Development Consortium Research Articles

Building Next-generation Schools with 21st Century Skills(learning) and ESD (Reconstructing Japanese Teacher Education System)

The Japanese government has actively promoted Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) that UNESCO advocates and is going to fully implement the school reform that aims to enhance next generation’s 21st century skills by the year of the Olympic in Tokyo, 2020. So far, Japanese schools focused on basic skills. However, the presenter believes that next generation’s schools need to be reconstructed with 21st century learning and ESD as their base. Now the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) is taking actions to fix the comprehensive conditions for the educational reform. Especially MEXT focuses on the reform of the comprehensive system of training, employment, and development of teachers. The basic directions of the system reform is as follows: to hold “the Teacher Professional Development Consortium” by the association between education boards of the prefecture and universities; to develop the index of teacher professional development based on the fundamental principles by MEXT; to improve the curriculum of teacher training or development; and to assess the ability and quality that teachers need to hold. Since 2010, the Shizuoka University has promoted the systematic reform that integrated teacher education and in-service education. Such a reform corresponds to the era of globalization. The basic concept, if I state briefly, is to nurture and support the teachers who can teach for 21st century learning in their classrooms. To achieve this concept, the Faculty of Education, Shizuoka University, of which primary purpose is to train future teachers, is going to open the Elementary Learning Development Major in April of 2016, as a part of the organizational reform of teacher training. In the program, students will deal with contemporary educational problems and use interdisciplinary methods.In order to support teacher professional development and their research, School of Education established the Research and Education Center for the Learning Sciences (RECLS) in April of 2013 and the Center for Promoting Higher-Quality Teacher Education (PHTE) in April of 2014. In addition, it established Advanced Professional Development in School Education in 2009 and Cooperative Doctoral Course in Subject Development in 2012. Teachers in next generation schools should hold the practical abilities to organize their classes based on theories and methods of interdisciplinary and comprehensive learning. The Shizuoka University will promote such a reform and research teacher training, if possible, in association with the universities in Indonesia, ASEAN and Asia.

Joint Industry Sponsored Effort to Evaluate Post-Macondo Dispersant Research

ABSTRACT As an outcome of the creation of the American Petroleum Institute’s (API) Oil Spill Prevention and Response Joint Industry Task Force (OSPR JITF) following the Macondo oil release, and with support from the IPIECA-IOGP Oil Spill Response JIP, a team was formed to evaluate emerging dispersant-related research. It was clear that there was a need to interact with research and development consortia and other oil spill response-related research groups to provide input and potential guidance in order to encourage real world relevance, especially since the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI) had been created with a funding level of $500 million over a 10 year period. A specific outcome of the effort has been a review of research papers on dispersant fate and effects published post-Macondo. The main objective was to review results of recent dispersant research with a goal of providing a link to existing dispersant knowledge and to spill response management questions facing spill response planners in the post-Macondo environment. This effort was viewed as an opportunity to solidify a working relationship between federal government and industry personnel and academic researchers in an area of oil spill-related research that would be important for the foreseeable future. Dispersants are one of the tools that may be used to respond to oil spills, especially to those that are large and offshore. When used appropriately, dispersants may prevent slicks from reaching shorelines and adversely impacting sensitive coastal ecosystems. The use of dispersants during the Macondo incident resulted in an increased awareness of their use, especially among the academic community and the general public. The review panel had a primary goal to identify recurring misunderstandings and inconsistencies that might arise due to researchers’ inexperience with the real-world aspects of oil spills, spill response, and the way in which dispersants are designed to be used (spraying on slicks, usually in offshore waters) or with applicable oil toxicity research standards (e.g., use of appropriate dispersed oil concentrations during studies). The objectives were to identify:Potential problems for researchers so that they can be avoided in ongoing studiesEvaluate and share potentially misleading results, especially as they might influence global dispersant regulations inappropriately The paper will review results to date and highlight those areas that are viewed to be the most consistent and problematic (e.g., the inappropriate use of nominal versus measured exposure conditions, a focus on dispersant rather than dispersed oil toxicity).

Restoring Andean Landscapes to Secure Local Environmental Services and Global Benefits

Effective landscape restoration practices require scientific knowledge about ecosystem functions, land use history, and institutional arrangements. In close collaboration with local partners, the Consortium for the Sustainable Development of the Andean Ecoregion (CONDESAN) is working to develop and assess restoration practices in Andean ecosystems. The approach combines various tools at the landscape scale, emphasizing the need to integrate restoration actions into land use planning and the importance of monitoring restoration practices. The sustainability of restoration practices remains a challenge, but the work underway will allow CONDESAN to generate sound alternatives for Andean landscapes.

On the Implementation of a Regional X-Band Weather Radar Network

In the last few years, the number of worldwide operational X-band weather radars has rapidly been growing, thanks to an established technology that offers reliability, high performance, and reduced efforts and costs for installation and maintenance, with respect to the more widespread C- and S-band systems. X-band radars are particularly suitable for nowcasting activities, as those operated by the LaMMA (Laboratory of Monitoring and Environmental Modelling for the sustainable development) Consortium in the framework of its institutional duties of operational meteorological surveillance. In fact, they have the capability to monitor precipitation, resolving very local scales, with good spatial and temporal details, although with a reduced scanning range. The Consortium has recently installed a small network of X-band weather radars that partially overlaps and completes the existing national radar network over the north Tyrrhenian area. This paper describes the implementation of this regional network, detailing the aspects related with the radar signal processing chain that provides the final reflectivity composite, starting from the acquisition of the signal power data. The network performances are then qualitatively assessed for three case studies characterised by different precipitation regimes and different seasons. Results are satisfactory especially during intense precipitations, particularly regarding what concerns their spatial and temporal characterisation.

Enhanced degradation of ternary dye effluent by developed bacterial consortium with RSM optimization, ANN modeling and toxicity evaluation

Enhanced degradation of ternary dye effluent by developed bacterial consortium with RSM optimization, ANN modeling and toxicity evaluation

Removal of textile dye reactive green-19 using bacterial consortium: Process optimization using response surface methodology and kinetics study

In the present work, removal of a textile dye Reactive Green-19 from the aqueous medium was investigated using a developed bacterial consortium. Optimal combinations of three significant process parameters pH (5–10); incubation temperature (25–45°C); and Yeast extract concentration (0–1.5g/100mL) were determined using response surface methodology. Experiments were based on Box–Behnken surface statistical design, performed at initial dye concentration of 100mg/L as a fixed input parameter. Regression analysis displayed good fit of the experimental data to the second-order polynomial model with the coefficient of determination (R2)=0.9974 and Predicted (R2)=0.9677. The adequacy of the model was established with various descriptive statistics like lack of fit, coefficient of variation, predicted residual sum of squares, and adequate precision. The optimal decolorization conditions were as follows: temperature, 32.04°C; pH, 8.3 and Yeast Extract concentration, 1.16g/100mL. Under optimized conditions, more than 97% removal efficiency was achieved within 24h. First order kinetic fitted well with experimental data for different concentrations of dye Reactive green-19. Michaelis-Menten kinetics was used to define the apparent relationship between the decolorization rate and the dye concentration at optimized condition. The double reciprocal plot for kinetics yield maximum decolorization rate, Vm=120.48h−1 and half saturation constant, Km=1674mg/L. Biodegradation of dye was confirmed through UV–vis spectroscopy, Fourier transform infra-red spectroscopy, and High-performance liquid chromatography analysis. Reactive green-19 degradation products were identified through GC–MS analysis.

Evaluation of Nitrogen Fixing Enzyme Activities in Response to Pyrene Bioremediation Efficacy by Defined Artificial Microalgal-Bacterial Consortium of Gujarat, India

ABSTRACTThis study was carried out to investigate the response and relationship between nitrogen fixing enzymes during the remediation of different concentrations of high molecular weight four rings Polynuclear Aromatic Hydrocarbon (PAH) Pyrene by microalgae Synechocystis sp. (cyanobacteria) with artificial developed indigenous bacterial consortium. One axenic microalgal culture of Synechocystis sp. and two pyrene degrading indigenous bacteria with efficient removal capabilities viz. Pseudomonas indoxyladons and Bacillus benzoevorans isolated from crude oil polluted site and common industrial effluent canal were used to construct the consortium. The effect of pyrene on algal growth in terms of chlorophyll-a was measured and it was found that in the presence of bacteria, the growth and bioremediation capacity of Synechocystis sp. raised tremendously, whereas Synechocystis sp. monoculture exhibited concentration dependent decrease. Moreover, the nitrogen fixing enzymes; nitrate reductase (NR), glutamine synthetase (GS), and succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) showed chronological decrease by 93%, 90%, and 98%, respectively. Increased Bioremediation of pyrene by consortium JPNKA7B2 (Mix culture of Synechocystis sp., Pseudomonas indoxyladons, and Bacillus benzoevorans) was eliminated at 94.1% in 50 mg/L, which indirectly retarded the nitrogen fixing enzymes – NR, GS, and SDH. However, Synechocystis sp. monoculture could remediate up to 36% at 1.5 mg/L after 16 days of incubation.

Use of a Pediatric Cardiovascular Nursing Consortium for Development and Evaluation of Quality Measures: The C4-MNP Experience

The evidence linking nursing care and patient outcomes has been globally demonstrated. Thus, it is time for translation and application of this evidence to robust measurement that uniquely demonstrates the value of nursing care and the characteristics of the nursing workforce that contribute to optimal patient outcomes. The aim of this study was to identify and develop standardized measures representative of pediatric nursing care of the cardiovascular patient for benchmarking within freestanding children's hospitals. Using a consensus-based approach, the Consortium of Congenital Cardiac Care- Measurement of Nursing Practice (C4-MNP) members developed quality measures within working groups and then individually critiqued all drafted measures. Final draft measures were then independently reviewed and critiqued by an external nursing quality measurement committee. The final quality measures were also made available to a national parent support group for feedback. The development process used by C4-MNP resulted in 10 measures eligible for testing across freestanding children's hospitals. Employing a collaborative consensus-based method plus implementing the criteria of the National Quality Forum and external vetting period provided a strong framework for the development and evaluation of standardized measures. The Consortium will continue with implementation and testing of each measure in 9 of our 28 collaborating centers. This activity will support initial development of benchmarks and evaluation of the association of the measures with patient outcomes.

A Study on Development Indicators of Audit and Performance Evaluation of National Human Resource Development Consortium

A Study on Development Indicators of Audit and Performance Evaluation of National Human Resource Development Consortium

Modelling dynamic ecosystems: venturing beyond boundaries with the Ecopath approach

Thirty years of progress using the Ecopath with Ecosim (EwE) approach in different fields such as ecosystem impacts of fishing and climate change, emergent ecosystem dynamics, ecosystem-based management, and marine conservation and spatial planning were showcased November 2014 at the conference “Ecopath 30 years-modelling dynamic ecosystems: beyond boundaries with EwE”. Exciting new developments include temporal-spatial and end-to-end modelling, as well as novel applications to environmental impact analyses, in both aquatic and terrestrial domains. A wide range of plug-ins have been added to extend the diagnostic capabilities of EwE, and the scientific community is applying EwE to a diversified range of topics besides fishing impact assessments, such as the development of scientific advice for management, the analysis of conservation issues, and the evaluation of cumulative impacts of environmental and human activities in marine food webs (including habitat modification and the invasion of alien species). Especially promising is the new potential to include the EwE model in integrated assessments with other models such as those related to climate change research. However, there are still many challenges, including the communication of scientific results in management procedures. In addition, other important scientific issues are how to improve model result validation and perform model quality control. During the conference, the Ecopath International Research and Development Consortium was presented as a way for the EwE user community to become involved in the long-term sustainability of the EwE approach. Overall, exciting times are facing the ecosystem modelling scientific community, and as illustrated by the conference: synergistic cooperation is the future path for the EwE approach.

GEOBASI: The geochemical Database of Tuscany Region (Italy)

In this study the new Regional Geochemical Database (RGDB), called GEOBASI, is presented and illustrated in the framework of a joint collaboration among the three Tuscan universities (Florence, Pisa and Siena), CNR-IGG (Institute of Geosciences and Earth Resources of Pisa), ARPAT (Regional Agency for the Environmental Protection), LAMMA (Environmental Modelling and Monitoring Laboratory for Sustainable Development) Consortium and S.I.R.A. (Territorial and Environmental Informative System of Tuscany). The database has permitted the construction of a repository where the geochemical information (compositional and isotopic) has been stored in a structured way so that it can be available for different groups of users (e.g. institutional, public and private companies). The information contained in the database can in fact be downloaded freely and queried to correlate geochemistry to other non compositional variables. The first phase of the project was aimed at promoting the use of the geochemical data already available from previous investigations through a powerful Web-GIS interface to implement the exploratory statistics graphical-numerical tools used to: 1) analyse the spatial variability of the investigated context, 2) highlight the geographic location of data pertaining to classes of values or single cases, 3) compare the results of different analytical methodologies applied to the determination of the same element and/or chemical species, 4) extract the geochemical data related to specific monitoring plans and/or geographical areas, and finally 5) recover information about data below the detection limit to understand their impact on the behaviour of the investigated variable. Developments of this project will be focused on the definition of rules and standardized methods in a way that external users could also interactively pursue the RGDB. Furthermore, a detailed investigation of the Scarlino-Follonica plain will permit the improvement and test of statistical and geostatistical methods, using open source software (QGIS and R) to support the process of evaluation of the geochemical baseline.

Zinc chloride as a coagulant for textile dyes and treatment of generated dye sludge under the solid state fermentation: Hybrid treatment strategy

Dye sludge generation is major drawback of coagulation process. Efficient hybrid technology by combining coagulation and solid state fermentation (SSF) has capacity to solve generated dye sludge problem. Coagulation of 100mg/L Reactive Red 120 (RR120) using ZnCl2 showed 99% color removal. Mixture of textile dyes (MTD) and textile wastewater (TW) showed 96% and 98% ADMI (American Dye Manufacturing Institute) removal after coagulation by ZnCl2. 92% and 94% ADMI removal from MTD and TW dye sludge and 96% decolorization of RR120 sludge was observed respectively by developed microbial consortium (DCM) in 72h under SSF. Scale up of coagulation process by coagulation reactor (CR) having 50L capacity operated for 30min/cycle. CR showed average 94% ADMI removal from TW in 10 successive cycles. Scale up of SSF composting bioreactor (CB) showed complete dye removal from dye sludge obtained from CR (500L of TW) in 30days.

Disability and the post-2015 development agenda

Purpose: The article considers the extent to which disability has been recognized and included in two main documents produced to date as part of the United Nations Post-2015 Development agenda process. This is the process that is defining the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which will succeed the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) after the latter reach their target date in 2015. The two documents examined in the article are the Outcome Document (July 2014) of the Open Working Group (OWG) on SDGs and the Report (August 2014) of the Intergovernmental Committee of Experts on Sustainable Development Financing (ICESDF). The OWG consisted of 30 seats shared by 70 UN Member States and was in charge of proposing goals and targets for the SDGs. The ICESDF worked in parallel to the OWG and its report proposed options on an effective financing strategy. The article emphasizes the importance of including persons with disabilities in the Post-2015 Agenda, especially in view of the latter’s overarching focus on eradicating poverty. Results: The inclusion of persons with disabilities is being recognized in the Post-2015 Agenda discussions as central to achieving sustainable development. Disability has been explicitly mentioned in the OWG and ICESDF documents. Conclusion: Although the results so far have been very good, more work still needs to be done to ensure that these explicit references are maintained in the final version of the SDGs, which will be adopted in September 2015. Furthermore, the new framework needs to have a stronger human rights foundation on which to ground these references and future indicators. Light for the World is an international confederation of national development non-governmental organizations (NGOs) aiming at an inclusive society, where the rights of persons with disabilities are realized without discrimination. Through a rights-based approach, Light for the World supports 175 programs in 25 countries in the areas of prevention of blindness, rehabilitation, inclusive education, awareness raising and advocacy, both at EU and UN level. Light for the World has been advocating for the inclusion of persons with disabilities in the Post-2015 Agenda, working closely with the International Disability and Development Consortium (IDDC), of which it is a member, and the International Disability Alliance (IDA).Implications for RehabilitationThe new Post-2015 development agenda is a fundamental opportunity to ensure that persons with disabilities are fully included in future development efforts.Inclusive development, as enshrined in the UNCRPD, has clear implications for the disability community and for policy makers.Advocacy from the disability community is critical to help keep the inclusion of persons with disabilities high on the agenda of the Post-2015 process.

Biodegradation of Direct Red 28 and Direct Yellow 12 by a Novel Bacterial Consortium

Studies were carried out on the decolorization of Direct Red 28 (DR) and Direct Yellow 12 (DY) by developed bacterial consortium. Effects of pH, temperature, and NaCl concentrations on degradation were studied. GC-MS was used to detect the intermediates produced in the effluents of anaerobic step. The optimum pH and temperature for the degradation of DR and DY were pH 7 and 6, and 37°Cand 45°C, respectively. We observed the peak of benzenamine in GC-MS analysis. The products formed during the reduction of DY12 were benzenamine and 2-Amino-1-hydroxybenzene. The results showed a complete degradation of DY12 by the bacterial consortium.

Understanding Virus Replication is Key to Develop Antiviral Drugs

Frank van Kuppeveld* speaks to James Potticary, Commissioning Editor: Frank van Kuppeveld is a Professor of Molecular Virology at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University (The Netherlands). Having published over 100 original research papers, he is also the scientific coordinator of the European Training Network on (+)RNA Virus Replication and Antiviral Drug Development (EUVIRNA) consortium, a European training network for young researchers in the field of RNA viruses and antiviral drug development. van Kuppeveld spoke to Future Virology about his own contributions to the molecular virology field, as well as discussing the progress of the EUVIRNA training network.

Preterm induction of labor: predictors of vaginal delivery and labor curves

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the labor curves of patients who undergo preterm induction of labor (IOL) and to assess possible predictors of vaginal delivery (VD). Data from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Consortium on Safe Labor were analyzed. A total of 6555 women who underwent medically indicated IOL at <37 weeks of gestation were included in this analysis. Patients were divided into 4 groups based on gestational age (GA): group A, 24-27+6 weeks; B, 28-30+6 weeks; C, 31-33+6 weeks; and D, 34-36+6 weeks. Pregnant women with a contraindication to VD, IOL ≥37 weeks of gestation, and without data from cervical examination on admission were excluded. Analysis of variance was used to assess differences between GA groups. Multiple logistic regression was used to assess predictors of VD. A repeated measures analysis was used to determine average labor curves. Rates of vaginal live births increased with GA, from 35% (group A) to 76% (group D). Parous women (odds ratio, 6.78; 95% confidence interval, 6.38-7.21) and those with a favorable cervix at the start of IOL (odds ratio, 2.35; 95% confidence interval, 2.23-2.48) were more likely to deliver vaginally. Analysis of labor curves in nulliparous women showed shorter duration of labor with increasing GA; the active phase of labor was, however, similar across all GAs. Most women who undergo medically indicated preterm IOL between 24 and 36+6 weeks of gestation deliver vaginally. The strongest predictor of VD was parity. Preterm IOL had a limited influence on estimated labor curves across GAs.

Robotic Roustabouts for Tomorrow's Subsea Fields

Robotic submarines, capable of operating by themselves thousands of feet underwater for months or perhaps years at a time, are under development as the vanguard of tomorrow’s subsea oil and gas fields. This development comes as the offshore oil and gas industry moves into ever-deeper waters and remote areas of the world, where installing a floating production facility is either economically unjustifiable or infeasible. The industry’s solution is to install production equipment on the seafloor, where someone, or something, must keep a close eye on all of it. That something is likely to be what are known as field resident autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs). Nonresident AUVs have already paved the way by proving they can carry out detailed inspections of platforms and pipelines in some cases four times faster than a human-piloted remotely operated vehicle (ROV). Two of the leading companies in the resident AUV business, Lockheed Martin and Saab Seaeye, are blending proven military technology with new software and hardware optimized for the offshore industry. Their emerging systems represent a new breed of subsea robots that will be capable of much more than earlier generations of autonomous systems. As their capabilities are realized, resident AUVs will eventually be assigned many of the same tasks that ROVs are carrying out today. To achieve that end, offshore operators are working with manufacturers to identify how best to fully deploy this emerging technology. Much of the groundwork is being laid through DeepStar, a research and development consortium that counts 11 operating companies as members. “We are already using AUVs for certain functions on a sporadic basis, but we’re trying to understand, as operators, what else this technology can do reliably,” said Greg Kusinski, DeepStar director and Chevron senior advisor to DeepStar. DeepStar’s primary goal is to accelerate the development and adoption of AUV technology by drafting interface standards, similar to the standards already developed for ROVs. Among the interface issues yet to be resolved is how resident AUVs will connect to life support systems in a subsea field. Because resident AUVs will have to remain submerged for months to possibly years at a time, the docking station is a critical piece of equipment that will charge up the AUV and upload its data to the operator’s server by a subsea Internet connection. Once the particulars of the docking station are understood, Kusinski said careful consideration must be given to other issues, such as where to place it among the subsea infrastructure. “There are a lot of questions of that nature,” he said. “As responsible operators, we are addressing these issues in a very systematic and methodical manner. I don’t think anyone is interested in putting a bunch of them down there and just seeing what happens.” DeepStar expects to conclude its AUV study on interfaces in about a year and will deliver its recommended best practices to the American Petroleum Institute for review.

Which Technologies are Included in Patent Pools? How Market and Social Factors Impact Selection

Patent pools are a unique form of research and development (R&D) consortium in which licensor firms (technology sellers) bundle together essential patents for licensing out to each other and to third-party licensee firms (technology buyers). Over the last hundred years, governments rarely approved patent pools because of concerns about excessive or inappropriate knowledge sharing among participating firms and the possibility of anti-competitive activity. However, in recent years, regulatory authorities in the United States and Europe enacted policy changes and sanctioned the formation of patent pools in a variety of industries that are economically and technologically important. In this study, we utilize the formation of patent pools as a natural experiment for testing a much debated proposition in organizational research ––– market-based versus network- based explanations for technology selection by firms. For the patents which technology sellers seek to license out to technology buyers, we posit that bo...

Methodological recommendations for comparative research on the treatment of chronic wounds

To provide specific recommendations to product developers and clinical researchers on the design of comparative effectiveness studies for the treatment of chronic wounds, specifically those pertaining to arterial and venous-disease related ulcers, diabetic foot ulcers, pressure ulcers and burn wounds. The recommendations were developed based on a process defined by the Center for Medical Technology Policy (CMTP). After selecting the subject area, semi-structured phone interviews were conducted by one of the authors (SSS) with representatives of payers, manufacturers, clinicians, clinician/researchers and patient advocates. Next, a broad range of stakeholders participated in a meeting convened by CMTP to determine their needs. A technical working group comprising key stakeholders then participated in clarifying recommendations developed by CMTP staff and adding important considerations for their implementation. The resulting draft document was finalised based on public and solicited comment from individual manufacturers; a consortium of product developers and manufacturers; and an alliance of physicians, providers, manufacturers and patient organisations. This article is a summary of the full effectiveness guidance document. To address the needs of patients, clinicians, guideline developers, payers and other post-regulatory decision makers, this work makes ten recommendations to guide comparative effectiveness research for chronic wound care. These recommendations fall into four categories: study design, population, comparators and outcomes. This paper suggests that using the recommendations outlined to conduct comparative effectiveness research on treatments for chronic wound therapies would facilitate trials that provide patients, clinicians, and payers with the information they need to make optimal treatment decisions. These recommendations focus on design changes that would have the largest impact in improving the usability of the results by decision makers and provide specific guidance on the design of prospective studies intended to inform decision making by patients, clinicians and payers. There were no external sources of funding for these recommendations. The Value Institute and the Center for Medical Technology Policy (CMTP) are both private, non-profit organisations. The authors have no financial, commercial or social conflicts of interest to declare with respect to the article or its content.

CONDESAN: Better Knowledge, Better Decisions—Supporting Sustainable Andean Mountains Development

The Consortium for the Sustainable Development of the Andean Ecoregion (CONDESAN) was established in February 1993 after a series of consultations among different regional stakeholders working on sustainable development. Inspired by Agenda 21, which emerged from the Rio 1992 Earth Summit, and influenced by the ecoregional approach, CONDESAN was created as a platform to promote research for development throughout the Andean region. The Consortium is now celebrating its 20th anniversary.