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INside the OUTcomes: A Rehabilitation Research Podcast is produced by the Center for Rehabilitation Outcomes Research (CROR) at Shirley Ryan AbilityLab. On this podcast, we feature interviews with CROR scientists and other leading experts in rehabilitation research. We'll talk about employment for people with physical disabilities, the use of mobile devices to help improve rehabilitation outcomes, the Rehabilitation Measures Database, access to home and community-based services and much more. Episodes will be released the second Tuesday of the month.
Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or YouTube.
This podcast is funded by the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research. (Grants 90DPKT0007, 90RTGE0004, 90RTEM0001, 90SIMS0015).
Episode 26: Loneliness and Spinal Cord Injury
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April 8, 2025
On this episode of INside the OUTcomes, we’ll be talking about loneliness and spinal cord injury.
My guests are Sherri LaVela, PhD, MPH, a research health scientist, and Marissa Wirth, lead social science program coordinator, both in the Center of Innovation for Complex Chronic Healthcare in the Department of Veterans Affairs. Dr. LaVela is also a research professor of physical medicine and rehabilitation at Northwestern University.
Dr. LaVela and Marissa conducted extensive research about how loneliness affects people with SCI and have uncovered factors that contribute to and alleviate loneliness in this population. They have also developed an educational curriculum for health care providers on loneliness and SCI, which we'll discuss at the end of this episode.
Find the podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or YouTube.
INside the OUTcomes is supported by the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (grants 90DPKT0007, 90RTGE0004, 90RTEM0001, 90SIMS0015).
Episode 25: Improving Customer Service for People with Communication Disabilities
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On this episode of INside the OUTcomes: A Rehabilitation Research Podcast, Elissa Larkin, CCC-SLP, HEC-C, a research speech-language pathologist at Shirley Ryan AbilityLab’s Center for Aphasia Research and Treatment, shares about an online training course that is aimed at helping service industry employees improve communication with customers who have communication disabilities. Tune in to learn more about the team's research and discover practical tips for better engaging with people who have communication challenges.
Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or YouTube.
INside the OUTcomes is supported by the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (grants 90DPKT0007, 90RTGE0004, 90RTEM0001, 90SIMS0015).
Episode 24: Facilitators and Barriers to Employment for People with Disabilities: Results of a National Survey
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February 11, 2025
This episode is all about the barriers and facilitators to employment for people with disabilities. My guests are Emily Dinelli, L/CPO, a research assistant and Angelika Kudla, LCMHCA, a senior project manager, both at Shirley Ryan AbilityLab. Emily and Angelika are lead authors on a pair of recent papers about employment based on a national survey of people with disabilities.
Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or YouTube.
INside the OUTcomes is supported by the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (grants 90DPKT0007, 90RTGE0004, 90RTEM0001, 90SIMS0015).
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Episode 23: MENTOR: A Free, Online Exercise and Wellness Program
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Jan. 14, 2025
MENTOR is a free, virtual exercise, mindfulness and nutrition program for people experiencing mobility challenges. The 8-week program is from the National Center on Health, Physical Activity and Disability (NCHPAD).
Our guests for the episode are Jim Rimmer, PhD, NCHPAD Director, and Tim Behrens, a MENTOR participant who says the program was a "turning point" for him after complications from COVID-19, including stroke and long COVID.
Interested in enrolling in MENTOR? Complete this brief screening to see if you qualify. All participants receive a box of free exercise equipment delivered to their door, as well as access to a health coach and nutritionist. Call Lorie Cashdollar at 312-238-8046 or email her at lcashdolla@sralab.org with questions.
Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or YouTube.
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Episode 22: Sexuality and Spinal Cord Injury
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December 10, 2024
This episode of INside the OUTcomes: A Rehabilitation Research Podcast focuses on sexuality and spinal cord injury (SCI). Our guest is Nicole Sharf, MA, a clinical psychology graduate student in The Chicago School and graduate research assistant at Shirley Ryan AbilityLab where she works on a project support the mental health of people with SCI.
Listen to learn how SCI can impact sexual health and what people with SCI can do to improve their sexual satisfaction.
Find the podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or YouTube.
Episode 21: Improving Air Travel for People with Physical Disabilities
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November 12, 2024
On our latest episode of INside the OUTcomes: A Rehabilitation Research Podcast, we learn how a new, $2.5 million, 5-year grant will support research to enhance accessible and inclusive air travel for people with physical disabilities as well as older adults.
Our guests are Shu Cole, PhD, professor of Health and Wellness Design at the Indiana University School of Public Health--Bloomington, and Jacqueline Kish, PhD, OTR/L, a post-doctoral fellow in the Center for Rehabilitation Outcomes Research (CROR) at Shirley Ryan AbilityLab, and an investigator on the grant.
Dr. Cole is partnering with Dr. Kish and investigators from CROR to conduct the research. The grant is funded by the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research.
Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or YouTube.
Episode 20: A Vocational Rehabilitation Success Story
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October 8, 2024
On our latest episode of INside the OUTcomes: A Rehabilitation Research Podcast, we are focusing on vocational rehabilitation to recognize National Disability Employment Awareness Month this October.
Our guests are Jennifer Barthel, a Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor at Shirley Ryan AbilityLab and Sabrina, her client.
After experiencing a stroke that impacted her memory and ability to keep pace at work, ultimately resulting in her being laid off, Sabrina sought vocational rehabilitation services at Shirley Ryan AbilityLab. Listen to Sabrina's story to hear how she regained her confidence and secure employment.
Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or YouTube.
Episode 19: The Clinical research Registry at Shirley Ryan AbilityLab
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Sept. 10, 2024
On our latest episode of INside the OUTcomes: A Rehabilitation Research Podcast, we talk about the Clinical Research Registry at Shirley Ryan AbilityLab with our guest, Carolyn Ostrowski, Clinical Research Registry coordinator.
Get involved in our cutting-edge research: By becoming a member of the Clinical Research Registry, you have the opportunity to become a participant in current and future research studies at Shirley Ryan AbilityLab. Learn more by listening to our podcast and sign up today.
Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or YouTube.
Episode 18: Spinal Cord Injury and Inpatient Rehabilitation
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August 13, 2024
On this episode, our guest is Mike Whelan, an advisory committee member for the Midwest Regional Spinal Cord Injury Care System at Shirley Ryan AbilityLab. Mike shares his personal experience with spinal cord injury (SCI) and his inpatient rehabilitation journey.
This episode is supported by a grant from the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research, to investigate how differences in inpatient rehabilitation intensity and length of stay affect outcomes for people with SCI in different countries.
Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or YouTube.
Episode 17: Disability Data Justice
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July 9, 2024
What is disability data justice? How are people with disabilities counted? Why do we need accurate data about people with disabilities? Our guests for this episode are Bonnie Swenor, PhD, the founder and Director of the Johns Hopkins Disability Health Research Center, and Kate Caldwell, PhD, Director of Research and Policy at the Center for Racial and Disability Justice in the Northwestern Pritzker School of Law. Both Dr. Swenor and Dr. Caldwell have been involved in leading efforts to democratize the collection of data on people with disabilities.
Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or YouTube.
This podcast is funded by the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research. (Grants 90DPKT0007, 90RTGE0004, 90RTEM0001, 90SIMS0015).
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Episode 16: A Noninvasive Approach to Improving Motor Function in People with SCI
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June 11, 2024
On this episode of INside the OUTcomes: A Rehabilitation Research Podcast, we talk about cutting-edge research at Shirley Ryan AbilityLab that could help people with spinal cord injury regain some motor function.
Our guest is Monica Perez, PT, PhD, Scientific Chair, Arms + Hands Lab at Shirley Ryan AbilityLab. Her innovative protocol uses noninvasive neurostimulation combined with physical therapy to strengthen connections between neurons and has led to lasting improvements in grasping and walking in some participants with spinal cord injury.
Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or YouTube.
INside the OUTcomes is supported by the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (grants 90DPKT0007, 90RTGE0004, 90RTEM0001, 90SIMS0015).
Episode 15: How do differences in inpatient rehabilitation affect outcomes in people with spinal cord injury?
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May 14, 2024
On this episode of INside the OUTcomes: A Rehabilitation Research Podcast, we explore how inpatient rehabilitation length of stay can affect outcomes in people with spinal cord injury (SCI).
Our guests are:
- Anne Deutsch, PhD, RN, a clinical research scientist in the Center for Rehabilitation Outcomes Research (CROR) at Shirley Ryan AbilityLab. She is a principal investigator on a new grant funded by the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living and Rehabilitation Research examining how inpatient rehabilitation length of stay and rehabilitation intensity affect outcomes in people with SCI in different countries.
- Dr. Jane Duff, a consultant clinical psychologist and head of the National Spinal Injury Center psychology team at Stoke Mandeville Hospital, Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust in England. Dr. Duff is also an investigator on the grant.
INside the OUTcomes is supported by the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (grants 90DPKT0007, 90RTGE0004, 90RTEM0001, 90SIMS0015).
Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or YouTube.
Episode 14: Transportation Accessibility in the Windy City
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April 9, 2024
On this episodeof INside the OUTcomes: A Rehabilitation Research Podcast, we will be talking about accessibility and public transportation. Our guests are Jacqueline Kish, PhD, OTR/L, a postdoctoral fellow in CROR's Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on Home and Community-Based Services, and Kira O’Bradovich, a disability and community advocate who serves as Advocacy Committee Chair for the Chicago Chapter of the National Federation of the Blind of Illinois and a Data Dissemination Specialist for the U.S. Census Bureau. Kira’s current advocacy work focuses on improving the accessibility of public transit here in Chicago.
CROR's RRTC on Home and Community-Based Services (and this podcast) is funded by the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living and Rehabilitation Research.
Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or YouTube.
Episode 13: Spinal Cord Injury and Mental Health
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March 12, 2024
On this episode of INside the OUTcomes: A Rehabilitation Research Podcast, we'll learn about some common mental health challenges that people face after spinal cord injury, and about a Center for Rehabilitation Outcomes Research project funded by the Craig H. Neilsen Foundation that seeks to better understand and support the mental health of people with spinal cord injury.
Our guests are Kaylee Dragna, a clinical psychologist at Shirley Ryan AbilityLab who works with patients who have a spinal cord injury, and with Jenny Burns, project manager on the Neilsen grant.
This podcast is funded by the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research. (Grants 90DPKT0007, 90RTGE0004, 90RTEM0001, 90SIMS0015).
Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or YouTube.
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Episode 12: Kenny's World: Person-Centered Planning in Practice
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Feb. 13, 2024
On this episode of INside the OUTcomes: A Rehabilitation Research Podcast, we speak with Kenny, a home and community-based services recipient, and Heather LaTorra, CEO of Kenny's provider agency, Marrakech, about how they partnered to make the necessary changes to Kenny’s services to meet his goals.
Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or YouTube.
INside the OUTcomes is supported by the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (grants 90DPKT0007, 90RTGE0004, 90RTEM0001, 90SIMS0015).
Episode 11: Developing and Testing Person-Centered HCBS Outcome Measures
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Jan. 9, 2024
On this episode of INside the OUTcomes: A Rehabilitation Research Podcast, our guests are Bridgette Schram, PhD, project manager on the Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on Home and Community-Based Services at Shirley Ryan AbilityLab, and Sara Karon, PhD, co-principal investigator on the project and a senior health policy analyst at RTI International. Sara, Bridgette, and their team are working on developing a set of person-centered HCBS outcome measures. Their work is funded by the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living and Rehabilitation Research.
Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or YouTube.
INside the OUTcomes is supported by the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (grants 90DPKT0007, 90RTGE0004, 90RTEM0001, 90SIMS0015).
Episode 10: The Midwest Regional Spinal Cord Injury Care System at Shirley Ryan AbilityLab
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Dec. 12, 2023
On this episode of INside the OUTcomes: A Rehabilitation Research Podcast, we talk with David Chen, MD, the George M. Eisenberg, Chair of spinal cord injury rehabilitation at Shirley Ryan AbilityLab, about the Midwest Regional Spinal Cord Injury Care System, the National Spinal Cord Injury Model Systems Database and cutting-edge research into biomarkers that may predict functional recovery after spinal cord injury.
Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or YouTube.
INside the OUTcomes is supported by the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (grants 90DPKT0007, 90RTGE0004, 90RTEM0001, 90SIMS0015).
Episode 09: Inclusive Disaster Planning
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Nov. 14, 2023
On this episode of INside the OUTcomes: A Rehabilitation Research Podcast, we talk with Dawn Skaggs director of emergency, disaster and climate resilience at the World Institute on Disability. We'll learn about their global disaster response program, find out what can go wrong when people with disabilities aren't included in disaster planning, and hear about Dawn's 25 years of experience helping organizations, corporations and government agencies become more inclusive in their disaster planning and response.
Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or YouTube.
INside the OUTcomes is supported by the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (grants 90DPKT0007, 90RTGE0004, 90RTEM0001, 90SIMS0015).
Episode 08: A Decision Aid for Requesting an Accommodation at Work
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Oct. 10, 2023
Mark Harniss, PhD, Associate Professor of Rehabilitation Medicine and Director of the UW Disability Studies Program at the University of Washington, Seattle, and Heather Evans, PhD, Acting Assistant Professor of Rehabilitation Medicine at the University of Washington, Seattle and Director of Research for the Northwest ADA Center, are developing an interactive decision guide designed to help people think through requesting a reasonable accommodation at work. Their work is funded by the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living and Rehabilitation Research through the Center for Rehabilitation Outcomes Research at Shirley Ryan AbilityLab.
Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or YouTube.
INside the OUTcomes is supported by the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (grants 90DPKT0007, 90RTGE0004, 90RTEM0001, 90SIMS0015).
Episode 07: The Great Lakes ADA Center
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Sept. 12, 2023
Robin Jones has served as Director of the Great Lakes ADA Center since its inception in 1991. It is part of the ADA National Network and provides information, materials, technical assistance and training on the Americans with Disabilities Act.
On this episode of INside the OUTcomes, we talk to Robin about the Great Lakes ADA Center, how the Covid-19 pandemic influenced the kinds of calls fielded by the center and how AI is impacting the lives of people with disabilities.
Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or YouTube.
Episode 06: Becoming Shirley Ryan AbilityLab
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August 8, 2023
How did the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago become Shirley Ryan AbilityLab -- the first-ever translational research rehabilitation hospital where clinicians and researchers work together in the same space to drive innovation? On this episode we'll find out in our discussion with Rick Lieber, PhD, Chief Scientific Officer & Senior Vice President of Research and Miriam Rafferty, PT, DPT, PhD, Director of Implementation Science, both at Shirley Ryan AbilityLab.
Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or YouTube.
INside the OUTcomes is supported by the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (grants 90DPKT0007, 90RTGE0004, 90RTEM0001, 90SIMS0015).
Episode 05: Unmet Needs and the Importance of Data in HCBS
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July 11, 2023
What are home and community-based services and how do they -- or don't they -- meet the needs of recipients? On this episode of INside the OUTcomes: A Rehabilitation Research Podcast, we hear from Teresa Nguyen, Director of the Community Living Equity Center in the Lurie Institute for Disability Policy and Natalie Chong, a doctoral student at the Heller School for Social Policy and Management at Brandeis University about unmet needs in HCBS and why data is so important in helping to ensure these needs are met.
Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or YouTube.
INside the OUTcomes is supported by the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (grants 90DPKT0007, 90RTGE0004, 90RTEM0001, 90SIMS0015).
Episode 04: A Phone-Based Intervention for Self-Managing Pain at Work
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June 13, 2023
On this episode of INside the OUTcomes: A Rehabilitation Research Podcast we discuss a phone-based intervention for self-managing pain at work that is part of a clinical trial through the Center for Rehabilitation Outcomes at Shirley Ryan AbilityLab.
Our guests are the project’s lead investigator, Dawn Ehde, PhD, a psychologist and Professor of Rehabilitation Medicine in the Division of Clinical and Neuropsychology at the University of Washington, Seattle; Mary Curran, a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker in the University of Washington School of Social Work who delivers the pain self-management intervention, and Rachel, 38, a nurse in an intensive care unit who says her participation in the pain self-management program has provided valuable tools and techniques she uses to manage pain caused by multiple sclerosis.
Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or YouTube.
INside the OUTcomes is supported by the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (grants 90DPKT0007, 90RTGE0004, 90RTEM0001, 90SIMS0015).
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Episode 03: The Rehabilitation Measures Database
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May 9, 2023
The Rehabilitation Measures Database (RMD) is a free, online resource managed by the Center for Rehabilitation Outcomes Research at Shirley Ryan AbilityLab. With more than 500 measures supported by some of the world's best doctors, therapists, researchers, and educators, the RMD is the go-to resource for measuring benchmarks and outcomes in physical medicine and rehabilitation. The database is visited more than 5 million times annually, and contains a range of instruments on stroke, spinal injuries, brain injuries, Parkinson’s disease, neuromuscular conditions, vestibular disorders, musculoskeletal conditions, cancers, arthritis or use our search feature to find what you’re looking for.
On this episode, we will talk with Linda Ehrlich-Jones, RN, PhD, Associate Director, Center for Rehabilitation Outcomes Research and Research Associate Professor, Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine and Namrata Grampurohit, PhD, OTR/L, Associate Professor in the Department of Occupational Therapy at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, and a member of the Jefferson Center for Outcomes Measurement. Linda manages the RMD with help from collaborators across the country, including Dr. Grampurohit. Together, we will talk about how the database came to be, the measures it contains, how measures are reviewed and other resources offered by the RMD.
Join the Rehabilitation Measures Database Networking Group on LinkedIn and keep up with the #MeasureOfTheWeek posted each Thursday.
Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or YouTube.
INside the OUTcomes is supported by the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (grants 90DPKT0007, 90RTGE0004, 90RTEM0001, 90SIMS0015).
Episode 02: Working Through Parkinson's Disease
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April 11, 2023
On our second episode, we talk about a really tricky subject: what is it like to go to work with Parkinson's disease? What are the unique challenges people with PD face when it comes to employment, thinking about asking for an accommodation, or even disclosing their health condition at work?
We talk with Miriam Rafferty, PT, DPT, PhD, a scientist in the Center for Rehabilitation Outcomes Research and Assistant Professor of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine about Parkinson's Works, the support group she created for people with Parkinson's disease who want to talk about employment. We also hear from Lynn, a long-time participant in the support group, who discusses her struggles with managing symptoms at work while coping with an ever-increasing workload as a senior project manager. She talks about interacting with colleagues who (mostly) don't know her diagnosis and at the end of the podcast, Lynn wonders about her future at work as she goes on short-term disability.
Parkinson's Works is supported by NIDILRR and by a Community Grant from the Parkinson's Foundation.
Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or YouTube.
Episode 01: Introduction to the Center for Rehabilitation Outcomes Research with Allen Heinemann, PhD
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March 14, 2023
Let's get oriented. In our first episode, we'll talk with Allen Heinemann, PhD, Director of the Center for Rehabilitation Outcomes Research (CROR) about the different research projects currently underway at CROR, how CROR fits into the larger research environment at Shirley Ryan AbilityLab, the Rehabilitation Measures Database and what you can expect to hear about in upcoming episodes.
Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or YouTube.
INside the OUTcomes is supported by the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (grants 90DPKT0007, 90RTGE0004, 90RTEM0001, 90SIMS0015).