Design of a Fine-Needle Aspiration Biopsy Device for Thyroid Nodules

While other devices currently exist to assist in FNA biopsies, none remove the repetitive whole wrist or arm movements needed to collect the sample

Fire resistivity and toxicity studies of candidate aircraft passenger seat materials

Fire resistivity studies were conducted on a wide range of candidate nonmetallic materials being considered for the construction of improved fire resistant aircraft passenger seats. These materials were evaluated on the basis of FAA airworthiness burn and smoke generation tests, colorfastness, limiting oxygen index, and animal toxicity tests. Physical, mechanical, and aesthetic properties were also assessed. Candidate seat materials that have significantly improved thermal response to various thermal loads corresponding to reasonable fire threats as they relate to in-flight fire situations, are identified

Earth rotation and core topography

The NASA Geodynamics program has as one of its missions highly accurate monitoring of polar motion, including changes in length of day (LOD). These observations place fundamental constraints on processes occurring in the atmosphere, in the mantle, and in the core of the planet. Short-timescale (t less than or approx 1 yr) variations in LOD are mainly the result of interaction between the atmosphere and the solid earth, while variations in LOD on decade timescales result from the exchange of angular momentum between the mantle and the fluid core. One mechanism for this exchange of angular momentum is through topographic coupling between pressure variations associated with flow in the core interacting with topography at the core-mantel boundary (CMB). Work done under another NASA grant addressing the origin of long-wavelength geoid anomalies as well as evidence from seismology, resulted in several models of CMB topography. The purpose of work supported by NAG5-819 was to study further the problem of CMB topography, using geodesy, fluid mechanics, geomagnetics, and seismology. This is a final report

Valeurs publiques et formations universitaires : le cas des masters en management public

International audienceFor the last fifteen years, programs of master degrees in public management have been developed in universities. These master degrees, constituted by different step the project emergence, the diploma creation and the validation of the Ministry, are all managed by the person in charge of the diploma. This person, intimately convinced by the importance of public affairs is the leader of the program. This conviction requires dedication to a set of values to define, that can be qualified of "public". This contribution is based on the concept of public value developed by Moore. It’s defined as the direct use of public benefits, created by the government, the impartiality and equity of the production and distribution of service, and the guarantee of citizens’ satisfaction. The purpose of this research is to determine if there is a shared vision of public value as defined by Moore, within the Director of master degrees in public Management in the French universities. To this end, a typology of mechanisms generating values will be mobilized. The empirical approach is based on a qualitative survey composed of structured interviews conducted with the person in charge of master degrees in public management.Depuis une quinzaine d’années les programmes de master en management public se sont développés dans l’offre de formations des universités. Leurs mécanismes de constitution comprenant émergence du projet, ouverture du diplôme et procédures d’habilitation du ministère, sont gérés par le responsable de la formation. Ce dernier, convaincu par la chose publique est un acteur incontournable du programme. La conviction passe par l’adhésion à un corpus de valeurs à définir que l’on pourra qualifier de « publiques ». Cette contribution s’appuie sur le concept de valeur publique développée par Moore définie comme l’utilité directe des avantages engendrés par le gouvernement, l’impartialité et de l’équité de la production et de la distribution du service ainsi que la satisfaction des exigences des citoyens. L’objet de cette recherche est de déterminer s’il existe une vision partagée de la valeur publique au sens de Moore, par les directeurs de formation de Master en Management public dans les différentes universités françaises. A cet effet, une typologie de mécanismes générateurs de valeurs sera mobilisée. La démarche empirique est fondée sur une enquête qualitative à base d’entretiens directifs effectués auprès des responsables de formations de Master 2 en management public

Overview of gene structure

Throughout the C. elegans sequencing project Genefinder was the primary protein-coding gene prediction program. These initial predictions were manually reviewed by curators as part of a "first-pass annotation" and are actively curated by WormBase staff using a variety of data and information. In the WormBase data release WS133 there are 22,227 protein-coding gene, including 2,575 alternatively-spliced forms. Twenty-eight percent of these have every base of every exon confirmed by transcription evidence while an additional 51% have some bases confirmed. Most of the genes are relatively small covering a genomic region of about 3 kb. The average gene contains 6.4 coding exons accounting for about 26% of the genome. Most exons are small and separated by small introns. The median size of exons is 123 bases, while the most common size for introns is 47 bases. Protein-coding genes are denser on the autosomes than on chromosome X, and denser in the central region of the autosomes than on the arms. There are only 561 annotated pseudogenes but estimates but several estimates put this much higher

Hautkrebs – cremen statt schneiden? : Nichtoperative Behandlungen auf dem Vormarsch

»Gönnen Sie Ihrer Haut Zukunft.« Unter diesem Slogan wirbt die Frankfurter Oberbürgermeisterin Petra Roth als Schirmherrin der Deutschen Hautkrebsstiftung (www.hautkrebsstiftung.de) für Maßnahmen zur Prävention von Hauttumoren. Diese Krebsformen nehmen derzeit weltweit in der hellhäutigen Bevölkerung am stärksten zu, wobei aufgrund unserer bereits in frühen Jahren sonnenbelasteten Freizeitgewohnheiten mehr und mehr jüngere Menschen erkranken. Neue Therapieoptionen erlauben es, Krebs sowie Krebsvorstufen früher und effektiver zu behandeln. Dabei spielen insbesondere nichtinvasive Methoden eine immer wichtigere Rolle. Cremen statt schneiden – dies ist nicht immer, aber immer öfter die richtige Lösung

Local cholesterol metabolism orchestrates remyelination

Cholesterol is an essential component of all cell membranes and particularly enriched in myelin membranes. Myelin membranes are a major target of immune attacks in the chronic neurological disorder multiple sclerosis (MS). During demye- linating insults, cholesterol is released from damaged myelin, increasing local levels of this unique lipid and impeding tissue regeneration. Here, we summarize the current knowledge of cholesterol-dependent processes during demyelination and remyelination, emphasizing cell type-specific responses. We discuss cellular lipid/ cholesterol metabolism during early and late disease phases and highlight the con- cept of lipid-based pharmacological interventions. We propose that knowledge of the interplay between cell type-specific cholesterol handling, inflammation, and blood–brain barrier (BBB) integrity will unravel disease processes and facilitate development of strategies for therapies to promote remyelination

No Such Thing as a Bad Question: Using Rubrics to Help Students Learn from and Strengthen Failed Research Questions

This chapter uses findings from a mixed-methods study of undergraduates’ research experiences in a developmental writing course at a small, private university to suggest that writing bad research questions is a necessary part of the research process and that students can learn valuable lessons from the struggle to pose effective questions if given the necessary support. It offers a set of rubrics that can be used to evaluate the debatability, researchability, and feasibility of students’ research questions to help students turn failed research questions into successful ones