Costa Rica's payment for environmental services program: intention, implementation, and impact.

We evaluated the intention, implementation, and impact of Costa Rica's program of payments for environmental services (PSA), which was established in the late 1990s. Payments are given to private landowners who own land in forest areas in recognition of the ecosystem services their land provides. To characterize the distribution of PSA in Costa Rica, we combined remote sensing with geographic information system databases and then used econometrics to explore the impacts of payments on deforestation. Payments were distributed broadly across ecological and socioeconomic gradients, but the 1997-2000 deforestation rate was not significantly lower in areas that received payments. Other successful Costa Rican conservation policies, including those prior to the PSA program, may explain the current reduction in deforestation rates. The PSA program is a major advance in the global institutionalization of ecosystem investments because few, if any, other countries have such a conservation history and because much can be learned from Costa Rica's experiences.

Research Question, Study Design and Continuous Research Education and Training Exercises (CREATE) Program.

The clinical research project starts with identifying the optimal research question, one that is ethical, impactful, feasible, scientifically sound, novel, relevant, and interesting. The project continues with the design of the study to answer the research question. Such design should be consistent with ethical and methodological principles, and make optimal use of resources in order to have the best chances of identifying a meaningful answer to the research question. Physicians and other healthcare providers are optimally positioned to identify meaningful research questions the answer to which could make significant impact on healthcare delivery. The typical medical education curriculum, however, lacks solid training in clinical research. We propose CREATE (Continuous Research Education And Training Exercises) as a peer- and group-based, interactive, analytical, customized, and accrediting program with didactic, training, mentoring, administrative, and professional support to enhance clinical research knowledge and skills among healthcare professionals, promote the generation of original research projects, increase the chances of their successful completion and potential for meaningful impact. The key features of the program are successive intra- and inter-group discussions and confrontational thematic challenges among participating peers aimed at capitalizing on the groups' collective knowledge, experience and skills, and combined intellectual processing capabilities to optimize choice of research project elements and stakeholder decision-making.

Long-term changes in physical activity following a one-year home-based physical activity counseling program in older adults with multiple morbidities.

This study assessed the sustained effect of a physical activity (PA) counseling intervention on PA one year after intervention, predictors of sustained PA participation, and three classes of post-intervention PA trajectories (improvers, maintainers, and decliners) in 238 older Veterans. Declines in minutes of PA from 12 to 24 months were observed for both the treatment and control arms of the study. PA at 12 months was the strongest predictor of post-intervention changes in PA. To our surprise, those who took up the intervention and increased PA levels the most, had significant declines in post-intervention PA. Analysis of the three post-intervention PA trajectories demonstrated that the maintenance group actually reflected a group of nonresponders to the intervention who had more comorbidities, lower self-efficacy, and worse physical function than the improvers or decliners. Results suggest that behavioral counseling/support must be ongoing to promote maintenance. Strategies to promote PA appropriately to subgroups of individuals are needed.

Legacy Resource Management Program Archaeological Reconnaissance Survey, United States Naval Academy, Annapolis, MD.

The Archaeological Reconnaissance Survey of United States Naval Academy will provide the Navy with a rich understanding of the history of this property. A National Register of Historic Places District, such as the Academy, deserves a thorough analysis of its past, in order to preserve what exists and to plan for the future. The goal of this project is to investigate the history of the Academy through traditional historic research, innovative computer analysis of historic maps, oral history interviews, and tract histories. This information has been synthesized to provide the Navy with a planning tool for Public Works, a concise look at the cartographic history of the Academy, and reference manual of the vast amounts of information which have been gathered during the course of this project. This information can serve as a reference tool to help the Public Works department comply with Section 106 regulations of the Historic Sites Preservation Act, with regard to construction. It can also serve as a source of cartographic history for those interested in the Academy's physical development, and as a way of preserving the culture of residents in Annapolis. This program and archaeological survey will ultimately serve to add to the rich history of the United States Naval Academy while preserving an important part of our nation's heritage.

Quality of Life and Neurocognitive Functioning in Children with Sickle Cell Disease: Investigating the Feasibility of a Computerized Cognitive Training Program

Children with sickle cell disease (SCD) have a high risk of neurocognitive impairment. No known research, however, has examined the impact of neurocognitive functioning on quality of life in this pediatric population. In addition, limited research has examined neurocognitive interventions for these children. In light of these gaps, two studies were undertaken to (a) examine the relationship between cognitive functioning and quality of life in a sample of children with SCD and (b) investigate the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of a computerized working memory training program in this population. Forty-five youth (ages 8-16) with SCD and a caregiver were recruited for the first study. Participants completed measures of cognitive ability, quality of life, and psychosocial functioning. Results indicated that cognitive ability significantly predicted child- and parent-reported quality of life among youth with SCD. In turn, a randomized-controlled trial of a computerized working memory program was undertaken. Eighteen youth with SCD and a caregiver enrolled in this study, and were randomized to a waitlist control or the working memory training condition. Data pertaining to cognitive functioning, psychosocial functioning, and disease characteristics were obtained from participants. The results of this study indicated a high degree of acceptance for this intervention but poor feasibility in practice. Factors related to feasibility were identified. Implications and future directions are discussed.

Nrg1 is an injury-induced cardiomyocyte mitogen for the endogenous heart regeneration program in zebrafish.

Heart regeneration is limited in adult mammals but occurs naturally in adult zebrafish through the activation of cardiomyocyte division. Several components of the cardiac injury microenvironment have been identified, yet no factor on its own is known to stimulate overt myocardial hyperplasia in a mature, uninjured animal. In this study, we find evidence that Neuregulin1 (Nrg1), previously shown to have mitogenic effects on mammalian cardiomyocytes, is sharply induced in perivascular cells after injury to the adult zebrafish heart. Inhibition of Erbb2, an Nrg1 co-receptor, disrupts cardiomyocyte proliferation in response to injury, whereas myocardial Nrg1 overexpression enhances this proliferation. In uninjured zebrafish, the reactivation of Nrg1 expression induces cardiomyocyte dedifferentiation, overt muscle hyperplasia, epicardial activation, increased vascularization, and causes cardiomegaly through persistent addition of wall myocardium. Our findings identify Nrg1 as a potent, induced mitogen for the endogenous adult heart regeneration program.

The effect of a urinary incontinence self-management program for older women in South Korea: A pilot study

© 2015 Chinese Nursing Association.Background Although self-management approaches have shown strong evidence of positive outcomes for urinary incontinence prevention and management, few programs have been developed for Korean rural communities. Objectives This pilot study aimed to develop, implement, and evaluate a urinary incontinence self-management program for community-dwelling women aged 55 and older with urinary incontinence in rural South Korea. Methods This study used a one-group pre- post-test design to measure the effects of the intervention using standardized urinary incontinence symptom, knowledge, and attitude measures. Seventeen community-dwelling older women completed weekly 90-min group sessions for 5 weeks. Descriptive statistics and paired t-tests and were used to analyze data. Results The mean of the overall interference on daily life from urine leakage (pre-test: M = 5.76 ± 2.68, post-test: M = 2.29 ± 1.93, t = -4.609, p < 0.001) and the sum of International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire scores (pre-test: M = 11.59 ± 3.00, post-test: M = 5.29 ± 3.02, t = -5.881, p < 0.001) indicated significant improvement after the intervention. Improvement was also noted on the mean knowledge (pre-test: M = 19.07 ± 3.34, post-test: M = 23.15 ± 2.60, t = 7.550, p < 0.001) and attitude scores (pre-test: M = 2.64 ± 0.19, post-test: M = 3.08 ± 0.41, t = 5.150, p < 0.001). Weekly assignments were completed 82.4% of the time. Participants showed a high satisfaction level (M = 26.82 ± 1.74, range 22-28) with the group program. Conclusions Implementation of a urinary incontinence self-management program was accompanied by improved outcomes for Korean older women living in rural communities who have scarce resources for urinary incontinence management and treatment. Urinary incontinence self-management education approaches have potential for widespread implementation in nursing practice.

Multi-program benchmark definition

© 2015 IEEE.Although definition of single-program benchmarks is relatively straight-forward-a benchmark is a program plus a specific input-definition of multi-program benchmarks is more complex. Each program may have a different runtime and they may have different interactions depending on how they align with each other. While prior work has focused on sampling multiprogram benchmarks, little attention has been paid to defining the benchmarks in their entirety. In this work, we propose a four-tuple that formally defines multi-program benchmarks in a well-defined way. We then examine how four different classes of benchmarks created by varying the elements of this tuple align with real-world use-cases. We evaluate the impact of these variations on real hardware, and see drastic variations in results between different benchmarks constructed from the same programs. Notable differences include significant speedups versus slowdowns (e.g., +57% vs -5% or +26% vs -18%), and large differences in magnitude even when the results are in the same direction (e.g., 67% versus 11%).

Clinical utility of a Web-enabled risk-assessment and clinical decision support program.

PURPOSE: Risk-stratified guidelines can improve quality of care and cost-effectiveness, but their uptake in primary care has been limited. MeTree, a Web-based, patient-facing risk-assessment and clinical decision support tool, is designed to facilitate uptake of risk-stratified guidelines. METHODS: A hybrid implementation-effectiveness trial of three clinics (two intervention, one control). PARTICIPANTS: consentable nonadopted adults with upcoming appointments. PRIMARY OUTCOME: agreement between patient risk level and risk management for those meeting evidence-based criteria for increased-risk risk-management strategies (increased risk) and those who do not (average risk) before MeTree and after. MEASURES: chart abstraction was used to identify risk management related to colon, breast, and ovarian cancer, hereditary cancer, and thrombosis. RESULTS: Participants = 488, female = 284 (58.2%), white = 411 (85.7%), mean age = 58.7 (SD = 12.3). Agreement between risk management and risk level for all conditions for each participant, except for colon cancer, which was limited to those <50 years of age, was (i) 1.1% (N = 2/174) for the increased-risk group before MeTree and 16.1% (N = 28/174) after and (ii) 99.2% (N = 2,125/2,142) for the average-risk group before MeTree and 99.5% (N = 2,131/2,142) after. Of those receiving increased-risk risk-management strategies at baseline, 10.5% (N = 2/19) met criteria for increased risk. After MeTree, 80.7% (N = 46/57) met criteria. CONCLUSION: MeTree integration into primary care can improve uptake of risk-stratified guidelines and potentially reduce "overuse" and "underuse" of increased-risk services.Genet Med 18 10, 1020-1028.

A Pharmacology-Based Enrichment Program for Undergraduates Promotes Interest in Science.

There is a strong need to increase the number of undergraduate students who pursue careers in science to provide the "fuel" that will power a science and technology-driven U.S. economy. Prior research suggests that both evidence-based teaching methods and early undergraduate research experiences may help to increase retention rates in the sciences. In this study, we examined the effect of a program that included 1) a Summer enrichment 2-wk minicourse and 2) an authentic Fall research course, both of which were designed specifically to support students' science motivation. Undergraduates who participated in the pharmacology-based enrichment program significantly improved their knowledge of basic biology and chemistry concepts; reported high levels of science motivation; and were likely to major in a biological, chemical, or biomedical field. Additionally, program participants who decided to major in biology or chemistry were significantly more likely to choose a pharmacology concentration than those majoring in biology or chemistry who did not participate in the enrichment program. Thus, by supporting students' science motivation, we can increase the number of students who are interested in science and science careers.

Utility of a molecular prescreening program in advanced colorectal cancer for enrollment on biomarker-selected clinical trials.

BACKGROUND: Incorporation of multiple enrichment biomarkers into prospective clinical trials is an active area of investigation, but the factors that determine clinical trial enrollment following a molecular prescreening program have not been assessed. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients with 5-fluorouracil-refractory metastatic colorectal cancer at the MD Anderson Cancer Center were offered screening in the Assessment of Targeted Therapies Against Colorectal Cancer (ATTACC) program to identify eligibility for companion phase I or II clinical trials with a therapy targeted to an aberration detected in the patient, based on testing by immunohistochemistry, targeted gene sequencing panels, and CpG island methylation phenotype assays. RESULTS: Between August 2010 and December 2013, 484 patients were enrolled, 458 (95%) had a biomarker result, and 157 (32%) were enrolled on a clinical trial (92 on biomarker-selected and 65 on nonbiomarker selected). Of the 458 patients with a biomarker result, enrollment on biomarker-selected clinical trials was ninefold higher for predefined ATTACC-companion clinical trials as opposed to nonpredefined biomarker-selected clinical trials, 17.9% versus 2%, P < 0.001. Factors that correlated positively with trial enrollment in multivariate analysis were higher performance status, older age, lack of standard of care therapy, established patient at MD Anderson, and the presence of an eligible biomarker for an ATTACC-companion study. Early molecular screening did result in a higher rate of patients with remaining standard of care therapy enrolling on ATTACC-companion clinical trials, 45.1%, in contrast to nonpredefined clinical trials, 22.7%; odds ratio 3.1, P = 0.002. CONCLUSIONS: Though early molecular prescreening for predefined clinical trials resulted in an increase rate of trial enrollment of nonrefractory patients, the majority of patients enrolled on clinical trials were refractory to standard of care therapy. Within molecular prescreening programs, tailoring screening for preidentified and open clinical trials, temporally linking screening to treatment and optimizing both patient and physician engagement are efforts likely to improve enrollment on biomarker-selected clinical trials. CLINICAL TRIALS NUMBER: The study NCT number is NCT01196130.

Elementary Principals' Perceptions of a Leadership Development Training Program

Research indicates that school leaders are crucial to improving instruction and raising student achievement (Council of Chief State School Officers, 2008). As such, educational reforms such as the No Child Left Behind Act (2001) and Race to the Top (2009) have sparked an accountability movement where principals are being held accountable for students' academic achievement and educational outcomes. The shift towards greater accountability has placed new attention on the ways principals are trained. Researchers have noted that organized professional development programs have not adequately prepared school principals to meet the priority demands of the 21st century (Hale & Moorman, 2003; Murphy, 1994). Murphy (1994) stated, "Traditional preparation programs - usually pre-service programs based in colleges or universities, that awarded certification and advanced degrees - rarely concentrated on the leadership challenges that principals actually face in real schools" (p. 4). As a result, many school districts are seeking ways to develop leadership development training programs that will prepare principals for their job responsibilities as a school leader. In spite of the additional training principals receive, researchers suggests that there is an obvious gap between the readiness of administrators to be instructional leaders and the demands for accountability that school administrators face (Hale & Moorman, 2003). This quantitative study examined elementary school principals' perceptions of their leadership development training program. Guided by four research questions, the study examined principals' perceptions of their overall training and how well their training prepared them to deal with school and classroom practices that contribute to student achievement; to work with teachers and others to design and implement a system for continuous student achievement; and to provide necessary support to carry out sound school, curriculum, and instructional practices. Data for this study was collected by way of survey responses from a total of 46 elementary school principals. The results from the study revealed that more than half (58.7%) of participants perceived their training as excellent. While principals' perceived that their training adequately prepared them to work collaboratively in teams, set clear visions and goals, and to use data to improve students achievement, many respondents reported a lack of training in being informed and focused on student achievement. Principals also suggested that they were not effectively trained in finding effective ways to obtain support from central office or community members.