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At least 559 records · Page 31

Medical Decision Making in the Physician Hierarchy: A Pilot Pedagogical Evaluation

Context: Recently, The American College of Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) has included the medical decision making as a core competency in several specialties. To date, the ability to demonstrate and measure a pedagogical evolution of medical judgment in a medical education program has been limited. Objective: In this study we hope to examine differences in medical decision making ability of different physicians across their various stages of post-graduate hierarchy. Method: Physcians spanning a wide spectrum of scientific disciplines were recruited for three catagories: administrative physicians(AP) representing physcians with the most experience but mostly practice administratively; resident physicians completing their postgraduate medical training (RP) and seasoned attending physicians with mastery level experience (MP). Participants completed four medical simulations focused on abdominal pain: cholecystitis (CH) and renal colic(RC) and chest pain; Cardiac ischemia (STEMI) and pneumothorax (PX). Simulation were ordered randomly so that there was no systematic bias due to learning or to fatigue. The Medical judgment metric (MJM) was used to evaluate medical decision-making. Results: There were no significant differences between the AP, RP, and MP groups in the gender, race, ethnicity, education, and baseline heart rate. There was a significant (p=0.002) interaction effect for simulation time and RP group, 6.2 minutes (+/-1.58); MP group, 8.7 minutes (+/-2.46); and AP group, 10.3 minutes (+/-2.78). The RC MJM scores were significantly (P=0.10) worse in the AP group 12.3 (+/-2.66) then the RP 14.7(+/-1.15) and MP17.7 (+/-1.15) groups. In every simulation, the AP group MJM scores were worse on average (no significantly) compared to the MP and RP groups. The AP group was significantly (P=0.040) less likely to stabilize the subject in the RC simulation than MP and RP groups. Conclusion: There remains significant variability in the medical education and skill retention influences medical decision making throughout a physician's career.

Rosasco, John↗

Scaling Up: Growth of the Indy Student Cluster Competition

The Indy Student Cluster Competition (IndySCC) completed its second year of competition, expanding and building upon the fist year. The IndySCC is a fully virtual competition, with a focus on education, and is part of the student program within the Supercomputing (SC) conference series. The competition aims to engage teams who do not get into the in-person, Student Cluster Challenge (SCC) and to build and train inexperienced teams to eventually go on to the SCC. The first year featured 5 teams and in the second year, this grew to 11 accepted teams in 2022. This work aims to provide an update to how the competition has grown, the challenges, and the plans to grow in the future.

Dietz, Dan↗

The application of automated operations at the Institutional Processing Center

The JPL Institutional and Mission Computing Division, Communications, Computing and Network Services Section, with its mission contractor, OAO Corporation, have for some time been applying automation to the operation of JPL's Information Processing Center (IPC). Automation does not come in one easy to use package. Automation for a data processing center is made up of many different software and hardware products supported by trained personnel. The IPC automation effort formally began with console automation, and has since spiraled out to include production scheduling, data entry, report distribution, online reporting, failure reporting and resolution, documentation, library storage, and operator and user education, while requiring the interaction of multi-vendor and locally developed software. To begin the process, automation goals are determined. Then a team including operations personnel is formed to research and evaluate available options. By acquiring knowledge of current products and those in development, taking an active role in industry organizations, and learning of other data center's experiences, a forecast can be developed as to what direction technology is moving. With IPC management's approval, an implementation plan is developed and resources identified to test or implement new systems. As an example, IPC's new automated data entry system was researched by Data Entry, Production Control, and Advance Planning personnel. A proposal was then submitted to management for review. A determination to implement the new system was made and elements/personnel involved with the initial planning performed the implementation. The final steps of the implementation were educating data entry personnel in the areas effected and procedural changes necessary to the successful operation of the new system.

Barr, Thomas H.↗

NASA Medical Response to Human Spacecraft Accidents

Manned space flight is risky business. Accidents have occurred and may occur in the future. NASA's manned space flight programs, with all their successes, have had three fatal accidents, one at the launch pad and two in flight. The Apollo fire and the Challenger and Columbia accidents resulted in a loss of seventeen crewmembers. Russia's manned space flight programs have had three fatal accidents, one ground-based and two in flight. These accidents resulted in the loss of five crewmembers. Additionally, manned spacecraft have encountered numerous close calls with potential for disaster. The NASA Johnson Space Center Flight Safety Office has documented more than 70 spacecraft incidents, many of which could have become serious accidents. At the Johnson Space Center (JSC), medical contingency personnel are assigned to a Mishap Investigation Team. The team deploys to the accident site to gather and preserve evidence for the Accident Investigation Board. The JSC Medical Operations Branch has developed a flight surgeon accident response training class to capture the lessons learned from the Columbia accident. This presentation will address the NASA Mishap Investigation Team's medical objectives, planned response, and potential issues that could arise subsequent to a manned spacecraft accident. Educational Objectives are to understand the medical objectives and issues confronting the Mishap Investigation Team medical personnel subsequent to a human space flight accident.

Patlach, Robert↗

Real-time Distribution Simulation and Application Development for Power Systems Education

To help bridge the gap between traditional power system engineering instruction and emerging industry needs, a new set of classroom and research tools are needed. Real-time simulation tools emulating power system control room software present an opportunity to introduce students to the array of operational considerations, technical challenges, and decision-making associated with power system operations. The GridAPPS-D platform is proposed to support coursework and academic research as it provides an open-source platform for simulation, application development, and software integration. The GridAPPS-D platform, simulation capabilities, development environment, and interactive training are discussed in the context of lessons-learned from implementation for undergraduate and graduate students in the US and India. A series of potential GridAPPS-D supported academic capabilities are introduced.

Active distribution networks, open educational res↗

Mapping the Gap: Analysis of Nuclear Cybersecurity Education in U.S. Universities

The U.S. nuclear sector is undergoing rapid transformation, driven by the expansion of advanced reactors, digital modernization of legacy systems, and increasing interest in nuclear energy to meet AI-fueled energy demands. However, the cybersecurity talent pipeline is not keeping pace with this growth. This paper investigates the significant gap in nuclear cybersecurity education and proposes scalable strategies for colleges to address this critical need by promoting it as a viable and essential career path. Through a multi-institutional landscape analysis of 16 cybersecurity and 12 nuclear engineering programs, we found that nuclear cybersecurity is largely absent from university curricula. Most students are unaware of the field’s existence, and few institutions offer hands-on training or interdisciplinary exposure. This lack of awareness leads to a shortage of specialized talent, forcing nuclear facilities to retrain generalist hires or rely on costly external consultants. We present a framework for early pipeline cultivation grounded in Social Cognitive Career Theory and workforce development principles. Proposed solutions include student-led clubs, guest lectures, modular classroom kits, and summer boot camps. By increasing visibility and access to nuclear cyber content, we aim to break the self-reinforcing cycle of low awareness and limited specialization. This work underscores the critical role of education and advocacy in cultivating early interest and guiding students toward this emerging field. We call on academic institutions, national laboratories, and industry stakeholders to collaborate in establishing nuclear cybersecurity as a distinct and accessible career path within the broader cybersecurity and nuclear engineering ecosystems.

99 - GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗

Space Station Freedom crew training

The nature of the Space Station Freedom Program presents an array of new and enhanced challenges which need to be addressed en route to developing an effective and affordable infrastructure for crew training. Such an infrastructure is essential for the safety and success of the program. The three major challenges that affect crew training are the long lifetime of the program (thirty years), the interdependence of successive increments, and the participation of the three International Partners (Canada, European Space Agency, and Japan) and a myriad of experimenters. This paper addresses these major challenges as they drive the development of a crew training capability and the actual conduct of crew training.

Space Flight/education/organization & administrati↗

Growing Beyond Earth: Student Citizen Science Contributing to Space Crop Production

Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden and NASA have been partnering since 2015 to conduct a citizen science education program for middle and high school students called Growing Beyond Earth (GBE). Growing Beyond Earth is a multi-classroom science project designed to advance NASA’s research on growing plants in space. GBE was implemented locally and scaled nationally under two NASA Grants. Now serving more than 250 schools and over 10,000 middle and high school students nationwide, GBE successfully improved STEM education. It also contributed student-generated data to NASA, improving NASA research on the ground and on ISS, with two student-selected crops grown in space. GBE is unique in its focus on real scientific research, enabling student “citizen scientists” to contribute data toward NASA mission planning. Each classroom receives a Fairchild-designed plant habitat analogous to the plant growing equipment aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Fairchild and NASA scientists train teachers to conduct in-classroom GBE experiments, and students then share experimental data online with NASA. As NASA looks toward a long-term human presence beyond Earth’s orbit, there are specific science, technology, engineering, and math challenges related to food production in space. During this presentation, learn how GBE is addressing those challenges by expanding the diversity and quality of edible plants that can be grown aboard spacecraft. We will share the significant scientific and educational results that have come out of this partnership and explain how we quickly pivoted to allow students to continue to contribute during the COVID-era. Finally, we will explain how on Earth, GBE is also advancing technologies for growing plants in urban, indoor, and other resource-limited settings through the GBE Maker challenge for High School, University, and Professional communities of Makers across the country to develop the next generation of space crop production technologies. These programs are supported by NASA.

Growing Beyond Earth↗

Plant science decadal vision 2020–2030: Reimagining the potential of plants for a healthy and sustainable future

Abstract Plants, and the biological systems around them, are key to the future health of the planet and its inhabitants. The Plant Science Decadal Vision 2020–2030 frames our ability to perform vital and far‐reaching research in plant systems sciences, essential to how we value participants and apply emerging technologies. We outline a comprehensive vision for addressing some of our most pressing global problems through discovery, practical applications, and education. The Decadal Vision was developed by the participants at the Plant Summit 2019, a community event organized by the Plant Science Research Network. The Decadal Vision describes a holistic vision for the next decade of plant science that blends recommendations for research, people, and technology. Going beyond discoveries and applications, we, the plant science community, must implement bold, innovative changes to research cultures and training paradigms in this era of automation, virtualization, and the looming shadow of climate change. Our vision and hopes for the next decade are encapsulated in the phrase reimagining the potential of plants for a healthy and sustainable future. The Decadal Vision recognizes the vital intersection of human and scientific elements and demands an integrated implementation of strategies for research (Goals 1–4), people (Goals 5 and 6), and technology (Goals 7 and 8). This report is intended to help inspire and guide the research community, scientific societies, federal funding agencies, private philanthropies, corporations, educators, entrepreneurs, and early career researchers over the next 10 years. The research encompass experimental and computational approaches to understanding and predicting ecosystem behavior; novel production systems for food, feed, and fiber with greater crop diversity, efficiency, productivity, and resilience that improve ecosystem health; approaches to realize the potential for advances in nutrition, discovery and engineering of plant‐based medicines, and "green infrastructure." Launching the Transparent Plant will use experimental and computational approaches to break down the phytobiome into a "parts store" that supports tinkering and supports query, prediction, and rapid‐response problem solving. Equity, diversity, and inclusion are indispensable cornerstones of realizing our vision. We make recommendations around funding and systems that support customized professional development. Plant systems are frequently taken for granted therefore we make recommendations to improve plant awareness and community science programs to increase understanding of scientific research. We prioritize emerging technologies, focusing on non‐invasive imaging, sensors, and plug‐and‐play portable lab technologies, coupled with enabling computational advances. Plant systems science will benefit from data management and future advances in automation, machine learning, natural language processing, and artificial intelligence‐assisted data integration, pattern identification, and decision making. Implementation of this vision will transform plant systems science and ripple outwards through society and across the globe. Beyond deepening our biological understanding, we envision entirely new applications. We further anticipate a wave of diversification of plant systems practitioners while stimulating community engagement, underpinning increasing entrepreneurship. This surge of engagement and knowledge will help satisfy and stoke people's natural curiosity about the future, and their desire to prepare for it, as they seek fuller information about food, health, climate and ecological systems.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

An Innovative, Multidisciplinary Educational Program in Interactive Information Storage and Retrieval

There exists a large number of large-scale bibliographic Information Storage and Retrieval Systems containing large amounts of valuable data of interest in a wide variety of research applications. These systems are not used to capacity because the end users, i.e., the researchers, have not been trained in the techniques of accessing such systems. This thesis describes the development of a transportable, university-level course in methods of querying on-line interactive Information Storage and Retrieval systems as a solution to this problem. This course was designed to instruct upper division science and engineering students to enable these end users to directly access such systems. The course is designed to be taught by instructors who are not specialists in either computer science or research skills. It is independent of any particular IS and R system or computer hardware. The project is sponsored by NASA and conducted by the University of Southwestern Louisiana and Southern University.

Dominick, Wayne D.↗

NASA/DOD Aerospace Knowledge Diffusion Research Project. Paper 40: Technical communications in aerospace education: A study of AIAA student members

This paper describes the preliminary analysis of a survey of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) student members. In the paper we examine (1) the demographic characteristics of the students, (2) factors that affected their career decisions, (3) their career goals and aspirations, and (4) their training in technical communication and techniques for finding and using aerospace scientific and technical information (STI). We determine that aerospace engineering students receive training in technical communication skills and the use of STI. While those in the aerospace industry think that more training is needed, we believe the students receive the appropriate amount of training. We think that the differences between the amount of training students receive and the perception of training needs is related partially to the characteristics of the students and partially to the structure of the aerospace STI dissemination system. Overall, we conclude that the students' technical communication training and knowledge of STI, while limited by external forces, makes it difficult for students to achieve their career goals.

Kennedy, John M.↗

Energy I-Corps Electron Beam (EB) Potential for International Trade of Logs

The purpose of this document is to capture the potential from Fermilab’s “Team EB Treement” at the DOE Energy I-Corps program. Energy I-Corps, a key initiative of the Office of Technology Transitions, pairs teams of researchers with industry mentors for an intensive two-month training where the researchers define technology value propositions, conduct customer discovery interviews, and develop viable market pathways for their technologies. The team was composed prior to the Energy I-Corp program; however, the program was a catalyst for education and information exchange between the team members and stakeholders, customers, and regulators. These exchanges were captured in the evolution of a Business Model Canvas (BMC) and a Value Proposition (VP). The BMC and VP underwent numerous transformations based on feedback from the conversations between members of the team and forest or agriculture industry stakeholders and the program instructors.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗

Engineering education for the 1980's: A speculation

The development of a course of study is briefly examined from two points of view. The first represents the background that would seem to be needed for a fledgling engineer upon his entry into the engineering profession and would allow him to complete successfully his on-the-job training, or engineering internship as it were. The second represents that which must be provided on the basis of the students background from secondary school. It is suggested that a course of study viewed in this way is never fixed, but rather evolves continuously. A particular evolving course of study is briefly discussed.

Covert, E. E.↗

Women in Data Science Livermore Datathon 2024

The WiDS Datathon 2024 focuses on a prediction task using a roughly 39k record dataset (split into training and test sets) representing patients and their characteristics (age, race, BMI, zip code), their diagnosis and treatment information (breast cancer diagnosis code, metastatic cancer diagnosis code, metastatic cancer treatments, … etc.), their geo (zip-code level) demographic data (income, education, rent, race, poverty, …etc), as well as toxic air quality data (Ozone, PM25 and NO2) that tie health outcomes to environmental conditions. Each row in the data corresponds a single patient and her Diagnosis Period.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

Modernizing Mechatronics Course With Quantum Engineering

Mechatronics is the synergistic application of mechanics, electronics, control engineering, and computer science in the development of electromechanical products and systems, through integrated design. This paper proposes to extend the mechatronics course beyond traditional engineering topics, and to modernize the mechatronics instructions with complementary quantum engineering topics. With the recent rapid advances in quantum technologies such as quantum communications, sensing, computers, and algorithms, it is imperative to train the next generation of engineers and prepare them for their future careers in the ever-changing industry in such areas. Furthermore, due to such progress and advances in the fields associated with quantum mechanics, the integration of quantum technologies with classical mechanical systems will be inevitable both in terms of educational and technological standpoints in future. To address the educational needs of the future engineers in such areas of significant importance, quantum entanglement and quantum cryptography experiments, as two fundamental topics in quantum mechanics, are brought into the mechatronics course in an initiative that is reported in this paper. The integrated quantum and mechatronics topics also provides opportunities for open discussions on exploring the interface of quantum technologies and classical engineering systems, which can potentially push the engineering boundaries beyond classical possibilities by accessing the quantum advantages. An innovative online remote demonstration of such quantum experiments are developed and presented to the students. This course has been offered to undergraduate students once with successful results. The students were able to remotely access the experiments, perform the experiments and collect data. The successful result of such quantum experiments is also reflected in a course survey, presented in this paper, even though the quantum mechanics topics offered in this course are unfamiliar to engineering students and hence more challenging. The paper reports, and aims to promote, the integration of selected quantum technology topics with the mechatronics course for training engineering students in this rapidly growing area.

Ghazinejad, Maziar↗

Using the World-Wide Web to Facilitate Communications of Non-Destructive Evaluation

The high reliability required for Aeronautical components is a major reason for extensive Nondestructive Testing and Evaluation. Here at Langley Research Center (LaRC), there are highly trained and certified personal to conduct such testing to prevent hazards from occurring in the workplace and on the research projects for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The purpose of my studies was to develop a communication source to educate others of the services and equipment offered here. This was accomplished by creating documents that are accessible to all in the industry via the World Wide Web.

McBurney, Sean↗

Early Career Perspectives to Broaden the Scope of Critical Zone Science

Abstract Critical Zone (CZ) scientists have advanced understanding of Earth's surface through process‐based research that quantifies water, energy, and mass fluxes in predominantly undisturbed systems. However, the CZ is being increasingly altered by humans through climate and land use change. Expanding the scope of CZ science to include both human‐ and non‐human controls on the CZ is important for understanding anthropogenic impacts to Earth's surface processes and ecosystem services. Here, we share perspectives from predominantly U.S.‐based, early career CZ scientists centered around broadening the scope of CZ science to focus on societally relevant science through a transdisciplinary science framework. We call for increased training on transdisciplinary methods and collaboration opportunities across disciplines and with stakeholders to foster a scientific community that values transdisciplinary science alongside physical science. Here, we build on existing transdisciplinary research frameworks by highlighting the need for institutional support to include and educate graduate students throughout the research processes. We also call for graduate‐student‐led initiatives to increase their own exposure to transdisciplinary science through activities such as transdisciplinary‐focused seminars and symposiums, volunteering with local conservation groups, and participating in internships outside academia.

Warix, Sara [University of Utah Department of Geol↗

Expert system application education project

Artificial intelligence (AI) technology, and in particular expert systems, has shown potential applicability in many areas of operation at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC). In an era of limited resources, the early identification of good expert system applications, and their segregation from inappropriate ones can result in a more efficient use of available NASA resources. On the other hand, the education of students in a highly technical area such as AI requires an extensive hands-on effort. The nature of expert systems is such that proper sample applications for the educational process are difficult to find. A pilot project between NASA-KSC and the University of Central Florida which was designed to simultaneously address the needs of both institutions at a minimum cost. This project, referred to as Expert Systems Prototype Training Project (ESPTP), provided NASA with relatively inexpensive development of initial prototype versions of certain applications. University students likewise benefit by having expertise on a non-trivial problem accessible to them at no cost. Such expertise is indispensible in a hands-on training approach to developing expert systems.

Gonzelez, Avelino J.↗