The Turtle Head Immobilization System (THIS): A Tool for Faster and Safer Handling and Processing of Aggressive Turtle Species

The turtle head immobilization tool (THIS) is an efficient and cost effective tool to aid in the processing of large, aggressive turtles such as the Eastern Snapping Turtle (Chelydra serpentina). THIS aids in the reduction of aggressive behaviors by calming the animal during processing and minimizing injuries to the turtle and handlers. This simple tool also streamlines the processing itself, by allowing researchers to focus on measurements and markings, instead of having to maintain the constant vigilance often needed to work safely around these animals

Factors Associated With Receipt of Preventive Dental Treatment Procedures Among Adult Patients at a Dental Training School in Wisconsin, 2001-2002

Background: Gender differences in oral health-related quality of life and the fear of dental pain in seeking and receiving preventive dental care have been recognized and documented. Preventive dental treatment procedures (PDTPs) are commonly accepted as the primary approach to prevent dental disease. Objective: We examined whether the likelihood of receiving PDTPs differed by gender in adult patients receiving dental care at a dental training institution in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.Methods: Data from the Marquette University School of Dentistry electronic patient management database for 2001 through 2002 were analyzed. Descriptive, bivariate, and multivariable analyses were performed. The preventive procedures used in the study were those coded in accordance with the American Dental Association\u27s classification system: D1110 (adult prophylaxis: professional cleaning and polishing of the teeth), D1204 (adult topical application of fluoride), D1205 (adult topical application of fluoride plus prophylaxis), and D1330 (oral hygiene instruction).Results: Of the 1563 consecutive patient records (888 women, 675 men) reviewed for the years 2001-2002, 794 individuals (51%), aged 18 to 60 years, were identified as having received PDTPs. At the bivariate level, a significant gender difference in the receipt of PDTPs was identified (423 women [48%] vs 371 men [55%]; P = 0.004). In the multivariable analyses, age, race/ethnicity, marital status, poverty level, and health insurance type (public, private, none) were significantly associated with the receipt of PDTPs (all, P \u3c 0.05), but gender was not.Conclusions: Gender differences in receiving PDTPs were not found in this dental school patient population. Receipt of PDTPs was associated with other demographic factors such as age, race/ethnicity, marital status, income level, and health insurance

The Turtle Head Immobilization System (THIS): A Tool for Faster and Safer Handling and Processing of Aggressive Turtle Species

The turtle head immobilization tool (THIS) is an efficient and cost effective tool to aid in the processing of large, aggressive turtles such as the Eastern Snapping Turtle (Chelydra serpentina). THIS aids in the reduction of aggressive behaviors by calming the animal during processing and minimizing injuries to the turtle and handlers. This simple tool also streamlines the processing itself, by allowing researchers to focus on measurements and markings, instead of having to maintain the constant vigilance often needed to work safely around these animals

Exciton diffusion in semiconducting single-wall carbon nanotubes studied by transient absorption microscopy

Spatiotemporal dynamics of excitons in isolated semiconducting single-walled carbon nanotubes are studied using transient absorption microscopy. Differential reflection and transmission of an 810-nm probe pulse after excitation by a 750-nm pump pulse are measured. We observe a bi-exponentially decaying signal with a fast time constant of 0.66 ps and a slower time constant of 2.8 ps. Both constants are independent of the pump fluence. By spatially and temporally resolving the differential reflection, we are able to observe a diffusion of excitons, and measure a diffusion coefficient of 200 cm2/s at room temperature and 300 cm2/s at lower temperatures of 10 K and 150 K.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figure

Fashioning Appropriate Regulation of Opioids for Palliative Care

Palliative care specialists, who care for patients with serious, life-limiting illnesses such as cancer, are experts in evaluating and managing acute pain. Amid concerns of substance abuse and diversion in patients with cancer, including those near the end of life, regulations and training for providers should encourage the development and use of distinct assessment and management guidelines for palliative care situations

Tracking REDD+ Finance: 2009-2012 - Finance Flows in Seven REDD+ Countries

Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD). This REDDX report tracks the 2009-2012 flow of REDD+ finance from a variety of donors to seven tropical forest countries for various types of REDD+ activities. It is based on the hard work and dedication of seven teams of national partners and other experts who surveyed donors, government agencies, implementing agencies, NGOs, and consulting firms involved in the management of REDD+ finance in key REDD+ recipient countries

Principal Investigator Perspectives on the Effects of COVID-19 on their NSF-Funded International Research Projects with Students in 2020

A web-based survey of 103 principal investigators (PIs) of NSF-funded international research training programs administered in late 2020 revealed that over 640 undergraduate and graduate student researchers were unable to participate in international research projects as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic during 2020. Nevertheless, PIs did not generally suspend applications or seek re-budgeting of travel funds. Some research activities were able to continue without the international travel component such as data analysis, lab work, and publication preparation. Follow-up interviews with 12 PIs revealed that virtual activities such as webinars, workshops, and networking events were implemented as a substitute for research and cultural experiences abroad with the goal of keeping students engaged until travel can resume. The disproportionate impact of these virtual substitute activities on students from disadvantaged backgrounds is not known

Validation of Global Climatologies of Trace Gases Using NASA Global Tropospheric Experiment (GTE) Data

Methane is an important trace gas because it is a greenhouse gas that affects the oxidative capacity of the atmosphere. It is produced from biological and anthropogenic sources, and is increasing globally at a rate of approximately 0.6% per year [Climate Change 1992, IPCC]. By using National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration/Climate Monitoring and Diagnostics Laboratory (NOAA/CMDL) ground station data, a global climatology of methane values was produced. Unfortunately, because the NOAA/CMDL ground stations are so sparse, the global climatology is low resolution. In order to compensate for this low resolution data, it was compared to in-situ flight data obtained from the NASA Global Tropospheric Experiment (GTE). The smoothed ground station data correlated well with the flight data. Thus, for the first time it is shown that the smoothing process used to make global contours of methane using the ground stations is a plausible way to approximate global atmospheric concentrations of the gas. These verified climatologies can be used for testing large-scale models of chemical production, destruction, and transport. This project develops the groundwork for further research in building global climatologies from sparse ground station data and studying the transport and distribution of trace gases

Merging the virtual and the real: A collaborative cross-reality game

In this paper, we present a collaborative cross-reality game for two players, Lab2, which blends tangible board game and immersive virtual reality playing spaces in a gameplay that aims to promote and train collaborative behaviour. As collaborative learning has been stressed as an effective teaching method for many years, Lab2 could assist learners in exploring and further developing their collaborative skills in a playful manner. One player controls a physical game board showing a moveable maze of “pathway” tiles, while the second uses a spatially tracked HMD to find himself inside a virtual-reality version of the game-board’s maze. The goal of the game is to collect a set of tokens hidden inside the maze. Reaching these tokens requires the players to collaborate via their complementary roles. We will first outline the game design concept and then detail the user-testing based evaluation of our game prototype