The Accumulation of Wear on Footwear Pattern Analysis

Wear is defined as the erosion of a shoe’s outsole or the loss of tread pattern, and it happens gradually over time with use. After a shoeprint is collected from a crime scene, it is questioned whether an individualization can be made if an exemplar is created after additional use of the shoe. The shoes of ten volunteers at San Jose State University were analyzed over a period of 40-45 days. Wear and Randomly Acquired Characteristics (RACs) were analyzed over time to determine if there were any observable changes or additions to the already present wear. It was hypothesized that initial wear and RACs would persist over time. The present wear retained over time throughout the study. Sixty-five percent of the shoes showed no additional wear or RACs. The remaining 35% showed at most 1 cm of additional loss of tread pattern. Therefore, it is possible for an individualization after 40-45 days between evidence collections. This study was limited by the time allotted. Future studies will need to investigate wear over many months of use

The use of cold dialysis solution in reducing fatigue in an end-stage renal disease patient

A clinical decision report using: Sajadi M, Gholami Z, Hekmatpour D, Soltani P, Haghverdi F. Cold dialysis solution for hemodialysis patients with fatigue ‐ a cross‐over study. Iranian Journal of Kidney Diseases. 2016;10(5):319‐24. for a patient with sickle cell disease

Nebraska Lewis & Clark Bicentennial Commission: The Final Report to the Governor, Members of the Nebraska Legislature, and the People of Nebraska

Noted historian Donald Jackson described Lewis and Clark as “the writingest” explorers of their time. It is simply amazing that a significant amount of their journals survived the explorations across the North American continent from 1803 to 1806. However, the task to organize those journal notes into a comprehensive report also proved to be a challenge that eventually took longer than the expedition itself. This report documents another lengthy journey—and in a more timely manner. That journey is the one taken by the dedicated people who organized the 200th anniversary commemoration of Lewis and Clark’s journeys through what is now known as the state of Nebraska. With this report the Lewis and Clark Bicentennial Commission describes its activities and reflects upon how the State of Nebraska’s overall investment was quadrupled into over $2 million dollars worth of heightened awareness and appreciation of our local heritage that includes the story of Lewis and Clark and the indigenous nations they encountered. Over 100,000 Nebraska citizens and visitors, hundreds of classrooms (including Native American students) were able to participate in a series of educational and entertaining events and programs from 2003 through 2006 with absolutely no admission charges

\u27Why\u27 matters! Choosing to leverage the science of learning to shift student success

Discussions around the impact of life with limited resources on school and life success have long occurred, but evolving findings grounded by the science of learning have become even more important to pedagogical opportunities and decisions. Common best practices are generally accepted within the profession, but these practices are frequently abandoned when day-to-day challenges emerge that shift educators toward the natural human tendency to respond emotionally, rather than cognitively, to stressful or difficult situations. This session will focus on the important ‘whys’ that can be used to inform practice every day—the theory that can, in fact, provide the scientific foundation that is more likely to lead to cognitive, rather than emotional, responses to student behaviors. This session will be divided into three sections. The first section will provide a practical look at the impact of life with limited resources and how that can impact the way the brain fires and wires. A quick look at the how brains are wired will be provided to ensure that all attendees have the basic foundation for considering pedagogy that is informed by neuroscience. The second section will develop the importance of understanding brain-based theory behind every best practice. An engaging group activity will be used to illustrate the power of “why” to shift human behaviors. Finally, the third section will consider specific pedagogical practices through the lens of cognitive science, exploring these questions: Why does this practice matter for the brains of the students I teach? How will my responses impact student brains and, subsequently, student engagement? While all of the 25 Best Practices that provide the pedagogical foundation for the research and practice through which this model has been developed cannot be addressed in this brief session, attendees will have access to a 75+ page document that provides background information on each

Impact of a Nutrition Intervention Program on the Growth and Nutritional Status of Nicaraguan Adolescent Girls

This research examines the impact of a nutrition education intervention program on the nutritional status and knowledge of Nicaraguan adolescent girls. Anthropometric measurements, hemoglobin values, and data concerning nutritional knowledge were collected from adolescent girls living in Managua, Nicaragua. Using a pre-test/post-test design, data are compared prior to and after the nutrition intervention program. When using Mexican American reference data, statistically significant differences in height-for-age z-scores and weight-for-age z-scores were found when comparing the entire sample of baseline data with data collected after three years of the nutrition intervention program (p<0.05). Significant improvement was also found concerning the indicators of nutritional knowledge (p<0.05). However, hemoglobin data revealed a significant decrease which may be due to specific environmental factors and pubertal changes. This research has implications concerning the development of successful adolescent focused nutrition intervention programs in Nicaragua, and examines the possibility that catch-up growth occurs during adolescence

A case study of lean, sustainable manufacturing

A small furniture production company has integrated lean tools and sustainability concepts with discrete event simulation modeling and analysis as well as mathematical optimization to make a positive impact on the environment, society and its own financial success. The principles of lean manufacturing that aid in the elimination of waste have helped the company meet ever increasing customer demands while preserving valuable resources for future generations. The implementation of lean and sustainable manufacturing was aided by the use of discrete event simulation and optimization to overcome deficits in lean’s traditional implementation strategies. Lean and green manufacturing can have a more significant, positive impact on multiple measures of operational performance when implemented concurrently rather than separately. These ideas are demonstrated by three applicationsPeer Reviewe

Realistic Covariance Generation for the GPM Spacecraft

A covariance realism process for NASA's Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) spacecraft is detailed. The GPM spacecraft is in a low earth orbit, and performs collision avoidance maneuvers few times a year. Currently GPM is below the International Space Station (ISS). So, in addition to cataloged debris objects, GPM must contend with smallsat/cubesat objects that are deployed from the ISS. Both operational scenarios require complete knowledge of the expected GPM prediction errors as a function of time. In this study, we present a method for generating realistic predicted covariance that uses linear propagation of the covariance with the addition of process noise. Further analyses are presented for the process noise ''tuning'' that generates an inflation factor based on the observed error statistics of the predictive satellite trajectories when compared to the definitive ones. Different tuning strategies are considered and compared via a Goodness-of-Fit testing for the Gaussian properties of the scaled covariance. SpaceNav's realistic covariance generation approach takes into account the contribution of predicted maneuver errors in the increased propagation uncertainty. Corresponding maneuver uncertainty is injected into the state uncertainty, and is used within the collision avoidance process to determine the collision risk for close approach events that follow a maneuver. This is a critical step in the maneuver planning process that provides the satellite operator with an accurate quantification of the collision probability for planned maneuvers. Using this information, an informed decision can be made to proceed with a maneuver if the collision risk is acceptable. This approach is validated by Monte-Carlo simulations and results are presented

An Examination of Determinants That Affect the Health-Service Systems and Health Status of People in the Greater Mekong Subregion

Background: One means of better understanding the variations in health systems among the four greater Mekong subregion (GMS) countries is to determine how the overall health environment influences the area’s health-service systems and health status. Objectives: The study examined the determinants that affect the health-service systems and health status of the Thai, Lao, Vietnamese, and Cambodian people in the GMS countries, as well as the determinants that best predict health-service-system quality and health status. Patients and Methods: The sample groups consisted of 320 - 402 clients and 30 - 69 healthcare providers recruited from three hospitals with similar topographies to those in the respective countries. The sample sizes depended on the number of hospital beds and people in the study areas. The questionnaires included assessments of the perceptions of health-service-system quality and health status, as well as the affecting determinants; the analyses included descriptive statistics, Pearson product-moment correlation, and stepwise multiple regression. Results: The major findings included the following: first, for the clients’ perceptions, only the internal determinant that reflected the strengths and weaknesses of the hospital environment was shown to be a strong predictor of health-service-system quality of the GMS countries. Second, for both the clients’ and providers’ perceptions, we found no common determinant that could predict the health status of GMS people, although we did find a few similar and different determinants. Societal and cultural values affected health-service-system quality and the health status of Vietnamese people, as well the health status of the Lao people, while trade and investment only had an impact on the health-status perception of Lao clients. In addition, medical information and technology affected the health-service systems of Thailand and Vietnam, as well as the health status of the people of Thailand and Laos; the living and working environment influenced the health status of the people of Thailand and Vietnam. The strengths and weaknesses of the hospital also affected the health status of the people of Vietnam and Cambodia. Conclusions: These findings may be used for further knowledge development and for various practical applications. Our findings recommend that a comprehensive and system-wide review of health-policy planning and strategic settings should be conducted in accordance with those particular factors to improve the health-service systems and health status of the GMS countries