaker implantation is contingent on the patency of consecutive vessels. Vessel obstruction can be detected during either first-time or subsequent procedures associated with the need to introduce additional pacing leads. Venous thrombosis is the most common cause for vessel occlusion, and the main occlusion site along the venous route used for cardiac lead insertion is the subclavian vein, in contrast to the innominate vein or the superior vena cava, whose occlusion rates are much lower. The patient presented here developed venous thrombosis in the left brachiocephalic vein (BCV) also known as the innominate vein 5 years after a first-time permanent cardiac pacing system implantation. Contrast-enhanced vascular imaging conducted during a subsequent procedure intended to introduce a new lead revealed the location and extent of BCV occlusion. Out of 2,258 procedures requiring cardiac lead insertion and performed within a 5-year period (2010–2014) at the Clinic (including 68 cases of adding a lead to the existing device) this was the only case of BCV occlusion of this aetiology. Literature reports on BCV emphasize the uncommonness of this type of occlusion and discuss its effect on the course of the procedure.Warunkiem skutecznego doprowadzenia elektrod do serca drogą przezżylną podczas zabiegów z zakresu stałej elektroterapii serca jest drożność światła kolejnych naczyń. Upośledzona drożność może się ujawnić zarówno podczas pierwszorazowych zabiegów, jak i powtórnej ingerencji w układ żylny z powodu konieczności wprowadzenia nowych elektrod. Zmiany pozakrzepowe są najczęstszą przyczyną zaburzeń drożności, a miejscem ich występowania w obrębie naczyń żylnych pasażujących elektrody do serca w znacznym stopniu jest żyła podobojczykowa, w przeciwieństwie do żyły bezimiennej oraz żyły głównej górnej. W prezentowanym przypadku do wytworzenia zmian pozakrzepowych w lewej żyle ramienno-głowowej (BCV) doszło w 5-letnim okresie po zabiegu pierwszorazowej implantacji układu. Zobrazowanie naczyń preparatem kontrastowym podczas kolejnego zabiegu i próby wprowadzenia nowej elektrody ujawniło lokalizację oraz zakres upośledzenia drożności BCV. W obrębie grupy 2258 zabiegów, wykonanych w czasie 5 lat (2010–2014) w klinice, wymagających wprowadzenia elektrody (w tym 68 przypadków w dotychczasowym układzie), jest to jedyny przypadek niedrożności BCV o tej etiologii. W piśmiennictwie o BCV podkreśla się sporadyczność jej niedrożności oraz wpływ na przebieg zabiegu