Sample records for accessibility method scam

  1. Mild Cognitive Impairment and Susceptibility to Scams in Old Age

    PubMed Central

    Han, S. Duke; Boyle, Patricia A.; James, Bryan D.; Yu, Lei; Bennett, David A.

    2016-01-01

    Background Falling victim to financial scams can have a significant impact upon social and financial wellbeing and independence. A large proportion of scam victims are older adults, but whether older victims with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) are at higher risk remains unknown. Objective We tested the hypothesis that older persons with MCI exhibit greater susceptibility to scams compared to those without cognitive impairment. Methods Seven hundred and thirty older adults without dementia were recruited from the Rush Memory and Aging Project, a community-based epidemiologic study of aging. Participants completed a five-item self-report measure of susceptibility to scams, a battery of cognitive measures, and clinical diagnostic evaluations. Results In models adjusted for age, education, and gender, the presence of MCI was associated with greater susceptibility to scams (B = 0.125, SE = 0.063, p-value = 0.047). Further, in analyses of the role of specific cognitive systems in susceptibility to scams among persons with MCI (n = 144), the level of performance in two systems, episodic memory and perceptual speed abilities, were associated with susceptibility. Conclusions Adults with MCI may be more susceptible to scams in old age than older persons with normal cognition. Lower abilities in specific cognitive systems, particularly perceptual speed and episodic memory, may contribute to greater susceptibility to scams in those with MCI. PMID:26519434

  2. Do You Love Me? Psychological Characteristics of Romance Scam Victims.

    PubMed

    Whitty, Monica T

    2018-02-01

    The online dating romance scam is an Advance Fee Fraud, typically conducted by international criminal groups via online dating sites and social networking sites. This type of mass-marketing fraud (MMF) is the most frequently reported type of MMF in most Western countries. This study examined the psychological characteristics of romance scam victims by comparing romance scam victims with those who had never been scammed by MMFs. Romance scam victims tend to be middle-aged, well-educated women. Moreover, they tend to be more impulsive (scoring high on urgency and sensation seeking), less kind, more trustworthy, and have an addictive disposition. It is argued here that these findings might be useful for those developing prevention programs and awareness campaigns.

  3. Do You Love Me? Psychological Characteristics of Romance Scam Victims

    PubMed Central

    2018-01-01

    Abstract The online dating romance scam is an Advance Fee Fraud, typically conducted by international criminal groups via online dating sites and social networking sites. This type of mass-marketing fraud (MMF) is the most frequently reported type of MMF in most Western countries. This study examined the psychological characteristics of romance scam victims by comparing romance scam victims with those who had never been scammed by MMFs. Romance scam victims tend to be middle-aged, well-educated women. Moreover, they tend to be more impulsive (scoring high on urgency and sensation seeking), less kind, more trustworthy, and have an addictive disposition. It is argued here that these findings might be useful for those developing prevention programs and awareness campaigns. PMID:28657792

  4. Grey matter correlates of susceptibility to scams in community-dwelling older adults.

    PubMed

    Duke Han, S; Boyle, Patricia A; Yu, Lei; Arfanakis, Konstantinos; James, Bryan D; Fleischman, Debra A; Bennett, David A

    2016-06-01

    Susceptibility to scams is a significant issue among older adults, even among those with intact cognition. Age-related changes in brain macrostructure may be associated with susceptibility to scams; however, this has yet to be explored. Based on previous work implicating frontal and temporal lobe functioning as important in decision making, we tested the hypothesis that susceptibility to scams is associated with smaller grey matter volume in frontal and temporal lobe regions in a large community-dwelling cohort of non-demented older adults. Participants (N = 327, mean age = 81.55, mean education = 15.30, 78.9 % female) completed a self-report measure used to assess susceptibility to scams and an MRI brain scan. Results indicated an inverse association between overall grey matter and susceptibility to scams in models adjusted for age, education, and sex; and in models further adjusted for cognitive function. No significant associations were observed for white matter, cerebrospinal fluid, or total brain volume. Models adjusted for age, education, and sex revealed seven clusters showing smaller grey matter in the right parahippocampal/hippocampal/fusiform, left middle temporal, left orbitofrontal, right ventromedial prefrontal, right middle temporal, right precuneus, and right dorsolateral prefrontal regions. In models further adjusted for cognitive function, results revealed three significant clusters showing smaller grey matter in the right parahippocampal/hippocampal/fusiform, right hippocampal, and right middle temporal regions. Lower grey matter concentration in specific brain regions may be associated with susceptibility to scams, even after adjusting for cognitive ability. Future research is needed to determine whether grey matter reductions in these regions may be a biomarker for susceptibility to scams in old age.

  5. The online romance scam: a serious cybercrime.

    PubMed

    Whitty, Monica T; Buchanan, Tom

    2012-03-01

    The Online Romance Scam is a relatively new form of fraud that became apparent in about 2008. In this crime, criminals pretend to initiate a relationship through online dating sites then defraud their victims of large sums of money. This paper presents some descriptive statistics about knowledge and victimization of the online dating romance scam in Great Britain. Our study found that despite its newness, an estimated 230,000 British citizens may have fallen victim to this crime. We conclude that there needs to be some rethinking about providing avenues for victims to report the crime or at least making them more comfortable when doing so.

  6. Anatomy of a Cancer Treatment Scam

    MedlinePlus Videos and Cool Tools

    ... and Office Directors Budgets Financial Documents Other Financial Information Performance Office of Inspector General FTC Imposter Scams ... Reading Rooms FOIA Request Fee Regulations Freedom of Information Act Contacts Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) Links Table ...

  7. Educators Beware: Avoiding the Scams

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    DuBoff, Leonard D.; King, Christy O.

    2009-01-01

    The technology boom has provided opportunities for practitioners to work more efficiently by making available a host of timesaving, as well as cost-effective, tools. Sadly, modern technology has also provided the less scrupulous segments of society with opportunities to take advantage of others. All too familiar are the Nigerian money scams that…

  8. The Latest Scams in Literacy Education.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Berger, Alan

    The claims for the huge numbers of students suffering from the "latest scams" in literacy education--learning disability, dyslexia, attention deficit disorder, at risk, and hypoglycemia--are driven by political, economic, and social profits with minimal concern for children. While such problems exist, the phrases used to describe these…

  9. Correlates of Susceptibility to Scams in Older Adults Without Dementia

    PubMed Central

    James, Bryan D.; Boyle, Patricia A.; Bennett, David A.

    2013-01-01

    This study examined correlates of susceptibility to scams in 639 community-dwelling older adults without dementia from a cohort study of aging. Regression models adjusted for age, sex, education, and income were used to examine associations between susceptibility to scams, measured by 5-item self-report measure, and a number of potential correlates. Susceptibility was positively associated with age and negatively associated with income, cognition, psychological well being, social support, and literacy. Fully adjusted models indicated that older age and lower levels of cognitive function, decreased psychological well-being, and lower literacy in particular may be markers of susceptibility to financial victimization in old age. PMID:24499279

  10. Prevalence of Financial Fraud and Scams Among Older Adults in the United States: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

    PubMed

    Burnes, David; Henderson, Charles R; Sheppard, Christine; Zhao, Rebecca; Pillemer, Karl; Lachs, Mark S

    2017-08-01

    The financial exploitation of older adults was recently recognized by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as a serious public health problem. Knowledge of the prevalence of elder financial exploitation is mostly limited to the category of financial abuse, which occurs in relationships involving an expectation of trust. Little is known about the other major category of elder financial exploitation-elder financial fraud and scams, which is perpetrated by strangers. A valid estimate of elder financial fraud-scam prevalence is necessary as a foundation for research and prevention efforts. To estimate the prevalence of elder financial fraud-scam victimization in the United States based on a systematic review and meta-analysis. Multiple investigators independently screened titles and abstracts and reviewed relevant full-text records from PubMed, Medline, PsycINFO, Criminal Justice Abstracts, Social Work Abstracts, and AgeLine databases. To maximize the validity and generalizability of prevalence estimation, we restricted eligibility to general population-based studies (English speaking, 1990 onward) using state- or national-level probability sampling and collecting data directly from older adults. Information on elder financial fraud-scam prevalence and study-level characteristics was extracted independently by 2 investigators. Meta-analysis of elder financial fraud-scam prevalence used generalized mixed models with individual studies as levels of a random classification factor. We included 12 studies involving a total of 41 711 individuals in the meta-analysis. Overall pooled elder financial fraud-scam prevalence (up to 5-year period) across studies was 5.6% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 4.0%, 7.8%), with a 1-year period prevalence of 5.4% (95% CI = 3.2%, 7.6%). Studies using a series of questions describing specific fraud-scam events to measure victimization found a significantly higher prevalence (7.1%; 95% CI = 4.8%, 9.4%) than studies

  11. 6 Tip-offs to Rip-offs: Don't Fall for Health Fraud Scams

    MedlinePlus

    ... are not the only health scams on the market. FDA found a fraudulent and expensive light therapy device with cure-all claims to treat fungal meningitis, Alzheimer’s, skin cancer, concussions and many other unrelated diseases. Generally, making health claims about a medical device without FDA ...

  12. Call to claim your prize: Perceived benefits and risk drive intention to comply in a mass marketing scam.

    PubMed

    Wood, Stacey; Liu, Pi-Ju; Hanoch, Yaniv; Xi, Patricia M; Klapatch, Lukas

    2018-06-01

    Mass marketing scams extract an enormous toll, yet the literature on scams is just emerging. In Experiment 1, 211 adults reviewed a solicitation and rated their intention of contacting an "activation number" for a prize. Scarcity and authority were manipulated. Many (48.82%) indicated some willingness to contact to "activate" the winnings. Intention of responding was inversely related to the perception of risk (b = -.441, p < .001) and positively associated with perception of benefits (b = .554, p < .001), but not with the experimental condition. In Experiment 2, 291 adults were randomly assigned to one of the three conditions (low, medium, or high activation fee), and were asked to report willingness to contact. Activation fees decreased intent to contact, but percentages remained high (25.70%), with higher perception of risk reducing contact rates (b = -.581, p < .001), and benefit perception increasing intent to contact (b = .381, p < .001). Our studies indicate that consumers are responding to perceived risks and benefits in their decision-making, regardless of persuasion elements used by scammers. In summary, our studies find that consumers with lower levels of education and high perception of benefits are at increased risk for mass marketing scams. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

  13. Risk Factors for Social Networking Site Scam Victimization Among Malaysian Students.

    PubMed

    Kirwan, Gráinne H; Fullwood, Chris; Rooney, Brendan

    2018-02-01

    Social networking sites (SNSs) can provide cybercriminals with various opportunities, including gathering of user data and login credentials to enable fraud, and directing of users toward online locations that may install malware onto their devices. The techniques employed by such cybercriminals can include clickbait (text or video), advertisement of nonexistent but potentially desirable products, and hoax competitions/giveaways. This study aimed to identify risk factors associated with falling victim to these malicious techniques. An online survey was completed by 295 Malaysian undergraduate students, finding that more than one-third had fallen victim to SNS scams. Logistic regression analysis identified several victimization risk factors including having higher scores in impulsivity (specifically cognitive complexity), using fewer devices for SNSs, and having been on an SNS for a longer duration. No reliable model was found for vulnerability to hoax valuable gift giveaways and "friend view application" advertising specifically, but vulnerability to video clickbait was predicted by lower extraversion scores, higher levels of openness to experience, using fewer devices, and being on an SNS for a longer duration. Other personality traits were not associated with either overall victimization susceptibility or increased risk of falling victim to the specific techniques. However, age approached significance within both the video clickbait and overall victimization models. These findings suggest that routine activity theory may be particularly beneficial in understanding and preventing SNSs scam victimization.

  14. Assessment method of accessibility conditions: how to make public buildings accessible?

    PubMed

    Andrade, Isabela Fernandes; Ely, e Vera Helena Moro Bins

    2012-01-01

    The enforcement of accessibility today has faced several difficulties, such as intervention in historic buildings that now house public services and cultural activities, such as town halls, museums and theaters and should allow access, on equal terms to all people. The paper presents the application of a method for evaluating the spatial accessibility conditions and their results. For this, we sought to support the theoretical foundation about the main issue involved and legislation. From the method used--guided walks--it was possible to identify the main barriers to accessibility in historic buildings. From the identified barriers, possible solutions are presented according to the four components of accessibility: spatial orientation, displacement, use and communication. It is hoped also that the knowledge gained in this research contributes to an improvement of accessibility legislation in relation to the listed items.

  15. Structural Determinants of the Closed KCa3.1 Channel Pore in Relation to Channel Gating: Results from a Substituted Cysteine Accessibility Analysis

    PubMed Central

    Klein, Hélène; Garneau, Line; Banderali, Umberto; Simoes, Manuel; Parent, Lucie; Sauvé, Rémy

    2007-01-01

    In this work we address the question of the KCa3.1 channel pore structure in the closed configuration in relation to the contribution of the C-terminal end of the S6 segments to the Ca2+-dependent gating process. Our results based on SCAM (substituted cysteine accessibility method) experiments first demonstrate that the S6 transmembrane segment of the open KCa3.1 channel contains two distinct functional domains delimited by V282 with MTSEA and MTSET binding leading to a total channel inhibition at positions V275, T278, and V282 and to a steep channel activation at positions A283 and A286. The rates of modification by MTSEA (diameter 4.6 Å) of the 275C (central cavity) and 286C residues (S6 C-terminal end) for the closed channel configuration were found to differ by less than sevenfold, whereas experiments performed with the larger MTSET reagent (diameter 5.8 Å) resulted in modification rates 103–104 faster for cysteines at 286 compared with 275. Consistent with these results, the modification rates of the cavity lining 275C residue by MTSEA, Et-Hg+, and Ag+ appeared poorly state dependent, whereas modification rates by MTSET were 103 faster for the open than the closed configuration. A SCAM analysis of the channel inner vestibule in the closed state revealed in addition that cysteine residues at 286 were accessible to MTS reagents as large as MTS-PtrEA, a result supported by the observation that binding of MTSET to cysteines at positions 283 or 286 could neither sterically nor electrostatically block the access of MTSEA to the closed channel cavity (275C). It follows that the closed KCa3.1 structure can hardly be accountable by an inverted teepee-like structure as described for KcsA, but is better represented by a narrow passage centered at V282 (equivalent to V474 in Shaker) connecting the channel central cavity to the cytosolic medium. This passage would not be however restrictive to the diffusion of small reagents such as MTSEA, Et-Hg+, and Ag+, arguing

  16. A novel asynchronous access method with binary interfaces

    PubMed Central

    2008-01-01

    Background Traditionally synchronous access strategies require users to comply with one or more time constraints in order to communicate intent with a binary human-machine interface (e.g., mechanical, gestural or neural switches). Asynchronous access methods are preferable, but have not been used with binary interfaces in the control of devices that require more than two commands to be successfully operated. Methods We present the mathematical development and evaluation of a novel asynchronous access method that may be used to translate sporadic activations of binary interfaces into distinct outcomes for the control of devices requiring an arbitrary number of commands to be controlled. With this method, users are required to activate their interfaces only when the device under control behaves erroneously. Then, a recursive algorithm, incorporating contextual assumptions relevant to all possible outcomes, is used to obtain an informed estimate of user intention. We evaluate this method by simulating a control task requiring a series of target commands to be tracked by a model user. Results When compared to a random selection, the proposed asynchronous access method offers a significant reduction in the number of interface activations required from the user. Conclusion This novel access method offers a variety of advantages over traditionally synchronous access strategies and may be adapted to a wide variety of contexts, with primary relevance to applications involving direct object manipulation. PMID:18959797

  17. Two Improved Access Methods on Compact Binary (CB) Trees.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Shishibori, Masami; Koyama, Masafumi; Okada, Makoto; Aoe, Jun-ichi

    2000-01-01

    Discusses information retrieval and the use of binary trees as a fast access method for search strategies such as hashing. Proposes new methods based on compact binary trees that provide faster access and more compact storage, explains the theoretical basis, and confirms the validity of the methods through empirical observations. (LRW)

  18. Measuring geographic access to health care: raster and network-based methods

    PubMed Central

    2012-01-01

    Background Inequalities in geographic access to health care result from the configuration of facilities, population distribution, and the transportation infrastructure. In recent accessibility studies, the traditional distance measure (Euclidean) has been replaced with more plausible measures such as travel distance or time. Both network and raster-based methods are often utilized for estimating travel time in a Geographic Information System. Therefore, exploring the differences in the underlying data models and associated methods and their impact on geographic accessibility estimates is warranted. Methods We examine the assumptions present in population-based travel time models. Conceptual and practical differences between raster and network data models are reviewed, along with methodological implications for service area estimates. Our case study investigates Limited Access Areas defined by Michigan’s Certificate of Need (CON) Program. Geographic accessibility is calculated by identifying the number of people residing more than 30 minutes from an acute care hospital. Both network and raster-based methods are implemented and their results are compared. We also examine sensitivity to changes in travel speed settings and population assignment. Results In both methods, the areas identified as having limited accessibility were similar in their location, configuration, and shape. However, the number of people identified as having limited accessibility varied substantially between methods. Over all permutations, the raster-based method identified more area and people with limited accessibility. The raster-based method was more sensitive to travel speed settings, while the network-based method was more sensitive to the specific population assignment method employed in Michigan. Conclusions Differences between the underlying data models help to explain the variation in results between raster and network-based methods. Considering that the choice of data model/method may

  19. Analytical resource assessment method for continuous (unconventional) oil and gas accumulations - The "ACCESS" Method

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Crovelli, Robert A.; revised by Charpentier, Ronald R.

    2012-01-01

    The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) periodically assesses petroleum resources of areas within the United States and the world. The purpose of this report is to explain the development of an analytic probabilistic method and spreadsheet software system called Analytic Cell-Based Continuous Energy Spreadsheet System (ACCESS). The ACCESS method is based upon mathematical equations derived from probability theory. The ACCESS spreadsheet can be used to calculate estimates of the undeveloped oil, gas, and NGL (natural gas liquids) resources in a continuous-type assessment unit. An assessment unit is a mappable volume of rock in a total petroleum system. In this report, the geologic assessment model is defined first, the analytic probabilistic method is described second, and the spreadsheet ACCESS is described third. In this revised version of Open-File Report 00-044 , the text has been updated to reflect modifications that were made to the ACCESS program. Two versions of the program are added as appendixes.

  20. A dynamic access control method based on QoS requirement

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, Chunquan; Wang, Yanwei; Yang, Baoye; Hu, Chunyang

    2013-03-01

    A dynamic access control method is put forward to ensure the security of the sharing service in Cloud Manufacturing, according to the application characteristics of cloud manufacturing collaborative task. The role-based access control (RBAC) model is extended according to the characteristics of cloud manufacturing in this method. The constraints are considered, which are from QoS requirement of the task context to access control, based on the traditional static authorization. The fuzzy policy rules are established about the weighted interval value of permissions. The access control authorities of executable service by users are dynamically adjusted through the fuzzy reasoning based on the QoS requirement of task. The main elements of the model are described. The fuzzy reasoning algorithm of weighted interval value based QoS requirement is studied. An effective method is provided to resolve the access control of cloud manufacturing.

  1. Forewarning reduces fraud susceptibility in vulnerable consumers

    PubMed Central

    Scheibe, Susanne; Notthoff, Nanna; Menkin, Josephine; Ross, Lee; Shadel, Doug; Deevy, Martha; Carstensen, Laura L.

    2014-01-01

    Telemarketing fraud is pervasive and older consumers are disproportionally targeted. Given laboratory research showing that forewarning can effectively counter influence appeals, we conducted a field experiment to test whether forewarning could protect people who had been victimized in the past. A research assistant with prior experience as a telemarketer pitched a mock scam two or four weeks after participants were warned about the same scam or an entirely different scam. Both warnings reduced unequivocal acceptance of the mock scam although outright refusals (as opposed to expressions of skepticism) were more frequent with the same scam warning than the different scam warning. The same scam warning, but not the different scam warning, lost effectiveness over time. Findings demonstrate that social psychological research can inform effective protection strategies against telemarketing fraud. PMID:25328263

  2. Assessment and Evaluation Methods for Access Services

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Long, Dallas

    2014-01-01

    This article serves as a primer for assessment and evaluation design by describing the range of methods commonly employed in library settings. Quantitative methods, such as counting and benchmarking measures, are useful for investigating the internal operations of an access services department in order to identify workflow inefficiencies or…

  3. In ... and out: open access publishing in scientific journals.

    PubMed

    Boumil, Marcia M; Salem, Deeb N

    2014-01-01

    Open access (OA) journals are a growing phenomenon largely of the past decade wherein readers can access the content of scientific journals without paying for a subscription. The costs are borne by authors (or their institutions) who pay a fee to be published, thus allowing readers to access, search, print, and cite the journals without cost. Although the OA model, in and of itself, need not diminish scientific rigor, selectivity, or peer review, the "author pays" model creates an inherent conflict of interest: it operates with the incentive on the part of the journal to publish more and reject less. This is coupled with cost containment measures that affect the journals' ability to engage experienced editors and professional staff to scrutinize data, data analyses, and author conflicts of interest. While some OA journals appear to be comparable to their print competitors, others are "predatory" and have no legitimacy at all. Two recent "scams"--one recently published in Science--highlight the urgency of addressing the issues raised by OA publication so that OA does not lose its credibility just as it begins to gather substantial momentum. High-quality journals develop their reputations over time, and OA outlets will be no exception. For this to occur, however, the OA audience will need to be satisfied that OA can deliver high-quality publications utilizing rigorous peer review, editing, and conflict of interest scrutiny. Academic tenure and promotion committees that review scholarly credentials are understandably skeptical of publications in unrecognized journals, and the large number of new OA outlets contributes to this urgency from their perspective as well.

  4. Research Investigation of Information Access Methods

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Heinrichs, John H.; Sharkey, Thomas W.; Lim, Jeen-Su

    2006-01-01

    This study investigates the satisfaction of library users at Wayne State University who utilize alternative information access methods. The LibQUAL+[TM] desired and perceived that satisfaction ratings are used to determine the user's "superiority gap." By focusing limited library resources to address "superiority gap" issues identified by each…

  5. Contraceptive Methods Accessed in Volta Region, Ghana, 2009-2014.

    PubMed

    Wilson, Himiede W; Ameme, Donne K; Ilesanmi, Olayinka Stephen

    2017-01-01

    In 2016, Volta Region was one of the two regions in Ghana that recorded a high prevalence of teenage pregnancy, accounting for 15.5% of all adolescent pregnancies in the country. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of contraceptive methods accessed by person, place, and time in Volta Region, Ghana, 2009-2014. We carried out a secondary analysis of contraceptive use data derived from the District Health Information Management System (DHIMS) 2 for Volta Region, between 2009 and 2014. We calculated proportions and described trends. Over the five-year period, there were 673,409 (75.0%) acceptors of family planning out of a total 897, 645 males and females of reproductive age. The proportion of family planning acceptors increased gradually from 18% in 2009 to 23% in 2014. Contraceptive methods were most commonly accessed by male and female between 20 and 29 years. The most common methods of contraceptives accessed were injectables among females accounting for about 70% and condoms accounting for over 90% among males. All the districts in Volta Region did not access contraceptives adequately. The Volta Regional Health Directorate should encourage and support research to ascertain factors influencing uptake of contraceptive methods in all the districts.

  6. Kinds of access: different methods for report reveal different kinds of metacognitive access

    PubMed Central

    Overgaard, Morten; Sandberg, Kristian

    2012-01-01

    In experimental investigations of consciousness, participants are asked to reflect upon their own experiences by issuing reports about them in different ways. For this reason, a participant needs some access to the content of her own conscious experience in order to report. In such experiments, the reports typically consist of some variety of ratings of confidence or direct descriptions of one's own experiences. Whereas different methods of reporting are typically used interchangeably, recent experiments indicate that different results are obtained with different kinds of reporting. We argue that there is not only a theoretical, but also an empirical difference between different methods of reporting. We hypothesize that differences in the sensitivity of different scales may reveal that different types of access are used to issue direct reports about experiences and metacognitive reports about the classification process. PMID:22492747

  7. VIEWCACHE: An incremental pointer-based access method for autonomous interoperable databases

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Roussopoulos, N.; Sellis, Timos

    1993-01-01

    One of the biggest problems facing NASA today is to provide scientists efficient access to a large number of distributed databases. Our pointer-based incremental data base access method, VIEWCACHE, provides such an interface for accessing distributed datasets and directories. VIEWCACHE allows database browsing and search performing inter-database cross-referencing with no actual data movement between database sites. This organization and processing is especially suitable for managing Astrophysics databases which are physically distributed all over the world. Once the search is complete, the set of collected pointers pointing to the desired data are cached. VIEWCACHE includes spatial access methods for accessing image datasets, which provide much easier query formulation by referring directly to the image and very efficient search for objects contained within a two-dimensional window. We will develop and optimize a VIEWCACHE External Gateway Access to database management systems to facilitate database search.

  8. VIEWCACHE: An incremental pointer-based access method for autonomous interoperable databases

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Roussopoulos, N.; Sellis, Timos

    1992-01-01

    One of biggest problems facing NASA today is to provide scientists efficient access to a large number of distributed databases. Our pointer-based incremental database access method, VIEWCACHE, provides such an interface for accessing distributed data sets and directories. VIEWCACHE allows database browsing and search performing inter-database cross-referencing with no actual data movement between database sites. This organization and processing is especially suitable for managing Astrophysics databases which are physically distributed all over the world. Once the search is complete, the set of collected pointers pointing to the desired data are cached. VIEWCACHE includes spatial access methods for accessing image data sets, which provide much easier query formulation by referring directly to the image and very efficient search for objects contained within a two-dimensional window. We will develop and optimize a VIEWCACHE External Gateway Access to database management systems to facilitate distributed database search.

  9. Nanotube structures, methods of making nanotube structures, and methods of accessing intracellular space

    DOEpatents

    VanDersarl, Jules J.; Xu, Alexander M.; Melosh, Nicholas A.; Tayebi, Noureddine

    2016-02-23

    In accordance with the purpose(s) of the present disclosure, as embodied and broadly described herein, embodiments of the present disclosure, in one aspect, relate to methods of making a structure including nanotubes, a structure including nanotubes, methods of delivering a fluid to a cell, methods of removing a fluid to a cell, methods of accessing intracellular space, and the like.

  10. Measuring access to primary care appointments: a review of methods

    PubMed Central

    Jones, Wendy; Elwyn, Glyn; Edwards, Peter; Edwards, Adrian; Emmerson, Melody; Hibbs, Richard

    2003-01-01

    Background Patient access to primary care appointments is not routinely measured despite the increasing interest in this aspect of practice activity. The generation of standardised data (or benchmarks) for access could inform developments within primary care organisations and act as a quality marker for clinical governance. Logically the setting of targets should be based on a sound system of measurement. The practicalities of developing appropriate measures need debate. Therefore we aimed to search for and compare methods that have been published or are being developed to measure patient access to primary care appointments, with particular focus on finding methods using appointment system data. Method A search and review was made of the primary care literature from 1990 to 2001, which included an assessment of online resources (websites) and communication with recognised experts. The identified methods were assessed. Results The published literature in this specific area was not extensive but revealed emerging interest in the late 1990s. Two broad approaches to the measurement of waiting times to GP appointments were identified. Firstly, appointment systems in primary care organisations were analysed in differing ways to provide numerical data and, secondly, patient perceptions (reports) of access were evaluated using survey techniques. Six different methods were found which were based on appointment systems data. Conclusion The two approaches of either using patient questionnaires or appointment system data are methods that represent entirely different aims. The latter method when used to represent patient waiting times for 'routine' elective appointments seems to hold promise as a useful tool and this avoids the definitional problems that surround 'urgent' appointments. The purpose for which the data is being collected needs to be borne in mind and will determine the chosen methods of data retrieval and representation. PMID:12846934

  11. Extra-corporeal blood access, sensing, and radiation methods and apparatuses

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Castle, Kent D. (Inventor)

    1993-01-01

    The described invention is related to extra-corporeal blood access and radiation methods and apparatuses and, in particular, to subjecting flowing blood to energy in variety of forms, including radiation, electromagnetic force fields or atomic particles. It is directed to methods and apparatuses for accessing flowing blood and for subjecting the blood to electrical conductive, electrostatic or electromagnetic fields or for radiating the blood with some type of radiation, e.g., radio waves, ultrasonic or audio waves, microwaves, IR rays, visible light, UV radiation, x-rays, alpha, beta or gamma rays. An apparatus is employed which includes one or more access ports or windows for radiating blood and/or for sensing/analyzing blood. This invention is useful for killing viruses and bacteria in blood, monitoring blood for medical purposes, genetic modification of blood, and analyzing and/or treating blood components.

  12. Quantitative genetic analysis of cellular adhesion molecules: the Fels Longitudinal Study.

    PubMed

    Lee, Miryoung; Czerwinski, Stefan A; Choh, Audrey C; Demerath, Ellen W; Sun, Shumei S; Chumlea, Wm C; Towne, Bradford; Siervogel, Roger M

    2006-03-01

    Circulating concentrations of inflammatory markers predict cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk and are closely associated with obesity. However, little is known concerning genetic influences on serum levels of inflammatory markers. In this study, we estimated the heritability (h2) of soluble cellular adhesion molecule (sCAM) concentrations and examined the correlational architecture between different sCAMs. The study population included 234 men and 270 women aged 18-76 years, belonging to 121 families participating in the Fels Longitudinal Study. Serum levels of soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (sICAM-1), vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (sVCAM-1), E-selectin (sESEL-1) and P-selectin (sPSEL-1) were assayed using commercially available kits. A variance components-based maximum likelihood method was used to estimate the h2 of the different serum inflammatory markers while simultaneously adjusting for the effects of known CVD risk factors, such as age and smoking. Additionally, we used bivariate extensions of these methods to estimate genetic and random environmental correlations among sCAMs. Levels of sCAMs were significantly heritable: h2=0.24+/-0.10 for sICAM-1, h2=0.22+/-0.10 for sVCAM-1, h2=0.50+/-0.11 for sESEL-1, and h2=0.46+/-0.10 for sPSEL-1. In addition, a significant genetic correlation (rho(G)=0.63) was found between sICAM-1 and sVCAM-1 indicating some degree of shared genetic control. In the Fels Longitudinal Study, the levels of four sCAMs are significantly influenced by genetic effects, and sICAM-1 shares a common genetic background with sVCAM-1.

  13. 76 FR 26341 - Medicaid Program; Methods for Assuring Access to Covered Medicaid Services

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-05-06

    ... Medicare & Medicaid Services 42 CFR Part 447 Medicare Program; Methods for Assuring Access to Covered... Services 42 CFR Part 447 [CMS 2328-P] RIN 0938-AQ54 Medicaid Program; Methods for Assuring Access to... design the procedures for enrolling providers of such care, and to set the methods for establishing...

  14. Method and apparatus for managing access to a memory

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    DeBenedictis, Erik

    A method and apparatus for managing access to a memory of a computing system. A controller transforms a plurality of operations that represent a computing job into an operational memory layout that reduces a size of a selected portion of the memory that needs to be accessed to perform the computing job. The controller stores the operational memory layout in a plurality of memory cells within the selected portion of the memory. The controller controls a sequence by which a processor in the computing system accesses the memory to perform the computing job using the operational memory layout. The operationalmore » memory layout reduces an amount of energy consumed by the processor to perform the computing job.« less

  15. A computing method for spatial accessibility based on grid partition

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ma, Linbing; Zhang, Xinchang

    2007-06-01

    An accessibility computing method and process based on grid partition was put forward in the paper. As two important factors impacting on traffic, density of road network and relative spatial resistance for difference land use was integrated into computing traffic cost in each grid. A* algorithms was inducted to searching optimum traffic cost of grids path, a detailed searching process and definition of heuristic evaluation function was described in the paper. Therefore, the method can be implemented more simply and its data source is obtained more easily. Moreover, by changing heuristic searching information, more reasonable computing result can be obtained. For confirming our research, a software package was developed with C# language under ArcEngine9 environment. Applying the computing method, a case study on accessibility of business districts in Guangzhou city was carried out.

  16. SEI Innovation Center Report: Cyber Intelligence Tradecraft Project: Summary of Key Findings

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2013-01-01

    source news, social media ), and focuses collection on the pertinent threats and strategic needs analysts identify while learning about their...difficult to correlate with other data sources (network data, social media , chat rooms, geopolitical news sites) and complicates trend analysis or...use of commonly exploited software, prohibiting USB storage devices, and impeding access to websites associated with scams and malware make it very

  17. Discriminating Between Legitimate and Predatory Open Access Journals: Report from the International Federation for Emergency Medicine Research Committee

    PubMed Central

    Hansoti, Bhakti; Langdorf, Mark I.; Murphy, Linda S.

    2016-01-01

    Introduction Open access (OA) medical publishing is growing rapidly. While subscription-based publishing does not charge the author, OA does. This opens the door for “predatory” publishers who take authors’ money but provide no substantial peer review or indexing to truly disseminate research findings. Discriminating between predatory and legitimate OA publishers is difficult. Methods We searched a number of library indexing databases that were available to us through the University of California, Irvine Libraries for journals in the field of emergency medicine (EM). Using criteria from Jeffrey Beall, University of Colorado librarian and an expert on predatory publishing, and the Research Committee of the International Federation for EM, we categorized EM journals as legitimate or likely predatory. Results We identified 150 journal titles related to EM from all sources, 55 of which met our criteria for OA (37%, the rest subscription based). Of these 55, 25 (45%) were likely to be predatory. We present lists of clearly legitimate OA journals, and, conversely, likely predatory ones. We present criteria a researcher can use to discriminate between the two. We present the indexing profiles of legitimate EM OA journals, to inform the researcher about degree of dissemination of research findings by journal. Conclusion OA journals are proliferating rapidly. About half in EM are legitimate. The rest take substantial money from unsuspecting, usually junior, researchers and provide no value for true dissemination of findings. Researchers should be educated and aware of scam journals. PMID:27625710

  18. Substituted cysteine accessibility method (SCAM) analysis of the transport domain of human concentrative nucleoside transporter 3 (hCNT3) and other family members reveals features of structural and functional importance

    PubMed Central

    Mulinta, Ras; Yao, Sylvia Y. M.; Ng, Amy M. L.; Cass, Carol E.; Young, James D.

    2017-01-01

    The human SLC28 family of concentrative nucleoside transporter (CNT) proteins has three members: hCNT1, hCNT2, and hCNT3. Na+-coupled hCNT1 and hCNT2 transport pyrimidine and purine nucleosides, respectively, whereas hCNT3 transports both pyrimidine and purine nucleosides utilizing Na+ and/or H+ electrochemical gradients. Escherichia coli CNT family member NupC resembles hCNT1 in permeant selectivity but is H+-coupled. Using heterologous expression in Xenopus oocytes and the engineered cysteine-less hCNT3 protein hCNT3(C−), substituted cysteine accessibility method analysis with the membrane-impermeant thiol reactive reagent p-chloromercuribenzene sulfonate was performed on the transport domain (interfacial helix 2, hairpin 1, putative transmembrane domain (TM) 7, and TM8), as well as TM9 of the scaffold domain of the protein. This systematic scan of the entire C-terminal half of hCNT3(C−) together with parallel studies of the transport domain of wild-type hCNT1 and the corresponding TMs of cysteine-less NupC(C−) yielded results that validate the newly developed structural homology model of CNT membrane architecture for human CNTs, revealed extended conformationally mobile regions within transport-domain TMs, identified pore-lining residues of functional importance, and provided evidence of an emerging novel elevator-type mechanism of transporter function. PMID:28385889

  19. An incremental database access method for autonomous interoperable databases

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Roussopoulos, Nicholas; Sellis, Timos

    1994-01-01

    We investigated a number of design and performance issues of interoperable database management systems (DBMS's). The major results of our investigation were obtained in the areas of client-server database architectures for heterogeneous DBMS's, incremental computation models, buffer management techniques, and query optimization. We finished a prototype of an advanced client-server workstation-based DBMS which allows access to multiple heterogeneous commercial DBMS's. Experiments and simulations were then run to compare its performance with the standard client-server architectures. The focus of this research was on adaptive optimization methods of heterogeneous database systems. Adaptive buffer management accounts for the random and object-oriented access methods for which no known characterization of the access patterns exists. Adaptive query optimization means that value distributions and selectives, which play the most significant role in query plan evaluation, are continuously refined to reflect the actual values as opposed to static ones that are computed off-line. Query feedback is a concept that was first introduced to the literature by our group. We employed query feedback for both adaptive buffer management and for computing value distributions and selectivities. For adaptive buffer management, we use the page faults of prior executions to achieve more 'informed' management decisions. For the estimation of the distributions of the selectivities, we use curve-fitting techniques, such as least squares and splines, for regressing on these values.

  20. The effect of alkaline pretreatment methods on cellulose structure and accessibility

    DOE PAGES

    Bali, Garima; Meng, Xianzhi; Deneff, Jacob I.; ...

    2014-11-24

    The effects of different alkaline pretreatments on cellulose structural features and accessibility are compared and correlated with the enzymatic hydrolysis of Populus. The pretreatments are shown to modify polysaccharides and lignin content to enhance the accessibility for cellulase enzymes. The highest increase in the cellulose accessibility was observed in dilute sodium hydroxide, followed by methods using ammonia soaking and lime (Ca(OH) 2). The biggest increase of cellulose accessibility occurs during the first 10 min of pretreatment, with further increases at a slower rate as severity increases. Low temperature ammonia soaking at longer residence times dissolved a major portion of hemicellulosemore » and exhibited higher cellulose accessibility than high temperature soaking. Moreover, the most significant reduction of degree of polymerization (DP) occurred for dilute sodium hydroxide (NaOH) and ammonia pretreated Populus samples. The study thus identifies important cellulose structural features and relevant parameters related to biomass recalcitrance.« less

  1. A Simple and Novel Method to Attain Retrograde Ureteral Access after Previous Cohen Cross-Trigonal Ureteral Reimplantation

    PubMed Central

    Adam, Ahmed

    2017-01-01

    Objective To describe a simple, novel method to achieve ureteric access in the Cohen crossed reimplanted ureter, which will allow retrograde working access via the conventional transurethral method. Materials and Methods Under cystoscopic vision, suprapubic needle puncture was performed. The needle was directed (bevel facing) towards the desired ureteric orifice (UO). A guidewire (with a floppy-tip) was then inserted into the suprapubic needle passing into the bladder, and then easily passed into the crossed-reimplanted UO. The distal end of the guidewire was then removed through the urethra with cystoscopic grasping forceps. The straightened ureter then easily facilitated ureteroscopy access, retrograde pyelogram studies, and JJ stent insertion in a conventional transurethral method. Results The UO and ureter were aligned in a more conventional orthotopic course, to allow for conventional transurethral working access. Conclusion A novel method to access the Cohen crossed reimplanted ureter was described. All previously published methods of accessing the crossed ureter were critically appraised. PMID:29463976

  2. Diffusion accessibility as a method for visualizing macromolecular surface geometry.

    PubMed

    Tsai, Yingssu; Holton, Thomas; Yeates, Todd O

    2015-10-01

    Important three-dimensional spatial features such as depth and surface concavity can be difficult to convey clearly in the context of two-dimensional images. In the area of macromolecular visualization, the computer graphics technique of ray-tracing can be helpful, but further techniques for emphasizing surface concavity can give clearer perceptions of depth. The notion of diffusion accessibility is well-suited for emphasizing such features of macromolecular surfaces, but a method for calculating diffusion accessibility has not been made widely available. Here we make available a web-based platform that performs the necessary calculation by solving the Laplace equation for steady state diffusion, and produces scripts for visualization that emphasize surface depth by coloring according to diffusion accessibility. The URL is http://services.mbi.ucla.edu/DiffAcc/. © 2015 The Protein Society.

  3. Involvement of specific calmodulin isoforms in salicylic acid-independent activation of plant disease resistance responses.

    PubMed

    Heo, W D; Lee, S H; Kim, M C; Kim, J C; Chung, W S; Chun, H J; Lee, K J; Park, C Y; Park, H C; Choi, J Y; Cho, M J

    1999-01-19

    The Ca2+ signal is essential for the activation of plant defense responses, but downstream components of the signaling pathway are still poorly defined. Here we demonstrate that specific calmodulin (CaM) isoforms are activated by infection or pathogen-derived elicitors and participate in Ca2+-mediated induction of plant disease resistance responses. Soybean CaM (SCaM)-4 and SCaM-5 genes, which encode for divergent CaM isoforms, were induced within 30 min by a fungal elicitor or pathogen, whereas other SCaM genes encoding highly conserved CaM isoforms did not show such response. This pathogen-triggered induction of these genes specifically depended on the increase of intracellular Ca2+ level. Constitutive expression of SCaM-4 and SCaM-5 in transgenic tobacco plants triggered spontaneous induction of lesions and induces an array of systemic acquired resistance (SAR)-associated genes. Surprisingly, these transgenic plants have normal levels of endogenous salicylic acid (SA). Furthermore, coexpression of nahG gene did not block the induction of SAR-associated genes in these transgenic plants, indicating that SA is not involved in the SAR gene induction mediated by SCaM-4 or SCaM-5. The transgenic plants exhibit enhanced resistance to a wide spectrum of virulent and avirulent pathogens, including bacteria, fungi, and virus. These results suggest that specific CaM isoforms are components of a SA-independent signal transduction chain leading to disease resistance.

  4. Retail Food Store Access in Rural Appalachia: A Mixed Methods Study.

    PubMed

    Thatcher, Esther; Johnson, Cassandra; Zenk, Shannon N; Kulbok, Pamela

    2017-05-01

    To describe how characteristics of food retail stores (potential access) and other factors influence self-reported food shopping behavior (realized food access) among low-income, rural Central Appalachian women. Cross-sectional descriptive. Potential access was assessed through store mapping and in-store food audits. Factors influencing consumers' realized access were assessed through in-depth interviews. Results were merged using a convergent parallel mixed methods approach. Food stores (n = 50) and adult women (n = 9) in a rural Central Appalachian county. Potential and realized food access were described across five dimensions: availability, accessibility, affordability, acceptability, and accommodation. Supermarkets had better availability of healthful foods, followed by grocery stores, dollar stores, and convenience stores. On average, participants lived within 10 miles of 3.9 supermarkets or grocery stores, and traveled 7.5 miles for major food shopping. Participants generally shopped at the closest store that met their expectations for food availability, price, service, and atmosphere. Participants' perceptions of stores diverged from each other and from in-store audit findings. Findings from this study can help public health nurses engage with communities to make affordable, healthy foods more accessible. Recommendations are made for educating low-income consumers and partnering with food stores. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  5. Transport Traffic Analysis for Abusive Infrastructure Characterization

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2012-12-14

    Introduction Abusive traffic abounds on the Internet, in the form of email, malware, vulnerability scanners, worms, denial-of-service, drive-by-downloads, scam ...insight is two-fold. First, attackers have a basic requirement to source large amounts of data, be it denial-of-service, scam -hosting, spam, or other...the network core. This paper explores the power of transport-layer traffic analysis to detect and characterize scam hosting infrastructure, including

  6. Poor Decision Making Is a Consequence of Cognitive Decline among Older Persons without Alzheimer’s Disease or Mild Cognitive Impairment

    PubMed Central

    Boyle, Patricia A.; Yu, Lei; Wilson, Robert S.; Gamble, Keith; Buchman, Aron S.; Bennett, David A.

    2012-01-01

    Objective Decision making is an important determinant of health and well-being across the lifespan but is critical in aging, when many influential decisions are made just as cognitive function declines. Increasing evidence suggests that older adults, even those without dementia, often make poor decisions and are selectively vulnerable to scams. To date, however, the factors associated with poor decision making in old age are unknown. The objective of this study was to test the hypothesis that poor decision making is a consequence of cognitive decline among older persons without Alzheimer’s disease or mild cognitive impairment. Methods Participants were 420 non-demented persons from the Memory and Aging Project, a longitudinal, clinical-pathologic cohort study of aging in the Chicago metropolitan area. All underwent repeated cognitive evaluations and subsequently completed assessments of decision making and susceptibility to scams. Decision making was measured using 12 items from a previously established performance-based measure and a self-report measure of susceptibility to scams. Results Cognitive function data were collected over an average of 5.5 years prior to the decision making assessment. Regression analyses were used to examine whether the prior rate of cognitive decline predicted the level of decision making and susceptibility to scams; analyses controlled for age, sex, education, and starting level of cognition. Among 420 persons without dementia, more rapid cognitive decline predicted poorer decision making and increased susceptibility to scams (p’s<0.001). Further, the relations between cognitive decline, decision making and scams persisted in analyses restricted to persons without any cognitive impairment (i.e., no dementia or even mild cognitive impairment). Conclusions Poor decision making is a consequence of cognitive decline among older persons without Alzheimer’s disease or mild cognitive impairment, those widely considered

  7. Mapping Norway - a Method to Register and Survey the Status of Accessibility

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Michaelis, Sven; Bögelsack, Kathrin

    2018-05-01

    The Norwegian mapping authority has developed a standard method for mapping accessibility mostly for people with limited or no walking abilities in urban and recreational areas. We choose an object-orientated approach where points, lines and polygons represents objects in the environment. All data are stored in a geospatial database, so they can be presented as web map and analyzed using GIS software. By the end of 2016 more than 160 municipalities are mapped using that method. The aim of this project is to establish a national standard for mapping and to provide a geodatabase that shows the status of accessibility throughout Norway. The data provide a useful tool for national statistics, local planning authorities and private users. First results show that accessibility is low and Norway still faces many challenges to meet the government's goals for Universal Design.

  8. A sensitivity analysis of cloud properties to CLUBB parameters in the single-column Community Atmosphere Model (SCAM5)

    DOE PAGES

    Guo, Zhun; Wang, Minghuai; Qian, Yun; ...

    2014-08-13

    In this study, we investigate the sensitivity of simulated shallow cumulus and stratocumulus clouds to selected tunable parameters of Cloud Layers Unified by Binormals (CLUBB) in the single column version of Community Atmosphere Model version 5 (SCAM5). A quasi-Monte Carlo (QMC) sampling approach is adopted to effectively explore the high-dimensional parameter space and a generalized linear model is adopted to study the responses of simulated cloud fields to tunable parameters. One stratocumulus and two shallow convection cases are configured at both coarse and fine vertical resolutions in this study.. Our results show that most of the variance in simulated cloudmore » fields can be explained by a small number of tunable parameters. The parameters related to Newtonian and buoyancy-damping terms of total water flux are found to be the most influential parameters for stratocumulus. For shallow cumulus, the most influential parameters are those related to skewness of vertical velocity, reflecting the strong coupling between cloud properties and dynamics in this regime. The influential parameters in the stratocumulus case are sensitive to the choice of the vertical resolution while little sensitivity is found for the shallow convection cases, as eddy mixing length (or dissipation time scale) plays a more important role and depends more strongly on the vertical resolution in stratocumulus than in shallow convections. The influential parameters remain almost unchanged when the number of tunable parameters increases from 16 to 35. This study improves understanding of the CLUBB behavior associated with parameter uncertainties.« less

  9. Searching for Suicide Methods: Accessibility of Information About Helium as a Method of Suicide on the Internet.

    PubMed

    Gunnell, David; Derges, Jane; Chang, Shu-Sen; Biddle, Lucy

    2015-01-01

    Helium gas suicides have increased in England and Wales; easy-to-access descriptions of this method on the Internet may have contributed to this rise. To investigate the availability of information on using helium as a method of suicide and trends in searching about this method on the Internet. We analyzed trends in (a) Google searching (2004-2014) and (b) hits on a Wikipedia article describing helium as a method of suicide (2013-2014). We also investigated the extent to which helium was described as a method of suicide on web pages and discussion forums identified via Google. We found no evidence of rises in Internet searching about suicide using helium. News stories about helium suicides were associated with increased search activity. The Wikipedia article may have been temporarily altered to increase awareness of suicide using helium around the time of a celebrity suicide. Approximately one third of the links retrieved using Google searches for suicide methods mentioned helium. Information about helium as a suicide method is readily available on the Internet; the Wikipedia article describing its use was highly accessed following celebrity suicides. Availability of online information about this method may contribute to rises in helium suicides.

  10. Online Safety: Fraud, Security, Phishing, Vishing

    MedlinePlus

    ... Theft Online Safety Privacy Report Scams and Frauds Online Safety Be aware of these scams when you' ... Security and Safety Internet Fraud Phishing and Vishing Online Security and Safety The internet makes many everyday ...

  11. Federal Trade Commission

    MedlinePlus

    ... a Consumer Complaint Report Identity Theft Get Your Free Credit Report Register for Do Not Call Get Scam Alerts ... File a claim if you were scammed via money transfer Ed tech, Privacy Workshop FTC, Department of ...

  12. Toward Proper Authentication Methods in Electronic Medical Record Access Compliant to HIPAA and C.I.A. Triangle.

    PubMed

    Tipton, Stephen J; Forkey, Sara; Choi, Young B

    2016-04-01

    This paper examines various methods encompassing the authentication of users in accessing Electronic Medical Records (EMRs). From a methodological perspective, multiple authentication methods have been researched from both a desktop and mobile accessibility perspective. Each method is investigated at a high level, along with comparative analyses, as well as real world examples. The projected outcome of this examination is a better understanding of the sophistication required in protecting the vital privacy constraints of an individual's Protected Health Information (PHI). In understanding the implications of protecting healthcare data in today's technological world, the scope of this paper is to grasp an overview of confidentiality as it pertains to information security. In addressing this topic, a high level overview of the three goals of information security are examined; in particular, the goal of confidentiality is the primary focus. Expanding upon the goal of confidentiality, healthcare accessibility legal aspects are considered, with a focus upon the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA). With the primary focus of this examination being access to EMRs, the paper will consider two types of accessibility of concern: access from a physician, or group of physicians; and access from an individual patient.

  13. A simple method for long-term biliary access in large animals.

    PubMed

    Andrews, J C; Knutsen, C; Smith, P; Prieskorn, D; Crudip, J; Klevering, J; Ensminger, W D

    1988-07-01

    A simple method to obtain long-term access to the biliary tree in dogs and pigs is presented. In ten dogs and four pigs, a cholecystectomy was performed, the cystic duct isolated, and a catheter inserted into the cut end of the cystic duct. The catheter was connected to a subcutaneous infusion port, producing a closed, internal system to allow long-term access. The catheter placement was successful in three of the pigs and all of the dogs. Thirty-five cholangiograms were obtained in the 13 subjects by accessing the port with a 20 gauge Huber needle and injecting small amounts (4-10 mL) of contrast under fluoroscopic control. Cholangiograms were obtained up to four months after catheter placement without evidence for catheter failure or surgically induced changes in the biliary tree. This model provides a simple, reliable means to obtain serial cholangiograms in a research setting.

  14. Formalization of the Access Control on ARM-Android Platform with the B Method

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ren, Lu; Wang, Wei; Zhu, Xiaodong; Man, Yujia; Yin, Qing

    2018-01-01

    ARM-Android is a widespread mobile platform with multi-layer access control mechanisms, security-critical in the system. Many access control vulnerabilities still exist due to the course-grained policy and numerous engineering defects, which have been widely studied. However, few researches focus on the mechanism formalization, including the Android permission framework, kernel process management and hardware isolation. This paper first develops a comprehensive formal access control model on the ARM-Android platform using the B method, from the Android middleware to hardware layer. All the model specifications are type checked and proved to be well-defined, with 75%of proof obligations demonstrated automatically. The results show that the proposed B model is feasible to specify and verify access control schemes in the ARM-Android system, and capable of implementing a practical control module.

  15. A Method for Selection of Appropriate Assistive Technology for Computer Access

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jenko, Mojca

    2010-01-01

    Assistive technologies (ATs) for computer access enable people with disabilities to be included in the information society. Current methods for assessment and selection of the most appropriate AT for each individual are nonstandardized, lengthy, subjective, and require substantial clinical experience of a multidisciplinary team. This manuscript…

  16. 5 CFR 297.202 - Methods of access.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ....202 Administrative Personnel OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT CIVIL SERVICE REGULATIONS PRIVACY... access to records, when such access has been granted by the Office or agency, are: (1) Inspection in person in the designated office during the hours specified by the Office or agency; or (2) Transfer of...

  17. Mof-Tree: A Spatial Access Method To Manipulate Multiple Overlapping Features.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Manolopoulos, Yannis; Nardelli, Enrico; Papadopoulos, Apostolos; Proietti, Guido

    1997-01-01

    Investigates the manipulation of large sets of two-dimensional data representing multiple overlapping features, and presents a new access method, the MOF-tree. Analyzes storage requirements and time with respect to window query operations involving multiple features. Examines both the pointer-based and pointerless MOF-tree representations.…

  18. Construct validity and reliability of the Single Checking Administration of Medications Scale.

    PubMed

    O'Connell, Beverly; Hawkins, Mary; Ockerby, Cherene

    2013-06-01

    Research indicates that single checking of medications is as safe as double checking; however, many nurses are averse to independently checking medications. To assist with the introduction and use of single checking, a measure of nurses' attitudes, the thirteen-item Single Checking Administration of Medications Scale (SCAMS) was developed. We examined the psychometric properties of the SCAMS. Secondary analyses were conducted on data collected from 503 nurses across a large Australian health-care service. Analyses using exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses supported by structural equation modelling resulted in a valid twelve-item SCAMS containing two reliable subscales, the nine-item Attitudes towards single checking and three-item Advantages of single checking subscales. The SCAMS is recommended as a valid and reliable measure for monitoring nurses' attitudes to single checking prior to introducing single checking medications and after its implementation. © 2013 Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

  19. Action Research to Improve Methods of Delivery and Feedback in an Access Grid Room Environment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McArthur, Lynne C.; Klass, Lara; Eberhard, Andrew; Stacey, Andrew

    2011-01-01

    This article describes a qualitative study which was undertaken to improve the delivery methods and feedback opportunity in honours mathematics lectures which are delivered through Access Grid Rooms. Access Grid Rooms are facilities that provide two-way video and audio interactivity across multiple sites, with the inclusion of smart boards. The…

  20. Perceived Barriers Affecting Access to Preventive Dental Services: Application of DEMATEL Method

    PubMed Central

    Bahadori, Mohammadkarim; Ravangard, Ramin; Asghari, Baratali

    2013-01-01

    Background Identifying perceived access barriers to preventive dental services is one of the basic steps to improve the public health. Objectives This study aimed to determine the perceived barriers affecting access to preventive dental services in one of Tehran dental clinics in 2012. Patients and Methods This research was a cross-sectional descriptive-analytical study conducted in one of Tehran dental clinics in 2012 using decision–making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL) method. The study sample included all patients (100 patients) who had referred to the endodontic treatment department from 26 - 31 May, 2012. The required data were collected using a questionnaire. Collected data were analyzed using SPSS 18.0 and MATLAB 7.9.0 SPSSS 18.0, as well as, some descriptive and analytical tests including Mean, Standard Deviation (SD), and Independent T- Test. Results The five determinants of cost, inconvenience, fear, organization, and patient-dentist relationship were determined as barriers to access to dental services among which the cost and patient-dentist relationship were identified as the first and last priorities with the coordinates (1.4 and 1.4) and (1.25 and -0.65), respectively. Conclusions High cost of dental care has led to not referring patients to the clinic. Oral health costs are too high; however insurance organizations have no commitment to support such services. Policymakers, administrators, and insurance organizations have a major role in improving access to dental services. These decision-makers in making their policies can provide the required financial resources, shift the available resources towards preventive care and periodic checkups, and consider providing proper and sufficient places for dental care facilities. PMID:24578831

  1. Early Patient Access to Medicines: Health Technology Assessment Bodies Need to Catch Up with New Marketing Authorization Methods.

    PubMed

    Leyens, Lada; Brand, Angela

    National and international medicines agencies have developed innovative methods to expedite promising new medicines to the market and facilitate early patient access. Some of these approval pathways are the conditional approval and the adaptive pathways by the European Medicines Agency (EMA); the Promising Innovative Medicine (PIM) designation and the Early Access to Medicines Scheme (EAMS) by the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), as well as the Fast Track, Breakthrough or Accelerated Approval methods by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). However, at least in Europe, these methods cannot achieve the goal of improving timely access for patients to new medicines on their own; the reimbursement process also has to become adaptive and flexible. In the past 2 years, the effective access (national patient access) to newly approved oncology drugs ranged from 1 to 30 months, with an extremely high variability between European countries. The goal of early patient access in Europe can only be achieved if the national health technology assessment bodies, such as NICE (ENG), HAS (FR), G-BA (DE) or AIFA (IT), provide harmonized, transparent, flexible, conditional and adaptive methods that adopt the level of evidence accepted by the medicines agencies. The efforts from medicines agencies are welcome but will be in vain if health technology assessments do not follow with similar initiatives, and the European 'postcode' lottery will continue. © 2016 S. Karger AG, Basel.

  2. Women's access needs in maternity care in rural Tasmania, Australia: a mixed methods study.

    PubMed

    Hoang, Ha; Le, Quynh; Terry, Daniel

    2014-03-01

    This study investigates (i) maternity care access issues in rural Tasmania, (ii) rural women's challenges in accessing maternity services and (iii) rural women's access needs in maternity services. A mixed-method approach using a survey and semi-structured interviews was conducted. The survey explored women's views of rural maternity services from antenatal to postnatal care, while interviews reinforced the survey results and provided insights into the access issues and needs of women in maternity care. The survey was completed by n=210 women, with a response rate of 35%, with n=22 follow-up interviews being conducted. The survey indicated the majority of rural women believed antenatal education and check-ups and postnatal check-ups should be provided locally. The majority of women surveyed also believed in the importance of having a maternity unit in the local hospital, which was further iterated and clarified within the interviews. Three main themes emerged from the interview data, namely (i) lack of access to maternity services, (ii) difficulties in accessing maternity services, and (iii) rural women's access needs. The study suggested that women's access needs are not fully met in some rural areas of Tasmania. Rural women face many challenges when accessing maternity services, including financial burden and risk of labouring en route. The study supports the claim that the closure of rural maternity units shifts cost and risk from the health care system to rural women and their families. Copyright © 2013 Australian College of Midwives. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. Who uses firearms as a means of suicide? A population study exploring firearm accessibility and method choice

    PubMed Central

    Klieve, Helen; Sveticic, Jerneja; De Leo, Diego

    2009-01-01

    Background The 1996 Australian National Firearms Agreement introduced strict access limitations. However, reports on the effectiveness of the new legislation are conflicting. This study, accessing all cases of suicide 1997-2004, explores factors which may impact on the choice of firearms as a suicide method, including current licence possession and previous history of legal access. Methods Detailed information on all Queensland suicides (1997-2004) was obtained from the Queensland Suicide Register, with additional details of firearm licence history accessed from the Firearm Registry (Queensland Police Service). Cases were compared against licence history and method choice (firearms or other method). Odds ratios (OR) assessed the risk of firearms suicide and suicide by any method against licence history. A logistic regression was undertaken identifying factors significant in those most likely to use firearms in suicide. Results The rate of suicide using firearms in those with a current license (10.92 per 100,000) far exceeded the rate in those with no license history (1.03 per 100,000). Those with a license history had a far higher rate of suicide (30.41 per 100,000) compared to that of all suicides (15.39 per 100,000). Additionally, a history of firearms licence (current or present) was found to more than double the risk of suicide by any means (OR = 2.09, P < 0.001). The group with the highest risk of selecting firearms to suicide were older males from rural locations. Conclusion Accessibility and familiarity with firearms represent critical elements in determining the choice of method. Further licensing restrictions and the implementation of more stringent secure storage requirements are likely to reduce the overall familiarity with firearms in the community and contribute to reductions in rates of suicide. PMID:19778414

  4. A microprocessor card software server to support the Quebec health microprocessor card project.

    PubMed

    Durant, P; Bérubé, J; Lavoie, G; Gamache, A; Ardouin, P; Papillon, M J; Fortin, J P

    1995-01-01

    The Quebec Health Smart Card Project is advocating the use of a memory card software server[1] (SCAM) to implement a portable medical record (PMR) on a smart card. The PMR is viewed as an object that can be manipulated by SCAM's services. In fact, we can talk about a pseudo-object-oriented approach. This software architecture provides a flexible and evolutive way to manage and optimize the PMR. SCAM is a generic software server; it can manage smart cards as well as optical (laser) cards or other types of memory cards. But, in the specific case of the Quebec Health Card Project, SCAM is used to provide services between physicians' or pharmacists' software and IBM smart card technology. We propose to expose the concepts and techniques used to provide a generic environment to deal with smart cards (and more generally with memory cards), to obtain a dynamic an evolutive PMR, to raise the system global security level and the data integrity, to optimize significantly the management of the PMR, and to provide statistic information about the use of the PMR.

  5. Atomic memory access hardware implementations

    DOEpatents

    Ahn, Jung Ho; Erez, Mattan; Dally, William J

    2015-02-17

    Atomic memory access requests are handled using a variety of systems and methods. According to one example method, a data-processing circuit having an address-request generator that issues requests to a common memory implements a method of processing the requests using a memory-access intervention circuit coupled between the generator and the common memory. The method identifies a current atomic-memory access request from a plurality of memory access requests. A data set is stored that corresponds to the current atomic-memory access request in a data storage circuit within the intervention circuit. It is determined whether the current atomic-memory access request corresponds to at least one previously-stored atomic-memory access request. In response to determining correspondence, the current request is implemented by retrieving data from the common memory. The data is modified in response to the current request and at least one other access request in the memory-access intervention circuit.

  6. Multi-views storage model and access methods of conversation history in converged IP messaging system

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lu, Meilian; Yang, Dong; Zhou, Xing

    2013-03-01

    Based on the analysis of the requirements of conversation history storage in CPM (Converged IP Messaging) system, a Multi-views storage model and access methods of conversation history are proposed. The storage model separates logical views from physical storage and divides the storage into system managed region and user managed region. It simultaneously supports conversation view, system pre-defined view and user-defined view of storage. The rationality and feasibility of multi-view presentation, the physical storage model and access methods are validated through the implemented prototype. It proves that, this proposal has good scalability, which will help to optimize the physical data storage structure and improve storage performance.

  7. Reconceptualising Access in Education Policy: Method and Mindset

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Vongalis-Macrow, Athena

    2010-01-01

    Enhancing access to education and knowledge is a long-held principle enshrined in education policy. Access to education offers leverage for educational attainment and achievement, at the individual and social levels. In policy, the term equates with concepts of inclusion, social justice and equity. Over the last decades, as education policy has…

  8. A Novel Method for Intraoral Access to the Superior Head of the Human Lateral Pterygoid Muscle

    PubMed Central

    Oliveira, Aleli Tôrres; Camilo, Anderson Aparecido; Bahia, Paulo Roberto Valle; Carvalho, Antonio Carlos Pires; DosSantos, Marcos Fabio; da Silva, Jorge Vicente Lopes; Monteiro, André Antonio

    2014-01-01

    Background. The uncoordinated activity of the superior and inferior parts of the lateral pterygoid muscle (LPM) has been suggested to be one of the causes of temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disc displacement. A therapy for this muscle disorder is the injection of botulinum toxin (BTX), of the LPM. However, there is a potential risk of side effects with the injection guide methods currently available. In addition, they do not permit appropriate differentiation between the two bellies of the muscle. Herein, a novel method is presented to provide intraoral access to the superior head of the human LPM with maximal control and minimal hazards. Methods. Computational tomography along with digital imaging software programs and rapid prototyping techniques were used to create a rapid prototyped guide to orient BTX injections in the superior LPM. Results. The method proved to be feasible and reliable. Furthermore, when tested in one volunteer it allowed precise access to the upper head of LPM, without producing side effects. Conclusions. The prototyped guide presented in this paper is a novel tool that provides intraoral access to the superior head of the LPM. Further studies will be necessary to test the efficacy and validate this method in a larger cohort of subjects. PMID:24963484

  9. A novel method for intraoral access to the superior head of the human lateral pterygoid muscle.

    PubMed

    Oliveira, Aleli Tôrres; Camilo, Anderson Aparecido; Bahia, Paulo Roberto Valle; Carvalho, Antonio Carlos Pires; DosSantos, Marcos Fabio; da Silva, Jorge Vicente Lopes; Monteiro, André Antonio

    2014-01-01

    The uncoordinated activity of the superior and inferior parts of the lateral pterygoid muscle (LPM) has been suggested to be one of the causes of temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disc displacement. A therapy for this muscle disorder is the injection of botulinum toxin (BTX), of the LPM. However, there is a potential risk of side effects with the injection guide methods currently available. In addition, they do not permit appropriate differentiation between the two bellies of the muscle. Herein, a novel method is presented to provide intraoral access to the superior head of the human LPM with maximal control and minimal hazards. Computational tomography along with digital imaging software programs and rapid prototyping techniques were used to create a rapid prototyped guide to orient BTX injections in the superior LPM. The method proved to be feasible and reliable. Furthermore, when tested in one volunteer it allowed precise access to the upper head of LPM, without producing side effects. The prototyped guide presented in this paper is a novel tool that provides intraoral access to the superior head of the LPM. Further studies will be necessary to test the efficacy and validate this method in a larger cohort of subjects.

  10. Brain Gym: Pseudoscientific Practice

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kroeze, Kevin; Hyatt, Keith J.; Lambert, M. Chuck

    2016-01-01

    There is an abundance of scams and pseudoscientific practices promising seemingly magical cures for whatever ails a person. A short viewing of late night television will readily reveal a whole host of scams that may be more effective at relieving the viewer of the cash in his or her pocket than alleviating any unwanted symptoms. Unfortunately,…

  11. Laparoscopic access overview: Is there a safest entry method?

    PubMed

    Bianchi, G; Martorana, E; Ghaith, A; Pirola, G M; Rani, M; Bove, P; Porpiglia, F; Manferrari, F; Micali, S

    2016-01-01

    Laparoscopy is a minimally invasive technique to access the abdominal cavity, for diagnostic or therapeutic applications. Optimizing the access technique is an important step for laparoscopic procedures. The aim of this study is to assess the outcomes of different laparoscopic access techniques and to identify the safest one. Laparoscopic access questionnaire was forwarded via e-mail to the 60 centers who are partners in working group for laparoscopic and robotic surgery of the Italian Urological Society (SIU) and their American and European reference centers. The response rate was 68.33%. The total number of procedures considered was 65.636. 61.5% of surgeons use Veress needle to create pneumoperitoneum. Blind trocar technique is the most commonly used, but has the greatest number of complications. Optical trocar technique seems to be the safest, but it's the less commonly used. The 28,2% of surgeons adopt open Hasson's technique. Total intra-operative complications rate was 3.3%. Open conversion rate was 0.33%, transfusion rate was 1.13%, and total post-operative complication rate was 2.53%. Laparoscopic access is a safe technique with low complication rate. Most of complications can be managed conservatively or laparoscopically. The choice of access technique can affect the rate and type of complications and should be planned according to surgeon experience, safety of each technique and patient characteristics. All access types have perioperative complications. According with our study, optical trocar technique seems to be the safest. Copyright © 2016 AEU. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

  12. Spatial access priority mapping (SAPM) with fishers: a quantitative GIS method for participatory planning.

    PubMed

    Yates, Katherine L; Schoeman, David S

    2013-01-01

    Spatial management tools, such as marine spatial planning and marine protected areas, are playing an increasingly important role in attempts to improve marine management and accommodate conflicting needs. Robust data are needed to inform decisions among different planning options, and early inclusion of stakeholder involvement is widely regarded as vital for success. One of the biggest stakeholder groups, and the most likely to be adversely impacted by spatial restrictions, is the fishing community. In order to take their priorities into account, planners need to understand spatial variation in their perceived value of the sea. Here a readily accessible, novel method for quantitatively mapping fishers' spatial access priorities is presented. Spatial access priority mapping, or SAPM, uses only basic functions of standard spreadsheet and GIS software. Unlike the use of remote-sensing data, SAPM actively engages fishers in participatory mapping, documenting rather than inferring their priorities. By so doing, SAPM also facilitates the gathering of other useful data, such as local ecological knowledge. The method was tested and validated in Northern Ireland, where over 100 fishers participated in a semi-structured questionnaire and mapping exercise. The response rate was excellent, 97%, demonstrating fishers' willingness to be involved. The resultant maps are easily accessible and instantly informative, providing a very clear visual indication of which areas are most important for the fishers. The maps also provide quantitative data, which can be used to analyse the relative impact of different management options on the fishing industry and can be incorporated into planning software, such as MARXAN, to ensure that conservation goals can be met at minimum negative impact to the industry. This research shows how spatial access priority mapping can facilitate the early engagement of fishers and the ready incorporation of their priorities into the decision-making process

  13. Tools for Rapid Understanding of Malware Code

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2015-05-07

    cloaking techniques. We used three malware detectors, covering a wide spectrum of detection technologies, for our experiments: VirusTotal, an online ...Analysis and Manipulation ( SCAM ), 2014. [9] Babak Yadegari, Brian Johannesmeyer, Benjamin Whitely, and Saumya Debray. A generic approach to automatic...and Manipulation ( SCAM ), 2014. [9] Babak Yadegari, Brian Johannesmeyer, Benjamin Whitely, and Saumya Debray. A generic approach to automatic

  14. Impact of a Participatory Cyber Crime Prevention Programme on Secondary School Students' Attainment in Crime Prevention Concepts in Civic Education and Social Studies

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Amosun, Peter Adewale; Ige, Olugbenga Adedayo; Choo, Kim-Kwang Raymond

    2015-01-01

    Nigeria is considered by many to be a cyber crime hot spot, and is often ranked among the world's top cyber crime committing countries (e.g. advanced fee fraud is also known as Nigerian scams and 419 scams--419 is a section under the Nigerian Criminal Code Act that prohibits obtaining goods by false pretences). We designed a cyber crime prevention…

  15. Accessing memory

    DOEpatents

    Yoon, Doe Hyun; Muralimanohar, Naveen; Chang, Jichuan; Ranganthan, Parthasarathy

    2017-09-26

    A disclosed example method involves performing simultaneous data accesses on at least first and second independently selectable logical sub-ranks to access first data via a wide internal data bus in a memory device. The memory device includes a translation buffer chip, memory chips in independently selectable logical sub-ranks, a narrow external data bus to connect the translation buffer chip to a memory controller, and the wide internal data bus between the translation buffer chip and the memory chips. A data access is performed on only the first independently selectable logical sub-rank to access second data via the wide internal data bus. The example method also involves locating a first portion of the first data, a second portion of the first data, and the second data on the narrow external data bus during separate data transfers.

  16. Pattern analysis of fraud case in Taiwan, China and Indonesia

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kusumo, A. H.; Chi, C.-F.; Dewi, R. S.

    2017-11-01

    The current study analyzed 125 successful fraud cases happened in Taiwan, China, and Indonesia from 2008 to 2012 published in the English online newspapers. Each of the case report was coded in terms of scam principle, information media (information exchange between fraudsters and victim), money media (media used by fraudsters to obtain unauthorized financial benefit) and other additional information which was judged to be relevant. The Chi-square Automatic Interaction Detector (CHAID) was applied to the coded data of information, scam principle and money media to find a subset of predictors that might derive meaningful classifications. A series of flow diagrams was constructed based on CHAID result to illustrate the flow of information (scam) travelling from information media to money media.

  17. Method and apparatus for granting processors access to a resource

    DOEpatents

    Blumrich, Matthias A.; Salapura, Valentina

    2010-03-16

    An apparatus and method for granting one or more requesting entities access to a resource in a predetermined time interval. The apparatus includes a first circuit receiving one or more request signals, and implementing logic for assigning a priority to the one or more request signals, and, generating a set of first_request signals based on the priorities assigned. One or more priority select circuits for receiving the set of first_request signals and generating corresponding one or more fixed grant signals representing one or more highest priority request signals when asserted during the predetermined time interval. A second circuit device receives the one or more fixed grant signals generates one or more grant signals associated with one or more highest priority request signals assigned, the grant signals for enabling one or more respective requesting entities access to the resource in the predetermined time interval, wherein the priority assigned to the one or more request signals changes each successive predetermined time interval. In one embodiment, the assigned priority is based on a numerical pattern, the first circuit changing the numerical pattern with respect to the first_request signals generated at each successive predetermined time interval.

  18. Provider imposed restrictions to clients’ access to family planning in urban Uttar Pradesh, India: a mixed methods study

    PubMed Central

    2013-01-01

    Background Medical barriers refer to unnecessary policies or procedures imposed by health care providers that are not necessarily medically advised; these restrictions impede clients’ access to family planning (FP). This mixed methods study investigates provider imposed barriers to provision of FP using recent quantitative and qualitative data from urban Uttar Pradesh, India. Methods Baseline quantitative data were collected in six cities in Uttar Pradesh, India from service delivery points (SDP), using facility audits, exit interviews, and provider surveys; for this study, the focus is on the provider surveys. More than 250 providers were surveyed in each city. Providers were asked about the FP methods they provide, and if they restrict clients’ access to each method based on age, parity, partner consent, or marital status. For the qualitative research, we conducted one-on-one interviews with 21 service providers in four of the six cities in Uttar Pradesh. Each interview lasted approximately 45 minutes. Results The quantitative findings show that providers restrict clients’ access to spacing and long-acting and permanent methods of FP based on age, parity, partner consent and marital status. Qualitative findings reinforce that providers, at times, make judgments about their clients’ education, FP needs and ability to understand FP options thereby imposing unnecessary barriers to FP methods. Conclusions Provider restrictions on FP methods are common in these urban Uttar Pradesh sites. This means that women who are young, unmarried, have few or no children, do not have the support of their partner, or are less educated may not be able to access or use FP or their preferred method. These findings highlight the need for in-service training for staff, with a focus on reviewing current guidelines and eligibility criteria for provision of methods. PMID:24365015

  19. Arthroscopic Talar Dome Access Using a Standard Versus Wire-Based Traction Method for Ankle Joint Distraction.

    PubMed

    Barg, Alexej; Saltzman, Charles L; Beals, Timothy C; Bachus, Kent N; Blankenhorn, Brad D; Nickisch, Florian

    2016-07-01

    To evaluate the accessibility of the talar dome through anterior and posterior portals for ankle arthroscopy with the standard noninvasive distraction versus wire-based longitudinal distraction using a tensioned wire placed transversely through the calcaneal tuberosity. Seven matched pairs of thigh-to-foot specimens underwent ankle arthroscopy with 1 of 2 methods of distraction: a standard noninvasive strapping technique or a calcaneal tuberosity wire-based technique. The order of the arthroscopic approach and use of a distraction method was randomly determined. The areas accessed from both 2-portal anterior and 2-portal posterior approaches were determined by using a molded translucent grid. The mean talar surface accessible by anterior ankle arthroscopy was comparable with noninvasive versus calcaneal wire distraction with 57.8% ± 17.2% (range, 32.9% to 75.7%) versus 61.5% ± 15.2% (range, 38.5% to 79.1%) of the talar dome, respectively (P = .590). The use of calcaneal wire distraction significantly improved posterior talar dome accessibility compared with noninvasive distraction, with 56.4% ± 20.0% (range, 14.4% to 78.0%) versus 39.8% ± 14.9% (range, 20.0% to 57.6%) of the talar dome, respectively (P = .031). Under the conditions studied, our cadaveric model showed equivalent talar dome access with 2-portal anterior arthroscopy of calcaneal wire-based distraction versus noninvasive strap distraction, but improved access for 2-portal posterior arthroscopy with calcaneal wire-based distraction versus noninvasive strap distraction. The posterior 40% of the talar dome is difficult to access via anterior ankle arthroscopy. Posterior calcaneal tuberosity wire-based longitudinal distraction improved arthroscopic access to the centro-posterior talar dome with a posterior arthroscopic approach. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  20. Perceived Barriers Affecting Access to Preventive Dental Services: Application of DEMATEL Method.

    PubMed

    Bahadori, Mohammadkarim; Ravangard, Ramin; Asghari, Baratali

    2013-08-01

    Identifying perceived access barriers to preventive dental services is one of the basic steps to improve the public health. This study aimed to determine the perceived barriers affecting access to preventive dental services in one of Tehran dental clinics in 2012. This research was a cross-sectional descriptive-analytical study conducted in one of Tehran dental clinics in 2012 using decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL) method. The study sample included all patients (100 patients) who had referred to the endodontic treatment department from 26 - 31 May, 2012. The required data were collected using a questionnaire. Collected data were analyzed using SPSS 18.0 and MATLAB 7.9.0 SPSSS 18.0, as well as, some descriptive and analytical tests including Mean, Standard Deviation (SD), and Independent T- Test. The five determinants of cost, inconvenience, fear, organization, and patient-dentist relationship were determined as barriers to access to dental services among which the cost and patient-dentist relationship were identified as the first and last priorities with the coordinates (1.4 and 1.4) and (1.25 and -0.65), respectively. High cost of dental care has led to not referring patients to the clinic. Oral health costs are too high; however insurance organizations have no commitment to support such services. Policymakers, administrators, and insurance organizations have a major role in improving access to dental services. These decision-makers in making their policies can provide the required financial resources, shift the available resources towards preventive care and periodic checkups, and consider providing proper and sufficient places for dental care facilities.

  1. Discriminating Between Legitimate and Predatory Open Access Journals: Report from the International Federation for Emergency Medicine Research Committee.

    PubMed

    Hansoti, Bhakti; Langdorf, Mark I; Murphy, Linda S

    2016-09-01

    Open access (OA) medical publishing is growing rapidly. While subscription-based publishing does not charge the author, OA does. This opens the door for "predatory" publishers who take authors' money but provide no substantial peer review or indexing to truly disseminate research findings. Discriminating between predatory and legitimate OA publishers is difficult. We searched a number of library indexing databases that were available to us through the University of California, Irvine Libraries for journals in the field of emergency medicine (EM). Using criteria from Jeffrey Beall, University of Colorado librarian and an expert on predatory publishing, and the Research Committee of the International Federation for EM, we categorized EM journals as legitimate or likely predatory. We identified 150 journal titles related to EM from all sources, 55 of which met our criteria for OA (37%, the rest subscription based). Of these 55, 25 (45%) were likely to be predatory. We present lists of clearly legitimate OA journals, and, conversely, likely predatory ones. We present criteria a researcher can use to discriminate between the two. We present the indexing profiles of legitimate EM OA journals, to inform the researcher about degree of dissemination of research findings by journal. OA journals are proliferating rapidly. About half in EM are legitimate. The rest take substantial money from unsuspecting, usually junior, researchers and provide no value for true dissemination of findings. Researchers should be educated and aware of scam journals.

  2. Accessible methods for the dynamic time-scale decomposition of biochemical systems.

    PubMed

    Surovtsova, Irina; Simus, Natalia; Lorenz, Thomas; König, Artjom; Sahle, Sven; Kummer, Ursula

    2009-11-01

    The growing complexity of biochemical models asks for means to rationally dissect the networks into meaningful and rather independent subnetworks. Such foregoing should ensure an understanding of the system without any heuristics employed. Important for the success of such an approach is its accessibility and the clarity of the presentation of the results. In order to achieve this goal, we developed a method which is a modification of the classical approach of time-scale separation. This modified method as well as the more classical approach have been implemented for time-dependent application within the widely used software COPASI. The implementation includes different possibilities for the representation of the results including 3D-visualization. The methods are included in COPASI which is free for academic use and available at www.copasi.org. irina.surovtsova@bioquant.uni-heidelberg.de Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.

  3. Comparison of methods to estimate water access: a pilot study of a GPS-based approach in low resource settings.

    PubMed

    Pearson, Amber L

    2016-09-20

    Most water access studies involve self-reported measures such as time spent or simple spatial measures such as Euclidean distance from home to source. GPS-based measures of access are often considered actual access and have shown little correlation with self-reported measures. One main obstacle to widespread use of GPS-based measurement of access to water has been technological limitations (e.g., battery life). As such, GPS-based measures have been limited by time and in sample size. The aim of this pilot study was to develop and test a novel GPS unit, (≤4-week battery life, waterproof) to measure access to water. The GPS-based method was pilot-tested to estimate number of trips per day, time spent and distance traveled to source for all water collected over a 3-day period in five households in south-western Uganda. This method was then compared to self-reported measures and commonly used spatial measures of access for the same households. Time spent collecting water was significantly overestimated using a self-reported measure, compared to GPS-based (p < 0.05). In contrast, both the GIS Euclidean distances to nearest and actual primary source significantly underestimated distances traveled, compared to the GPS-based measurement of actual travel paths to water source (p < 0.05). Households did not consistently collect water from the source nearest their home. Comparisons between the GPS-based measure and self-reported meters traveled were not made, as respondents did not feel that they could accurately estimate distance. However, there was complete agreement between self-reported primary source and GPS-based. Reliance on cross-sectional self-reported or simple GIS measures leads to misclassification in water access measurement. This new method offers reductions in such errors and may aid in understanding dynamic measures of access to water for health studies.

  4. The Method behind the Madness: Acquiring Online Journals and a Solution to Provide Access

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Skekel, Donna

    2005-01-01

    Libraries are seeking the best possible solution for integrating online journals into their collections. While exploring the different methods and technology available, many libraries still strive to fulfill the original "library mission" proposed by Charles Cutter in his "Rules for a Dictionary Catalog". Providing comprehensive access to…

  5. An Introductory Mixed-Methods Intersectionality Analysis of College Access and Equity: An Examination of First-Generation Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Museus, Samuel D.

    2011-01-01

    In this article, the author discusses how researchers can use mixed-methods approaches and intersectional analyses to understand college access among first-generation Asian American and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs). First, he discusses the utility of mixed-methods approaches and intersectionality research in studying college access. Then, he…

  6. Guided endodontics: accuracy of a novel method for guided access cavity preparation and root canal location.

    PubMed

    Zehnder, M S; Connert, T; Weiger, R; Krastl, G; Kühl, S

    2016-10-01

    To present a novel method utilizing 3D printed templates to gain guided access to root canals and to evaluate its accuracy in vitro. Sixty extracted human teeth were placed into six maxillary jaw models. Preoperative CBCT scans were matched with intra-oral scans using the coDiagnostix(™) software. Access cavities, sleeves and templates for guidance were virtually planned. Templates were produced by a 3D printer. After access cavity preparation by two operators, a postoperative CBCT scan was superimposed on the virtual planning. Accuracy was measured by calculating the deviation of planned and prepared cavities in three dimensions and angle. Ninety-five per cent confidence intervals were calculated for both operators. All root canals were accessible after cavity preparation with 'Guided Endodontics'. Deviations of planned and prepared access cavities were low with means ranging from 0.16 to 0.21 mm for different aspects at the base of the bur and 0.17-0.47 mm at the tip of the bur. Mean of angle deviation was 1.81°. Overlapping 95% confidence intervals revealed no significant difference between operators. 'Guided Endodontics' allowed an accurate access cavity preparation up to the apical third of the root utilizing printed templates for guidance. All root canals were accessible after preparation. © 2015 International Endodontic Journal. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  7. Internet and Social Media Access Among Youth Experiencing Homelessness: Mixed-Methods Study.

    PubMed

    VonHoltz, Lauren A Houdek; Frasso, Rosemary; Golinkoff, Jesse M; Lozano, Alicia J; Hanlon, Alexandra; Dowshen, Nadia

    2018-05-22

    homelessness. While experiencing homelessness, participants indicated their behaviors were more goal-oriented and less focused on leisure or entertainment activities. While homeless youth experience changes in the frequency, amount of time, and specific uses of the internet and social media, study participants were able to access the internet regularly. The internet was used to search health-related topics. Given the importance of smartphones in accessing the internet, mobile-optimized websites may be an effective method for reaching this group. ©Lauren A Houdek VonHoltz, Rosemary Frasso, Jesse M Golinkoff, Alicia J Lozano, Alexandra Hanlon, Nadia Dowshen. Originally published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research (http://www.jmir.org), 22.05.2018.

  8. Methods and apparatus for integrating, organizing, and accessing flight planning and other data on multifunction cockpit displays

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Gibbs, Michael J. (Inventor); Adams, Michael B. (Inventor); Chase, Karl L. (Inventor); Van Omen, Debi (Inventor); Lewis, Daniel E. (Inventor); McCrobie, Daniel E. (Inventor)

    2003-01-01

    A method and system for displaying a flight plan such that an entire flight plan is viewable through the use of scrolling devices is disclosed. The flight plan display may also include a method and system for collapsing and expanding a flight plan display, have provisions for the conspicuous marking of changes to a flight plan, the use of tabs to switch between various displays of data, and access to a navigation database that allows a user to view information about various navigational aids. The database may also the access to the information about the navigational aids to be prioritized based on proximity to the current position of the aircraft.

  9. Access to Money and Relation to Women's Use of Family Planning Methods Among Young Married Women in Rural India.

    PubMed

    Reed, Elizabeth; Donta, Balaiah; Dasgupta, Anindita; Ghule, Mohan; Battala, Madhusudana; Nair, Saritha; Silverman, Jay; Jadhav, Arun; Palaye, Prajakta; Saggurti, Niranjan; Raj, Anita

    2016-06-01

    Objectives The social positioning (i.e. social status and autonomy) of women in the household facilitates women's access to and decision-making power related to family planning (FP). Women's access to spending money, which may be an indicator of greater social positioning in the household, may also be greater among women who engage in income generating activities for their families, regardless of women's status in the household. However, in both scenarios, access to money may independently afford greater opportunity to obtain family planning services among women. This study seeks to assess whether access to money is associated with FP outcomes independently of women's social positioning in their households. Methods Using survey data from married couples in rural Maharashtra, India (n = 855), crude and adjusted regression was used to assess women's access to their own spending money in relation to past 3 month use of condoms and other forms of contraceptives (pills, injectables, intrauterine device). Results Access to money (59 %) was associated with condom and other contraceptive use (AORs ranged 1.5-1.8). These findings remained significant after adjusting for women's FP decision-making power in the household and mobility to seek FP services. Conclusion While preliminary, findings suggest that access to money may increase women's ability to obtain FP methods, even in contexts where social norms to support women's power in FP decision-making may not be readily adopted.

  10. [A method for the implementation and promotion of access to comprehensive and complementary primary healthcare practices].

    PubMed

    Santos, Melissa Costa; Tesser, Charles Dalcanale

    2012-11-01

    The rendering of integrated and complementary practices in the Brazilian Unified Health System is fostered to increase the comprehensiveness of care and access to same, though it is a challenge to incorporate them into the services. Our objective is to provide a simple method of implementation of such practices in Primary Healthcare, derived from analysis of experiences in municipalities, using partial results of a master's thesis that employed research-action methodology. The method involves four stages: 1 - defininition of a nucleus responsible for implementation and consolidation thereof; 2 - situational analysis, with definition of the existing competent professionals; 3 - regulation, organization of access and legitimation; and 4 - implementation cycle: local plans, mentoring and ongoing education in health. The phases are described, justified and briefly discussed. The method encourages the development of rational and sustainable actions, sponsors participatory management, the creation of comprehensivenessand the broadening of care provided in Primary Healthcare by offering progressive and sustainable comprehensive and complementary practices.

  11. Analysis of Airport Access - A Methods Review and Research Program

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1971-10-01

    The report points up the differences and similarities between airport access travel and general urban trip making. Models and surveys developed for, or applicable, to airport access planning are reviewed. A research proram is proposed which would gen...

  12. Moving toward a universally accessible web: Web accessibility and education.

    PubMed

    Kurt, Serhat

    2017-12-08

    The World Wide Web is an extremely powerful source of information, inspiration, ideas, and opportunities. As such, it has become an integral part of daily life for a great majority of people. Yet, for a significant number of others, the internet offers only limited value due to the existence of barriers which make accessing the Web difficult, if not impossible. This article illustrates some of the reasons that achieving equality of access to the online world of education is so critical, explores the current status of Web accessibility, discusses evaluative tools and methods that can help identify accessibility issues in educational websites, and provides practical recommendations and guidelines for resolving some of the obstacles that currently hinder the achievability of the goal of universal Web access.

  13. Internet Access and Pricing: Sorting Out the Options.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fowler, Thomas B.

    1997-01-01

    Discusses Internet access and pricing options. Highlights include restructuring of the telecommunications industry; current methods of access; economics of high-speed access; the impact of cheap Internet access; long-term possibilities; and a table that provides a comparison of Internet access methods. (LRW)

  14. The evaluation of radiologic methods for access guidance in percutaneous nephrolithotomy: a systematic review of the literature.

    PubMed

    Breda, Alberto; Territo, Angelo; Scoffone, Cesare; Seitz, Christian; Knoll, Thomas; Herrmann, Thomas; Brehmer, Mariannhe; Osther, Palle J S; Liatsikos, Evangelos

    2017-11-12

    Percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PNL) is the treatment of choice for larger and complex renal calculi. First step in performing PNL is to obtain access to the renal cavity using either fluoroscopy or ultrasound (US) guidance or a combination of both. Which guiding method to choose is controversial? A systematic review of the literature was performed comparing image guidance modalities for obtaining access in PNL. Evidence acquisition and synthesis: A PubMed, Scopus and Cochrane search for peer-reviewed studies was performed using the keywords "ultrasound" AND "fluoroscopy" AND "Percutaneous nephrolithotomy". Eligible articles were reviewed according to PRISMA criteria. Two hundred and forty records were identified using the keywords. Of these twelve studies were considered relevant. US guidance seems to be associated with a slightly lower complication rate, which may be related to fewer puncture attempts needed for obtaining access and to better peri-renal organ visualization. On the other hand, US-guidance alone needs the adjunct of fluoroscopy in a significant number of cases for achieving access. Stone free rate (SFR) was comparable between groups. Using US for renal access unequivocally reduces radiation exposure. Current evidence indicates that both fluoroscopy and US guidance may be successfully used for obtaining percutaneous renal access. Combining the image-guiding modalities - US and fluoroscopy - seems to increase outcome in PNL both with regard to success in achieving access and reducing complications. Furthermore, including US in the access strategy of PNL reduces radiation exposure to surgeon and staff as well as patients.

  15. Solvent Flux Method (SFM): A Case Study of Water Access to Candida antarctica Lipase B.

    PubMed

    Benson, Sven P; Pleiss, Jürgen

    2014-11-11

    The solvent flux method (SFM) was developed to comprehensively characterize the influx of solvent molecules from the solvent environment into the active site of a protein in the framework of molecular dynamics simulations. This was achieved by introducing a solvent concentration gradient as well as partially reorienting and rescaling the velocity vector of all solvent molecules contained within a spherical volume enclosing the protein, thus inducing an accelerated solvent influx toward the active site. In addition to the detection of solvent access pathway within the protein structure, it is hereby possible to identify potential amino acid positions relevant to solvent-related enzyme engineering with high statistical significance. The method is particularly aimed at improving the reverse hydrolysis reaction rates in nonaqueous media. Candida antarctica lipase B (CALB) binds to a triglyceride-water interface with its substrate entrance channel oriented toward the hydrophobic substrate interface. The lipase-triglyceride-water system served as a model system for SFM to evaluate the influx of water molecules to the active site. As a proof of principle for SFM, a previously known water access pathway in CALB was identified as the primary water channel. In addition, a secondary water channel and two pathways for water access which contribute to water leakage between the protein and the triglyceride-water interface were identified.

  16. Teens' Survey of Stores in the District of Columbia on Accessibility of Family Planning Methods.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Center for Population Options, Washington, DC.

    Access to and availability of contraceptive methods in stores play an important role in the prevention of AIDS, unwanted pregnancies, and other sexually transmitted diseases. Although teens are generally knowledgable about birth control, many encounter barriers when attempting to obtain contraceptive. Forty-five drug stores and 15 convenience…

  17. An enhanced two-step floating catchment area (E2SFCA) method for measuring spatial accessibility to primary care physicians.

    PubMed

    Luo, Wei; Qi, Yi

    2009-12-01

    This paper presents an enhancement of the two-step floating catchment area (2SFCA) method for measuring spatial accessibility, addressing the problem of uniform access within the catchment by applying weights to different travel time zones to account for distance decay. The enhancement is proved to be another special case of the gravity model. When applying this enhanced 2SFCA (E2SFCA) to measure the spatial access to primary care physicians in a study area in northern Illinois, we find that it reveals spatial accessibility pattern that is more consistent with intuition and delineates more spatially explicit health professional shortage areas. It is easy to implement in GIS and straightforward to interpret.

  18. Access to Money and Relation to Women’s Use of Family Planning Methods among Young Married Women in Rural India

    PubMed Central

    Reed, Elizabeth; Donta, Balaiah; Dasgupta, Anindita; Ghule, Mohan; Battala, Madhusudana; Nair, Saritha; Silverman, Jay; Jadhav, Arun; Palaye, Prajakta; Saggurti, Niranjan; Raj, Anita

    2016-01-01

    Objectives The social positioning (i.e. social status and autonomy) of women in the household facilitates women’s access to and decision-making power related to family planning (FP). Women’s access to spending money, which may be an indicator of greater social positioning in the household, may also be greater among women who engage in income generating activities for their families, regardless of women’s status in the household. However, in both scenarios, access to money may independently afford greater opportunity to obtain family planning services among women. This study seeks to assess whether access to money is associated with FP outcomes independently of women’s social positioning in their households. Methods Using survey data from married couples in rural Maharashtra, India (n=855), crude and adjusted regression was used to assess women’s access to their own spending money in relation to past 3 month use of condoms and other forms of contraceptives (pills, injectables, intrauterine device). Results Access to money (59%) was associated with condom and other contraceptive use (AORs ranged: 1.5 – 1.8). These findings remained significant after adjusting for women’s FP decision-making power in the household and mobility to seek FP services. Conclusion While preliminary, findings suggest that access to money may increase women’s ability to obtain FP methods, even in contexts where social norms to support women’s power in FP decision-making may not be readily adopted. PMID:26971270

  19. Access to cardiac rehabilitation among South-Asian patients by referral method: a qualitative study.

    PubMed

    Grewal, Keerat; Leung, Yvonne W; Safai, Parissa; Stewart, Donna E; Anand, Sonia; Gupta, Milan; Parsons, Cynthia; Grace, Sherry L

    2010-01-01

    People of South-Asian origin have an increased prevalence of coronary artery disease. Although cardiac rehabilitation (CR) is effective, South Asians are among the least likely people to participate in these programs. Automatic referral increases CR use and may reduce access inequalities. This study qualitatively explored whether CR referral knowledge and access varied among South-Asian patients. Participants were South-Asian cardiac patients receiving treatment at hospitals in Ontario, Canada. Each hospital refers to CR via one offour methods: automatically through paper or electronically, through discussion with allied health professionals (liaison referral), or through referral at the physician's discretion. Data were collected via interviews and analyzed using interpretive-descriptive analysis. Four themes emerged: the importance of predischarge CR discussions with healthcare providers, limited knowledge of CR, ease of the referral process for facilitators of CR attendance, and participants'needs for personal autonomy regarding their decision to attend CR. Liaison referral was perceived to be the most suitable referral method for participants. It facilitated communication between patients and providers, ensuring improved understanding of CR. Automatic referral may not be as well suited to this population because of reduced patient-provider communication.

  20. A spectral nudging method for the ACCESS1.3 atmospheric model

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Uhe, P.; Thatcher, M.

    2015-06-01

    A convolution-based method of spectral nudging of atmospheric fields is developed in the Australian Community Climate and Earth Systems Simulator (ACCESS) version 1.3 which uses the UK Met Office Unified Model version 7.3 as its atmospheric component. The use of convolutions allow for flexibility in application to different atmospheric grids. An approximation using one-dimensional convolutions is applied, improving the time taken by the nudging scheme by 10-30 times compared with a version using a two-dimensional convolution, without measurably degrading its performance. Care needs to be taken in the order of the convolutions and the frequency of nudging to obtain the best outcome. The spectral nudging scheme is benchmarked against a Newtonian relaxation method, nudging winds and air temperature towards ERA-Interim reanalyses. We find that the convolution approach can produce results that are competitive with Newtonian relaxation in both the effectiveness and efficiency of the scheme, while giving the added flexibility of choosing which length scales to nudge.

  1. A spectral nudging method for the ACCESS1.3 atmospheric model

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Uhe, P.; Thatcher, M.

    2014-10-01

    A convolution based method of spectral nudging of atmospheric fields is developed in the Australian Community Climate and Earth Systems Simulator (ACCESS) version 1.3 which uses the UK Met Office Unified Model version 7.3 as its atmospheric component. The use of convolutions allow flexibility in application to different atmospheric grids. An approximation using one-dimensional convolutions is applied, improving the time taken by the nudging scheme by 10 to 30 times compared with a version using a two-dimensional convolution, without measurably degrading its performance. Care needs to be taken in the order of the convolutions and the frequency of nudging to obtain the best outcome. The spectral nudging scheme is benchmarked against a Newtonian relaxation method, nudging winds and air temperature towards ERA-Interim reanalyses. We find that the convolution approach can produce results that are competitive with Newtonian relaxation in both the effectiveness and efficiency of the scheme, while giving the added flexibility of choosing which length scales to nudge.

  2. Association between the accessibility to lethal methods and method-specific suicide rates: An ecological study in Taiwan.

    PubMed

    Lin, Jin-Jia; Lu, Tsung-Hsueh

    2006-07-01

    To examine the association between availability of lethal methods of suicide and method-specific suicide rates at the city/ county level in Taiwan. Age-adjusted and age-specific suicide rates of 23 cities/counties in Taiwan for the years 1999 to 2003 were calculated. Partial correlation coefficients were used to examine cross-sectional associations between independent variables, i.e., proportion of agricultural population and proportion of households living on the sixth floor or above, and suicide rates by different methods (poisoning by solids/liquids, jumping, and hanging) after adjusting for unemployment rates and prevalence of depression. The partial correlation coefficient was 0.77 (p < .001) for proportion of agricultural population with solids/liquids poisoning suicide rates. It was 0.73 (p < .001) for the proportion of households living on the sixth floor or above with suicide rates by jumping. Correlations between hanging suicide rates and proportion of agricultural population or between hanging suicide rates and proportion of households living on the sixth floor or above were not significant. The results showed strong positive associations between access to lethal methods and method-specific suicide rates. Controlling the availability of pesticides and fencing high buildings or installing window guards may be effective measures for suicide prevention.

  3. Developing and Evaluating a Technology Enhanced Interaction Framework and Method That Can Enhance the Accessibility of Mobile Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Angkananon, Kewalin; Wald, Mike; Gilbert, Lester

    2014-01-01

    This paper focuses on the development and evaluation of a Technology Enhanced Interaction Framework and Method that can help with designing accessible mobile learning interactions involving disabled people. This new framework and method were developed to help design technological support for communication and interactions between people,…

  4. Open access and beyond

    PubMed Central

    Mathur, Shawn; Schmidt, Christian; Das, Chhaya; Tucker, Philip W

    2006-01-01

    Uncensored exchange of scientific results hastens progress. Open Access does not stop at the removal of price and permission barriers; still, censorship and reading disabilities, to name a few, hamper access to information. Here, we invite the scientific community and the public to discuss new methods to distribute, store and manage literature in order to achieve unfettered access to literature. PMID:16956402

  5. Open Access and beyond.

    PubMed

    Mathur, Shawn; Schmidt, Christian; Das, Chhaya; Tucker, Philip W

    2006-09-06

    Uncensored exchange of scientific results hastens progress. Open Access does not stop at the removal of price and permission barriers; still, censorship and reading disabilities, to name a few, hamper access to information. Here, we invite the scientific community and the public to discuss new methods to distribute, store and manage literature in order to achieve unfettered access to literature.

  6. Action research to improve methods of delivery and feedback in an Access Grid Room environment

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    McArthur, Lynne C.; Klass, Lara; Eberhard, Andrew; Stacey, Andrew

    2011-12-01

    This article describes a qualitative study which was undertaken to improve the delivery methods and feedback opportunity in honours mathematics lectures which are delivered through Access Grid Rooms. Access Grid Rooms are facilities that provide two-way video and audio interactivity across multiple sites, with the inclusion of smart boards. The principal aim was to improve the student learning experience, given the new environment. The specific aspects of the course delivery that the study focused on included presentation of materials and provision of opportunities for interaction between the students and between students and lecturers. The practical considerations in the delivery of distance learning are well documented in the literature, and similar problems arise in the Access Grid Room environment; in particular, those of limited access to face-to-face interaction and the reduction in peer support. The nature of the Access Grid Room classes implies that students studying the same course can be physically situated in different cities, and possibly in different countries. When studying, it is important that students have opportunity to discuss new concepts with others; particularly their peers and their lecturer. The Access Grid Room environment also presents new challenges for the lecturer, who must learn new skills in the delivery of materials. The unique nature of Access Grid Room technology offers unprecedented opportunity for effective course delivery and positive outcomes for students, and was developed in response to a need to be able to interact with complex data, other students and the instructor, in real-time, at a distance and from multiple sites. This is a relatively new technology and as yet there has been little or no studies specifically addressing the use and misuse of the technology. The study found that the correct placement of cameras and the use of printed material and smart boards were all crucial to the student experience. In addition, the

  7. Use of two test methods to ensure accurate surface firmness and stability measurements for accessibility.

    PubMed

    Axelson, Peter W; Hurley, Seanna L

    2018-05-01

    The firmness and stability of indoor and outdoor surfacing are critical to the accessibility and safety of all environments for people with mobility impairments and/or who use mobility devices. ASTM F1951 laboratory test procedures include pass/fail criteria for determining playground surface accessibility by comparing the work to propel up a 1:14 (7.1%) grade ramp to that of the test surface in a wheelchair. A portable instrumented surface indenter (ISI) was developed to validate that accessibility results obtained in the laboratory are maintained in the field where the surface is installed and used. Accessibility measurements have been made on indoor and outdoor surfaces tested in the laboratory using both the ASTM F1951 and the ISI over 13 years. Correlations between these two methods were calculated. A strong correlation has been demonstrated for the sum of the ISI firmness and stability results compared to the sum of the ASTM F1951 straight propulsion and turning results (R 2 =0.9006). The portable ISI can be used to verify that the firmness and stability of an installed surface in the field correlates to the accessibility results of the surface tested in the laboratory concurrently according to ASTM F1951 and the ISI. Implications for Rehabilitation The Instrumented Surface Indenter (ISI) allows for surfaces in all environments to be tested for firmness and stability, which is critical for wheelchair user safety, especially during rehabilitation when learning to use a wheelchair. The ISI allows for surfaces in all environments to be tested for firmness and stability, which increases access to all indoor and outdoor surfaces, thereby improving the quality of life for people who have mobility impairments and/or use mobility devices, such as canes, crutches, walkers, and wheelchairs. Using the ISI to test the firmness and stability of installed playground surfaces increases access to playgrounds for children with mobility impairments, facilitating

  8. Health care access for rural youth on equal terms? A mixed methods study protocol in northern Sweden.

    PubMed

    Goicolea, Isabel; Carson, Dean; San Sebastian, Miguel; Christianson, Monica; Wiklund, Maria; Hurtig, Anna-Karin

    2018-01-11

    The purpose of this paper is to propose a protocol for researching the impact of rural youth health service strategies on health care access. There has been no published comprehensive assessment of the effectiveness of youth health strategies in rural areas, and there is no clearly articulated model of how such assessments might be conducted. The protocol described here aims to gather information to; i) Assess rural youth access to health care according to their needs, ii) Identify and understand the strategies developed in rural areas to promote youth access to health care, and iii) Propose actions for further improvement. The protocol is described with particular reference to research being undertaken in the four northernmost counties of Sweden, which contain a widely dispersed and diverse youth population. The protocol proposes qualitative and quantitative methodologies sequentially in four phases. First, to map youth access to health care according to their health care needs, including assessing horizontal equity (equal use of health care for equivalent health needs,) and vertical equity (people with greater health needs should receive more health care than those with lesser needs). Second, a multiple case study design investigates strategies developed across the region (youth clinics, internet applications, public health programs) to improve youth access to health care. Third, qualitative comparative analysis of the 24 rural municipalities in the region identifies the best combination of conditions leading to high youth access to health care. Fourth, a concept mapping study involving rural stakeholders, care providers and youth provides recommended actions to improve rural youth access to health care. The implementation of this research protocol will contribute to 1) generating knowledge that could contribute to strengthening rural youth access to health care, as well as to 2) advancing the application of mixed methods to explore access to health care.

  9. Motivating and Facilitating Advancements in Space Weather Real-Time Data Availability: Factors, Data, and Access Methods

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pankratz, C. K.; Baker, D. N.; Jaynes, A. N.; Elkington, S. R.; Baltzer, T.; Sanchez, F.

    2017-12-01

    Society's growing reliance on complex and highly interconnected technological systems makes us increasingly vulnerable to the effects of space weather events - maybe more than for any other natural hazard. An extreme solar storm today could conceivably impact hundreds of the more than 1400 operating Earth satellites. Such an extreme storm could cause collapse of the electrical grid on continental scales. The effects on navigation, communication, and remote sensing of our home planet could be devastating to our social functioning. Thus, it is imperative that the scientific community address the question of just how severe events might become. At least as importantly, it is crucial that policy makers and public safety officials be informed by the facts on what might happen during extreme conditions. This requires essentially real-time alerts, warnings, and also forecasts of severe space weather events, which in turn demands measurements, models, and associated data products to be available via the most effective data discovery and access methods possible. Similarly, advancement in the fundamental scientific understanding of space weather processes is also vital, requiring that researchers have convenient and effective access to a wide variety of data sets and models from multiple sources. The space weather research community, as with many scientific communities, must access data from dispersed and often uncoordinated data repositories to acquire the data necessary for the analysis and modeling efforts that advance our understanding of solar influences and space physics on the Earth's environment. The Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP), as a leading institution in both producing data products and advancing the state of scientific understanding of space weather processes, is well positioned to address many of these issues. In this presentation, we will outline the motivating factors for effective space weather data access, summarize the various data

  10. Biomass accessibility analysis using electron tomography

    DOE PAGES

    Hinkle, Jacob D.; Ciesielski, Peter N.; Gruchalla, Kenny; ...

    2015-12-25

    Substrate accessibility to catalysts has been a dominant theme in theories of biomass deconstruction. Furthermore, current methods of quantifying accessibility do not elucidate mechanisms for increased accessibility due to changes in microstructure following pretreatment.

  11. Availability and Accessibility in an Open Access Institutional Repository: A Case Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lee, Jongwook; Burnett, Gary; Vandegrift, Micah; Baeg, Jung Hoon; Morris, Richard

    2015-01-01

    Introduction: This study explores the extent to which an institutional repository makes papers available and accessible on the open Web by using 170 journal articles housed in DigiNole Commons, the institutional repository at Florida State University. Method: To analyse the repository's impact on availability and accessibility, we conducted…

  12. A stochastic simulation method for the assessment of resistive random access memory retention reliability

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Berco, Dan, E-mail: danny.barkan@gmail.com; Tseng, Tseung-Yuen, E-mail: tseng@cc.nctu.edu.tw

    This study presents an evaluation method for resistive random access memory retention reliability based on the Metropolis Monte Carlo algorithm and Gibbs free energy. The method, which does not rely on a time evolution, provides an extremely efficient way to compare the relative retention properties of metal-insulator-metal structures. It requires a small number of iterations and may be used for statistical analysis. The presented approach is used to compare the relative robustness of a single layer ZrO{sub 2} device with a double layer ZnO/ZrO{sub 2} one, and obtain results which are in good agreement with experimental data.

  13. Finding Food Deserts: A Comparison of Methods Measuring Spatial Access to Food Stores.

    PubMed

    Jaskiewicz, Lara; Block, Daniel; Chavez, Noel

    2016-05-01

    Public health research has increasingly focused on how access to resources affects health behaviors. Mapping environmental factors, such as distance to a supermarket, can identify intervention points toward improving food access in low-income and minority communities. However, the existing literature provides little guidance on choosing the most appropriate measures of spatial access. This study compared the results of different measures of spatial access to large food stores and the locations of high and low access identified by each. The data set included U.S. Census population data and the locations of large food stores in the six-county area around Chicago, Illinois. Six measures of spatial access were calculated at the census block group level and the results compared. The analysis found that there was little agreement in the identified locations of high or low access between measures. This study illustrates the importance of considering the access measure used when conducting research, interpreting results, or comparing studies. Future research should explore the correlation of different measures with health behaviors and health outcomes. © 2015 Society for Public Health Education.

  14. Spatial accessibility to healthcare services in Shenzhen, China: improving the multi-modal two-step floating catchment area method by estimating travel time via online map APIs.

    PubMed

    Tao, Zhuolin; Yao, Zaoxing; Kong, Hui; Duan, Fei; Li, Guicai

    2018-05-09

    Shenzhen has rapidly grown into a megacity in the recent decades. It is a challenging task for the Shenzhen government to provide sufficient healthcare services. The spatial configuration of healthcare services can influence the convenience for the consumers to obtain healthcare services. Spatial accessibility has been widely adopted as a scientific measurement for evaluating the rationality of the spatial configuration of healthcare services. The multi-modal two-step floating catchment area (2SFCA) method is an important advance in the field of healthcare accessibility modelling, which enables the simultaneous assessment of spatial accessibility via multiple transport modes. This study further develops the multi-modal 2SFCA method by introducing online map APIs to improve the estimation of travel time by public transit or by car respectively. As the results show, the distribution of healthcare accessibility by multi-modal 2SFCA shows significant spatial disparity. Moreover, by dividing the multi-modal accessibility into car-mode and transit-mode accessibility, this study discovers that the transit-mode subgroup is disadvantaged in the competition for healthcare services with the car-mode subgroup. The disparity in transit-mode accessibility is the main reason of the uneven pattern of healthcare accessibility in Shenzhen. The findings suggest improving the public transit conditions for accessing healthcare services to reduce the disparity of healthcare accessibility. More healthcare services should be allocated in the eastern and western Shenzhen, especially sub-districts in Dapeng District and western Bao'an District. As these findings cannot be drawn by the traditional single-modal 2SFCA method, the advantage of the multi-modal 2SFCA method is significant to both healthcare studies and healthcare system planning.

  15. Increased levels of markers of vascular inflammation in patients with coronary heart disease.

    PubMed

    Schumacher, A; Seljeflot, I; Sommervoll, L; Christensen, B; Otterstad, J E; Arnesen, H

    2002-01-01

    Elevated levels of soluble cell adhesion molecules (sCAMs), inflammatory cytokines and C-reactive protein (CRP) have been associated with atherosclerotic disease states. The aim of the present study was to evaluate whether circulating levels of vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (sVCAM-1), intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (sICAM-1), E- and P-selectin were significantly elevated in patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) compared with healthy controls, and to study possible associations between these sCAMs, tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNFalpha). interleukin-6 (IL-6), CRP and major CHD risk factors. The study included 193 patients in various stages of CHD and 193 matched controls. To evaluate any possible influence of acute phase reaction, reinvestigation was performed after 6 months. After adjustment for major CHD risk factors, sVCAM-1, sICAM-1, P-selectin, IL-6 and CRP remained significantly elevated in the CHD patients (p for all <0.001). In multivariate analysis sVCAM-1 was predicted by age (p=0.015), sICAM-1 by smoking (p<0.001) and total cholesterol (p=0.026), E-selectin by body mass index (BMI) (p=0.004) and P-selectin by male gender (p=0.015). TNFalpha significantly predicted sICAM-1 and E-selectin levels, while IL-6 predicted CRP but none of the sCAMs measured. This might indicate that TNFalpha, but not IL-6, plays a major role in the regulation of sCAM levels in vivo.

  16. Role-based access control permissions

    DOEpatents

    Staggs, Kevin P.; Markham, Thomas R.; Hull Roskos, Julie J.; Chernoguzov, Alexander

    2017-04-25

    Devices, systems, and methods for role-based access control permissions are disclosed. One method includes a policy decision point that receives up-to-date security context information from one or more outside sources to determine whether to grant access for a data client to a portion of the system and creates an access vector including the determination; receiving, via a policy agent, a request by the data client for access to the portion of the computing system by the data client, wherein the policy agent checks to ensure there is a session established with communications and user/application enforcement points; receiving, via communications policy enforcement point, the request from the policy agent, wherein the communications policy enforcement point determines whether the data client is an authorized node, based upon the access vector received from the policy decision point; and receiving, via the user/application policy enforcement point, the request from the communications policy enforcement point.

  17. Quantitative methods in electroencephalography to access therapeutic response.

    PubMed

    Diniz, Roseane Costa; Fontenele, Andrea Martins Melo; Carmo, Luiza Helena Araújo do; Ribeiro, Aurea Celeste da Costa; Sales, Fábio Henrique Silva; Monteiro, Sally Cristina Moutinho; Sousa, Ana Karoline Ferreira de Castro

    2016-07-01

    Pharmacometrics or Quantitative Pharmacology aims to quantitatively analyze the interaction between drugs and patients whose tripod: pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics and disease monitoring to identify variability in drug response. Being the subject of central interest in the training of pharmacists, this work was out with a view to promoting this idea on methods to access the therapeutic response of drugs with central action. This paper discusses quantitative methods (Fast Fourier Transform, Magnitude Square Coherence, Conditional Entropy, Generalised Linear semi-canonical Correlation Analysis, Statistical Parametric Network and Mutual Information Function) used to evaluate the EEG signals obtained after administration regimen of drugs, the main findings and their clinical relevance, pointing it as a contribution to construction of different pharmaceutical practice. Peter Anderer et. al in 2000 showed the effect of 20mg of buspirone in 20 healthy subjects after 1, 2, 4, 6 and 8h after oral ingestion of the drug. The areas of increased power of the theta frequency occurred mainly in the temporo-occipital - parietal region. It has been shown by Sampaio et al., 2007 that the use of bromazepam, which allows the release of GABA (gamma amino butyric acid), an inhibitory neurotransmitter of the central nervous system could theoretically promote dissociation of cortical functional areas, a decrease of functional connectivity, a decrease of cognitive functions by means of smaller coherence (electrophysiological magnitude measured from the EEG by software) values. Ahmad Khodayari-Rostamabad et al. in 2015 talk that such a measure could be a useful clinical tool potentially to assess adverse effects of opioids and hence give rise to treatment guidelines. There was the relation between changes in pain intensity and brain sources (at maximum activity locations) during remifentanil infusion despite its potent analgesic effect. The statement of mathematical and computational

  18. The 'SAFARI' Technique Using Retrograde Access Via Peroneal Artery Access

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Zhuang, Kun Da, E-mail: zkunda@gmail.com; Tan, Seck Guan; Tay, Kiang Hiong

    2012-08-15

    The 'SAFARI' technique or subintimal arterial flossing with antegrade-retrograde intervention is a method for recanalisation of chronic total occlusions (CTOs) when subintimal angioplasty fails. Retrograde access is usually obtained via the popliteal, distal anterior tibial artery (ATA)/dorsalis pedis (DP), or distal posterior tibial artery (PTA). Distal access via the peroneal artery has not been described and has a risk of continued bleeding, leading to compartment syndrome due to its deep location. We describe our experience in two patients with retrograde access via the peroneal artery and the use of balloon-assisted hemostasis for these retrograde punctures. This approach may potentially givemore » more options for endovascular interventions in lower limb CTOs.« less

  19. System and method for integrating and accessing multiple data sources within a data warehouse architecture

    DOEpatents

    Musick, Charles R [Castro Valley, CA; Critchlow, Terence [Livermore, CA; Ganesh, Madhaven [San Jose, CA; Slezak, Tom [Livermore, CA; Fidelis, Krzysztof [Brentwood, CA

    2006-12-19

    A system and method is disclosed for integrating and accessing multiple data sources within a data warehouse architecture. The metadata formed by the present method provide a way to declaratively present domain specific knowledge, obtained by analyzing data sources, in a consistent and useable way. Four types of information are represented by the metadata: abstract concepts, databases, transformations and mappings. A mediator generator automatically generates data management computer code based on the metadata. The resulting code defines a translation library and a mediator class. The translation library provides a data representation for domain specific knowledge represented in a data warehouse, including "get" and "set" methods for attributes that call transformation methods and derive a value of an attribute if it is missing. The mediator class defines methods that take "distinguished" high-level objects as input and traverse their data structures and enter information into the data warehouse.

  20. Probing N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor desensitization with the substituted-cysteine accessibility method.

    PubMed

    Thomas, Christopher G; Krupp, Johannes J; Bagley, Elena E; Bauzon, Reginald; Heinemann, Stephen F; Vissel, Bryce; Westbrook, Gary L

    2006-04-01

    Several forms of macroscopic N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor desensitization affect the amplitude and duration of postsynaptic responses. In addition to its functional significance, desensitization provides one means to examine the conformational coupling of ligand binding to channel gating. Segments flanking the ligand binding domain in the extracellular N terminus of the NMDA receptor NR2 subunit influence the glycine-independent form of desensitization. The NR2A pre-M1 region, the linker between the glutamate binding domain and the channel pore, plays a critical role in desensitization. Thus, we used the substituted-cysteine accessibility method to scan the accessibility of residues in the pre-M1 region and the first transmembrane domain (M1) of NR2A. Cysteine mutants were expressed with NR1 in human embryonic kidney 293 cells and were assayed by whole-cell recording. With activation of the receptor by glutamate and glycine, only a single mutant, V557C, which is located at the beginning of M1, led to irreversible inhibition by the methanethiosulfonate derivative methanethiosulfonate ethyltrimethylammonium (MTSET). The NR2 ligand glutamate was insufficient on its own to induce modification of V557C by MTSET, suggesting that the change in accessibility required channel gating. The rate of MTSET modification of the homologous residue on NR1 (NR1-1a(L562C)/NR2A) was much slower than V557C. We also substituted cysteine in the V557 site of mutant subunits that exhibit either enhanced or reduced desensitization. Modification by MTSET correlated with the degree of desensitization for these subunits, suggesting that V557C is a sensitive detector of desensitization gating.

  1. Selective access and editing in a database

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Maluf, David A. (Inventor); Gawdiak, Yuri O. (Inventor)

    2010-01-01

    Method and system for providing selective access to different portions of a database by different subgroups of database users. Where N users are involved, up to 2.sup.N-1 distinguishable access subgroups in a group space can be formed, where no two access subgroups have the same members. Two or more members of a given access subgroup can edit, substantially simultaneously, a document accessible to each member.

  2. Robotic percutaneous access to the kidney: comparison with standard manual access.

    PubMed

    Su, Li-Ming; Stoianovici, Dan; Jarrett, Thomas W; Patriciu, Alexandru; Roberts, William W; Cadeddu, Jeffrey A; Ramakumar, Sanjay; Solomon, Stephen B; Kavoussi, Louis R

    2002-09-01

    To evaluate the efficiency, accuracy, and safety of robotic percutaneous access to the kidney (PAKY) for percutaneous nephrolithotomy in comparison with conventional manual techniques. We compared the intraoperative access variables (number of access attempts, time to successful access, estimated blood loss, complications) of 23 patients who underwent robotic PAKY with the remote center of motion device (PAKY-RCM) with the same data from a contemporaneous series of 23 patients who underwent conventional manual percutaneous access to the kidney. The PAKY-RCM incorporates a robotic arm and a friction transmission with axial loading system to accurately position and insert a standard 18-gauge needle percutaneously into the kidney. The blood loss during percutaneous access was estimated on a four-point scale (1 = minimal to 4 = large). The color of effluent urine was graded on a four-point scale (1 = clear to 4 = red). The mean target calix width was 13.5 +/- 9.2 mm in the robotic group and 12.2 +/- 4.5 mm in the manual group (P = 0.57). When comparing PAKY-RCM with standard manual techniques, the mean number of attempts was 2.2 +/- 1.6 v 3.2 +/- 2.5 (P = 0.14), time to access was 10.4 +/- 6.5 minutes v 15.1 +/- 8.8 minutes (P = 0.06), estimated blood loss score was 1.3 +/- 0.49 v 1.7 +/- 0.66 (P = 0.14), and color of effluent urine following access was 2.0 +/- 0.90 v 2.1 +/- 0.7 (P = 0.82). The PAKY-RCM was successful in obtaining access in 87% (20 of 23) of cases. The other three patients (13%) required conversion to manual techniques. There were no major intraoperative complications in either group. Robotic PAKY is a feasible, safe, and efficacious method of obtaining renal access for nephrolithotomy. The number of attempts and time to access were comparable to those of standard manual percutaneous access techniques. These findings provide the groundwork for the development of a completely automated robot-assisted percutaneous renal access device.

  3. 5 CFR 2606.203 - Granting access.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... Access to Records and Accounting of Disclosures § 2606.203 Granting access. (a) The methods for allowing... documentation will be required for the disclosure to the data subject of information required to be made...

  4. Spatial access to residential care resources in Beijing, China

    PubMed Central

    2012-01-01

    Background As the population is ageing rapidly in Beijing, the residential care sector is in a fast expansion process with the support of the municipal government. Understanding spatial accessibility to residential care resources by older people supports the need for rational allocation of care resources in future planning. Methods Based on population data and data on residential care resources, this study uses two Geographic Information System (GIS) based methods – shortest path analysis and a two-step floating catchment area (2SFCA) method to analyse spatial accessibility to residential care resources. Results Spatial accessibility varies as the methods and considered factors change. When only time distance is considered, residential care resources are more accessible in the central city than in suburban and exurban areas. If care resources are considered in addition to time distance, spatial accessibility is relatively poor in the central city compared to the northeast to southeast side of the suburban and exurban areas. The resources in the northwest to southwest side of the city are the least accessible, even though several hotspots of residential care resources are located in these areas. Conclusions For policy making, it may require combining various methods for a comprehensive analysis. The methods used in this study provide tools for identifying underserved areas in order to improve equity in access to and efficiency in allocation of residential care resources in future planning. PMID:22877360

  5. The Role of Need for Contraception in the Evaluation of Interventions to Improve Access to Family-Planning Methods

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Leon, Federico R.; Lundgren, Rebecka; Sinai, Irit; Jennings, Victoria

    2011-01-01

    A nonrandomized experiment carried out in Jharkhand, India, shows how the effects of interventions designed to improve access to family-planning methods can be erroneously regarded as trivial when contraceptive use is utilized as dependent variable, ignoring women's need for contraception. Significant effects of the intervention were observed on…

  6. Reassessment of the Access Testosterone chemiluminescence assay and comparison with LC-MS method.

    PubMed

    Dittadi, Ruggero; Matteucci, Mara; Meneghetti, Elisa; Ndreu, Rudina

    2018-03-01

    To reassess the imprecision and Limit of Quantitation, to evaluate the cross-reaction with dehydroepiandrosterone-sulfate (DHEAS), the accuracy toward liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) and the reference interval of the Access Testosterone method, performed by DxI immunoassay platform (Beckman Coulter). Imprecision was evaluated testing six pool samples assayed in 20 different run using two reagents lots. The cross-reaction with DHEAS was studied both by a displacement curve and by spiking DHEAS standard in two serum samples with known amount of testosterone. The comparison with LC-MS was evaluated by Passing-Bablock analysis in 21 routine serum samples and 19 control samples from an External Quality Assurance (EQA) scheme. The reference interval was verified by an indirect estimation on 2445 male and 2838 female outpatients. The imprecision study showed a coefficient of variation (CV) between 2.7% and 34.7% for serum pools from 16.3 and 0.27 nmol/L. The value of Limit of Quantitation at 20% CV was 0.53 nmol/L. The DHEAS showed a cross-reaction of 0.0074%. A comparison with LC-MS showed a trend toward a slight underestimation of immunoassay vs LC-MS (Passing-Bablock equations: DxI=-0.24+0.906 LCMS in serum samples and DxI=-0.299+0.981 LCMS in EQA samples). The verification of reference interval showed a 2.5th-97.5th percentile distribution of 6.6-24.3 nmol/L for male over 14 years and <0.5-2.78 nmol/L for female subjects, in accord with the reference intervals reported by the manufacturer. The Access Testosterone method could be considered an adequately reliable tool for the testosterone measurement. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  7. Random access with adaptive packet aggregation in LTE/LTE-A.

    PubMed

    Zhou, Kaijie; Nikaein, Navid

    While random access presents a promising solution for efficient uplink channel access, the preamble collision rate can significantly increase when massive number of devices simultaneously access the channel. To address this issue and improve the reliability of the random access, an adaptive packet aggregation method is proposed. With the proposed method, a device does not trigger a random access for every single packet. Instead, it starts a random access when the number of aggregated packets reaches a given threshold. This method reduces the packet collision rate at the expense of an extra latency, which is used to accumulate multiple packets into a single transmission unit. Therefore, the tradeoff between packet loss rate and channel access latency has to be carefully selected. We use semi-Markov model to derive the packet loss rate and channel access latency as functions of packet aggregation number. Hence, the optimal amount of aggregated packets can be found, which keeps the loss rate below the desired value while minimizing the access latency. We also apply for the idea of packet aggregation for power saving, where a device aggregates as many packets as possible until the latency constraint is reached. Simulations are carried out to evaluate our methods. We find that the packet loss rate and/or power consumption are significantly reduced with the proposed method.

  8. Spatial Access to Primary Care Providers in Appalachia

    PubMed Central

    Donohoe, Joseph; Marshall, Vince; Tan, Xi; Camacho, Fabian T.; Anderson, Roger T.; Balkrishnan, Rajesh

    2016-01-01

    Purpose: The goal of this research was to examine spatial access to primary care physicians in Appalachia using both traditional access measures and the 2-step floating catchment area (2SFCA) method. Spatial access to care was compared between urban and rural regions of Appalachia. Methods: The study region included Appalachia counties of Pennsylvania, Ohio, Kentucky, and North Carolina. Primary care physicians during 2008 and total census block group populations were geocoded into GIS software. Ratios of county physicians to population, driving time to nearest primary care physician, and various 2SFCA approaches were compared. Results: Urban areas of the study region had shorter travel times to their closest primary care physician. Provider to population ratios produced results that varied widely from one county to another because of strict geographic boundaries. The 2SFCA method produced varied results depending on the distance decay weight and variable catchment size techniques chose. 2SFCA scores showed greater access to care in urban areas of Pennsylvania, Ohio, and North Carolina. Conclusion: The different parameters of the 2SFCA method—distance decay weights and variable catchment sizes—have a large impact on the resulting spatial access to primary care scores. The findings of this study suggest that using a relative 2SFCA approach, the spatial access ratio method, when detailed patient travel data are unavailable. The 2SFCA method shows promise for measuring access to care in Appalachia, but more research on patient travel preferences is needed to inform implementation. PMID:26906524

  9. Assessing Impacts on Unplanned Hospitalisations of Care Quality and Access Using a Structural Equation Method: With a Case Study of Diabetes

    PubMed Central

    Congdon, Peter

    2016-01-01

    Background: Enhanced quality of care and improved access are central to effective primary care management of long term conditions. However, research evidence is inconclusive in establishing a link between quality of primary care, or access, and adverse outcomes, such as unplanned hospitalisation. Methods: This paper proposes a structural equation model for quality and access as latent variables affecting adverse outcomes, such as unplanned hospitalisations. In a case study application, quality of care (QOC) is defined in relation to diabetes, and the aim is to assess impacts of care quality and access on unplanned hospital admissions for diabetes, while allowing also for socio-economic deprivation, diabetes morbidity, and supply effects. The study involves 90 general practitioner (GP) practices in two London Clinical Commissioning Groups, using clinical quality of care indicators, and patient survey data on perceived access. Results: As a single predictor, quality of care has a significant negative impact on emergency admissions, and this significant effect remains when socio-economic deprivation and morbidity are allowed. In a full structural equation model including access, the probability that QOC negatively impacts on unplanned admissions exceeds 0.9. Furthermore, poor access is linked to deprivation, diminished QOC, and larger list sizes. Conclusions: Using a Bayesian inference methodology, the evidence from the analysis is weighted towards negative impacts of higher primary care quality and improved access on unplanned admissions. The methodology of the paper is potentially applicable to other long term conditions, and relevant when care quality and access cannot be measured directly and are better regarded as latent variables. PMID:27598184

  10. Piloting the use of indigenous methods to prevent Nipah virus infection by interrupting bats' access to date palm sap in Bangladesh.

    PubMed

    Nahar, Nazmun; Mondal, Utpal Kumar; Sultana, Rebeca; Hossain, M Jahangir; Khan, M Salah Uddin; Gurley, Emily S; Oliveras, Elizabeth; Luby, Stephen P

    2013-09-01

    People in Bangladesh frequently drink fresh date palm sap. Fruit bats (Pteropus giganteus) also drink raw sap and may contaminate the sap by shedding Nipah virus through saliva and urine. In a previous study we identified two indigenous methods to prevent bats accessing the sap, bamboo skirts and lime (calcium carbonate). We conducted a pilot study to assess the acceptability of these two methods among sap harvesters. We used interactive community meetings and group discussions to encourage all the sap harvesters (n = 12) from a village to use either bamboo skirts or lime smear that some of them (n = 4) prepared and applied. We measured the preparation and application time and calculated the cost of bamboo skirts. We conducted interviews after the use of each method. The sap harvesters found skirts effective in preventing bats from accessing sap. They were sceptical that lime would be effective as the lime was washed away by the sap flow. Preparation of the skirt took ∼105 min. The application of each method took ∼1 min. The cost of the bamboo skirt is minimal because bamboo is widely available and they made the skirts with pieces of used bamboo. The bamboo skirt method appeared practical and affordable to the sap harvesters. Further studies should explore its ability to prevent bats from accessing date palm sap and assess if its use produces more or better quality sap, which would provide further incentives to make it more acceptable for its regular use.

  11. A simple method using on-line continuous leaching and ion exchange chromatography coupled to inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry for the speciation analysis of bio-accessible arsenic in rice.

    PubMed

    Horner, Nolan S; Beauchemin, Diane

    2012-03-02

    A simple method for the speciation analysis of bio-accessible arsenic (As) in rice was developed using a continuous on-line leaching method to release the bio-accessible fraction. The continuous on-line leaching method has several advantages over commonly used batch methods including quicker and easier sample preparation, reduced risk of contamination and access to real time leaching data. The bio-accessibility of As in the samples was monitored using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Results from a certified reference material as well as cooked and uncooked white rice showed that the majority of As was leached by saliva. Results obtained using the continuous on-line leaching method were comparable to those obtained using a batch method. Speciation analysis of the saliva leachate was performed using ion exchange chromatography coupled to ICP-MS. The four most toxic forms of As (As(III), monomethylarsonic acid (MMA), dimethylarsinic acid (DMA) and As(V)) were clearly separated within 5 min in a single chromatographic run. Over 92% of bio-accessible As in the certified reference material and uncooked white rice sample was in the form of DMA and As(V), whereas it was present as DMA and As(III) in the cooked white rice. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  12. Comparison of RF spectrum prediction methods for dynamic spectrum access

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kovarskiy, Jacob A.; Martone, Anthony F.; Gallagher, Kyle A.; Sherbondy, Kelly D.; Narayanan, Ram M.

    2017-05-01

    Dynamic spectrum access (DSA) refers to the adaptive utilization of today's busy electromagnetic spectrum. Cognitive radio/radar technologies require DSA to intelligently transmit and receive information in changing environments. Predicting radio frequency (RF) activity reduces sensing time and energy consumption for identifying usable spectrum. Typical spectrum prediction methods involve modeling spectral statistics with Hidden Markov Models (HMM) or various neural network structures. HMMs describe the time-varying state probabilities of Markov processes as a dynamic Bayesian network. Neural Networks model biological brain neuron connections to perform a wide range of complex and often non-linear computations. This work compares HMM, Multilayer Perceptron (MLP), and Recurrent Neural Network (RNN) algorithms and their ability to perform RF channel state prediction. Monte Carlo simulations on both measured and simulated spectrum data evaluate the performance of these algorithms. Generalizing spectrum occupancy as an alternating renewal process allows Poisson random variables to generate simulated data while energy detection determines the occupancy state of measured RF spectrum data for testing. The results suggest that neural networks achieve better prediction accuracy and prove more adaptable to changing spectral statistics than HMMs given sufficient training data.

  13. Percutaneous Portal Vein Access and Transhepatic Tract Hemostasis

    PubMed Central

    Saad, Wael E. A.; Madoff, David C.

    2012-01-01

    Percutaneous portal vein interventions require minimally invasive access to the portal venous system. Common approaches to the portal vein include transjugular hepatic vein to portal vein access and direct transhepatic portal vein access. A major concern of the transhepatic route is the risk of postprocedural bleeding, which is increased when patients are anticoagulated or receiving pharmaceutical thrombolytic therapy. Thus percutaneous portal vein access and subsequent closure are important technical parts of percutaneous portal vein procedures. At present, various techniques have been used for either portal access or subsequent transhepatic tract closure and hemostasis. Regardless of the method used, meticulous technique is required to achieve the overall safety and effectiveness of portal venous procedures. This article reviews the various techniques of percutaneous transhepatic portal vein access and the various closure and hemostatic methods used to reduce the risk of postprocedural bleeding. PMID:23729976

  14. Access to primary health care for acute vascular events in rural low income settings: a mixed methods study.

    PubMed

    Ahmed, Shyfuddin; Chowdhury, Muhammad Ashique Haider; Khan, Md Alfazal; Huq, Nafisa Lira; Naheed, Aliya

    2017-01-18

    Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the leading cause of global mortality. Among the CVDs, acute vascular events (AVE) mainly ischemic heart diseases and stroke are the largest contributors. To achieve 25% reduction in preventable deaths from CVDs by 2025, health systems need to be equipped with extended service coverage in order to provide person-centered care. The overall goal of this proposed study is to assess access to health care in-terms of service availability, care seeking patterns and barriers to access care after AVE in rural Bangladesh. We will consider myocardial infarction (MI) and stroke as acute vascular events. We will conduct a mixed methods study in rural Matlab, Bangladesh. This study will comprise of a) health facility survey, b) structured questionnaire interview and c) qualitative study. We will assess service availabilities by creating an inventory of public and private health facilities. Readiness of the facilities to deliver services for AVE will be assessed through a health facility survey using 'service availability and readiness assessment' (SARA) tools of the World Health Organization (WHO). We will interview survivors of AVE and caregivers (present and accompanied the person during the event) of person who died from AVE for exploring patterns of care seeking during an AVE. For exploring barriers to access care for AVE, we will conduct in-depth interview with survivors of AVE and caregivers of the person who died from AVE. We will also conduct key informant interviews with the service providers at primary health care (PHC) facilities and government high level officials at central health administration of Bangladesh. This study will provide a comprehensive picture of access to primary health care services during acute cardiovascular events as stroke & MI in rural context of Bangladesh. It will explore available service facilities in rural area for management, utilization of services and barriers to access care during an acute emergency

  15. Accessing remote data bases using microcomputers

    PubMed Central

    Saul, Peter D.

    1985-01-01

    General practitioners' access to remote data bases using microcomputers is increasing, making even the most obscure information readily available. Some of the systems available to general practitioners in the UK are described and the methods of access are outlined. General practitioners should be aware of the advances in technology; data bases are increasing in size, the cost of access is falling and their use is becoming easier. PMID:4020756

  16. The Nimbus 6 data catalog. Volume 1: 12 June 1975 through 31 August 1975. Data orbits 1 through 1082

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1975-01-01

    Subsections 1.2 through 1.10 of this catalog summarize the operational highlights of the individual experiments, present preliminary experiment results, and call attention to known data anamolies. Section 2 lists the on-off times for each experiment and provides a method for determining the geographical coverage of each experiment. Section 3 shows selected HIRS, SCAMS and ESMR images, and Section 4 presents THIR montages. Section 5 presents corrections to The Nimbus 6 User's Guide.

  17. [Stents in dialysis vascular access--do they promise improved high quality prolonged access use].

    PubMed

    Klein, Osnat; Plotkin, Eleonora; Gritun, Igal; Verner, Myriam; Lehmann, J M; Rathaus, Mauro; Bernheim, Jacques

    2008-02-01

    The life expectancy of dialysis patients depends, to a large extent, on blood access which provides uninterrupted and efficient treatment. Dialysis access created by a direct anastomosis between artery and vein usually allows normal dialysis for many years. Blood access by a bridge graft between artery and vein functions for a much shorter time and occludes chiefly because of endothelial hyperplasia at the graft vein anastomosis. This type of fistula is created when the veins of the patient are small. During the last few years the dialysis population is increasingly composed of adult and elderly patients suffering from diabetes mellitus, hypertension, dyslipidemias and atheromatous vascular disease so that a relatively large proportion of dialysis accesses are created using a bridge graft. Since we currently do not have the knowledge of how to arrest or delay the processes which lead to access occlusion, attempts are made to implement prophylactic strategies, find stenoses and dilate them before the access fails. Up to date, controlled trials have not succeeded in proving that this method prolongs access use. These trials did not describe the use of stents following dilatation. Between July 2002 and May 2005, 238 angiographies were performed on blood accesses including 179 angioplasties of stenoses. In sixteen patients a stent was deployed during the angioplasty. In ten patients dialysis was performed using the same access up to the end of the study period, an average of 43 months from the creation of the access. Three patients died with a functioning access and in three the access occluded during the period of followup. This study shows that the use of stents following angioplasty of dialysis access stenoses can improve the duration of use of accesses created through grafts.

  18. Disadvantages of publishing biomedical research articles in English for non-native speakers of English

    PubMed Central

    Rezaeian, Mohsen

    2015-01-01

    OBJECTIVES: English has become the most frequently used language for scientific communication in the biomedical field. Therefore, scholars from all over the world try to publish their findings in English. This trend has a number of advantages, along with several disadvantages. METHODS: In the current article, the most important disadvantages of publishing biomedical research articles in English for non-native speakers of English are reviewed. RESULTS: The most important disadvantages of publishing biomedical research articles in English for non-native speakers may include: Overlooking, either unintentionally or even deliberately, the most important local health problems; failure to carry out groundbreaking research due to limited medical research budgets; violating generally accepted codes of publication ethics and committing research misconduct and publications in open-access scam/predatory journals rather than prestigious journals. CONCLUSIONS: The above mentioned disadvantages could eventually result in academic establishments becoming irresponsible or, even worse, corrupt. In order to avoid this, scientists, scientific organizations, academic institutions, and scientific associations all over the world should design and implement a wider range of collaborative and comprehensive plans. PMID:25968115

  19. Usability of a Low-Cost Head Tracking Computer Access Method following Stroke.

    PubMed

    Mah, Jasmine; Jutai, Jeffrey W; Finestone, Hillel; Mckee, Hilary; Carter, Melanie

    2015-01-01

    Assistive technology devices for computer access can facilitate social reintegration and promote independence for people who have had a stroke. This work describes the exploration of the usefulness and acceptability of a new computer access device called the Nouse™ (Nose-as-mouse). The device uses standard webcam and video recognition algorithms to map the movement of the user's nose to a computer cursor, thereby allowing hands-free computer operation. Ten participants receiving in- or outpatient stroke rehabilitation completed a series of standardized and everyday computer tasks using the Nouse™ and then completed a device usability questionnaire. Task completion rates were high (90%) for computer activities only in the absence of time constraints. Most of the participants were satisfied with ease of use (70%) and liked using the Nouse™ (60%), indicating they could resume most of their usual computer activities apart from word-processing using the device. The findings suggest that hands-free computer access devices like the Nouse™ may be an option for people who experience upper motor impairment caused by stroke and are highly motivated to resume personal computing. More research is necessary to further evaluate the effectiveness of this technology, especially in relation to other computer access assistive technology devices.

  20. Improved methods for venous access: the Port-A-Cath, a totally implanted catheter system.

    PubMed

    Strum, S; McDermed, J; Korn, A; Joseph, C

    1986-04-01

    We prospectively evaluated the performance and rate of long-term complications with the Port-A-Cath (PAC), a totally implanted vascular access system. Two catheter styles were evaluated, a small-bore (SB) catheter (0.51-mm diameter) and a large-bore (LB) catheter (1.02-mm diameter), in conjunction with the use of a strict catheter care protocol. The PAC performed well, and with both SB and LB systems, no significant extravasation, skin necrosis, hematoma, septum damage or leakage, or subcutaneous portal infections occurred after 7,240 days of implantation and 1,435 days of use. Complications with the PAC system consisted of catheter occlusion (seven patients, 21.5%) and one instance of possible catheter infection (3.1%). Occlusions were limited to patients implanted with the SB catheter (seven of 16, 43.8%), and five of the seven (71.4%) occurred in patients receiving continuous infusion chemotherapy and/or total parenteral nutrition. Patency of the PAC system was maintained using a regular flushing schedule once every 30 days, a significant advantage compared with the daily maintenance schedule required with externally placed venous catheters. The results of this study suggest that the PAC system can provide a safe and reliable method for venous access in patients requiring intermittent or prolonged intravenous therapy.

  1. Comparing Accessibility Auditing Methods for Ebooks: Crowdsourced, Functionality-Led Versus Web Content Methodologies.

    PubMed

    James, Abi; Draffan, E A; Wald, Mike

    2017-01-01

    This paper presents a gap analysis between crowdsourced functional accessibility evaluations of ebooks conducted by non-experts and the technical accessibility standards employed by developers. It also illustrates how combining these approaches can provide more appropriate information for a wider group of users with print impairments.

  2. Accessibility of long-term family planning methods: a comparison study between Output Based Approach (OBA) clients verses non-OBA clients in the voucher supported facilities in Kenya.

    PubMed

    Oyugi, Boniface; Kioko, Urbanus; Kaboro, Stephen Mbugua; Gikonyo, Shadrack; Okumu, Clarice; Ogola-Munene, Sarah; Kalsi, Shaminder; Thiani, Simon; Korir, Julius; Odundo, Paul; Baltazaar, Billy; Ranji, Moses; Muraguri, Nicholas; Nzioka, Charles

    2017-03-27

    The study seeks to evaluate the difference in access of long-term family planning (LTFP) methods among the output based approach (OBA) and non-OBA clients within the OBA facility. The study utilises a quasi experimental design. A two tailed unpaired t-test with unequal variance is used to test for the significance variation in the mean access. The difference in difference (DiD) estimates of program effect on long term family planning methods is done to estimate the causal effect by exploiting the group level difference on two or more dimensions. The study also uses a linear regression model to evaluate the predictors of choice of long-term family planning methods. Data was analysed using SPSS version 17. All the methods (Bilateral tubal ligation-BTL, Vasectomy, intrauterine contraceptive device -IUCD, Implants, and Total or combined long-term family planning methods -LTFP) showed a statistical significant difference in the mean utilization between OBA versus non-OBA clients. The difference in difference estimates reveal that the difference in access between OBA and non OBA clients can significantly be attributed to the implementation of the OBA program for intrauterine contraceptive device (p = 0.002), Implants (p = 0.004), and total or combined long-term family planning methods (p = 0.001). The county of residence is a significant determinant of access to all long-term family planning methods except vasectomy and the year of registration is a significant determinant of access especially for implants and total or combined long-term family planning methods. The management level and facility type does not play a role in determining the type of long-term family planning method preferred; however, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) as management level influences the choice of all methods (Bilateral tubal ligation, intrauterine contraceptive device, Implants, and combined methods) except vasectomy. The adjusted R 2 value, representing the percentage of

  3. Linear Time Algorithms to Restrict Insider Access using Multi-Policy Access Control Systems

    PubMed Central

    Mell, Peter; Shook, James; Harang, Richard; Gavrila, Serban

    2017-01-01

    An important way to limit malicious insiders from distributing sensitive information is to as tightly as possible limit their access to information. This has always been the goal of access control mechanisms, but individual approaches have been shown to be inadequate. Ensemble approaches of multiple methods instantiated simultaneously have been shown to more tightly restrict access, but approaches to do so have had limited scalability (resulting in exponential calculations in some cases). In this work, we take the Next Generation Access Control (NGAC) approach standardized by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and demonstrate its scalability. The existing publicly available reference implementations all use cubic algorithms and thus NGAC was widely viewed as not scalable. The primary NGAC reference implementation took, for example, several minutes to simply display the set of files accessible to a user on a moderately sized system. In our approach, we take these cubic algorithms and make them linear. We do this by reformulating the set theoretic approach of the NGAC standard into a graph theoretic approach and then apply standard graph algorithms. We thus can answer important access control decision questions (e.g., which files are available to a user and which users can access a file) using linear time graph algorithms. We also provide a default linear time mechanism to visualize and review user access rights for an ensemble of access control mechanisms. Our visualization appears to be a simple file directory hierarchy but in reality is an automatically generated structure abstracted from the underlying access control graph that works with any set of simultaneously instantiated access control policies. It also provide an implicit mechanism for symbolic linking that provides a powerful access capability. Our work thus provides the first efficient implementation of NGAC while enabling user privilege review through a novel visualization approach. This

  4. Facilitators and barriers to accessing reproductive health care for migrant beer promoters in Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam: A mixed methods study

    PubMed Central

    2012-01-01

    Background The purpose of the research was to assess access to sexual and reproductive health services for migrant women who work as beer promoters. This mixed methods research was conducted in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Bangkok, Thailand, Vientiane, Laos, and Hanoi, Vietnam during 2010 to 2011. Methods Focus groups were held with beer promoters and separate focus groups or interviews with key informants to explore the factors affecting beer promoters’ access to health care institutions for reproductive health care. The findings of the focus groups were used to develop a survey for beer promoters. This survey was conducted in popular health institutions for these women in each of the four Asian cities. Results Several common themes were evident. Work demands prevented beer promoters from accessing health care. Institutional factors affecting care included cost, location, environmental factors (e.g. waiting times, cleanliness and confidentiality) and service factors (e.g. staff attitudes, clinic hours, and availability of medications). Personal factors affecting access were shyness and fear, lack of knowledge, and support from family and friends. The survey of the beer promoters confirmed that cost, location and both environmental and service factors impact on access to health care services for beer promoters. Many beer promoters are sexually active, and a significant proportion of those surveyed rely on sex work to supplement their income. Many also drink with their clients. Despite a few differences amongst the surveyed population, the findings were remarkably similar across the four research sites. Conclusions Recommendations from the research include the provision of evening and weekend clinic hours to facilitate access, free or low cost clinics, and health insurance through employer or government plans which are easy to access for migrants. Other improvements that would facilitate the access of beer promoters to these services include increased funding to hire

  5. Efficient Unsteady Flow Visualization with High-Order Access Dependencies

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Zhang, Jiang; Guo, Hanqi; Yuan, Xiaoru

    We present a novel high-order access dependencies based model for efficient pathline computation in unsteady flow visualization. By taking longer access sequences into account to model more sophisticated data access patterns in particle tracing, our method greatly improves the accuracy and reliability in data access prediction. In our work, high-order access dependencies are calculated by tracing uniformly-seeded pathlines in both forward and backward directions in a preprocessing stage. The effectiveness of our proposed approach is demonstrated through a parallel particle tracing framework with high-order data prefetching. Results show that our method achieves higher data locality and hence improves the efficiencymore » of pathline computation.« less

  6. Cancer Treatment Scams

    MedlinePlus

    ... Loss & Fitness Jobs & Making Money Privacy, Identity & Online Security Blog Video & ... The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is the nation’s consumer protection agency. The FTC works to prevent fraudulent, deceptive ...

  7. Multi-stakeholder perspectives on access, availability and utilization of emergency obstetric care services in Lagos, Nigeria: A mixed-methods study

    PubMed Central

    Wright, Kikelomo; Sonoiki, Olatunji; Ilozumba, Onaedo; Ajayi, Babatunde; Okikiolu, Olawunmi; Akinola, Oluwarotimi

    2017-01-01

    Globally, Nigeria is the second most unsafe country to be pregnant, with Lagos, its economic nerve center having disproportionately higher maternal deaths than the national average. Emergency obstetric care (EmOC) is effective in reducing pregnancyrelated morbidities and mortalities. This mixed-methods study quantitatively assessed women’s satisfaction with EmOC received and qualitatively engaged multiple key stakeholders to better understand issues around EmOC access, availability and utilization in Lagos. Qualitative interviews revealed that regarding access, while government opined that EmOC facilities have been strategically built across Lagos, women flagged issues with difficulty in access, compounded by perceived high EmOC cost. For availability, though health workers were judged competent, they appeared insufficient, overworked and felt poorly remunerated. Infrastructure was considered inadequate and paucity of blood and blood products remained commonplace. Although pregnant women positively rated the clinical aspects of care, as confirmed by the survey, satisfaction gaps remained in the areas of service delivery, care organization and responsiveness. These areas of discordance offer insight to opportunities for improvements, which would ensure that every woman can access and use quality EmOC that is sufficiently available. PMID:29456825

  8. Implementation of the epilepsy center of excellence to improve access to and quality of care – protocol for a mixed methods study

    PubMed Central

    2014-01-01

    Background To address the growing problem of epilepsy among aging Veterans and younger Veterans who have experienced a traumatic brain injury (TBI), the Veterans Health Administration (VA) has implemented 16 Epilepsy Centers of Excellence (ECOE) to assure increased access to high quality of care for Veterans with epilepsy. Each ECOE consists of a network of regional hubs to which spoke facilities refer Veterans for subspecialty treatment. The ECOEs are expected to improve access to and quality of epilepsy care through patient care, consultation and education. This study aims to: evaluate the effectiveness of the ECOE structure by describing changes in the quality of and access to care for epilepsy before and after the ECOE initiative using QUality Indicators in Epilepsy Treatment (QUIET Indicators); describe associations between changes in the structure and processes of care and Relational Coordination (RC), a model of task-oriented communication that has been shown to play a role in implementation science; and determine if variations in care are related to levels of RC. Methods This four-year comparative case study uses a mixed-methods approach. We will use VA inpatient, outpatient, pharmacy, and chart abstraction data to identify changes in the quality of and access to epilepsy care in the VA between Fiscal Year 2008 and Fiscal Year 2014. Qualitative and survey methods will be used to identify changes in the structure and processes of epilepsy care and RC over the course of the study. We will then link data from the first two objectives to determine the extent to which quality of and access to epilepsy care is associated with RC using multivariable models. Discussion This innovative study has the potential to improve understanding of hub-and-spoke model effectiveness, VA epilepsy care, and models of epilepsy specialty care more globally. Moreover, it contributes to implementation science by advancing understanding of the role of RC in the context of a major

  9. Method and device for maximizing memory system bandwidth by accessing data in a dynamically determined order

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Schwab, Andrew J. (Inventor); Aylor, James (Inventor); Hitchcock, Charles Young (Inventor); Wulf, William A. (Inventor); McKee, Sally A. (Inventor); Moyer, Stephen A. (Inventor); Klenke, Robert (Inventor)

    2000-01-01

    A data processing system is disclosed which comprises a data processor and memory control device for controlling the access of information from the memory. The memory control device includes temporary storage and decision ability for determining what order to execute the memory accesses. The compiler detects the requirements of the data processor and selects the data to stream to the memory control device which determines a memory access order. The order in which to access said information is selected based on the location of information stored in the memory. The information is repeatedly accessed from memory and stored in the temporary storage until all streamed information is accessed. The information is stored until required by the data processor. The selection of the order in which to access information maximizes bandwidth and decreases the retrieval time.

  10. Publishing in Open Access Education Journals: The Authors' Perspectives

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Coonin, Bryna; Younce, Leigh M.

    2010-01-01

    Open access publishing is now an accepted method of scholarly communication. However, the greatest traction for open access publishing thus far has been in the sciences. Penetration of open access publishing has been much slower among the social sciences. This study surveys 309 authors from recent issues of open access journals in education to…

  11. Insurance + Access ≠ Health Care: Typology of Barriers to Health Care Access for Low-Income Families

    PubMed Central

    DeVoe, Jennifer E.; Baez, Alia; Angier, Heather; Krois, Lisa; Edlund, Christine; Carney, Patricia A.

    2007-01-01

    PURPOSE Public health insurance programs have expanded coverage for the poor, and family physicians provide essential services to these vulnerable populations. Despite these efforts, many Americans do not have access to basic medical care. This study was designed to identify barriers faced by low-income parents when accessing health care for their children and how insurance status affects their reporting of these barriers. METHODS A mixed methods analysis was undertaken using 722 responses to an open-ended question on a health care access survey instrument that asked low-income Oregon families, “Is there anything else you would like to tell us?” Themes were identified using immersion/crystallization techniques. Pertinent demographic attributes were used to conduct matrix coded queries. RESULTS Families reported 3 major barriers: lack of insurance coverage, poor access to services, and unaffordable costs. Disproportionate reporting of these themes was most notable based on insurance status. A higher percentage of uninsured parents (87%) reported experiencing difficulties obtaining insurance coverage compared with 40% of those with insurance. Few of the uninsured expressed concerns about access to services or health care costs (19%). Access concerns were the most common among publicly insured families, and costs were more often mentioned by families with private insurance. Families made a clear distinction between insurance and access, and having one or both elements did not assure care. Our analyses uncovered a 3-part typology of barriers to health care for low-income families. CONCLUSIONS Barriers to health care can be insurmountable for low-income families, even those with insurance coverage. Patients who do not seek care in a family medicine clinic are not necessarily getting their care elsewhere. PMID:18025488

  12. Planning for solar access

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Heckeroth, S.; McLees, C.

    1997-12-31

    Land use planning is often no more than a strategy for getting the most economic value from a given piece of land while attempting to minimize the expense of mitigating environmental impacts. Because conventional fuels are currently inexpensive, development takes place with little consideration for energy efficiency or solar access. By identifying sites with solar access now, planners and building designers can assure that the south facing roofs and walls of future buildings will receive the solar energy necessary to satisfy the energy needs of their occupants. Planner Ian McHarg outlined scientific methods to map natural determinants including geology, hydrology,more » wildlife, soils, climate, as well as social determinants like population density, energy consumption, and transportation patterns in the late 60s. Overlays of these hand plotted maps gave planners a method of finding the most suitable sites for identified needs but were cost prohibitive for most projects. The affordability of studies done on high speed computers now allows general application of McHargian planning methods. At the time McHarg was developing his planning theory photovoltaics were so expensive their use was restricted to government projects. The low cost of heating with fossil fuels made solar heating expensive by comparison. Today advances in solar technology have made solar electricity and heating competitive with non-renewable energy resources. This paper will show how McHargian planning methods can be effectively used in conjunction with Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to include efficiency and renewable energy access in land use decision making.« less

  13. Web Accessibility and Accessibility Instruction

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Green, Ravonne A.; Huprich, Julia

    2009-01-01

    Section 508 of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) mandates that programs and services be accessible to people with disabilities. While schools of library and information science (SLIS*) and university libraries should model accessible Web sites, this may not be the case. This article examines previous studies about the Web accessibility of…

  14. Accessibility, Textbooks, and Access Services

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kahler, Janice E.

    2017-01-01

    Putting access in Access Services is the goal. The Course Reserves unit is the place. Textbooks are the focus. Electronic technologies are the future. Patron-centric services will be our standard. Access to textbooks by all patrons will be the achievement. Course Reserves located in Library West at the University of Florida George A. Smathers…

  15. Method for Evaluation of Outage Probability on Random Access Channel in Mobile Communication Systems

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kollár, Martin

    2012-05-01

    In order to access the cell in all mobile communication technologies a so called random-access procedure is used. For example in GSM this is represented by sending the CHANNEL REQUEST message from Mobile Station (MS) to Base Transceiver Station (BTS) which is consequently forwarded as an CHANNEL REQUIRED message to the Base Station Controller (BSC). If the BTS decodes some noise on the Random Access Channel (RACH) as random access by mistake (so- called ‘phantom RACH') then it is a question of pure coincidence which èstablishment cause’ the BTS thinks to have recognized. A typical invalid channel access request or phantom RACH is characterized by an IMMEDIATE ASSIGNMENT procedure (assignment of an SDCCH or TCH) which is not followed by sending an ESTABLISH INDICATION from MS to BTS. In this paper a mathematical model for evaluation of the Power RACH Busy Threshold (RACHBT) in order to guaranty in advance determined outage probability on RACH is described and discussed as well. It focuses on Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) however the obtained results can be generalized on remaining mobile technologies (ie WCDMA and LTE).

  16. Patient-centred access to health care: conceptualising access at the interface of health systems and populations

    PubMed Central

    2013-01-01

    Background Access is central to the performance of health care systems around the world. However, access to health care remains a complex notion as exemplified in the variety of interpretations of the concept across authors. The aim of this paper is to suggest a conceptualisation of access to health care describing broad dimensions and determinants that integrate demand and supply-side-factors and enabling the operationalisation of access to health care all along the process of obtaining care and benefiting from the services. Methods A synthesis of the published literature on the conceptualisation of access has been performed. The most cited frameworks served as a basis to develop a revised conceptual framework. Results Here, we view access as the opportunity to identify healthcare needs, to seek healthcare services, to reach, to obtain or use health care services, and to actually have a need for services fulfilled. We conceptualise five dimensions of accessibility: 1) Approachability; 2) Acceptability; 3) Availability and accommodation; 4) Affordability; 5) Appropriateness. In this framework, five corresponding abilities of populations interact with the dimensions of accessibility to generate access. Five corollary dimensions of abilities include: 1) Ability to perceive; 2) Ability to seek; 3) Ability to reach; 4) Ability to pay; and 5) Ability to engage. Conclusions This paper explains the comprehensiveness and dynamic nature of this conceptualisation of access to care and identifies relevant determinants that can have an impact on access from a multilevel perspective where factors related to health systems, institutions, organisations and providers are considered with factors at the individual, household, community, and population levels. PMID:23496984

  17. Mobile Web and Accessibility

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hori, Masahiro; Kato, Takashi

    While focusing on the human-computer interaction side of the Web content delivery, this article discusses problems and prospects of the mobile Web and Web accessibility in terms of what lessons and experiences we have gained from Web accessibility and what they can say about the mobile Web. One aim is to draw particular attention to the importance of explicitly distinguishing between perceptual and cognitive aspects of the users’ interactions with the Web. Another is to emphasize the increased importance of scenario-based evaluation and remote testing for the mobile Web where the limited screen space and a variety of environmental factors of mobile use are critical design issues. A newly devised inspection type of evaluation method that focuses on the perceptual-cognitive distinction of accessibility and usability issues is presented as a viable means of scenario-based, remote testing for the Web.

  18. Librarians and Libraries Supporting Open Access Publishing

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Richard, Jennifer; Koufogiannakis, Denise; Ryan, Pam

    2009-01-01

    As new models of scholarly communication emerge, librarians and libraries have responded by developing and supporting new methods of storing and providing access to information and by creating new publishing support services. This article will examine the roles of libraries and librarians in developing and supporting open access publishing…

  19. Elevated waterproof access floor system and method of making the same

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Cohen, Marc M. (Inventor)

    1987-01-01

    An elevated waterproof access floor system having subfloor channels or compartments for power lines, gas lines or the like is adapted such that it can be opened and subsequently resealed without destroying the waterproofing and without destroying its aesthetic appearance. A multiplicity of tiles are supported on a support grid, and a flooring sheet is supported on the tiles. Attachment means are provided to prevent lateral but not vertical movement of the flooring sheet with respect to the tiles so that the flooring sheet can be lifted off the tiles, but when the flooring sheet is supported on the tiles, no lateral slipping will occur. The flooring sheet is made of a heat resealable material, so that it can be cut away in sections, and the tiles therebelow lifted off, to provide access to subfloor compartments.

  20. The AAS Working Group on Accessibility and Disability (WGAD) Year 1 Highlights and Database Access

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Knierman, Karen A.; Diaz Merced, Wanda; Aarnio, Alicia; Garcia, Beatriz; Monkiewicz, Jacqueline A.; Murphy, Nicholas Arnold

    2017-06-01

    The AAS Working Group on Accessibility and Disability (WGAD) was formed in January of 2016 with the express purpose of seeking equity of opportunity and building inclusive practices for disabled astronomers at all educational and career stages. In this presentation, we will provide a summary of current activities, focusing on developing best practices for accessibility with respect to astronomical databases, publications, and meetings. Due to the reliance of space sciences on databases, it is important to have user centered design systems for data retrieval. The cognitive overload that may be experienced by users of current databases may be mitigated by use of multi-modal interfaces such as xSonify. Such interfaces would be in parallel or outside the original database and would not require additional software efforts from the original database. WGAD is partnering with the IAU Commission C1 WG Astronomy for Equity and Inclusion to develop such accessibility tools for databases and methods for user testing. To collect data on astronomical conference and meeting accessibility considerations, WGAD solicited feedback from January AAS attendees via a web form. These data, together with upcoming input from the community and analysis of accessibility documents of similar conferences, will be used to create a meeting accessibility document. Additionally, we will update the progress of journal access guidelines and our social media presence via Twitter. We recommend that astronomical journals form committees to evaluate the accessibility of their publications by performing user-centered usability studies.

  1. [A particular anthropometric method for the study of accessibility of a workstation].

    PubMed

    Molinaro, V; Del Ferraro, S

    2008-01-01

    One of the main factors which can involve musculo-skeletal disorders is the assumption of awkward postures. These lasts can be caused, in some cases, by a no-suitable collocation of some devices which are indispensable for the work. It is possible to evaluate if the chosen collocation is adequate or not by studying the accessibility of the workstation with a special regard for the accessibility of the devices placed inside the workstation. EN ISO 14738:2002 is a specific standard which has been adopted in Italy as UNI EN ISO 14738:2004. This standard gives some useful requirements, in terms of accessibility, to design a workstation at no-mobile machinery. In this study, the authors have analyzed a check out workstation by following the requirements described in UNI EN ISO 14738:2004. Critical aspects, related to the organization both of the work activities either of the workstation, have been highlighted taking into account standard criteria. Finally the authors make a new design of the check out workstation trying to optimize device collocation in order to reduce awkward postures. The new configuration has been investigated by applying the criteria mentioned in the standard.

  2. An Adaptive Channel Access Method for Dynamic Super Dense Wireless Sensor Networks.

    PubMed

    Lei, Chunyang; Bie, Hongxia; Fang, Gengfa; Zhang, Xuekun

    2015-12-03

    Super dense and distributed wireless sensor networks have become very popular with the development of small cell technology, Internet of Things (IoT), Machine-to-Machine (M2M) communications, Vehicular-to-Vehicular (V2V) communications and public safety networks. While densely deployed wireless networks provide one of the most important and sustainable solutions to improve the accuracy of sensing and spectral efficiency, a new channel access scheme needs to be designed to solve the channel congestion problem introduced by the high dynamics of competing nodes accessing the channel simultaneously. In this paper, we firstly analyzed the channel contention problem using a novel normalized channel contention analysis model which provides information on how to tune the contention window according to the state of channel contention. We then proposed an adaptive channel contention window tuning algorithm in which the contention window tuning rate is set dynamically based on the estimated channel contention level. Simulation results show that our proposed adaptive channel access algorithm based on fast contention window tuning can achieve more than 95 % of the theoretical optimal throughput and 0 . 97 of fairness index especially in dynamic and dense networks.

  3. Rising Expectations: Access to Biomedical Information

    PubMed Central

    Lindberg, D. A. B.; Humphreys, B. L.

    2008-01-01

    Summary Objective To provide an overview of the expansion in public access to electronic biomedical information over the past two decades, with an emphasis on developments to which the U.S. National Library of Medicine contributed. Methods Review of the increasingly broad spectrum of web-accessible genomic data, biomedical literature, consumer health information, clinical trials data, and images. Results The amount of publicly available electronic biomedical information has increased dramatically over the past twenty years. Rising expectations regarding access to biomedical information were stimulated by the spread of the Internet, the World Wide Web, advanced searching and linking techniques. These informatics advances simplified and improved access to electronic information and reduced costs, which enabled inter-organizational collaborations to build and maintain large international information resources and also aided outreach and education efforts The demonstrated benefits of free access to electronic biomedical information encouraged the development of public policies that further increase the amount of information available. Conclusions Continuing rapid growth of publicly accessible electronic biomedical information presents tremendous opportunities and challenges, including the need to ensure uninterrupted access during disasters or emergencies and to manage digital resources so they remain available for future generations. PMID:18587496

  4. Program Retrieval/Dissemination: A Solid State Random Access System.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Weeks, Walter O., Jr.

    The trend toward greater flexibility in educational methods has led to a need for better and more rapid access to a variety of aural and audiovisual resource materials. This in turn has demanded the development of a flexible, reliable system of hardware designed to aid existing distribution methods in providing such access. The system must be…

  5. National Survey on Access, Use and Promotion of Rational Use of Medicines (PNAUM): household survey component methods

    PubMed Central

    Mengue, Sotero Serrate; Bertoldi, Andréa Dâmaso; Boing, Alexandra Crispim; Tavares, Noemia Urruth Leão; Pizzol, Tatiane da Silva Dal; Oliveira, Maria Auxiliadora; Arrais, Paulo Sérgio Dourado; Ramos, Luiz Roberto; Farias, Mareni Rocha; Luiza, Vera Lucia; Bernal, Regina Tomie Ivata; de Barros, Aluísio Jardim Dornellas

    2016-01-01

    ABSTRACT OBJECTIVE To describe methodological aspects of the household survey National Survey on Access, Use and Promotion of Rational Use of Medicines (PNAUM) related to sampling design and implementation, the actual obtained sample, instruments and fieldwork. METHODS A cross-sectional, population-based study with probability sampling in three stages of the population living in households located in Brazilian urban areas. Fieldwork was carried out between September 2013 and February 2014. The data collection instrument included questions related to: information about households, residents and respondents; chronic diseases and medicines used; use of health services; acute diseases and events treated with drugs; use of contraceptives; use of pharmacy services; behaviors that may affect drug use; package inserts and packaging; lifestyle and health insurance. RESULTS In total, 41,433 interviews were carried out in 20,404 households and 576 urban clusters corresponding to 586 census tracts distributed in the five Brazilian regions, according to eight domains defined by age and gender. CONCLUSIONS The results of the survey may be used as a baseline for future studies aiming to assess the impact of government action on drug access and use. For local studies using a compatible method, PNAUM may serve as a reference point to evaluate variations in space and population. With a comprehensive evaluation of drug-related aspects, PNAUM is a major source of data for a variety of analyses to be carried out both at academic and government level. PMID:27982381

  6. A mixed-methods impact evaluation of the feasibility of an initiative in small rural stores to improve access to fruit and vegetables.

    PubMed

    Palermo, Claire; Gardiner, Breeana; Gee, Carena; Charaktis, Stella; Blake, Miranda

    2016-02-01

    Retail stores are a promising setting for improving access to nutritious food. This study opportunistically evaluated an initiative that supported stores in small rural Victorian towns to sell fresh fruit and vegetables. It aimed to measure whether the initiative showed a trend towards improved access to fruit and vegetables in these rural communities. A mixed-methods, pre-post evaluation was employed to measure the range and price of 39 fruits and 45 vegetables, together with 15 interviews with stakeholders 2.5 years after the commencement of the initiative. Twenty-one of 35 eligible stores took up the initiative. Analysis of qualitative and quantitative data showed that the initiative improved the availability of and access to fruit and vegetables, and that stores have a role in improving access to fruit and vegetables. The overall range of fruit and vegetables increased over 18 months from a median of 10 varieties (n=10) to 17 varieties (n=15) (P=0.028) and the prices decreased over 12 months in five out of seven stores where data was available. The capacity to influence availability of fruit and vegetables was affected by time, human resources and community support. Sustaining change to fruit and vegetables access is challenging. Using stores for health promotion may be an effective strategy for improving rural populations' fruit and vegetable intake.

  7. Does Technical Success of Angioplasty in Dysfunctional Hemodialysis Accesses Correlate with Access Patency?

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Sidhu, Arshdeep; Tan, Kong T.; Noel-Lamy, Maxime

    2016-10-15

    PurposeTo study if <30 % residual stenosis post angioplasty (PTA) correlates with primary access circuit patency, and if any variables predict technical success.Materials and MethodsA prospective observational study was performed between January 2009 and December 2012, wherein 76 patients underwent 154 PTA events in 56 prosthetic grafts (AVG) and 98 autogenous fistulas (AVF). Data collected included patient age, gender, lesion location and laterality, access type and location, number of prior interventions, and transonic flow rates pre- and postintervention. Impact of technical outcome on access patency was assessed. Univariate logistic regression was used to assess the impact of variables on technical success withmore » significant factors assessed with a multiple variable model.ResultsTechnical success rates of PTA in AVFs and AVGs were 79.6 and 76.7 %, respectively. Technical failures of PTA were associated with an increased risk of patency loss among circuits with AVFs (p < 0.05), but not with AVGs (p = 0.7). In AVFs, primary access patency rates between technical successes and failures at three and 6 months were 74.4 versus 61.9 % (p = 0.3) and 53.8 versus 23.8 % (p < 0.05), respectively. In AVGs, primary access patency rates between technical successes and failures at three and six months were 72.1 versus 53.9 % (p = 0.5) and 33.6 versus 38.5 % (p = 0.8), respectively. Transonic flow rates did not significantly differ among technically successful or failed outcomes at one or three months.ConclusionTechnical failures of PTA had a significant impact on access patency among AVFs with a trend toward poorer access patency within AVGs.« less

  8. Unique Access to Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Goble, Don

    2009-01-01

    This article describes the many learning opportunities that broadcast technology students at Ladue Horton Watkins High School in St. Louis, Missouri, experience because of their unique access to technology and methods of learning. Through scaffolding, stepladder techniques, and trial by fire, students learn to produce multiple television programs,…

  9. Accessing Electronic Theses: Progress?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tennant, Roy

    2000-01-01

    Describes various ways by which universities provide access to their electronic theses and dissertations (ETDs), discussing UMI (University Microfilms International), XML (eXtensible Markup Language), and other formats. Discusses key leaders--national and international--in the ETD effort. Outlines the two main methods for locating ETDs. Presents a…

  10. Empower: access to medicine - working towards early access.

    PubMed

    Pearson, Jennifer Bryant; Turgoose, James; Hargrave, James

    2015-01-01

    Empower: Access to Medicine's contribution will document the founding of Empower: Access to Medicine and tactics used to create a lobbying campaign designed to facilitate the debate around barriers to medical innovation and patient access to medicines. The article will detail the evolution of the campaign's goals and the potential solutions to an expensive and slow system. Specifically the submission will look at the influence that Empower: Access to Medicine had on the Government's thinking and development of an early access scheme.

  11. Secure Web-Site Access with Tickets and Message-Dependent Digests

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Donato, David I.

    2008-01-01

    Although there are various methods for restricting access to documents stored on a World Wide Web (WWW) site (a Web site), none of the widely used methods is completely suitable for restricting access to Web applications hosted on an otherwise publicly accessible Web site. A new technique, however, provides a mix of features well suited for restricting Web-site or Web-application access to authorized users, including the following: secure user authentication, tamper-resistant sessions, simple access to user state variables by server-side applications, and clean session terminations. This technique, called message-dependent digests with tickets, or MDDT, maintains secure user sessions by passing single-use nonces (tickets) and message-dependent digests of user credentials back and forth between client and server. Appendix 2 provides a working implementation of MDDT with PHP server-side code and JavaScript client-side code.

  12. ART access-related barriers faced by HIV-positive persons linked to care in southern Ghana: a mixed method study.

    PubMed

    Ankomah, Augustine; Ganle, John Kuumuori; Lartey, Margaret Yaa; Kwara, Awewura; Nortey, Priscilla Awo; Okyerefo, Michael Perry Kweku; Laar, Amos Kankponang

    2016-12-07

    Timely and enduring access to antiretroviral therapy (ART) by HIV-infected individuals has been shown to substantially reduce HIV transmission risk, HIV-related morbidity and mortality. However, there is evidence that in addition to limited supply of antiretrovirals (ARVs) and linkage to ART in many low-income countries, HIV+ persons often encounter barriers in accessing ART-related services even in contexts where these services are freely available. In Ghana, limited research evidence exists regarding the barriers HIV+ persons already linked to ART face. This paper explores ART access-related barriers that HIV+ persons linked to care in southern Ghana face. A mixed method study design, involving a cross-sectional survey and qualitative in-depth interviews, was conducted to collect data from four healthcare providers and a total of 540 adult HIV+ persons receiving ART at four treatment centres in Ghana. We used univariate analysis to generate descriptive tabulations for key variables from the survey. Data from qualitative in-depth interviews were thematically analysed. Results from the survey and in-depth interviews were brought together to illuminate the challenges of the HIV+ persons. All (100%) the HIV+ persons interviewed were ARV-exposed and linked to ART. Reasons for taking ARVs ranged from beliefs that they will suppress the HIV virus, desire to maintain good health and prolong life, and desire to prevent infection in unborn children, desire both to avoid death and to become good therapeutic citizens (abide by doctors' advice). Despite this, more than half of the study participants (63.3%) reported seven major factors as barriers hindering access to ART. These were high financial costs associated with accessing and receiving ART (26%), delays associated with receiving care from treatment centres (24%), shortage of drugs and other commodities (23%), stigma (8.8%), fear of side effects of taking ARVs (7.9%), job insecurity arising from regular leave of absence

  13. An optimization framework for measuring spatial access over healthcare networks.

    PubMed

    Li, Zihao; Serban, Nicoleta; Swann, Julie L

    2015-07-17

    Measurement of healthcare spatial access over a network involves accounting for demand, supply, and network structure. Popular approaches are based on floating catchment areas; however the methods can overestimate demand over the network and fail to capture cascading effects across the system. Optimization is presented as a framework to measure spatial access. Questions related to when and why optimization should be used are addressed. The accuracy of the optimization models compared to the two-step floating catchment area method and its variations is analytically demonstrated, and a case study of specialty care for Cystic Fibrosis over the continental United States is used to compare these approaches. The optimization models capture a patient's experience rather than their opportunities and avoid overestimating patient demand. They can also capture system effects due to change based on congestion. Furthermore, the optimization models provide more elements of access than traditional catchment methods. Optimization models can incorporate user choice and other variations, and they can be useful towards targeting interventions to improve access. They can be easily adapted to measure access for different types of patients, over different provider types, or with capacity constraints in the network. Moreover, optimization models allow differences in access in rural and urban areas.

  14. Allelic database and divergence among Psidium accessions by using microsatellite markers.

    PubMed

    da Costa, S R; Santos, C A F

    2013-12-16

    This study aimed to investigate the genetic variability among guava accessions and wild Psidium species of the Embrapa Semiárido germplasm collection by using microsatellite loci to guide genetic resources and breeding programs, emphasizing crosses between guava and other Psidium species. DNA was extracted using the 2X CTAB method, and polymerase chain reaction products were analyzed on 6% denatured polyacrylamide gels stained with silver nitrate. The unweighted pair-group method using arithmetic average dendrogram generated from the distance matrix of the Jaccard coefficient for 183 alleles of 13 microsatellite loci was used for visualization of genetic similarity. The number of base pairs was estimated using inverse mobility method based on the regression of known-size products. Analysis of molecular variance was performed using total decomposition between and within guava accessions. The accessions showed similarity from 0.75 to 1.00, with the dendrogram presenting cophenetic value of 0.85. Five groups were observed: the first included guava accessions; the second, P. guineense accessions; the third, one accession of P. friedrichsthalianum; and the last 2 groups, P. cattleianum. The genetic similarity among P. guineense and some guava accessions were above 80%, suggesting greater possibility to obtain interspecies hybrids between these 2 species. The genetic variability between the accessions was considered to be high (ΦST = 0.238), indicating that guava genetic variability is not uniformly distributed among the 9 Brazilian states from where the accession were obtained. Obtaining a greater number of accessions by Brazilian states is recommended in order to have greater diversity among the species.

  15. Access 3 project protocol: young people and health system navigation in the digital age: a multifaceted, mixed methods study

    PubMed Central

    Kang, Melissa; Robards, Fiona; Sanci, Lena; Steinbeck, Katharine; Jan, Stephen; Hawke, Catherine; Kong, Marlene; Usherwood, Tim

    2017-01-01

    Background The integration of digital technology into everyday lives of young people has become widespread. It is not known whether and how technology influences barriers and facilitators to healthcare, and whether and how young people navigate between face-to-face and virtual healthcare. To provide new knowledge essential to policy and practice, we designed a study that would explore health system access and navigation in the digital age. The study objectives are to: (1) describe experiences of young people accessing and navigating the health system in New South Wales (NSW), Australia; (2) identify barriers and facilitators to healthcare for young people and how these vary between groups; (3) describe health system inefficiencies, particularly for young people who are marginalised; (4) provide policy-relevant knowledge translation of the research data. Methods and analysis This mixed methods study has four parts, including: (1) a cross-sectional survey of young people (12–24 years) residing in NSW, Australia; (2) a longitudinal, qualitative study of a subsample of marginalised young people (defined as young people who: identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander; are experiencing homelessness; identify as sexuality and/or gender diverse; are of refugee or vulnerable migrant background; and/or live in rural or remote NSW); (3) interviews with professionals; (4) a knowledge translation forum. Ethics and dissemination Ethics approvals were sought and granted. Data collection commenced in March 2016 and will continue until June 2017. This study will gather practice and policy-relevant intelligence about contemporary experiences of young people and health services, with a unique focus on five different groups of marginalised young people, documenting their experiences over time. Access 3 will explore navigation around all levels of the health system, determine whether digital technology is integrated into this, and if so how, and will translate findings into

  16. Health Fraud

    MedlinePlus

    Health fraud involves selling drugs, devices, foods, or cosmetics that have not been proven effective. Keep in ... you from getting the treatment you really need. Health fraud scams can be found everywhere, promising help ...

  17. A hybrid 3D spatial access method based on quadtrees and R-trees for globe data

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gong, Jun; Ke, Shengnan; Li, Xiaomin; Qi, Shuhua

    2009-10-01

    3D spatial access method for globe data is very crucial technique for virtual earth. This paper presents a brand-new maintenance method to index 3d objects distributed on the whole surface of the earth, which integrates the 1:1,000,000- scale topographic map tiles, Quad-tree and R-tree. Furthermore, when traditional methods are extended into 3d space, the performance of spatial index deteriorates badly, for example 3D R-tree. In order to effectively solve this difficult problem, a new algorithm of dynamic R-tree is put forward, which includes two sub-procedures, namely node-choosing and node-split. In the node-choosing algorithm, a new strategy is adopted, not like the traditional mode which is from top to bottom, but firstly from bottom to top then from top to bottom. This strategy can effectively solve the negative influence of node overlap. In the node-split algorithm, 2-to-3 split mode substitutes the traditional 1-to-2 mode, which can better concern the shape and size of nodes. Because of the rational tree shape, this R-tree method can easily integrate the concept of LOD. Therefore, it will be later implemented in commercial DBMS and adopted in time-crucial 3d GIS system.

  18. Accessing Sexual and Reproductive Health Information and Services: A Mixed Methods Study of Young Women's Needs and Experiences in Soweto, South Africa.

    PubMed

    Lince-Deroche, Naomi; Hargey, Adila; Holt, Kelsey; Shochet, Tara

    2015-03-01

    Young women and girls in South Africa are at high risk of unintended pregnancy and HIV. Previous studies have reported barriers to contraceptive and other sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services among young women in this context. We aimed to assess young women's SRH knowledge and experiences and to determine how they get SRH information and services in Soweto, South Africa using quantitative and qualitative methods. Young women, aged 18-24, recruited from primary health clinics and a shopping mall, reported that they have access to SRH information and know where to obtain services. However there are challenges to accessing and utilizing information and services including providers' unsupportive attitudes, uneven power dynamics in relationships and communication issues with parents and community members. There is a need to assist young women in understanding the significance of SRH information. They need access to age-appropriate, youth-friendly services in order to have healthy sexual experiences.

  19. Measuring geographical accessibility to rural and remote health care services: Challenges and considerations.

    PubMed

    Shah, Tayyab Ikram; Milosavljevic, Stephan; Bath, Brenna

    2017-06-01

    This research is focused on methodological challenges and considerations associated with the estimation of the geographical aspects of access to healthcare with a focus on rural and remote areas. With the assumption that GIS-based accessibility measures for rural healthcare services will vary across geographic units of analysis and estimation techniques, which could influence the interpretation of spatial access to rural healthcare services. Estimations of geographical accessibility depend on variations of the following three parameters: 1) quality of input data; 2) accessibility method; and 3) geographical area. This research investigated the spatial distributions of physiotherapists (PTs) in comparison to family physicians (FPs) across Saskatchewan, Canada. The three-steps floating catchment areas (3SFCA) method was applied to calculate the accessibility scores for both PT and FP services at two different geographical units. A comparison of accessibility scores to simple healthcare provider-to-population ratios was also calculated. The results vary considerably depending on the accessibility methods used and the choice of geographical area unit for measuring geographical accessibility for both FP and PT services. These findings raise intriguing questions regarding the nature and extent of technical issues and methodological considerations that can affect GIS-based measures in health services research and planning. This study demonstrates how the selection of geographical areal units and different methods for measuring geographical accessibility could affect the distribution of healthcare resources in rural areas. These methodological issues have implications for determining where there is reduced access that will ultimately impact health human resource priorities and policies. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. Open Access Publishing in Indian Premier Research Institutions

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bhat, Mohammad Hanief

    2009-01-01

    Introduction: Publishing research findings in open access journals is a means of enhancing visibility and consequently increasing the impact of publications. This study provides an overview of open access publishing in premier research institutes of India. Method: The publication output of each institution from 2003 to 2007 was ascertained through…

  1. Numerical method for accessing the universal scaling function for a multiparticle discrete time asymmetric exclusion process

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chia, Nicholas; Bundschuh, Ralf

    2005-11-01

    In the universality class of the one-dimensional Kardar-Parisi-Zhang (KPZ) surface growth, Derrida and Lebowitz conjectured the universality of not only the scaling exponents, but of an entire scaling function. Since and Derrida and Lebowitz’s original publication [Phys. Rev. Lett. 80, 209 (1998)] this universality has been verified for a variety of continuous-time, periodic-boundary systems in the KPZ universality class. Here, we present a numerical method for directly examining the entire particle flux of the asymmetric exclusion process (ASEP), thus providing an alternative to more difficult cumulant ratios studies. Using this method, we find that the Derrida-Lebowitz scaling function (DLSF) properly characterizes the large-system-size limit (N→∞) of a single-particle discrete time system, even in the case of very small system sizes (N⩽22) . This fact allows us to not only verify that the DLSF properly characterizes multiple-particle discrete-time asymmetric exclusion processes, but also provides a way to numerically solve for quantities of interest, such as the particle hopping flux. This method can thus serve to further increase the ease and accessibility of studies involving even more challenging dynamics, such as the open-boundary ASEP.

  2. Detecting Inappropriate Access to Electronic Health Records Using Collaborative Filtering.

    PubMed

    Menon, Aditya Krishna; Jiang, Xiaoqian; Kim, Jihoon; Vaidya, Jaideep; Ohno-Machado, Lucila

    2014-04-01

    Many healthcare facilities enforce security on their electronic health records (EHRs) through a corrective mechanism: some staff nominally have almost unrestricted access to the records, but there is a strict ex post facto audit process for inappropriate accesses, i.e., accesses that violate the facility's security and privacy policies. This process is inefficient, as each suspicious access has to be reviewed by a security expert, and is purely retrospective, as it occurs after damage may have been incurred. This motivates automated approaches based on machine learning using historical data. Previous attempts at such a system have successfully applied supervised learning models to this end, such as SVMs and logistic regression. While providing benefits over manual auditing, these approaches ignore the identity of the users and patients involved in a record access. Therefore, they cannot exploit the fact that a patient whose record was previously involved in a violation has an increased risk of being involved in a future violation. Motivated by this, in this paper, we propose a collaborative filtering inspired approach to predicting inappropriate accesses. Our solution integrates both explicit and latent features for staff and patients, the latter acting as a personalized "finger-print" based on historical access patterns. The proposed method, when applied to real EHR access data from two tertiary hospitals and a file-access dataset from Amazon, shows not only significantly improved performance compared to existing methods, but also provides insights as to what indicates an inappropriate access.

  3. Detecting Inappropriate Access to Electronic Health Records Using Collaborative Filtering

    PubMed Central

    Menon, Aditya Krishna; Jiang, Xiaoqian; Kim, Jihoon; Vaidya, Jaideep; Ohno-Machado, Lucila

    2013-01-01

    Many healthcare facilities enforce security on their electronic health records (EHRs) through a corrective mechanism: some staff nominally have almost unrestricted access to the records, but there is a strict ex post facto audit process for inappropriate accesses, i.e., accesses that violate the facility’s security and privacy policies. This process is inefficient, as each suspicious access has to be reviewed by a security expert, and is purely retrospective, as it occurs after damage may have been incurred. This motivates automated approaches based on machine learning using historical data. Previous attempts at such a system have successfully applied supervised learning models to this end, such as SVMs and logistic regression. While providing benefits over manual auditing, these approaches ignore the identity of the users and patients involved in a record access. Therefore, they cannot exploit the fact that a patient whose record was previously involved in a violation has an increased risk of being involved in a future violation. Motivated by this, in this paper, we propose a collaborative filtering inspired approach to predicting inappropriate accesses. Our solution integrates both explicit and latent features for staff and patients, the latter acting as a personalized “finger-print” based on historical access patterns. The proposed method, when applied to real EHR access data from two tertiary hospitals and a file-access dataset from Amazon, shows not only significantly improved performance compared to existing methods, but also provides insights as to what indicates an inappropriate access. PMID:24683293

  4. Access of primary and secondary literature by health personnel in an academic health center: implications for open access*

    PubMed Central

    Steinberg, Ryan M.; Moorhead, Laura; O'Brien, Bridget; Willinsky, John

    2013-01-01

    Purpose: The research sought to ascertain the types and quantity of research evidence accessed by health personnel through PubMed and UpToDate in a university medical center over the course of a year in order to better estimate the impact that increasing levels of open access to biomedical research can be expected to have on clinical practice in the years ahead. Methods: Web log data were gathered from the 5,042 health personnel working in the Stanford University Hospitals (SUH) during 2011. Data were analyzed for access to the primary literature (abstracts and full-text) through PubMed and UpToDate and to the secondary literature, represented by UpToDate (research summaries), to establish the frequency and nature of literature consulted. Results: In 2011, SUH health personnel accessed 81,851 primary literature articles and visited UpToDate 110,336 times. Almost a third of the articles (24,529) accessed were reviews. Twenty percent (16,187) of the articles viewed were published in 2011. Conclusion: When it is available, health personnel in a clinical care setting frequently access the primary literature. While further studies are needed, this preliminary finding speaks to the value of the National Institutes of Health public access policy and the need for medical librarians and educators to prepare health personnel for increasing public access to medical research. PMID:23930091

  5. ACOG Committee Opinion Number 542: Access to emergency contraception.

    PubMed

    2012-11-01

    Emergency contraception includes contraceptive methods used to prevent pregnancy in the first few days after unprotected intercourse, sexual assault, or contraceptive failure. Although the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the first dedicated product for emergency contraception in 1998, numerous barriers to access to emergency contraception remain. The purpose of this Committee Opinion is to examine the barriers to the use of oral emergency contraception methods and to highlight the importance of increasing access.

  6. A spatial analysis of variations in health access: linking geography, socio-economic status and access perceptions

    PubMed Central

    2011-01-01

    Background This paper analyses the relationship between public perceptions of access to general practitioners (GPs) surgeries and hospitals against health status, car ownership and geographic distance. In so doing it explores the different dimensions associated with facility access and accessibility. Methods Data on difficulties experienced in accessing health services, respondent health status and car ownership were collected through an attitudes survey. Road distances to the nearest service were calculated for each respondent using a GIS. Difficulty was related to geographic distance, health status and car ownership using logistic generalized linear models. A Geographically Weighted Regression (GWR) was used to explore the spatial non-stationarity in the results. Results Respondent long term illness, reported bad health and non-car ownership were found to be significant predictors of difficulty in accessing GPs and hospitals. Geographic distance was not a significant predictor of difficulty in accessing hospitals but was for GPs. GWR identified the spatial (local) variation in these global relationships indicating locations where the predictive strength of the independent variables was higher or lower than the global trend. The impacts of bad health and non-car ownership on the difficulties experienced in accessing health services varied spatially across the study area, whilst the impacts of geographic distance did not. Conclusions Difficulty in accessing different health facilities was found to be significantly related to health status and car ownership, whilst the impact of geographic distance depends on the service in question. GWR showed how these relationships were varied across the study area. This study demonstrates that the notion of access is a multi-dimensional concept, whose composition varies with location, according to the facility being considered and the health and socio-economic status of the individual concerned. PMID:21787394

  7. Access to Oral Health Care: The Role of Federally Qualified Health Centers in Addressing Disparities and Expanding Access

    PubMed Central

    Shi, Leiyu; Hayashi, Arthur Seiji; Sharma, Ravi; Daly, Charles; Ngo-Metzger, Quyen

    2013-01-01

    Objectives. We examined utilization, unmet need, and satisfaction with oral health services among Federally Qualified Health Center patients. We examined correlates of unmet need to guide efforts to increase access to oral health services among underserved populations. Methods. Using the 2009 Health Center Patient Survey, we performed multivariate logistic regressions to examine factors associated with access to dental care at health centers, unmet need, and patient experience. Results. We found no racial or ethnic disparities in access to timely oral health care among health center patients; however, uninsured patients and those whose insurance does not provide dental coverage experienced restricted access and greater unmet need. Slightly more than half of health center patients had a dental visit in the past year, but 1 in 7 reported that their most recent visit was at least 5 years ago. Among health center patients who accessed dental care at their health center, satisfaction was high. Conclusions. These results underscore the critical role that health centers play in national efforts to improve oral health status and eliminate disparities in access to timely and appropriate dental services. PMID:23327254

  8. Limited school drinking water access for youth

    PubMed Central

    Kenney, Erica L.; Gortmaker, Steven L.; Cohen, Juliana F.W.; Rimm, Eric B.; Cradock, Angie L.

    2016-01-01

    PURPOSE Providing children and youth with safe, adequate drinking water access during school is essential for health. This study utilized objectively measured data to investigate the extent to which schools provide drinking water access that meets state and federal policies. METHODS We visited 59 middle and high schools in Massachusetts during spring 2012. Trained research assistants documented the type, location, and working condition of all water access points throughout each school building using a standard protocol. School food service directors (FSDs) completed surveys reporting water access in cafeterias. We evaluated school compliance with state plumbing codes and federal regulations and compared FSD self-reports of water access with direct observation; data were analyzed in 2014. RESULTS On average, each school had 1.5 (SD: 0.6) water sources per 75 students; 82% (SD: 20) were functioning, and fewer (70%) were both clean and functioning. Less than half of the schools met the federal Healthy Hunger Free Kids Act requirement for free water access during lunch; 18 schools (31%) provided bottled water for purchase but no free water. Slightly over half (59%) met the Massachusetts state plumbing code. FSDs overestimated free drinking water access compared to direct observation (96% FSD-reported versus 48% observed, kappa=0.07, p=0.17). CONCLUSIONS School drinking water access may be limited. In this study, many schools did not meet state or federal policies for minimum student drinking water access. School administrative staff may not accurately report water access. Public health action is needed to increase school drinking water access. IMPLICATIONS AND CONTRIBUTIONS Adolescents’ water consumption is lower than recommended. In a sample of Massachusetts middle and high schools, about half did not meet federal and state minimum drinking water access policies. Direct observation may improve assessments of drinking water access and could be integrated into routine

  9. A method to implement fine-grained access control for personal health records through standard relational database queries.

    PubMed

    Sujansky, Walter V; Faus, Sam A; Stone, Ethan; Brennan, Patricia Flatley

    2010-10-01

    Online personal health records (PHRs) enable patients to access, manage, and share certain of their own health information electronically. This capability creates the need for precise access-controls mechanisms that restrict the sharing of data to that intended by the patient. The authors describe the design and implementation of an access-control mechanism for PHR repositories that is modeled on the eXtensible Access Control Markup Language (XACML) standard, but intended to reduce the cognitive and computational complexity of XACML. The authors implemented the mechanism entirely in a relational database system using ANSI-standard SQL statements. Based on a set of access-control rules encoded as relational table rows, the mechanism determines via a single SQL query whether a user who accesses patient data from a specific application is authorized to perform a requested operation on a specified data object. Testing of this query on a moderately large database has demonstrated execution times consistently below 100ms. The authors include the details of the implementation, including algorithms, examples, and a test database as Supplementary materials. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  10. Accessible solitons of fractional dimension

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Zhong, Wei-Ping, E-mail: zhongwp6@126.com; Texas A&M University at Qatar, P.O. Box 23874, Doha; Belić, Milivoj

    We demonstrate that accessible solitons described by an extended Schrödinger equation with the Laplacian of fractional dimension can exist in strongly nonlocal nonlinear media. The soliton solutions of the model are constructed by two special functions, the associated Legendre polynomials and the Laguerre polynomials in the fraction-dimensional space. Our results show that these fractional accessible solitons form a soliton family which includes crescent solitons, and asymmetric single-layer and multi-layer necklace solitons. -- Highlights: •Analytic solutions of a fractional Schrödinger equation are obtained. •The solutions are produced by means of self-similar method applied to the fractional Schrödinger equation with parabolic potential.more » •The fractional accessible solitons form crescent, asymmetric single-layer and multilayer necklace profiles. •The model applies to the propagation of optical pulses in strongly nonlocal nonlinear media.« less

  11. Comparison of external catheters with subcutaneous vascular access ports for chronic vascular access in a porcine model.

    PubMed

    Chuang, Marc; Orvieto, Marcelo; Laven, Brett; Gerber, Glenn; Wardrip, Craig; Ritch, Chad; Shalhav, Arieh

    2005-03-01

    We sought to compare the outcomes of two chronic vascular access techniques, the externalized catheter and the subcutaneous vascular access port, in pigs. Female farm pigs (n = 30) underwent placement of a chronic vascular access device in the jugular vein for a research protocol: 18 of the animals underwent placement of a tunneled Hickman catheter (THC), and the remaining 12 animals underwent placement of a subcutaneous vascular access port (VAP) without external components. After placement of the devices, animals underwent serial blood sampling. All animals were given identical antibiotic prophylaxis. VAP access required the use of a restraint sling for Huber needle insertion, whereas THC access required no additional equipment. Animals were euthanatized 1 month after placement of the device. In the VAP group, the port was retrieved, cleaned, and steam-autoclaved for reuse. In the THC group, 13 (72%) animals developed infectious complications, and blood and wound cultures were often polymicrobial. One animal was euthanatized secondary to overwhelming sepsis. In addition, three (17%) animals developed thromboembolic complications. In contrast, no thromboembolic complications were noted in the VAP group, and only one animal developed a transient fever which resolved spontaneously; no septic complications or abscesses developed. Blood draws with no anesthesia were successful in both groups. We conclude that subcutaneous vascular access ports are a safe and efficient method for obtaining reliable chronic vascular access for a 1-month period in pigs. The subcutaneous devices were associated with low morbidity. In contrast, externalized catheters can be associated with considerable morbidity.

  12. Accessible engineering drawings for visually impaired machine operators.

    PubMed

    Ramteke, Deepak; Kansal, Gayatri; Madhab, Benu

    2014-01-01

    An engineering drawing provides manufacturing information to a machine operator. An operator plans and executes machining operations based on this information. A visually impaired (VI) operator does not have direct access to the drawings. Drawing information is provided to them verbally or by using sample parts. Both methods have limitations that affect the quality of output. Use of engineering drawings is a standard practice for every industry; this hampers employment of a VI operator. Accessible engineering drawings are required to increase both independence, as well as, employability of VI operators. Today, Computer Aided Design (CAD) software is used for making engineering drawings, which are saved in CAD files. Required information is extracted from the CAD files and converted into Braille or voice. The authors of this article propose a method to make engineering drawings information directly accessible to a VI operator.

  13. Facilitators and barriers to accessing reproductive health care for migrant beer promoters in Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam: a mixed methods study.

    PubMed

    Webber, Gail; Spitzer, Denise; Somrongthong, Ratana; Dat, Truong Cong; Kounnavongsa, Somphone

    2012-07-02

    The purpose of the research was to assess access to sexual and reproductive health services for migrant women who work as beer promoters. This mixed methods research was conducted in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Bangkok, Thailand, Vientiane, Laos, and Hanoi, Vietnam during 2010 to 2011. Focus groups were held with beer promoters and separate focus groups or interviews with key informants to explore the factors affecting beer promoters' access to health care institutions for reproductive health care. The findings of the focus groups were used to develop a survey for beer promoters. This survey was conducted in popular health institutions for these women in each of the four Asian cities. Several common themes were evident. Work demands prevented beer promoters from accessing health care. Institutional factors affecting care included cost, location, environmental factors (e.g. waiting times, cleanliness and confidentiality) and service factors (e.g. staff attitudes, clinic hours, and availability of medications). Personal factors affecting access were shyness and fear, lack of knowledge, and support from family and friends.The survey of the beer promoters confirmed that cost, location and both environmental and service factors impact on access to health care services for beer promoters. Many beer promoters are sexually active, and a significant proportion of those surveyed rely on sex work to supplement their income. Many also drink with their clients. Despite a few differences amongst the surveyed population, the findings were remarkably similar across the four research sites. Recommendations from the research include the provision of evening and weekend clinic hours to facilitate access, free or low cost clinics, and health insurance through employer or government plans which are easy to access for migrants. Other improvements that would facilitate the access of beer promoters to these services include increased funding to hire more staff (reducing waiting times) and to

  14. Map data-driven assessment of urban areas accessibility

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Parygin, D. S.; Aleshkevich, A. A.; Golubev, A. V.; Smykovskaya, T. K.; Finogeev, A. G.

    2018-05-01

    The study analyzes the existing approaches to assessment of the city territory transport accessibility. The method for the city territory sections connectedness assessment through the personal and public transport was developed. The assessment of transport accessibility is proposed based on an analysis of open cartographic data. The technology of calculation and visualization of urban areas interconnectedness with the use of a street network graph and public transport routes, data obtained from Internet map services have been developed. An example of territory accessibility assessments visualization on an online map is given.

  15. User-Centered Indexing for Adaptive Information Access

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Chen, James R.; Mathe, Nathalie

    1996-01-01

    We are focusing on information access tasks characterized by large volume of hypermedia connected technical documents, a need for rapid and effective access to familiar information, and long-term interaction with evolving information. The problem for technical users is to build and maintain a personalized task-oriented model of the information to quickly access relevant information. We propose a solution which provides user-centered adaptive information retrieval and navigation. This solution supports users in customizing information access over time. It is complementary to information discovery methods which provide access to new information, since it lets users customize future access to previously found information. It relies on a technique, called Adaptive Relevance Network, which creates and maintains a complex indexing structure to represent personal user's information access maps organized by concepts. This technique is integrated within the Adaptive HyperMan system, which helps NASA Space Shuttle flight controllers organize and access large amount of information. It allows users to select and mark any part of a document as interesting, and to index that part with user-defined concepts. Users can then do subsequent retrieval of marked portions of documents. This functionality allows users to define and access personal collections of information, which are dynamically computed. The system also supports collaborative review by letting users share group access maps. The adaptive relevance network provides long-term adaptation based both on usage and on explicit user input. The indexing structure is dynamic and evolves over time. Leading and generalization support flexible retrieval of information under similar concepts. The network is geared towards more recent information access, and automatically manages its size in order to maintain rapid access when scaling up to large hypermedia space. We present results of simulated learning experiments.

  16. 47 CFR 54.621 - Access to advanced telecommunications and information services.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... cannot obtain toll-free access to an Internet service provider shall be entitled to receive the lesser of... monthly cost of eligible Internet access shall be eligible for universal support. Health care providers shall certify that the Internet access selected is the most cost-effective method for their health care...

  17. DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Tang, Shuaiqi; Zhang, Minghua; Xie, Shaocheng

    Large-scale forcing data, such as vertical velocity and advective tendencies, are required to drive single-column models (SCMs), cloud-resolving models, and large-eddy simulations. Previous studies suggest that some errors of these model simulations could be attributed to the lack of spatial variability in the specified domain-mean large-scale forcing. This study investigates the spatial variability of the forcing and explores its impact on SCM simulated precipitation and clouds. A gridded large-scale forcing data during the March 2000 Cloud Intensive Operational Period at the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement program's Southern Great Plains site is used for analysis and to drive the single-column version ofmore » the Community Atmospheric Model Version 5 (SCAM5). When the gridded forcing data show large spatial variability, such as during a frontal passage, SCAM5 with the domain-mean forcing is not able to capture the convective systems that are partly located in the domain or that only occupy part of the domain. This problem has been largely reduced by using the gridded forcing data, which allows running SCAM5 in each subcolumn and then averaging the results within the domain. This is because the subcolumns have a better chance to capture the timing of the frontal propagation and the small-scale systems. As a result, other potential uses of the gridded forcing data, such as understanding and testing scale-aware parameterizations, are also discussed.« less

  18. Investigating the dependence of SCM simulated precipitation and clouds on the spatial scale of large-scale forcing at SGP [Investigating the scale dependence of SCM simulated precipitation and cloud by using gridded forcing data at SGP

    DOE PAGES

    Tang, Shuaiqi; Zhang, Minghua; Xie, Shaocheng

    2017-08-05

    Large-scale forcing data, such as vertical velocity and advective tendencies, are required to drive single-column models (SCMs), cloud-resolving models, and large-eddy simulations. Previous studies suggest that some errors of these model simulations could be attributed to the lack of spatial variability in the specified domain-mean large-scale forcing. This study investigates the spatial variability of the forcing and explores its impact on SCM simulated precipitation and clouds. A gridded large-scale forcing data during the March 2000 Cloud Intensive Operational Period at the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement program's Southern Great Plains site is used for analysis and to drive the single-column version ofmore » the Community Atmospheric Model Version 5 (SCAM5). When the gridded forcing data show large spatial variability, such as during a frontal passage, SCAM5 with the domain-mean forcing is not able to capture the convective systems that are partly located in the domain or that only occupy part of the domain. This problem has been largely reduced by using the gridded forcing data, which allows running SCAM5 in each subcolumn and then averaging the results within the domain. This is because the subcolumns have a better chance to capture the timing of the frontal propagation and the small-scale systems. As a result, other potential uses of the gridded forcing data, such as understanding and testing scale-aware parameterizations, are also discussed.« less

  19. VO Access to BASECOL Database

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Moreau, N.; Dubernet, M. L.

    2006-07-01

    Basecol is a combination of a website (using PHP and HTML) and a MySQL database concerning molecular ro-vibrational transitions induced by collisions with atoms or molecules. This database has been created in view of the scientific preparation of the Heterodyne Instrument for the Far-Infrared on board the Herschel Space Observatory (HSO). Basecol offers an access to numerical and bibliographic data through various output methods such as ASCII, HTML or VOTable (which is a first step towards a VO compliant system). A web service using Apache Axis has been developed in order to provide a direct access to data for external applications.

  20. Access to Investigational Drugs: FDA Expanded Access Programs or “Right‐to‐Try” Legislation?

    PubMed Central

    Berglund, Jelena P.; Weatherwax, Kevin; Gerber, David E.; Adamo, Joan E.

    2015-01-01

    Abstract Purpose The Food and Drug Administration Expanded Access (EA) program and “Right‐to‐Try” legislation aim to provide seriously ill patients who have no other comparable treatment options to gain access to investigational drugs and biological agents. Physicians and institutions need to understand these programs to respond to questions and requests for access. Methods FDA EA programs and state and federal legislative efforts to provide investigational products to patients by circumventing FDA regulations were summarized and compared. Results The FDA EA program includes Single Patient‐Investigational New Drug (SP‐IND), Emergency SP‐IND, Intermediate Sized Population IND, and Treatment IND. Approval rates for all categories exceed 99%. Approval requires FDA and Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval, and cooperation of the pharmaceutical partner is essential. “Right‐to‐Try” legislation bypasses some of these steps, but provides no regulatory or safety oversight. Conclusion The FDA EA program is a reasonable option for patients for whom all other therapeutic interventions have failed. The SP‐IND not only provides patient access to new drugs, but also maintains a balance between immediacy and necessary patient protection. Rather than circumventing existing FDA regulations through proposed legislation, it seems more judicious to provide the knowledge and means to meet the EA requirements. PMID:25588691

  1. Enhancing Access to Situational Vocabulary by Leveraging Geographic Context

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Patel, Rupal; Radhakrishnan, Rajiv

    2007-01-01

    Users of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) aids could benefit from novel methods for accelerating access to contextually relevant vocabulary. This paper describes our initial efforts toward improving access to situational vocabulary through the use of geographic context to predict vocabulary. A corpus of spoken data produced by one…

  2. 47 CFR 54.621 - Access to advanced telecommunications and information services.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... monthly cost of eligible Internet access shall be eligible for universal support. Health care providers shall certify that the Internet access selected is the most cost-effective method for their health care needs as defined in § 54.615(c)(7), and that purchase of the Internet access is reasonably related to...

  3. 47 CFR 54.621 - Access to advanced telecommunications and information services.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... monthly cost of eligible Internet access shall be eligible for universal support. Health care providers shall certify that the Internet access selected is the most cost-effective method for their health care needs as defined in § 54.615(c)(7), and that purchase of the Internet access is reasonably related to...

  4. Water accessibility in a membrane-inserting peptide comparing Overhauser DNP and pulse EPR methods.

    PubMed

    Segawa, Takuya F; Doppelbauer, Maximilian; Garbuio, Luca; Doll, Andrin; Polyhach, Yevhen O; Jeschke, Gunnar

    2016-05-21

    Water accessibility is a key parameter for the understanding of the structure of biomolecules, especially membrane proteins. Several experimental techniques based on the combination of electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy with site-directed spin labeling are currently available. Among those, we compare relaxation time measurements and electron spin echo envelope modulation (ESEEM) experiments using pulse EPR with Overhauser dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP) at X-band frequency and a magnetic field of 0.33 T. Overhauser DNP transfers the electron spin polarization to nuclear spins via cross-relaxation. The change in the intensity of the (1)H NMR spectrum of H2O at a Larmor frequency of 14 MHz under a continuous-wave microwave irradiation of the nitroxide spin label contains information on the water accessibility of the labeled site. As a model system for a membrane protein, we use the hydrophobic α-helical peptide WALP23 in unilamellar liposomes of DOPC. Water accessibility measurements with all techniques are conducted for eight peptides with different spin label positions and low radical concentrations (10-20 μM). Consistently in all experiments, the water accessibility appears to be very low, even for labels positioned near the end of the helix. The best profile is obtained by Overhauser DNP, which is the only technique that succeeds in discriminating neighboring positions in WALP23. Since the concentration of the spin-labeled peptides varied, we normalized the DNP parameter ϵ, being the relative change of the NMR intensity, by the electron spin concentration, which was determined from a continuous-wave EPR spectrum.

  5. Providing Access to a Diverse Set of Global Reanalysis Dataset Collections

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Schuster, D.; Worley, S. J.

    2015-12-01

    The National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) Research Data Archive (RDA, http://rda.ucar.edu) provides open access to a variety of global reanalysis dataset collections to support atmospheric and related sciences research worldwide. These include products from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF), Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA), National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and NCAR.All RDA hosted reanalysis collections are freely accessible to registered users through a variety of methods. Standard access methods include traditional browser and scripted HTTP file download. Enhanced downloads are available through the Globus GridFTP "fire and forget" data transfer service, which provides an efficient, reliable, and preferred alternative to traditional HTTP-based methods. For those that favor interoperable access using compatible tools, the Unidata THREDDS Data server provides remote access to complete reanalysis collections by virtual dataset aggregation "files". Finally, users can request data subsets and format conversions to be prepared for them through web interface form requests or web service API batch requests. This approach uses NCAR HPC and central file systems to effectively prepare products from the high-resolution and very large reanalyses archives. The presentation will include a detailed inventory of all RDA reanalysis dataset collection holdings, and highlight access capabilities to these collections through use case examples.

  6. 76 FR 66089 - Access Authorization Program for Nuclear Power Plants

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-10-25

    ... NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION [NRC-2011-0245] Access Authorization Program for Nuclear Power... Program for Nuclear Power Plants.'' This guide describes a method that NRC staff considers acceptable to... Regulations (10 CFR), section 73.56, ``Personnel Access Authorization Requirements for Nuclear Power Plants...

  7. Modeling spatial accessibility to parks: a national study.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Xingyou; Lu, Hua; Holt, James B

    2011-05-09

    Parks provide ideal open spaces for leisure-time physical activity and important venues to promote physical activity. The spatial configuration of parks, the number of parks and their spatial distribution across neighborhood areas or local regions, represents the basic park access potential for their residential populations. A new measure of spatial access to parks, population-weighted distance (PWD) to parks, combines the advantages of current park access approaches and incorporates the information processing theory and probability access surface model to more accurately quantify residential population's potential spatial access to parks. The PWD was constructed at the basic level of US census geography - blocks - using US park and population data. This new measure of population park accessibility was aggregated to census tract, county, state and national levels. On average, US residential populations are expected to travel 6.7 miles to access their local neighborhood parks. There are significant differences in the PWD to local parks among states. The District of Columbia and Connecticut have the best access to local neighborhood parks with PWD of 0.6 miles and 1.8 miles, respectively. Alaska, Montana, and Wyoming have the largest PWDs of 62.0, 37.4, and 32.8 miles, respectively. Rural states in the western and Midwestern US have lower neighborhood park access, while urban states have relatively higher park access. The PWD to parks provides a consistent platform for evaluating spatial equity of park access and linking with population health outcomes. It could be an informative evaluation tool for health professionals and policy makers. This new method could be applied to quantify geographic accessibility of other types of services or destinations, such as food, alcohol, and tobacco outlets.

  8. Modes of Access: The Influence of Dissemination Channels on the Use of Open Access Monographs

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Snijder, Ronald

    2014-01-01

    Introduction: This paper studies the effects of several dissemination channels in an open access environment by analysing the download data of the OAPEN Library. Method: Download data were obtained containing the number of downloads and the name of the Internet provider. Based on public information, each Internet provider was categorised. The…

  9. Distributed clinical data sharing via dynamic access-control policy transformation.

    PubMed

    Rezaeibagha, Fatemeh; Mu, Yi

    2016-05-01

    Data sharing in electronic health record (EHR) systems is important for improving the quality of healthcare delivery. Data sharing, however, has raised some security and privacy concerns because healthcare data could be potentially accessible by a variety of users, which could lead to privacy exposure of patients. Without addressing this issue, large-scale adoption and sharing of EHR data are impractical. The traditional solution to the problem is via encryption. Although encryption can be applied to access control, it is not applicable for complex EHR systems that require multiple domains (e.g. public and private clouds) with various access requirements. This study was carried out to address the security and privacy issues of EHR data sharing with our novel access-control mechanism, which captures the scenario of the hybrid clouds and need of access-control policy transformation, to provide secure and privacy-preserving data sharing among different healthcare enterprises. We introduce an access-control mechanism with some cryptographic building blocks and present a novel approach for secure EHR data sharing and access-control policy transformation in EHR systems for hybrid clouds. We propose a useful data sharing system for healthcare providers to handle various EHR users who have various access privileges in different cloud environments. A systematic study has been conducted on data sharing in EHR systems to provide a solution to the security and privacy issues. In conclusion, we introduce an access-control method for privacy protection of EHRs and EHR policy transformation that allows an EHR access-control policy to be transformed from a private cloud to a public cloud. This method has never been studied previously in the literature. Furthermore, we provide a protocol to demonstrate policy transformation as an application scenario. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. Case-oriented selection of investigation methods in direct access: A comparison between physiotherapy trainees at professional colleges and in bachelor's study courses.

    PubMed

    Konrad, Ralf; Geraedts, Max

    2018-01-01

    Objective: Direct access to physiotherapy services is currently discussed in Germany. Its introduction would mean that initial diagnoses must be made in physiotherapy practices as well. However, it was not yet investigated whether the current training in physiotherapy is sufficient for this, and whether there are differences between the training systems. This study aims to answer the question of whether trainees at the end of Bachelor's studies (BS) are more reliably able to assess the case-related suitability of examination methods than professional college students (FS). Methodology: Questionnaires were developed to assess the suitability of examination methods for diagnostic inquiries. All professional colleges and bachelor's study courses listed with the German Physiotherapy Association were asked to present the questionnaires to their final classes. Results: In 216 addressed professional colleges and 24 bachelor's study courses, the return rate was 9.26% for professional colleges and 33.33% for study courses. One hundred thirty-eight questionnaires from students in 8 study courses and 368 questionnaires from students at 20 professional colleges were evaluated. The mean of correct decisions in total (of max. 54) was 19.01 (BS) or 15.73 (FS); in structure-related and function-related examination methods (of max. 42), it was 17.22 (BS) and 14.8 (FS); in activity-related methods (of max. 12), it was 1.97 (BS) and 0.89 (FS). Out of a max. of 49 examination methods, 23.45 (BS) and 26.72 (FS) were stated as unknown. Conclusion: The university students made correct decisions on the suitability of examination methods significantly more frequently than the professional college students. However, the determined group difference is low. Overall, the results do not appear sufficient for direct access. Training would have to be adapted for this purpose.

  11. Water accessibility in a membrane-inserting peptide comparing Overhauser DNP and pulse EPR methods

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Segawa, Takuya F., E-mail: takuya.segawa@alumni.ethz.ch; Doppelbauer, Maximilian; Garbuio, Luca

    2016-05-21

    Water accessibility is a key parameter for the understanding of the structure of biomolecules, especially membrane proteins. Several experimental techniques based on the combination of electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy with site-directed spin labeling are currently available. Among those, we compare relaxation time measurements and electron spin echo envelope modulation (ESEEM) experiments using pulse EPR with Overhauser dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP) at X-band frequency and a magnetic field of 0.33 T. Overhauser DNP transfers the electron spin polarization to nuclear spins via cross-relaxation. The change in the intensity of the {sup 1}H NMR spectrum of H{sub 2}O at a Larmormore » frequency of 14 MHz under a continuous-wave microwave irradiation of the nitroxide spin label contains information on the water accessibility of the labeled site. As a model system for a membrane protein, we use the hydrophobic α-helical peptide WALP23 in unilamellar liposomes of DOPC. Water accessibility measurements with all techniques are conducted for eight peptides with different spin label positions and low radical concentrations (10–20 μM). Consistently in all experiments, the water accessibility appears to be very low, even for labels positioned near the end of the helix. The best profile is obtained by Overhauser DNP, which is the only technique that succeeds in discriminating neighboring positions in WALP23. Since the concentration of the spin-labeled peptides varied, we normalized the DNP parameter ϵ, being the relative change of the NMR intensity, by the electron spin concentration, which was determined from a continuous-wave EPR spectrum.« less

  12. Using Geospatial Research Methods to Examine Resource Accessibility and Availability as it Relates to Community Participation of Individuals with Serious Mental Illnesses.

    PubMed

    Townley, Greg; Brusilovskiy, Eugene; Snethen, Gretchen; Salzer, Mark S

    2018-03-01

    Greater community participation among individuals with serious mental illnesses is associated with better psychosocial and health outcomes. Typically, studies examining community participation have utilized self-report measures and been conducted in limited settings. The introduction of methodological advances to examining community participation of individuals with serious mental illnesses has the potential to advance the science of community mental health research and invigorate the work of community psychologists in this area. This study employed an innovative geospatial approach to examine the relationship between community participation and resource accessibility (i.e., proximity) and availability (i.e., concentration) among 294 individuals utilizing community mental health services throughout the United States. Findings suggest small but significant associations between community participation and the accessibility and availability of resources needed for participation. Furthermore, findings demonstrate the importance of car access for individuals residing in both urban and non-urban settings. The methods and results presented in this study have implications for community mental health research and services and provide an illustration of ways that geospatial methodologies can be used to investigate environmental factors that impact community inclusion and participation of individuals with serious mental illnesses. © Society for Community Research and Action 2017.

  13. Hemodialysis access - self care

    MedlinePlus

    Kidney failure - chronic-hemodialysis access; Renal failure - chronic-hemodialysis access; Chronic renal insufficiency - hemodialysis access; Chronic kidney failure - hemodialysis access; Chronic renal failure - hemodialysis access; dialysis - hemodialysis access

  14. Access to scientific publications: the scientist's perspective.

    PubMed

    Voronin, Yegor; Myrzahmetov, Askar; Bernstein, Alan

    2011-01-01

    Scientific publishing is undergoing significant changes due to the growth of online publications, increases in the number of open access journals, and policies of funders and universities requiring authors to ensure that their publications become publicly accessible. Most studies of the impact of these changes have focused on the growth of articles available through open access or the number of open-access journals. Here, we investigated access to publications at a number of institutes and universities around the world, focusing on publications in HIV vaccine research--an area of biomedical research with special importance to the developing world. We selected research papers in HIV vaccine research field, creating: 1) a first set of 50 most recently published papers with keywords "HIV vaccine" and 2) a second set of 200 articles randomly selected from those cited in the first set. Access to the majority (80%) of the recently published articles required subscription, while cited literature was much more accessible (67% freely available online). Subscriptions at a number of institutions around the world were assessed for providing access to subscription-only articles from the two sets. The access levels varied widely, ranging among institutions from 20% to 90%. Through the WHO-supported HINARI program, institutes in low-income countries had access comparable to that of institutes in the North. Finally, we examined the response rates for reprint requests sent to corresponding authors, a method commonly used before internet access became widespread. Contacting corresponding authors with requests for electronic copies of articles by email resulted in a 55-60% success rate, although in some cases it took up to 1.5 months to get a response. While research articles are increasingly available on the internet in open access format, institutional subscriptions continue to play an important role. However, subscriptions do not provide access to the full range of HIV vaccine

  15. Estimation of the bio-accessible fraction of Cr, As, Cd and Pb in locally available bread using on-line continuous leaching method coupled to inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry.

    PubMed

    Lamsal, Ram P; Beauchemin, Diane

    2015-03-31

    A previously developed, efficient and simple on-line leaching method was used to assess the maximum bio-accessible fraction (assuming no synergistic effect from other food and beverage) of potentially toxic elements (Cr, As, Cd and Pb) in whole wheat brown and white bread samples. Artificial saliva, gastric juice and intestinal juice were successively pumped into a mini-column, packed with bread (maintained at 37 °C) connected on-line to the nebulizer of an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) instrument equipped with a collision-reaction interface (CRI) using hydrogen as reaction gas to minimize carbon- and chlorine-based polyatomic interferences. In contrast to the conventional batch method to which it was compared, this approach provides real-time monitoring of potentially toxic elements that are continuously released during leaching. Mass balance for both methods was verified at the 95% confidence level. Results obtained from the whole wheat brown and white bread showed that the majority of Cr, Cd and Pb was leached by gastric juice but, in contrast, the majority of As was leached by saliva. While there was higher total content for elements in whole wheat bread than in white bread, a higher percentage of elements were bio-accessible in white bread than in whole wheat bread. Both the on-line and batch methods indicate that 40-98% of toxic elements in bread samples are bio-accessible. While comparison of total analyte concentrations with provisional tolerable daily intake values may indicate some serious health concern for children, when accounting for the bio-accessibility of these elements, bread consumption is found to be safe for all ages. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  16. Decarboxylative Fluorination Strategies for Accessing Medicinally-relevant Products

    PubMed Central

    Qiao, Yupu; Zhu, Lingui; Ambler, Brett R.

    2014-01-01

    Fluorinated organic compounds have a long history in medicinal chemistry, and synthetic methods to access target fluorinated compounds are undergoing a revolution. One powerful strategy for the installation of fluorine-containing functional groups includes decarboxylative reactions. Benefits of decarboxylative approaches potentially include: 1) readily available substrates or reagents 2) mild reaction conditions; 3) simplified purification. This focus review highlights the applications of decarboxylation strategies for fluorination reactions to access compounds with biomedical potential. The manuscript highlights on two general strategies, fluorination by decarboxylative reagents and by decarboxylation of substrates. Where relevant, examples of medicinally useful compounds that can be accessed using these strategies are highlighted. PMID:24484421

  17. The Cybrarian's Manual 2.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ensor, Pat, Ed.

    This book examines technical, social, and management issues related to librarians and cyberspace. The following chapters and articles are included: (1) "The Cybrarian's Tool Kit," including "Internet News and Website Reviews" (M. Sylvia), "Searching the Future" (J. Powell), "Netiquette, Hoaxes, and Scams! Oh…

  18. Using the Fusion Proximal Area Method and Gravity Method to Identify Areas with Physician Shortages

    PubMed Central

    Xiong, Xuechen; Jin, Chao; Chen, Haile; Luo, Li

    2016-01-01

    Objectives This paper presents a geographic information system (GIS)-based proximal area method and gravity method for identifying areas with physician shortages. The innovation of this paper is that it uses the appropriate methods to discover each type of health resource and then integrates all these methods to assess spatial access to health resources using population distribution data. In this way, spatial access to health resources for an entire city can be visualized in one neat package, which can help health policy makers quickly comprehend realistic distributions of health resources at a macro level. Methods First, classify health resources according to the trade areas of the patients they serve. Second, apply an appropriate method to each different type of health resource to measure spatial access to those resources. Third, integrate all types of access using population distribution data. Results In case study of Shanghai with the fusion method, areas with physician shortages are located primarily in suburban districts, especially in district junction areas. The result suggests that the government of Shanghai should pay more attention to these areas by investing in new or relocating existing health resources. Conclusion The fusion method is demonstrated to be more accurate and practicable than using a single method to assess spatial access to health resources. PMID:27695105

  19. NESDIS OSPO Data Access Policy and CRM

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Seybold, M. G.; Donoho, N. A.; McNamara, D.; Paquette, J.; Renkevens, T.

    2012-12-01

    The Office of Satellite and Product Operations (OSPO) is the NESDIS office responsible for satellite operations, product generation, and product distribution. Access to and distribution of OSPO data was formally established in a Data Access Policy dated February, 2011. An extension of the data access policy is the OSPO Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Database, which has been in development since 2008 and is reaching a critical level of maturity. This presentation will provide a summary of the data access policy and standard operating procedure (SOP) for handling data access requests. The tangential CRM database will be highlighted including the incident tracking system, reporting and notification capabilities, and the first comprehensive portfolio of NESDIS satellites, instruments, servers, applications, products, user organizations, and user contacts. Select examples of CRM data exploitation will show how OSPO is utilizing the CRM database to more closely satisfy the user community's satellite data needs with new product promotions, as well as new data and imagery distribution methods in OSPO's Environmental Satellite Processing Center (ESPC). In addition, user services and outreach initiatives from the Satellite Products and Services Division will be highlighted.

  20. Spatial access to inpatient health care in northern rural India.

    PubMed

    Ranga, Vikram; Panda, Pradeep

    2014-05-01

    Access to health care in rural areas is a major concern for local populations as well as for policy makers in developing countries. This paper examines spatial access to in-patient health care in northern rural India. In order to measure spatial access, impedance-based competition using the Three-Step floating Catchment Area (3SFCA) method, a modification of the simple gravity model, was used. 3SFCA was chosen for the study of the districts of Pratapgarh and Kanpur Dehat in the Uttar Pradesh state and Vaishali in the Bihar state, two of India's poorest states. This approach is based on discrete distance decay and also considers more parameters than other available methods, hence is believed to be a robust methodology. It was found that Vaishali district has the highest spatial access to in-patient health care followed by Pratapgarh and Kanpur Dehat. There is serious lack of health care, in Pratapgarh and Kanpur Dehat with 40% and 90% of the villages having shortage of in-patient care facilities in these respective districts. The most important factor affecting spatial access was found to be the distance to the nearest major urban agglomeration.

  1. Thoughts on Access, Differentiation, and Implementation of a Multicultural Curriculum

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cavilla, Derek

    2014-01-01

    Identification of gifted students from diverse and underserved communities is traditionally low; however, there are ways to expand identification methods in order to make access to gifted education programs more equitable. Creation and implementation of multi-faceted and multi-dimensional assessments as well as tiered access into gifted education…

  2. Studying "exposure" to firearms: household ownership v access

    PubMed Central

    Ikeda, R; Dahlberg, L; Kresnow, M; Sacks, J; Mercy, J

    2003-01-01

    Background: Firearm ownership has often been used to measure access to weapons. However, persons who own a firearm may not have access to it and conversely, persons who do not own a firearm may be able to access one quickly. Objectives: To examine whether using firearm ownership is a reasonable proxy for access by describing the demographic characteristics associated with ownership and access. Methods: Data are from the 1994 Injury Control and Risk Survey, a national, random digit dial survey. Information about household firearm ownership and ready access to a loaded firearm were collected and weighted to provide national estimates. Adjusted odds ratios for three separate models were calculated using logistic regression. Results: A total of 1353 (27.9%) respondents reported both having a firearm in the household and ready access to one. An additional 313 respondents (8.1%) reported having a firearm, but were not able to access these weapons. Another 421 respondents (7.2%) did not have a firearm in or around their home, yet reported being able to retrieve and fire one within 10 minutes. Based on the logistic regression findings, the demographic characteristics of this latter group are quite different from those who report ownership. Those who do not have a firearm, but report ready access to one, are more likely to be ethnic minorities, single, and living in attached homes. Conclusions: Asking only about the presence of a firearm in a household may miss some respondents with ready access to a loaded firearm. More importantly, those who do not own a firearm, but report ready access to one, appear to be qualitatively different from those who report ownership. Caution should be exercised when using measures of ownership as a proxy for access. PMID:12642560

  3. Application of Nimbus-6 microwave data to problems in precipitation prediction for the Pacific west coast

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Viezee, W.; Shigeishi, H.; Chang, A. T. C.

    1979-01-01

    The preliminary results of a research study that emphasizes the analysis and interpretation of data related to total precipitable water and nonprecipitating cloud liquid water obtained from NIMBUS-6 SCAMS are reported. Sixteen cyclonic storm situations in the northeastern Pacific Ocean that resulted in significant rainfall along the west coast of the United States during the winter season October 1975 through February 1976 are analyzed in terms of their distributions and amounts of total water vapor and liquid water, as obtained from SCAMS data. The water-substance analyses for each storm case are related to the distribution and amount of coastal precipitation observed during the subsequent time period when the storm system crosses the coastline. Concomitant precipitation predictions from the LFM are also incorporated. Techniques by which satellite microwave data over the ocean can be used to improve precipitation prediction for the Pacific West Coast are emphasized.

  4. 48 CFR 315.7000 - Section 508 accessibility standards.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... CONTRACTING METHODS AND CONTRACT TYPES CONTRACTING BY NEGOTIATION Acquisition of Electronic Information Technology 315.7000 Section 508 accessibility standards. EIT products and services, including EIT...

  5. Enhancing healthcare accessibility measurements using GIS: A case study in Seoul, Korea.

    PubMed

    Kim, Yeeun; Byon, Young-Ji; Yeo, Hwasoo

    2018-01-01

    With recent aging demographic trends, the needs for enhancing geo-spatial analysis capabilities and monitoring the status of accessibilities of its citizens with healthcare services have increased. The accessibility to healthcare is determined not only by geographic distances to service locations, but also includes travel time, available modes of transportation, and departure time. Having access to the latest and accurate information regarding the healthcare accessibility allows the municipal government to plan for improvements, including expansion of healthcare infrastructure, effective labor distribution, alternative healthcare options for the regions with low accessibilities, and redesigning the public transportation routes and schedules. This paper proposes a new method named, Seoul Enhanced 2-Step Floating Catchment Area (SE2SFCA), which is customized for the city of Seoul, where population density is higher and the average distance between healthcare-service locations tends to be shorter than the typical North American or European cities. The proposed method of SE2SFCA is found to be realistic and effective in determining the weak accessibility regions. It resolves the over-estimation issues of the past, arising from the assignment of high healthcare accessibility for the regions with large hospitals and high density of population and hospitals.

  6. Artificial intelligence applications of fast optical memory access

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Henshaw, P. D.; Todtenkopf, A. B.

    The operating principles and performance of rapid laser beam-steering (LBS) techniques are reviewed and illustrated with diagrams; their applicability to fast optical-memory (disk) access is evaluated; and the implications of fast access for the design of expert systems are discussed. LBS methods examined include analog deflection (source motion, wavefront tilt, and phased arrays), digital deflection (polarization modulation, reflectivity modulation, interferometric switching, and waveguide deflection), and photorefractive LBS. The disk-access problem is considered, and typical LBS requirements are listed as 38,000 beam positions, rotational latency 25 ms, one-sector rotation time 1.5 ms, and intersector space 87 microsec. The value of rapid access for increasing the power of expert systems (by permitting better organization of blocks of information) is illustrated by summarizing the learning process of the MVP-FORTH system (Park, 1983).

  7. Associations between e-cigarette access and smoking and drinking behaviours in teenagers.

    PubMed

    Hughes, Karen; Bellis, Mark A; Hardcastle, Katherine A; McHale, Philip; Bennett, Andrew; Ireland, Robin; Pike, Kate

    2015-03-31

    Public health concerns regarding e-cigarettes and debate on appropriate regulatory responses are focusing on the need to prevent child access to these devices. However, little is currently known about the characteristics of those young people that are accessing e-cigarettes. Using a cross-sectional survey of 14-17 year old school students in North West England (n = 16,193) we examined associations between e-cigarette access and demographics, conventional smoking behaviours, alcohol consumption, and methods of accessing cigarettes and alcohol. Access to e-cigarettes was identified through a question asking students if they had ever tried or purchased e-cigarettes. One in five participants reported having accessed e-cigarettes (19.2%). Prevalence was highest among smokers (rising to 75.8% in those smoking >5 per day), although 15.8% of teenagers that had accessed e-cigarettes had never smoked conventional cigarettes (v.13.6% being ex-smokers). E-cigarette access was independently associated with male gender, having parents/guardians that smoke and students' alcohol use. Compared with non-drinkers, teenagers that drank alcohol at least weekly and binge drank were more likely to have accessed e-cigarettes (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 1.89, P < 0.001), with this association particularly strong among never-smokers (AOR 4.59, P < 0.001). Among drinkers, e-cigarette access was related to: drinking to get drunk, alcohol-related violence, consumption of spirits; self-purchase of alcohol from shops or supermarkets; and accessing alcohol by recruiting adult proxy purchasers outside shops. There is an urgent need for controls on the promotion and sale of e-cigarettes to children. Findings suggest that e-cigarettes are being accessed by teenagers more for experimentation than smoking cessation. Those most likely to access e-cigarettes may already be familiar with illicit methods of accessing age-restricted substances.

  8. 77 FR 18814 - Emergency Access Advisory Committee; Announcement of Date of Next Meeting

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-03-28

    ... Communications and Video Accessibility Act (CVAA), Public Law 11-260, for the purpose of achieving equal access... those effective and efficient technologies and methods. Public Law 111-260 Sec. 106(c). During the... FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION [DA 12-406] Emergency Access Advisory Committee; Announcement of...

  9. Tool independence for the Web Accessibility Quantitative Metric.

    PubMed

    Vigo, Markel; Brajnik, Giorgio; Arrue, Myriam; Abascal, Julio

    2009-07-01

    The Web Accessibility Quantitative Metric (WAQM) aims at accurately measuring the accessibility of web pages. One of the main features of WAQM among others is that it is evaluation tool independent for ranking and accessibility monitoring scenarios. This article proposes a method to attain evaluation tool independence for all foreseeable scenarios. After demonstrating that homepages have a more similar error profile than any other web page in a given web site, 15 homepages were measured with 10,000 different values of WAQM parameters using EvalAccess and LIFT, two automatic evaluation tools for accessibility. A similar procedure was followed with random pages and with several test files obtaining several tuples that minimise the difference between both tools. One thousand four hundred forty-nine web pages from 15 web sites were measured with these tuples and those values that minimised the difference between the tools were selected. Once the WAQM was tuned, the accessibility of 15 web sites was measured with two metrics for web sites, concluding that even if similar values can be produced, obtaining the same scores is undesirable since evaluation tools behave in a different way.

  10. How Well Does Medicaid Work in Improving Access to Care?

    PubMed Central

    Long, Sharon K; Coughlin, Teresa; King, Jennifer

    2005-01-01

    Objective To provide an assessment of how well the Medicaid program is working at improving access to and use of health care for low-income mothers. Data Source/Study Setting The 1997 and 1999 National Survey of America's Families, with state and county information drawn from the Area Resource File and other sources. Study Design Estimate the effects of Medicaid on access and use relative to private coverage and being uninsured, using instrumental variables methods to control for selection into insurance status. Data Collection/Extraction Method This study combines data from 1997 and 1999 for mothers in families with incomes below 200 percent of the federal poverty level. Principal Findings We find that Medicaid beneficiaries' access and use are significantly better than those obtained by the uninsured. Analysis that controls for insurance selection shows that the benefits of having Medicaid coverage versus being uninsured are substantially larger than what is estimated when selection is not accounted for. Our results also indicate that Medicaid beneficiaries' access and use are comparable to that of the low-income privately insured. Once insurance selection is controlled for, access and use under Medicaid is not significantly different from access and use under private insurance. Without controls for insurance selection, access and use for Medicaid beneficiaries is found to be significantly worse than for the low-income privately insured. Conclusions Our results show that the Medicaid program improved access to care relative to uninsurance for low-income mothers, achieving access and use levels comparable to those of the privately insured. Our results also indicate that prior research, which generally has not controlled for selection into insurance coverage, has likely understated the gains of Medicaid relative to uninsurance and overstated the gains of private coverage relative to Medicaid. PMID:15663701

  11. Towards an Approach of Semantic Access Control for Cloud Computing

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hu, Luokai; Ying, Shi; Jia, Xiangyang; Zhao, Kai

    With the development of cloud computing, the mutual understandability among distributed Access Control Policies (ACPs) has become an important issue in the security field of cloud computing. Semantic Web technology provides the solution to semantic interoperability of heterogeneous applications. In this paper, we analysis existing access control methods and present a new Semantic Access Control Policy Language (SACPL) for describing ACPs in cloud computing environment. Access Control Oriented Ontology System (ACOOS) is designed as the semantic basis of SACPL. Ontology-based SACPL language can effectively solve the interoperability issue of distributed ACPs. This study enriches the research that the semantic web technology is applied in the field of security, and provides a new way of thinking of access control in cloud computing.

  12. Not All Lexical Access Tasks Are Created Equal: Lexical Development between Three and Five

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Isacoff, Nora M.; Stromswold, Karin

    2014-01-01

    Lexical access tasks are designed to measure efficiency of lexical access, but task demands and methods vary greatly. Many lexical access tasks do not account for confounding factors including competence in other linguistic abilities. In this study, preschoolers were given two lexical access tasks. In the single-category naming (SCN) task,…

  13. ACCESS 3. Approximation concepts code for efficient structural synthesis: User's guide

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Fleury, C.; Schmit, L. A., Jr.

    1980-01-01

    A user's guide is presented for ACCESS-3, a research oriented program which combines dual methods and a collection of approximation concepts to achieve excellent efficiency in structural synthesis. The finite element method is used for structural analysis and dual algorithms of mathematical programming are applied in the design optimization procedure. This program retains all of the ACCESS-2 capabilities and the data preparation formats are fully compatible. Four distinct optimizer options were added: interior point penalty function method (NEWSUMT); second order primal projection method (PRIMAL2); second order Newton-type dual method (DUAL2); and first order gradient projection-type dual method (DUAL1). A pure discrete and mixed continuous-discrete design variable capability, and zero order approximation of the stress constraints are also included.

  14. The role of transportation to access maternal care services for women in rural Bangladesh and Burkina Faso: A mixed methods study.

    PubMed

    Alam, Nazmul; Chowdhury, Mahbub Elahi; Kouanda, Seni; Seppey, Mathieu; Alam, Anadil; Savadogo, Justin Ragnessi; Sia, Drissa; Fournier, Pierre

    2016-11-01

    To understand the role of transportation in accessing health care during pregnancy, delivery, and the postpartum period among women in rural Bangladesh and Burkina Faso. An exploratory mixed methods study was conducted in Mymensingh district in Bangladesh and Kaya district in Burkina Faso. We recruited 300 women from Bangladesh and 340 from Burkina Faso with a delivery outcome within one year of interview. Key informant interviews were conducted with 19 participants and 12 focus group discussions took place with attendees in selected community clinics. Of the interviewees, 45.7% in Bangladesh and 73.2% in Burkina Faso reported having had health complications during their last pregnancy, delivery, or postpartum period. Of all women, 42.7% in Bangladesh and 67.4% in Burkina Faso sought facility care for their complications. Facility-based delivery was much higher in Burkina Faso (87.7%) than Bangladesh (38.2%). Literacy, transport availability, transportation costs, and travel time were associated with care seeking behavior. Lack of reliable transportation was reported as a significant barrier to accessing care during pregnancy, delivery, and postpartum by women in Bangladesh and Burkina Faso. Effort should be made to improve access to emergency obstetric care, and transport intervention should be strengthened. Copyright © 2016 International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. Does Accessibility of Positive and Negative Schema Vary by Child Physical Abuse Risk?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Crouch, Julie L.; Risser, Heather J.; Skowronski, John J.; Milner, Joel S.; Farc, Magdalena M.; Irwin, Lauren M.

    2010-01-01

    Objective: To examine differences in accessibility of positive and negative schema in parents with high and low risk for child physical abuse (CPA). Methods: This study combined picture priming and lexical decision making methods to assess the accessibility of positive and negative words following presentation of child and adult faces. The child…

  16. External access to ALICE controls conditions data

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jadlovský, J.; Jadlovská, A.; Sarnovský, J.; Jajčišin, Š.; Čopík, M.; Jadlovská, S.; Papcun, P.; Bielek, R.; Čerkala, J.; Kopčík, M.; Chochula, P.; Augustinus, A.

    2014-06-01

    ALICE Controls data produced by commercial SCADA system WINCCOA is stored in ORACLE database on the private experiment network. The SCADA system allows for basic access and processing of the historical data. More advanced analysis requires tools like ROOT and needs therefore a separate access method to the archives. The present scenario expects that detector experts create simple WINCCOA scripts, which retrieves and stores data in a form usable for further studies. This relatively simple procedure generates a lot of administrative overhead - users have to request the data, experts needed to run the script, the results have to be exported outside of the experiment network. The new mechanism profits from database replica, which is running on the CERN campus network. Access to this database is not restricted and there is no risk of generating a heavy load affecting the operation of the experiment. The developed tools presented in this paper allow for access to this data. The users can use web-based tools to generate the requests, consisting of the data identifiers and period of time of interest. The administrators maintain full control over the data - an authorization and authentication mechanism helps to assign privileges to selected users and restrict access to certain groups of data. Advanced caching mechanism allows the user to profit from the presence of already processed data sets. This feature significantly reduces the time required for debugging as the retrieval of raw data can last tens of minutes. A highly configurable client allows for information retrieval bypassing the interactive interface. This method is for example used by ALICE Offline to extract operational conditions after a run is completed. Last but not least, the software can be easily adopted to any underlying database structure and is therefore not limited to WINCCOA.

  17. A Review & Critique of Trainee-Oriented Training Programs.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Klein-Konz, Ann; Todd-Mancillas, William R.

    This paper reviews literature on trainee-oriented training programs, which assign to individual employees predominant responsibility for diagnosing organizational problems requiring changes in employees' behaviors. A Self-Change, Adaption, and Modification (SCAM) Model is developed. The literature support for the model is written in similar…

  18. Quantifying Access Disparities in Response Plans

    PubMed Central

    Indrakanti, Saratchandra; Mikler, Armin R.; O’Neill, Martin; Tiwari, Chetan

    2016-01-01

    Effective response planning and preparedness are critical to the health and well-being of communities in the face of biological emergencies. Response plans involving mass prophylaxis may seem feasible when considering the choice of dispensing points within a region, overall population density, and estimated traffic demands. However, the plan may fail to serve particular vulnerable subpopulations, resulting in access disparities during emergency response. For a response plan to be effective, sufficient mitigation resources must be made accessible to target populations within short, federally-mandated time frames. A major challenge in response plan design is to establish a balance between the allocation of available resources and the provision of equal access to PODs for all individuals in a given geographic region. Limitations on the availability, granularity, and currency of data to identify vulnerable populations further complicate the planning process. To address these challenges and limitations, data driven methods to quantify vulnerabilities in the context of response plans have been developed and are explored in this article. PMID:26771551

  19. The price of access: capitalization of neighborhood contextual factors

    PubMed Central

    2013-01-01

    Background Studies of neighborhood context on health behavior have not considered that the health benefits of context may be ‘capitalized’ into, or included in, higher housing values. This study examines the associations of better neighborhood context with neighborhood housing values. Methods We use the third wave of Add Health (2000-2001) to estimate the association of neighborhood contextual variables and housing values first across then within income types. This is a census block group-level analysis. Results We find that neighborhood context, especially access to fruit and vegetable outlets, is capitalized into, or associated with, higher housing values. Fast food and convenience store access are associated with lower housing values. Capitalization differs by income quartile of the neighborhood. Even those in the poorest neighborhoods value access to fresh fruits and vegetables, and those in the wealthier neighborhoods value activity resources. All neighborhood incomes types place negative value on fast food access and convenience store access. Conclusions Access to health-related contextual attributes is capitalized into higher housing prices. Access to fresh fruits and vegetables is valued in neighborhoods of all income levels. Modeling these associations by neighborhood income levels helps explain the mixed results in the literature on the built environment in terms of linking health outcomes to access. PMID:23927010

  20. Insurance + access not equal to health care: typology of barriers to health care access for low-income families.

    PubMed

    Devoe, Jennifer E; Baez, Alia; Angier, Heather; Krois, Lisa; Edlund, Christine; Carney, Patricia A

    2007-01-01

    Public health insurance programs have expanded coverage for the poor, and family physicians provide essential services to these vulnerable populations. Despite these efforts, many Americans do not have access to basic medical care. This study was designed to identify barriers faced by low-income parents when accessing health care for their children and how insurance status affects their reporting of these barriers. A mixed methods analysis was undertaken using 722 responses to an open-ended question on a health care access survey instrument that asked low-income Oregon families, "Is there anything else you would like to tell us?" Themes were identified using immersion/crystallization techniques. Pertinent demographic attributes were used to conduct matrix coded queries. Families reported 3 major barriers: lack of insurance coverage, poor access to services, and unaffordable costs. Disproportionate reporting of these themes was most notable based on insurance status. A higher percentage of uninsured parents (87%) reported experiencing difficulties obtaining insurance coverage compared with 40% of those with insurance. Few of the uninsured expressed concerns about access to services or health care costs (19%). Access concerns were the most common among publicly insured families, and costs were more often mentioned by families with private insurance. Families made a clear distinction between insurance and access, and having one or both elements did not assure care. Our analyses uncovered a 3-part typology of barriers to health care for low-income families. Barriers to health care can be insurmountable for low-income families, even those with insurance coverage. Patients who do not seek care in a family medicine clinic are not necessarily getting their care elsewhere.

  1. An Innovative Method of Measuring Changes in Access to Healthful Foods in School Lunch Programs: Findings from a Pilot Evaluation

    PubMed Central

    Hawkes, Allison P.; Weinberg, Stacy L.; Janusz, Ruth; Demont-Heinrich, Christine; Vogt, Richard L.

    2016-01-01

    Introduction A large local health department in Colorado partnered with 15 school districts to develop an approach to evaluate changes in access to healthy foods in reimbursable school lunches and a la carte offerings. Materials and Methods School district nutrition managers were engaged at the start of this project. Health department dietitians developed criteria to classify food items as “Lower Fat and less added Sugar” (LFS) and “Higher Fat and more added Sugar” (HFS) based on the percentage of calories from fat and grams of added sugar. Lunch production sheets were obtained for two time periods, food items and the number of planned servings recorded. LFS and HFS planned servings were summed for each time period, and a LFS to HFS ratio calculated by dividing LFS planned servings by HFS planned servings. Additional analyses included calculating LFS: HFS ratios by school district, and for a la carte offerings. Results In 2009, the LFS: HFS ratio was 2.08, in 2011, 3.71 (P<0.0001). The method also detected changes in ratios at the school district level. For a la carte items, in 2009 the ratio of LFS: HFS was 0.53, and in 2011, 0.61 (not statistically significant). Conclusions This method detected an increase in the LFS: HFS ratio over time and demonstrated that the school districts improved access to healthful food/drink by changing the contents of reimbursable school lunches. The evaluation method discussed here can generate information that districts can use in helping sustain and expand their efforts to create healthier environments for children and adults. Although federal regulations now cover all food and beverages served during the school day, there are still opportunities to improve and measure changes in food served in other settings such as child care centers, youth correction facilities, or in schools not participating in the National School Lunch Program. PMID:26800523

  2. EU accession: A policy window opportunity for nursing?

    PubMed

    De Raeve, Paul; Rafferty, Anne-Marie; Bariball, Louise; Young, Ruth; Boiko, Olga

    2017-03-01

    European enlargement has been studied in a wide range of policy areas within and beyond health. Yet the impact of EU enlargement upon one of the largest health professions, nursing, has been largely neglected. This paper aims to explore nurse leadership using a comparative case study method in two former Communist countries, Romania and Croatia. Specifically, it considers the extent to which engagement in the EU accession policy-making process provided a policy window for the leaders to formulate and implement a professional agenda while negotiating EU accession. Findings of qualitative interviews and documentary analysis indicate that the mechanisms used to facilitate the accession process were not successful in achieving compliance with the education standards in the Community Acquis, as highlighted in the criteria on the mutual recognition of professional qualifications set out in Directive 2005/36/EC. EU accession capacity building and accession funds were not deployed efficiently to upgrade Romanian and Croatian nursing education towards meeting EU standards. Conflicting views on accession held by the various nursing stakeholders (nursing regulator, nursing union, governmental chief nurse and the professional association) inhibited the setting of a common policy agenda to achieve compliance with EU standards. The study findings suggest a need to critically review EU accession mechanisms and better align leadership at all governance levels. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  3. Improving access to high-quality primary care for socioeconomically disadvantaged older people in rural areas: a mixed method study protocol

    PubMed Central

    Ford, John A; Jones, Andrew P; Wong, Geoff; Clark, Allan B; Porter, Tom; Shakespeare, Tom; Swart, Ann Marie; Steel, Nicholas

    2015-01-01

    Introduction The UK has an ageing population, especially in rural areas, where deprivation is high among older people. Previous research has identified this group as at high risk of poor access to healthcare. The aim of this study is to generate a theory of how socioeconomically disadvantaged older people from rural areas access primary care, to develop an intervention based on this theory and test it in a feasibility trial. Methods and analysis On the basis of the MRC Framework for Developing and Evaluating Complex Interventions, three methods will be used to generate the theory. First, a realist review will elucidate the patient pathway based on existing literature. Second, an analysis of the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing will be completed using structural equation modelling. Third, 15 semistructured interviews will be undertaken with patients and four focus groups with health professionals. A triangulation protocol will be used to allow each of these methods to inform and be informed by each other, and to integrate data into one overall realist theory. Based on this theory, an intervention will be developed in discussion with stakeholders to ensure that the intervention is feasible and practical. The intervention will be tested within a feasibility trial, the design of which will depend on the intervention. Lessons from the feasibility trial will be used to refine the intervention and gather the information needed for a definitive trial. Ethics and dissemination Ethics approval from the regional ethics committee has been granted for the focus groups with health professionals and interviews with patients. Ethics approval will be sought for the feasibility trial after the intervention has been designed. Findings will be disseminated to the key stakeholders involved in intervention development, to researchers, clinicians and health planners through peer-reviewed journal articles and conference publications, and locally through a dissemination event. PMID

  4. Optical Access Networks

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zheng, Jun; Ansari, Nirwan

    2005-06-01

    Call for Papers: Optical Access Networks With the wide deployment of fiber-optic technology over the past two decades, we have witnessed a tremendous growth of bandwidth capacity in the backbone networks of today's telecommunications infrastructure. However, access networks, which cover the "last-mile" areas and serve numerous residential and small business users, have not been scaled up commensurately. The local subscriber lines for telephone and cable television are still using twisted pairs and coaxial cables. Most residential connections to the Internet are still through dial-up modems operating at a low speed on twisted pairs. As the demand for access bandwidth increases with emerging high-bandwidth applications, such as distance learning, high-definition television (HDTV), and video on demand (VoD), the last-mile access networks have become a bandwidth bottleneck in today's telecommunications infrastructure. To ease this bottleneck, it is imperative to provide sufficient bandwidth capacity in the access networks to open the bottleneck and thus present more opportunities for the provisioning of multiservices. Optical access solutions promise huge bandwidth to service providers and low-cost high-bandwidth services to end users and are therefore widely considered the technology of choice for next-generation access networks. To realize the vision of optical access networks, however, many key issues still need to be addressed, such as network architectures, signaling protocols, and implementation standards. The major challenges lie in the fact that an optical solution must be not only robust, scalable, and flexible, but also implemented at a low cost comparable to that of existing access solutions in order to increase the economic viability of many potential high-bandwidth applications. In recent years, optical access networks have been receiving tremendous attention from both academia and industry. A large number of research activities have been carried out or

  5. Optical Access Networks

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zheng, Jun; Ansari, Nirwan; Jersey Inst Ansari, New; Jersey Inst, New

    2005-04-01

    Call for Papers: Optical Access Networks With the wide deployment of fiber-optic technology over the past two decades, we have witnessed a tremendous growth of bandwidth capacity in the backbone networks of today's telecommunications infrastructure. However, access networks, which cover the "last-mile" areas and serve numerous residential and small business users, have not been scaled up commensurately. The local subscriber lines for telephone and cable television are still using twisted pairs and coaxial cables. Most residential connections to the Internet are still through dial-up modems operating at a low speed on twisted pairs. As the demand for access bandwidth increases with emerging high-bandwidth applications, such as distance learning, high-definition television (HDTV), and video on demand (VoD), the last-mile access networks have become a bandwidth bottleneck in today's telecommunications infrastructure. To ease this bottleneck, it is imperative to provide sufficient bandwidth capacity in the access networks to open the bottleneck and thus present more opportunities for the provisioning of multiservices. Optical access solutions promise huge bandwidth to service providers and low-cost high-bandwidth services to end users and are therefore widely considered the technology of choice for next-generation access networks. To realize the vision of optical access networks, however, many key issues still need to be addressed, such as network architectures, signaling protocols, and implementation standards. The major challenges lie in the fact that an optical solution must be not only robust, scalable, and flexible, but also implemented at a low cost comparable to that of existing access solutions in order to increase the economic viability of many potential high-bandwidth applications. In recent years, optical access networks have been receiving tremendous attention from both academia and industry. A large number of research activities have been carried out or

  6. Optical Access Networks

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zheng, Jun; Ansari, Nirwan

    2005-05-01

    Call for Papers: Optical Access Networks With the wide deployment of fiber-optic technology over the past two decades, we have witnessed a tremendous growth of bandwidth capacity in the backbone networks of today's telecommunications infrastructure. However, access networks, which cover the "last-mile" areas and serve numerous residential and small business users, have not been scaled up commensurately. The local subscriber lines for telephone and cable television are still using twisted pairs and coaxial cables. Most residential connections to the Internet are still through dial-up modems operating at a low speed on twisted pairs. As the demand for access bandwidth increases with emerging high-bandwidth applications, such as distance learning, high-definition television (HDTV), and video on demand (VoD), the last-mile access networks have become a bandwidth bottleneck in today's telecommunications infrastructure. To ease this bottleneck, it is imperative to provide sufficient bandwidth capacity in the access networks to open the bottleneck and thus present more opportunities for the provisioning of multiservices. Optical access solutions promise huge bandwidth to service providers and low-cost high-bandwidth services to end users and are therefore widely considered the technology of choice for next-generation access networks. To realize the vision of optical access networks, however, many key issues still need to be addressed, such as network architectures, signaling protocols, and implementation standards. The major challenges lie in the fact that an optical solution must be not only robust, scalable, and flexible, but also implemented at a low cost comparable to that of existing access solutions in order to increase the economic viability of many potential high-bandwidth applications. In recent years, optical access networks have been receiving tremendous attention from both academia and industry. A large number of research activities have been carried out or

  7. Public Access and Open Access: Is There a Difference? | Poster

    Cancer.gov

    By Robin Meckley, Contributing Writer, and Tracie Frederick, Guest Writer Open access and public access—are they different concepts or are they the same? What do they mean for the researchers at NCI at Frederick? “Open-access (OA) literature is digital, online, free of charge, and free of most copyright and licensing restrictions. What makes it possible is the Internet and the consent of the author or copyright-holder,” according to an open access website maintained by Peter Suber, director, Harvard Open Access Project.

  8. Enhancing healthcare accessibility measurements using GIS: A case study in Seoul, Korea

    PubMed Central

    Kim, Yeeun; Byon, Young-Ji

    2018-01-01

    With recent aging demographic trends, the needs for enhancing geo-spatial analysis capabilities and monitoring the status of accessibilities of its citizens with healthcare services have increased. The accessibility to healthcare is determined not only by geographic distances to service locations, but also includes travel time, available modes of transportation, and departure time. Having access to the latest and accurate information regarding the healthcare accessibility allows the municipal government to plan for improvements, including expansion of healthcare infrastructure, effective labor distribution, alternative healthcare options for the regions with low accessibilities, and redesigning the public transportation routes and schedules. This paper proposes a new method named, Seoul Enhanced 2-Step Floating Catchment Area (SE2SFCA), which is customized for the city of Seoul, where population density is higher and the average distance between healthcare-service locations tends to be shorter than the typical North American or European cities. The proposed method of SE2SFCA is found to be realistic and effective in determining the weak accessibility regions. It resolves the over-estimation issues of the past, arising from the assignment of high healthcare accessibility for the regions with large hospitals and high density of population and hospitals. PMID:29462194

  9. After Access: Underrepresented Students' Postmatriculation Perceptions of College Access Capital

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Means, Darris R.; Pyne, Kimberly B.

    2016-01-01

    This qualitative study explores the perceived impact of college-going capital gained during participation in a college access program. In three, semistructured interviews spanning the first-year college experience, 10 first-year college students who participated in a college access program articulate the value of access programming and also raise…

  10. Distributed magnetic field positioning system using code division multiple access

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Prigge, Eric A. (Inventor)

    2003-01-01

    An apparatus and methods for a magnetic field positioning system use a fundamentally different, and advantageous, signal structure and multiple access method, known as Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA). This signal architecture, when combined with processing methods, leads to advantages over the existing technologies, especially when applied to a system with a large number of magnetic field generators (beacons). Beacons at known positions generate coded magnetic fields, and a magnetic sensor measures a sum field and decomposes it into component fields to determine the sensor position and orientation. The apparatus and methods can have a large `building-sized` coverage area. The system allows for numerous beacons to be distributed throughout an area at a number of different locations. A method to estimate position and attitude, with no prior knowledge, uses dipole fields produced by these beacons in different locations.

  11. General Catalytic Enantioselective Access to Monohalomethyl and Trifluoromethyl Cyclopropanes.

    PubMed

    Huang, Wei-Sheng; Schlinquer, Claire; Poisson, Thomas; Pannecoucke, Xavier; Charette, André B; Jubault, Philippe

    2018-05-29

    An efficient catalytic enantioselective access to chiral functionalized trifluoromethyl cyclopropanes from two classes of diazo compounds and alpha-trifluoromethyl styrenes using Rh2((S)-BTPCP)4 as a catalyst is described. This method provides an efficient and practical strategy for the synthesis of highly functionalized CF3-cyclopropanes with excellent diastereoselectivities (up to 20:1) and enantioselectivities (up to 99% ee). The depicted methodology represents up to date the most efficient catalytic enantioselective method to access highly decorated chiral CF3-cyclopropanes. Extension to chiral monohalomethyl cyclopropanes in high ee is also reported. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  12. Teaching medical students ultrasound-guided vascular access - which learning method is best?

    PubMed

    Lian, Alwin; Rippey, James C R; Carr, Peter J

    2017-05-15

    Ultrasound is recommended to guide insertion of peripheral intravenous vascular cannulae (PIVC) where difficulty is experienced. Ultrasound machines are now common-place and junior doctors are often expected to be able to use them. The educational standards for this skill are highly varied, ranging from no education, to self-guided internet-based education, to formal, face-to-face traditional education. In an attempt to decide which educational technique our institution should introduce, a small pilot trial comparing educational techniques was designed. Thirty medical students were enrolled and allocated to one of three groups. PIVC placing ability was then observed, tested and graded on vascular access phantoms. The formal, face-to-face traditional education was rated best by the students, and had the highest success rate in PIVC placement, the improvement statistically significant compared to no education (p = 0.01) and trending towards significance when compared to self-directed internet-based education (p<0.06). The group receiving traditional face-to-face teaching on ultrasound-guided vascular access, performed significantly better than those not receiving education. As the number of ultrasound machines in clinical areas increases, it is important that education programs to support their safe and appropriate use are developed.

  13. Unbundling in Current Broadband and Next-Generation Ultra-Broadband Access Networks

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gaudino, Roberto; Giuliano, Romeo; Mazzenga, Franco; Valcarenghi, Luca; Vatalaro, Francesco

    2014-05-01

    This article overviews the methods that are currently under investigation for implementing multi-operator open-access/shared-access techniques in next-generation access ultra-broadband architectures, starting from the traditional "unbundling-of-the-local-loop" techniques implemented in legacy twisted-pair digital subscriber line access networks. A straightforward replication of these copper-based unbundling-of-the-local-loop techniques is usually not feasible on next-generation access networks, including fiber-to-the-home point-to-multipoint passive optical networks. To investigate this issue, the article first gives a concise description of traditional copper-based unbundling-of-the-local-loop solutions, then focalizes on both next-generation access hybrid fiber-copper digital subscriber line fiber-to-the-cabinet scenarios and on fiber to the home by accounting for the mix of regulatory and technological reasons driving the next-generation access migration path, focusing mostly on the European situation.

  14. Innovative methods for knowledge transfer

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Goanta, A. M.

    2015-11-01

    At this time, learning takes place, either with classic books on paper support or using books scanned or drawn and further converted into PDF or PPT files that are printed on type support CD / DVD. The latter modern means of learning, the study adds live on the Internet using search engines and not least e-learning method, which allows the study of bibliographic related materials in PDF or PPT, stacked and grouped on the basis of a curriculum imposed which can be accessed on a website via a user name and password. Innovative methods come to successfully use other file types than those mentioned above. The graphics in teaching technical subjects such as descriptive geometry can be achieved using animated PowerPoint files, allowing for visualization of steps to be taken, in the case of solving by drawing a descriptive geometry. Another innovative method relies on the use of HTML files, inspired by related sites help design software packages that can be used when teaching descriptive geometry that the technical design. Through this work, the author has proposed to present a new innovative method, which is inspired by the methods listed above, but involves using AVI files to teaching of computer-assisted type graphics or info graphics. In general this new author's method lends itself particularly well to the teaching of the use of software packages because the student actually see the place from where the delivered command is accessed and contextual options of right button of the mouse. These laboratory courses or mentoring can be freestanding cards support CD / DVD or can be posted on websites with restricted access based on user name and password. Practically paper presents the methodology of creating courses and tutorials in AVI format, and how to monitor the degree of accessing the website, on which there were posted mentioned teaching materials, using the tools offered by Google Analytics. The results consist of graphical work, about the degree of access to

  15. Fool U.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Finn, Chester E., Jr.

    2002-01-01

    Cautions that there are many potential problems related to higher education via the information superhighway, noting that while distance learning is a fast-growing and promising educational technology, consumers need to use common sense and be prepared to deal with new electronic scams and rip-offs. (SM)

  16. 76 FR 78300 - Announcement of Funding Awards for Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) for HUD's Fiscal Year...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-12-16

    ... Mortgage Scams Assistance Housing Counseling Under the Housing Counseling Program AGENCY: Office of the... Counseling Program. SUMMARY: In accordance with section 102(a)(4)(C) of the Department of Housing and Urban... recipients under the Housing Counseling Program. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ruth Rom[aacute]n, Director...

  17. 10 CFR 25.15 - Access permitted under “Q” or “L” access authorization.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-01-01

    ... 10 Energy 1 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Access permitted under âQâ or âLâ access authorization. 25.15 Section 25.15 Energy NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION ACCESS AUTHORIZATION Access Authorizations § 25.15 Access permitted under “Q” or “L” access authorization. (a) A “Q” access authorization permits an...

  18. 10 CFR 25.15 - Access permitted under “Q” or “L” access authorization.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    ... 10 Energy 1 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Access permitted under âQâ or âLâ access authorization. 25.15 Section 25.15 Energy NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION ACCESS AUTHORIZATION Access Authorizations § 25.15 Access permitted under “Q” or “L” access authorization. (a) A “Q” access authorization permits an...

  19. 10 CFR 25.15 - Access permitted under “Q” or “L” access authorization.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... 10 Energy 1 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Access permitted under âQâ or âLâ access authorization. 25.15 Section 25.15 Energy NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION ACCESS AUTHORIZATION Access Authorizations § 25.15 Access permitted under “Q” or “L” access authorization. (a) A “Q” access authorization permits an...

  20. 10 CFR 25.15 - Access permitted under “Q” or “L” access authorization.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ... 10 Energy 1 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Access permitted under âQâ or âLâ access authorization. 25.15 Section 25.15 Energy NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION ACCESS AUTHORIZATION Access Authorizations § 25.15 Access permitted under “Q” or “L” access authorization. (a) A “Q” access authorization permits an...

  1. Computer-Based Access to Patient Care Guidelines

    PubMed Central

    Oliver, Diane E.; Estey, Greg; Ford, Penny; Burke, Sheila M.; Teplick, Richard S.; Zielstorff, Rita D.; Barnett, G. Octo

    1990-01-01

    As health care becomes more complex and expensive, interest in the potential benefits of developing and implementing patient care guidelines has emerged. We propose that a hypertext-based system designed to deal with patient-specific problems can provide a valuable method of access to such guidelines. Because intensive care medicine is one area which has become extraordinarily complex in recent years, we have chosen this as an area in which the need exists for readily accessible expertise. More specifically, in this project we are focusing on the development and implementation of guidelines for troubleshooting problems associated with the of a pulmonary artery catheter.

  2. Enhancing Access to Information: Designing Catalogs for the 21st Century.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tyckoson, David A., Ed.

    This book addresses the problem of when a library has limited catalog access, and explores various technological methods to expand the catalog beyond its traditional boundaries. Fourteen chapters describe catalog projects in individual libraries: (1) "Enhancing Access to Information: Building Catalogs for the Future" (David A. Tyckoson);…

  3. Tropical cyclone intensities from satellite microwave data

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Vonderhaar, T. H.; Kidder, S. Q.

    1980-01-01

    Radial profiles of mean 1000 mb to 250 mb temperature from the Nimbus 6 scanning microwave spectrometer (SCAMS) were constructed around eight intensifying tropical storms in the western Pacific. Seven storms showed distinct inward temperature gradients required for intensification; the eighth displayed no inward gradient and was decaying 24 hours later. The possibility that satellite data might be used to forecast tropical cyclone turning motion was investigated using estimates obtained from Nimbus 6 SCAMS data tapes of the mean 1000 mb to 250 mb temperature field around eleven tropical storms in 1975. Analysis of these data show that for turning storms, in all but one case, the turn was signaled 24 hours in advance by a significant temperature gradient perpendicular to the storm's path, at a distance of 9 deg to 13 deg in front of the storm. A thresholding technique was applied to the North Central U.S. during the summer to estimate precipitation frequency. except

  4. Optical Access Networks

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zheng, Jun; Ansari, Nirwan

    2005-03-01

    Call for Papers: Optical Access Networks With the wide deployment of fiber-optic technology over the past two decades, we have witnessed a tremendous growth of bandwidth capacity in the backbone networks of today's telecommunications infrastructure. However, access networks, which cover the "last-mile" areas and serve numerous residential and small business users, have not been scaled up commensurately. The local subscriber lines for telephone and cable television are still using twisted pairs and coaxial cables. Most residential connections to the Internet are still through dial-up modems operating at a low speed on twisted pairs. As the demand for access bandwidth increases with emerging high-bandwidth applications, such as distance learning, high-definition television (HDTV), and video on demand (VoD), the last-mile access networks have become a bandwidth bottleneck in today's telecommunications infrastructure. To ease this bottleneck, it is imperative to provide sufficient bandwidth capacity in the access networks to open the bottleneck and thus present more opportunities for the provisioning of multiservices. Optical access solutions promise huge bandwidth to service providers and low-cost high-bandwidth services to end users and are therefore widely considered the technology of choice for next-generation access networks. To realize the vision of optical access networks, however, many key issues still need to be addressed, such as network architectures, signaling protocols, and implementation standards. The major challenges lie in the fact that an optical solution must be not only robust, scalable, and flexible, but also implemented at a low cost comparable to that of existing access solutions in order to increase the economic viability of many potential high-bandwidth applications. In recent years, optical access networks have been receiving tremendous attention from both academia and industry. A large number of research activities have been carried out or

  5. 7 CFR 54.13 - Accessibility and refrigeration of products; access to establishments.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 3 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Accessibility and refrigeration of products; access to establishments. 54.13 Section 54.13 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued...) Regulations Service § 54.13 Accessibility and refrigeration of products; access to establishments. (a) The...

  6. 7 CFR 54.13 - Accessibility and refrigeration of products; access to establishments.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 3 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Accessibility and refrigeration of products; access to establishments. 54.13 Section 54.13 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued...) Regulations Service § 54.13 Accessibility and refrigeration of products; access to establishments. (a) The...

  7. 7 CFR 54.13 - Accessibility and refrigeration of products; access to establishments.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 3 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Accessibility and refrigeration of products; access to establishments. 54.13 Section 54.13 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued...) Regulations Service § 54.13 Accessibility and refrigeration of products; access to establishments. (a) The...

  8. 7 CFR 54.13 - Accessibility and refrigeration of products; access to establishments.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 3 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Accessibility and refrigeration of products; access to establishments. 54.13 Section 54.13 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued...) Regulations Service § 54.13 Accessibility and refrigeration of products; access to establishments. (a) The...

  9. 7 CFR 54.13 - Accessibility and refrigeration of products; access to establishments.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 3 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Accessibility and refrigeration of products; access to establishments. 54.13 Section 54.13 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued...) Regulations Service § 54.13 Accessibility and refrigeration of products; access to establishments. (a) The...

  10. Optical Access Networks

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zheng, Jun; Ansari, Nirwan

    2005-02-01

    Call for Papers: Optical Access Networks With the wide deployment of fiber-optic technology over the past two decades, we have witnessed a tremendous growth of bandwidth capacity in the backbone networks of today's telecommunications infrastructure. However, access networks, which cover the "last-mile" areas and serve numerous residential and small business users, have not been scaled up commensurately. The local subscriber lines for telephone and cable television are still using twisted pairs and coaxial cables. Most residential connections to the Internet are still through dial-up modems operating at a low speed on twisted pairs. As the demand for access bandwidth increases with emerging high-bandwidth applications, such as distance learning, high-definition television (HDTV), and video on demand (VoD), the last-mile access networks have become a bandwidth bottleneck in today's telecommunications infrastructure. To ease this bottleneck, it is imperative to provide sufficient bandwidth capacity in the access networks to open the bottleneck and thus present more opportunities for the provisioning of multiservices. Optical access solutions promise huge bandwidth to service providers and low-cost high-bandwidth services to end users and are therefore widely considered the technology of choice for next-generation access networks. To realize the vision of optical access networks, however, many key issues still need to be addressed, such as network architectures, signaling protocols, and implementation standards. The major challenges lie in the fact that an optical solution must be not only robust, scalable, and flexible, but also implemented at a low cost comparable to that of existing access solutions in order to increase the economic viability of many potential high-bandwidth applications. In recent years, optical access networks have been receiving tremendous attention from both academia and industry. A large number of research activities have been carried out or

  11. Does capitation matter? Impacts on access, use, and quality.

    PubMed

    Zuvekas, Samuel H; Hill, Steven C

    2004-01-01

    Provider capitation may constrain costs, but it also may reduce access and quality of care. We examine the impacts of capitating the usual source of care of enrollees in health maintenance organizations (HMOs). We account for the endogeneity of capitation and other characteristics using generalized methods of moments (GMM) estimation on a sample from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey for 1996 and 1997. Being organized as a group/staff HMO generally has stronger impact on access and quality than capitation. Capitation by itself may increase access to consumers' usual sources of care, improve primary preventive care, and reduce coordination, but estimates with GMM were not statistically significant.

  12. Efficient accesses of data structures using processing near memory

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Jayasena, Nuwan S.; Zhang, Dong Ping; Diez, Paula Aguilera

    Systems, apparatuses, and methods for implementing efficient queues and other data structures. A queue may be shared among multiple processors and/or threads without using explicit software atomic instructions to coordinate access to the queue. System software may allocate an atomic queue and corresponding queue metadata in system memory and return, to the requesting thread, a handle referencing the queue metadata. Any number of threads may utilize the handle for accessing the atomic queue. The logic for ensuring the atomicity of accesses to the atomic queue may reside in a management unit in the memory controller coupled to the memory wheremore » the atomic queue is allocated.« less

  13. Geographical accessibility to community pharmacies by the elderly in metropolitan Lisbon.

    PubMed

    Padeiro, Miguel

    2018-07-01

    In ageing societies, community pharmacies play an important role in delivering medicines, responsible advising, and other targeted services. Elderly people are among their main consumers, as they use more prescription drugs, need more specific health care, and experience more mobility issues than other age groups. This makes geographical accessibility a relevant concern for them. To measure geographical pedestrian accessibility to community pharmacies by elderly people in the Lisbon Metropolitan Area (LMA). The number of elderly people living within a 10- and 15-min walk was estimated based on the exploitation of population census data, the address-based location of 801 community pharmacies, and a Google Maps Application Programming Interface (API) method for calculating distances between pharmacies and the centroids of census statistical subsections. Results were compared to figures attained via traditional methods. In the LMA, 61.2% of the elderly live less than a 10 min walk from the nearest pharmacy and 76.9% live less than 15 min away. This opposes the common view that pharmacies are highly accessible in urban areas. In addition, results show a high spatial variability of proximity to pharmacies. Despite the illusion of good coverage suggested at the metropolitan scale, accessibility measures demonstrate the existence of pharmaceutical deprivation areas for the elderly. The findings indicate the need for more accuracy in both access measurements and redistribution policies. Measurement methods and population targets should be reconsidered. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  14. Inequities in access to inpatient rehabilitation after stroke: an international scoping review.

    PubMed

    Lynch, Elizabeth A; Cadilhac, Dominique A; Luker, Julie A; Hillier, Susan L

    2017-12-01

    Background Inequities in accessing inpatient rehabilitation after stroke have been reported in many countries and impact on patient outcomes. Objective To explore variation in international recommendations regarding which patients should receive inpatient rehabilitation after stroke and to describe reported access to rehabilitation. Methods A scoping review was conducted to identify clinical guidelines with recommendations regarding which patients should access inpatient rehabilitation after stroke, and data regarding the proportion of patients accessing stroke rehabilitation. Four bibliographic databases and grey literature were searched. Results Twenty-eight documents were included. Selection criteria for post-acute inpatient rehabilitation were identified for 14 countries or regions and summary data on the proportion of patients receiving inpatient rehabilitation were identified for 14 countries. In Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom, it is recommended that all patients with stroke symptoms should access rehabilitation, whereas guidelines from the United States, Canada, and Europe did not consistently recommend rehabilitation for people with severe stroke. Access to inpatient rehabilitation ranged from 13% in Sweden to 57% in Israel. Differences in availability of early supported discharge/home rehabilitation programs and variations in reporting methods may influence the ability to reliably compare access to rehabilitation between regions. Conclusion Recommendations regarding which patients with moderate and severe strokes should access ongoing rehabilitation are inconsistent. Clinical practice guidelines from different countries regarding post-stroke rehabilitation do not always reflect the evidence regarding the likely benefits to people with stroke. Inequity in access to rehabilitation after stroke is an international issue.

  15. 36 CFR 406.150 - Program accessibility: Existing facilities.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... accessibility requirements to the extent compelled by the Architectural Barriers Act of 1968, as amended (42 U.S.C. 4151-4157), and any regulations implementing it. In choosing among available methods for meeting...

  16. Productivity Measures Associated With a Patient Access Initiative

    PubMed Central

    Gable, William H.; Pappas, Theodore N.; Jacobs, Danny O.; Cutler, Desmond A.; Kuo, Paul C.

    2006-01-01

    Objective: To assess financial performance associated with a patient 7-day access initiative. Background Data: Patient access to clinical services is frequently an obstacle at academic medical centers. Conflicting surgeon priorities among academic, clinical, educational, and leadership duties often create difficulties for patient entry into the “system.” Methods: The scope and objectives were identified to be: design of a standard, simple new patient appointment process, design of a standard process in cases where an appointment is not available in 7 days, use subspecialty team search capabilities, minimize/eliminate prescheduling requirements, centralize appointment scheduling, and creation and reporting of 7-day access metrics. Following maturation of the process, the 7-day access metrics from the period July 2004 to December 2004 and January 2005 to June 2005 were compared with corresponding time periods from calendar years 2001, 2002, and 2003. Results: Payor mix was unaltered. The median waiting time for a new patient appointment decreased from 21 days to 10 days. When compared with calendar years 2001, 2002, and 2003, respectively, the 2 periods of the 7-day access initiative in calendar years 2004 and 2005 were associated with significantly increased visits, new patients, operative procedures, hospital charges, and physician charges. Conclusions: Implementation of a 7-day access initiative can significantly increase financial productivity of general surgery groups in academic medical centers. We conclude that simplifying access to services can benefit academic surgical practices. Sustaining this level of productivity will continue to prove challenging. PMID:16632994

  17. Strategies for Success: Open Access Policies at North American Educational Institutions

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fruin, Christine; Sutton, Shan

    2016-01-01

    Recognizing the paucity of quantitative and qualitative data from North American educational institutions that have pursued open access policies, the authors devised a survey to collect information on the characteristics of these institutions, as well as the elements of the open access policies, the methods of promoting these policies, faculty…

  18. Optical Access Networks

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zheng, Jun; Ansari, Nirwan

    2005-01-01

    Call for Papers: Optical Access Networks

    Guest Editors Jun Zheng, University of Ottawa Nirwan Ansari, New Jersey Institute of Technology

    Submission Deadline: 1 June 2005

    Background

    With the wide deployment of fiber-optic technology over the past two decades, we have witnessed a tremendous growth of bandwidth capacity in the backbone networks of today's telecommunications infrastructure. However, access networks, which cover the "last-mile" areas and serve numerous residential and small business users, have not been scaled up commensurately. The local subscriber lines for telephone and cable television are still using twisted pairs and coaxial cables. Most residential connections to the Internet are still through dial-up modems operating at a low speed on twisted pairs. As the demand for access bandwidth increases with emerging high-bandwidth applications, such as distance learning, high-definition television (HDTV), and video on demand (VoD), the last-mile access networks have become a bandwidth bottleneck in today's telecommunications infrastructure. To ease this bottleneck, it is imperative to provide sufficient bandwidth capacity in the access networks to open the bottleneck and thus present more opportunities for the provisioning of multiservices. Optical access solutions promise huge bandwidth to service providers and low-cost high-bandwidth services to end users and are therefore widely considered the technology of choice for next-generation access networks. To realize the vision of optical access networks, however, many key issues still need to be addressed, such as network architectures, signaling protocols, and implementation standards. The major challenges lie in the fact that an optical solution must be not only robust, scalable, and flexible, but also implemented at a low cost comparable to that of existing access solutions in order to increase the

  19. Access Control based on Attribute Certificates for Medical Intranet Applications

    PubMed Central

    Georgiadis, Christos; Pangalos, George; Khair, Marie

    2001-01-01

    Background Clinical information systems frequently use intranet and Internet technologies. However these technologies have emphasized sharing and not security, despite the sensitive and private nature of much health information. Digital certificates (electronic documents which recognize an entity or its attributes) can be used to control access in clinical intranet applications. Objectives To outline the need for access control in distributed clinical database systems, to describe the use of digital certificates and security policies, and to propose the architecture for a system using digital certificates, cryptography and security policy to control access to clinical intranet applications. Methods We have previously developed a security policy, DIMEDAC (Distributed Medical Database Access Control), which is compatible with emerging public key and privilege management infrastructure. In our implementation approach we propose the use of digital certificates, to be used in conjunction with DIMEDAC. Results Our proposed access control system consists of two phases: the ways users gain their security credentials; and how these credentials are used to access medical data. Three types of digital certificates are used: identity certificates for authentication; attribute certificates for authorization; and access-rule certificates for propagation of access control policy. Once a user is identified and authenticated, subsequent access decisions are based on a combination of identity and attribute certificates, with access-rule certificates providing the policy framework. Conclusions Access control in clinical intranet applications can be successfully and securely managed through the use of digital certificates and the DIMEDAC security policy. PMID:11720951

  20. Accessing Electronic Journals.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McKay, Sharon Cline

    1999-01-01

    Discusses issues librarians need to consider when providing access to electronic journals. Topics include gateways; index and abstract services; validation and pay-per-view; title selection; integration with OPACs (online public access catalogs)or Web sites; paper availability; ownership versus access; usage restrictions; and services offered…

  1. Universal accessibility of "accessible" fitness and recreational facilities for persons with mobility disabilities.

    PubMed

    Arbour-Nicitopoulos, Kelly P; Ginis, Kathleen A Martin

    2011-01-01

    This study descriptively measured the universal accessibility of "accessible" fitness and recreational facilities for Ontarians living with mobility disabilities. The physical and social environments of 44 fitness and recreational facilities that identified as "accessible" were assessed using a modified version of the AIMFREE. None of the 44 facilities were completely accessible. Mean accessibility ratings ranged between 31 and 63 out of a possible 100. Overall, recreational facilities had higher accessibility scores than fitness centers, with significant differences found on professional support and training, entrance areas, and parking lot. A modest correlation was found between the availability of fitness programming and the overall accessibility of fitness-center specific facility areas. Overall, the physical and social environments of the 44 fitness and recreational facilities assessed were limited in their accessibility for persons with mobility disabilities. Future efforts should be directed at establishing and meeting universal accessibility guidelines for Canadian physical activity facilities.

  2. Beyond the Repository: A Mixed Method Approach to Providing Access to Collections Online

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Garrison, Brian Wade

    2013-01-01

    After providing access to over 100 video interviews conducted by a professor with notable entertainers and personalities from film through an institutional repository, an experiment was conducted to discover whether a larger audience could be gained by adding a subset of 32 of these videos to YouTube. The results, over 400,000 views, indicate that…

  3. AEROSAT Access Control Summary

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1976-10-01

    The report consists of three basic sections. Section 2 is a discussion of the communications concepts germane to AEROSAT access control. It defines and reviews the principles of multiplexing, multiple access, demand access, and access control and rel...

  4. Aerosat Access Control Summary

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1976-10-01

    The report consists of three basic sections. Section 2 is a discussion of the communications concepts germane to AEROSAT access control. It defines and reviews the principles of multiplexing, multiple access, demand access, and access control and rel...

  5. Spatial Accessibility to Health Care Services: Identifying under-Serviced Neighbourhoods in Canadian Urban Areas

    PubMed Central

    Shah, Tayyab Ikram; Bell, Scott; Wilson, Kathi

    2016-01-01

    Background Urban environments can influence many aspects of health and well-being and access to health care is one of them. Access to primary health care (PHC) in urban settings is a pressing research and policy issue in Canada. Most research on access to healthcare is focused on national and provincial levels in Canada; there is a need to advance current understanding to local scales such as neighbourhoods. Methods This study examines spatial accessibility to family physicians using the Three-Step Floating Catchment Area (3SFCA) method to identify neighbourhoods with poor geographical access to PHC services and their spatial patterning across 14 Canadian urban settings. An index of spatial access to PHC services, representing an accessibility score (physicians-per-1000 population), was calculated for neighborhoods using a 3km road network distance. Information about primary health care providers (this definition does not include mobile services such as health buses or nurse practitioners or less distributed services such as emergency rooms) used in this research was gathered from publicly available and routinely updated sources (i.e. provincial colleges of physicians and surgeons). An integrated geocoding approach was used to establish PHC locations. Results The results found that the three methods, Simple Ratio, Neighbourhood Simple Ratio, and 3SFCA that produce City level access scores are positively correlated with each other. Comparative analyses were performed both within and across urban settings to examine disparities in distributions of PHC services. It is found that neighbourhoods with poor accessibility scores in the main urban settings across Canada have further disadvantages in relation to population high health care needs. Conclusions The results of this study show substantial variations in geographical accessibility to PHC services both within and among urban areas. This research enhances our understanding of spatial accessibility to health care

  6. Transparency of Biobank Access in Canada: An Assessment of Industry Access and the Availability of Information on Access Policies and Resulting Research.

    PubMed

    Gibson, Shannon G; Axler, Renata E; Lemmens, Trudo

    2017-12-01

    A key issue impacting public trust in biobanks is how these resources are utilized, including who is given access to biobank data and samples. To assess the conditions under which researchers are given access to Canadian biobanks, we reviewed websites and contacted Canadian biobanks to determine the availability of information on access policies and procedures; research resulting from access biobank data and samples; and conditions on private industry access to biobanks. We also conducted expert interviews with key Canadian stakeholders ( n = 11) to obtain their perspectives on biobank transparency and access policies. Among 21 Canadian biobanks, there was wide variation in the access information made publicly available, and the majority of these allowed access by industry applicants. Biobanks should be governed by the principles of transparency, accountability, and accessibility, and attention must be given to the conditions around the commercialization of biobank-based research.

  7. Incorporating information on predicted solvent accessibility to the co-evolution-based study of protein interactions.

    PubMed

    Ochoa, David; García-Gutiérrez, Ponciano; Juan, David; Valencia, Alfonso; Pazos, Florencio

    2013-01-27

    A widespread family of methods for studying and predicting protein interactions using sequence information is based on co-evolution, quantified as similarity of phylogenetic trees. Part of the co-evolution observed between interacting proteins could be due to co-adaptation caused by inter-protein contacts. In this case, the co-evolution is expected to be more evident when evaluated on the surface of the proteins or the internal layers close to it. In this work we study the effect of incorporating information on predicted solvent accessibility to three methods for predicting protein interactions based on similarity of phylogenetic trees. We evaluate the performance of these methods in predicting different types of protein associations when trees based on positions with different characteristics of predicted accessibility are used as input. We found that predicted accessibility improves the results of two recent versions of the mirrortree methodology in predicting direct binary physical interactions, while it neither improves these methods, nor the original mirrortree method, in predicting other types of interactions. That improvement comes at no cost in terms of applicability since accessibility can be predicted for any sequence. We also found that predictions of protein-protein interactions are improved when multiple sequence alignments with a richer representation of sequences (including paralogs) are incorporated in the accessibility prediction.

  8. [Accessible Rural Housing.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Baker, Nick, Ed.

    1995-01-01

    This issue of the quarterly newsletter "Rural Exchange" provides information and resources on accessible rural housing for the disabled. "Accessible Manufactured Housing Could Increase Rural Home Supply" (Nick Baker) suggests that incorporation of access features such as lever door handles and no-step entries into manufactured housing could help…

  9. Marshall Space Flight Center's role in EASE/ACCESS mission management

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Hawkins, Gerald W.

    1987-01-01

    The Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) Spacelab Payload Project Office was responsible for the mission management and development of several successful payloads. Two recent space construction experiments, the Experimental Assembly of Structures in Extravehicular Activity (EASE) and the Assembly Concept for Construction of Erectable Space Structures (ACCESS), were combined into a payload managed by the center. The Ease/ACCESS was flown aboard the Space Shuttle Mission 61-B. The EASE/ACCESS experiments were the first structures assembled in space, and the method used to manage this successful effort will be useful for future space construction missions. The MSFC mission management responsibilities for the EASE/ACCESS mission are addressed and how the lessons learned from the mission can be applied to future space construction projects are discussed.

  10. Employment Security Tax

    Science.gov Websites

    Alaska > DOLWD > Employment Security Tax EMAIL SCAM ALERT (December 2012) On-line Employer Services Online Filing Demonstrations FAQs for TaxWeb Employer Report Notice Alaska Unemployment Insurance Tax Handbook The Employment Security Tax Section is responsible for providing assistance and information to

  11. Designing for the Elderly User: Internet Safety Training

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Appelt, Lianne C.

    2016-01-01

    The following qualitative study examines the usability of a custom-designed Internet safety tutorial, targeted at elderly individuals who use the Internet regularly, for effectively conveying critical information regarding online fraud, scams, and other cyber security. The elderly population is especially at risk when it comes to fraudulent…

  12. 3 CFR 8782 - Proclamation 8782 of March 5, 2012. National Consumer Protection Week, 2012

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-01-01

    ..., mortgages, and student loans, to build the foundation for a better tomorrow. These tools help bring our aspirations within reach and empower countless individuals to earn an education, afford a home, or raise a... highlighting the ways individuals and families can protect themselves from scams, fraud, and abuse. Robust...

  13. Geographic Accessibility of Community Pharmacies in Ontario

    PubMed Central

    Law, Michael R.; Dijkstra, Anna; Douillard, Jay A.; Morgan, Steven G.

    2011-01-01

    Background: Proximity is an important component of access to healthcare services. Recent changes in generic pricing in Ontario have caused speculation about pharmacy closures. However, there is little information on the current geographic accessibility of pharmacies. Therefore, we studied geographic access to pharmacies and modelled the impact of possible closures. Methods: We used location data on the 3,352 accredited community pharmacies from the Ontario College of Pharmacists and population estimates at the census dissemination block level. Using network analysis, we determined the share of Ontario's population who reside in a census dissemination block within three road travel distances of a community pharmacy: 800 m (walking), 2 km and 5 km (driving). We then simulated the effects on these measures of 10% to 50% reductions in the number of community pharmacies in Ontario. Results: Approximately 63.6% of the Ontario population reside in a dissemination block located within walking distance of one or more pharmacies; 84.6% and 90.7% reside within 2-km and 5-km driving distances, respectively. Randomly removing 30% of Ontario's community pharmacies reduces these estimates to 56.0%, 81.4% and 89.0% for each distance, respectively; a 50% reduction results in 48.3%, 77.1% and 87.2%, respectively. Conclusions: Pharmacies are geographically accessible for a majority of the Ontario population. Moreover, it appears that modest closures would have only a small impact on geographic access to pharmacies. However, closures may have other impacts on access, such as cost, waiting time and reduced patient choice. PMID:22294990

  14. Apparatus, method and system to control accessibility of platform resources based on an integrity level

    DOEpatents

    Jenkins, Chris; Pierson, Lyndon G.

    2016-10-25

    Techniques and mechanism to selectively provide resource access to a functional domain of a platform. In an embodiment, the platform includes both a report domain to monitor the functional domain and a policy domain to identify, based on such monitoring, a transition of the functional domain from a first integrity level to a second integrity level. In response to a change in integrity level, the policy domain may configure the enforcement domain to enforce against the functional domain one or more resource accessibility rules corresponding to the second integrity level. In another embodiment, the policy domain automatically initiates operations in aid of transitioning the platform from the second integrity level to a higher integrity level.

  15. Creating a Shared Formulary in 7 Critical Access Hospitals

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wakefield, Douglas S.; Ward, Marcia M.; Loes, Jean L.; O'Brien, John; Abbas, Nancy

    2010-01-01

    Purpose: This paper reports a case study of 7 Critical Access Hospitals' (CAH) and 1 rural referral hospital's successful collaboration to develop a shared formulary. Methods: Study methods included document reviews, interviews with key informants, and use of descriptive statistics. Findings: Through a systematic review and decision process, CAH…

  16. Does infection with Chlamydia pneumoniae and/or Helicobacter pylori increase the expression of endothelial cell adhesion molecules in humans?

    PubMed

    Schumacher, A; Seljeflot, I; Lerkerød, A B; Sommervoll, L; Otterstad, J E; Arnesen, H

    2002-10-01

    To investigate if Chlamydia pneumoniae and/or Helicobacter pylori seropositivity is associated with elevated levels of soluble endothelial cell adhesion molecules (sCAMs) as markers of atherosclerotic activity. Immunoglobulin A (IgA) and IgG antibodies to the two bacteria, soluble intercellular cell adhesion molecule-1 (sICAM-1), soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (sVCAM-1) and E-selectin were measured in coronary heart disease (CHD) patients (n = 193) and age- and sex-matched controls (n = 193). Two different serological methods were used for the detection of Chlamydia antibodies: Labsystems microimmunofluorescence to detect species-specific C. pneumoniae antibodies and Medac's recombinant enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay to detect genus-specific lipopolysaccharide antibodies. The concentrations of sICAM-1 and E-selectin were higher in CHD patients with positive vs. negative Chlamydia lipopolysaccharide IgA (P = 0.044 for both). H. pylori antibodies alone did not predict raised levels of sCAMs, but in CHD patients sICAM-1 was increased with IgA seropositivity to both bacteria compared to double seronegativity (P = 0.034). Concentrations of sVCAM-1 were elevated in CHD patients with double IgA seropositivity compared to those with Chlamydia lipopolysaccharide IgA seropositivity alone (P = 0.018). Our results may indicate that C. pneumoniae contributes to increased inflammation in CHD, and that this contribution is even more pronounced when present in combination with H. pylori IgA antibodies.

  17. Demystifying Remote Access

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Howe, Grant

    2009-01-01

    With money tight, more and more districts are considering remote access as a way to reduce expenses and budget information technology costs more effectively. Remote access allows staff members to work with a hosted software application from any school campus without being tied to a specific physical location. Each school can access critical…

  18. Open Access Publishing in the Field of Medical Informatics.

    PubMed

    Kuballa, Stefanie

    2017-05-01

    The open access paradigm has become an important approach in today's information and communication society. Funders and governments in different countries stipulate open access publications of funded research results. Medical informatics as part of the science, technology and medicine disciplines benefits from many research funds, such as National Institutes of Health in the US, Wellcome Trust in UK, German Research Foundation in Germany and many more. In this study an overview of the current open access programs and conditions of major journals in the field of medical informatics is presented. It was investigated whether there are suitable options and how they are shaped. Therefore all journals in Thomson Reuters Web of Science that were listed in the subject category "Medical Informatics" in 2014 were examined. An Internet research was conducted by investigating the journals' websites. It was reviewed whether journals offer an open access option with a subsequent check of conditions as for example the type of open access, the fees and the licensing. As a result all journals in the field of medical informatics that had an impact factor in 2014 offer an open access option. A predominantly consistent pricing range was determined with an average fee of 2.248 € and a median fee of 2.207 €. The height of a journals' open access fee did not correlate with the height of its Impact Factor. Hence, medical informatics journals have recognized the trend of open access publishing, though the vast majority of them are working with the hybrid method. Hybrid open access may however lead to problems in questions of double dipping and the often stipulated gold open access.

  19. Potential of OFDM for next generation optical access

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fritzsche, Daniel; Weis, Erik; Breuer, Dirk

    2011-01-01

    This paper shows the requirements for next generation optical access (NGOA) networks and analyzes the potential of OFDM (orthogonal frequency division multiplexing) for the use in such network scenarios. First, we show the motivation for NGOA systems based on the future requirements on FTTH access systems and list the advantages of OFDM in such scenarios. In the next part, the basics of OFDM and different methods to generate and detect optical OFDM signals are explained and analyzed. At the transmitter side the options include intensity modulation and the more advanced field modulation of the optical OFDM signal. At the receiver there is the choice between direct detection and coherent detection. As the result of this discussion we show our vision of the future use of OFDM in optical access networks.

  20. New Insights into Dialysis Vascular Access: What Is the Optimal Vascular Access Type and Timing of Access Creation in CKD and Dialysis Patients?

    PubMed

    Woo, Karen; Lok, Charmaine E

    2016-08-08

    Optimal vascular access planning begins when the patient is in the predialysis stages of CKD. The choice of optimal vascular access for an individual patient and determining timing of access creation are dependent on a multitude of factors that can vary widely with each patient, including demographics, comorbidities, anatomy, and personal preferences. It is important to consider every patient's ESRD life plan (hence, their overall dialysis access life plan for every vascular access creation or placement). Optimal access type and timing of access creation are also influenced by factors external to the patient, such as surgeon experience and processes of care. In this review, we will discuss the key determinants in optimal access type and timing of access creation for upper extremity arteriovenous fistulas and grafts. Copyright © 2016 by the American Society of Nephrology.

  1. The Correlation Between Poverty and Access to Essential Surgical Care in Ghana: A Geospatial Analysis

    PubMed Central

    Stewart, Barclay T.; Gyedu, Adam; Boakye, Godfred; Lewis, Daniel; Hoogerboord, Marius; Mock, Charles

    2017-01-01

    Background Surgical disease burden falls disproportionately on individuals in low- and middle-income countries. These populations are also the least likely to have access to surgical care. Understanding the barriers to access in these populations is therefore necessary to meet the global surgical need. Methods Using geospatial methods, this study explores the district-level variation of two access barriers in Ghana: poverty and spatial access to care. National survey data were used to estimate the average total household expenditure (THE) in each district. Estimates of the spatial access to essential surgical care were generated from a cost-distance model based on a recent surgical capacity assessment. Correlations were analyzed using regression and displayed cartographically. Results Both THE and spatial access to surgical care were found to have statistically significant regional variation in Ghana (p < 0.001). An inverse relationship was identified between THE and spatial access to essential surgical care (β −5.15 USD, p < 0.001). Poverty and poor spatial access to surgical care were found to co-localize in the northwest of the country. Conclusions Multiple barriers to accessing surgical care can coexist within populations. A careful understanding of all access barriers is necessary to identify and target strategies to address unmet surgical need within a given population. PMID:27766400

  2. American Thyroid Association Statement on Remote-Access Thyroid Surgery

    PubMed Central

    Bernet, Victor; Fahey, Thomas J.; Kebebew, Electron; Shaha, Ashok; Stack, Brendan C.; Stang, Michael; Steward, David L.; Terris, David J.

    2016-01-01

    Background: Remote-access techniques have been described over the recent years as a method of removing the thyroid gland without an incision in the neck. However, there is confusion related to the number of techniques available and the ideal patient selection criteria for a given technique. The aims of this review were to develop a simple classification of these approaches, describe the optimal patient selection criteria, evaluate the outcomes objectively, and define the barriers to adoption. Methods: A review of the literature was performed to identify the described techniques. A simple classification was developed. Technical details, outcomes, and the learning curve were described. Expert opinion consensus was formulated regarding recommendations for patient selection and performance of remote-access thyroid surgery. Results: Remote-access thyroid procedures can be categorized into endoscopic or robotic breast, bilateral axillo-breast, axillary, and facelift approaches. The experience in the United States involves the latter two techniques. The limited data in the literature suggest long operative times, a steep learning curve, and higher costs with remote-access thyroid surgery compared with conventional thyroidectomy. Nevertheless, a consensus was reached that, in appropriate hands, it can be a viable option for patients with unilateral small nodules who wish to avoid a neck incision. Conclusions: Remote-access thyroidectomy has a role in a small group of patients who fit strict selection criteria. These approaches require an additional level of expertise, and therefore should be done by surgeons performing a high volume of thyroid and robotic surgery. PMID:26858014

  3. Optimal Access to NASA Water Cycle Data for Water Resources Management

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Teng, W. L.; Arctur, D. K.; Espinoza, G. E.; Rui, H.; Strub, R. F.; Vollmer, B.

    2016-12-01

    A "Digital Divide" in data representation exists between the preferred way of data access by the hydrology community (i.e., as time series of discrete spatial objects) and the common way of data archival by earth science data centers (i.e., as continuous spatial fields, one file per time step). This Divide has been an obstacle, specifically, between the Consortium of Universities for the Advancement of Hydrologic Science, Inc. Hydrologic Information System (CUAHSI HIS) and NASA Goddard Earth Sciences Data and Information Services Center (GES DISC). An optimal approach to bridging the Divide, developed by the GES DISC, is to reorganize data from the way they are archived to some way that is optimal for the desired method of data access. Specifically for CUAHSI HIS, selected data sets were reorganized into time series files, one per geographical "point." These time series files, termed "data rods," are pre-generated or virtual (generated on-the-fly). Data sets available as data rods include North American Land Data Assimilation System (NLDAS), Global Land Data Assimilation System (GLDAS), TRMM Multi-satellite Precipitation Analysis (TMPA), Land Parameter Retrieval Model (LPRM), Modern-Era Retrospective Analysis for Research and Applications (MERRA)-Land, and Groundwater and Soil Moisture Conditions from Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) Data Assimilation drought indicators for North America Drought Monitor (GRACE-DA-DM). In order to easily avail the operational water resources community the benefits of optimally reorganized data, we have developed multiple methods of making these data more easily accessible and usable. These include direct access via RESTful Web services, a browser-based Web map and statistical tool for selected NLDAS variables for the U.S. (CONUS), a HydroShare app (Data Rods Explorer, under development) on the Tethys Platform, and access via the GEOSS Portal. Examples of drought-related applications of these data and data access

  4. Providing Access and Visualization to Global Cloud Properties from GEO Satellites

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chee, T.; Nguyen, L.; Minnis, P.; Spangenberg, D.; Palikonda, R.; Ayers, J. K.

    2015-12-01

    Providing public access to cloud macro and microphysical properties is a key concern for the NASA Langley Research Center Cloud and Radiation Group. This work describes a tool and method that allows end users to easily browse and access cloud information that is otherwise difficult to acquire and manipulate. The core of the tool is an application-programming interface that is made available to the public. One goal of the tool is to provide a demonstration to end users so that they can use the dynamically generated imagery as an input into their own work flows for both image generation and cloud product requisition. This project builds upon NASA Langley Cloud and Radiation Group's experience with making real-time and historical satellite cloud product imagery accessible and easily searchable. As we see the increasing use of virtual supply chains that provide additional value at each link there is value in making satellite derived cloud product information available through a simple access method as well as allowing users to browse and view that imagery as they need rather than in a manner most convenient for the data provider. Using the Open Geospatial Consortium's Web Processing Service as our access method, we describe a system that uses a hybrid local and cloud based parallel processing system that can return both satellite imagery and cloud product imagery as well as the binary data used to generate them in multiple formats. The images and cloud products are sourced from multiple satellites and also "merged" datasets created by temporally and spatially matching satellite sensors. Finally, the tool and API allow users to access information that spans the time ranges that our group has information available. In the case of satellite imagery, the temporal range can span the entire lifetime of the sensor.

  5. Access to and Use of Eye Care Services in Rural Arkansas

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kilmer, Greta; Bynum, LaTonya; Balamurugan, Appathurai

    2010-01-01

    Context: Rural residents are more likely to be uninsured and have low income. Purpose: To determine if rural residents in Arkansas have decreased access to eye care services and use them less frequently than urban residents. Methods: Data from the 2006 Visual Impairment and Access to Eye Care Module from the Arkansas Behavioral Risk Factor…

  6. Avoiding Fraudulent Activity and Scams

    Science.gov Websites

    United States Census Bureau Topics Population Latest Information Age and Sex Ancestry Children Mobility Population Estimates Population Projections Race Veterans Economy Latest Information Portal Other Economic Programs Business Latest Information Business Characteristics Classification Codes

  7. Protecting yourself from cancer scams

    MedlinePlus

    ... The ads for the product use lots of technical or medical jargon. The product is deemed safe ... Duplication for commercial use must be authorized in writing by ADAM Health Solutions. About MedlinePlus Site Map ...

  8. Attending Physician Remote Access of the Electronic Health Record and Implications for Resident Supervision: A Mixed Methods Study.

    PubMed

    Martin, Shannon K; Tulla, Kiara; Meltzer, David O; Arora, Vineet M; Farnan, Jeanne M

    2017-12-01

    Advances in information technology have increased remote access to the electronic health record (EHR). Concurrently, standards defining appropriate resident supervision have evolved. How often and under what circumstances inpatient attending physicians remotely access the EHR for resident supervision is unknown. We described a model of attending remote EHR use for resident supervision, and quantified the frequency and magnitude of use. Using a mixed methods approach, general medicine inpatient attendings were surveyed and interviewed about their remote EHR use. Frequency of use and supervisory actions were quantitatively examined via survey. Transcripts from semistructured interviews were analyzed using grounded theory to identify codes and themes. A total of 83% (59 of 71) of attendings participated. Fifty-seven (97%) reported using the EHR remotely, with 54 (92%) reporting they discovered new clinical information not relayed by residents via remote EHR use. A majority (93%, 55 of 59) reported that this resulted in management changes, and 54% (32 of 59) reported making immediate changes by contacting cross-covering teams. Six major factors around remote EHR use emerged: resident, clinical, educational, personal, technical, and administrative. Attendings described resident and clinical factors as facilitating "backstage" supervision via remote EHR use. In our study to assess attending remote EHR use for resident supervision, attendings reported frequent remote use with resulting supervisory actions, describing a previously uncharacterized form of "backstage" oversight supervision. Future work should explore best practices in remote EHR use to provide effective supervision and ultimately improve patient safety.

  9. Open Access Alternatives

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tenopir, Carol

    2004-01-01

    Open access publishing is a hot topic today. But open access publishing can have many different definitions, and pros and cons vary with the definitions. Open access publishing is especially attractive to companies and small colleges or universities that are likely to have many more readers than authors. A downside is that a membership fee sounds…

  10. Optimization modeling to maximize population access to comprehensive stroke centers

    PubMed Central

    Branas, Charles C.; Kasner, Scott E.; Wolff, Catherine; Williams, Justin C.; Albright, Karen C.; Carr, Brendan G.

    2015-01-01

    Objective: The location of comprehensive stroke centers (CSCs) is critical to ensuring rapid access to acute stroke therapies; we conducted a population-level virtual trial simulating change in access to CSCs using optimization modeling to selectively convert primary stroke centers (PSCs) to CSCs. Methods: Up to 20 certified PSCs per state were selected for conversion to maximize the population with 60-minute CSC access by ground and air. Access was compared across states based on region and the presence of state-level emergency medical service policies preferentially routing patients to stroke centers. Results: In 2010, there were 811 Joint Commission PSCs and 0 CSCs in the United States. Of the US population, 65.8% had 60-minute ground access to PSCs. After adding up to 20 optimally located CSCs per state, 63.1% of the US population had 60-minute ground access and 86.0% had 60-minute ground/air access to a CSC. Across states, median CSC access was 55.7% by ground (interquartile range 35.7%–71.5%) and 85.3% by ground/air (interquartile range 59.8%–92.1%). Ground access was lower in Stroke Belt states compared with non–Stroke Belt states (32.0% vs 58.6%, p = 0.02) and lower in states without emergency medical service routing policies (52.7% vs 68.3%, p = 0.04). Conclusion: Optimal system simulation can be used to develop efficient care systems that maximize accessibility. Under optimal conditions, a large proportion of the US population will be unable to access a CSC within 60 minutes. PMID:25740858

  11. Autonomy and Housing Accessibility Among Powered Mobility Device Users

    PubMed Central

    Brandt, Åse; Lexell, Eva Månsson; Iwarsson, Susanne

    2015-01-01

    OBJECTIVE. To describe environmental barriers, accessibility problems, and powered mobility device (PMD) users’ autonomy indoors and outdoors; to determine the home environmental barriers that generated the most housing accessibility problems indoors, at entrances, and in the close exterior surroundings; and to examine personal factors and environmental components and their association with indoor and outdoor autonomy. METHOD. This cross-sectional study was based on data collected from a sample of 48 PMD users with a spinal cord injury (SCI) using the Impact of Participation and Autonomy and the Housing Enabler instruments. Descriptive statistics and logistic regression were used. RESULTS. More years living with SCI predicted less restriction in autonomy indoors, whereas more functional limitations and accessibility problems related to entrance doors predicted more restriction in autonomy outdoors. CONCLUSION. To enable optimized PMD use, practitioners must pay attention to the relationship between client autonomy and housing accessibility problems. PMID:26356666

  12. Accessibility | NREL

    Science.gov Websites

    electronic and information technologies accessible to individuals with disabilities in accordance with Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act (29 U.S.C. 794d), as amended in 1998. Contact us with feedback or concerns related to the accessibility of this website.

  13. Potential access to primary health care: what does the National Program for Access and Quality Improvement data show?

    PubMed Central

    Uchôa, Severina Alice da Costa; Arcêncio, Ricardo Alexandre; Fronteira, Inês Santos Estevinho; Coêlho, Ardigleusa Alves; Martiniano, Claudia Santos; Brandão, Isabel Cristina Araújo; Yamamura, Mellina; Maroto, Renata Melo

    2016-01-01

    Objective: to analyze the influence of contextual indicators on the performance of municipalities regarding potential access to primary health care in Brazil and to discuss the contribution from nurses working on this access. Method: a multicenter descriptive study based on secondary data from External Evaluation of the National Program for Access and Quality Improvement in Primary Care, with the participation of 17,202 primary care teams. The chi-square test of proportions was used to verify differences between the municipalities stratified based on size of the coverage area, supply, coordination, and integration; when necessary, the chi-square test with Yates correction or Fisher's exact test were employed. For the population variable, the Kruskal-Wallis test was used. Results: the majority of participants were nurses (n=15.876; 92,3%). Statistically significant differences were observed between the municipalities in terms of territory (p=0.0000), availability (p=0.0000), coordination of care (p=0.0000), integration (p=0.0000) and supply (p=0.0000), verifying that the municipalities that make up area 6 tend to have better performance in these dimensions. Conclusion: areas 4,5 and 6 performed better in every analyzed dimension, and the nurse had a leading role in the potential to access primary health care in Brazil. PMID:26959332

  14. Protein Solvent-Accessibility Prediction by a Stacked Deep Bidirectional Recurrent Neural Network.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Buzhong; Li, Linqing; Lü, Qiang

    2018-05-25

    Residue solvent accessibility is closely related to the spatial arrangement and packing of residues. Predicting the solvent accessibility of a protein is an important step to understand its structure and function. In this work, we present a deep learning method to predict residue solvent accessibility, which is based on a stacked deep bidirectional recurrent neural network applied to sequence profiles. To capture more long-range sequence information, a merging operator was proposed when bidirectional information from hidden nodes was merged for outputs. Three types of merging operators were used in our improved model, with a long short-term memory network performing as a hidden computing node. The trained database was constructed from 7361 proteins extracted from the PISCES server using a cut-off of 25% sequence identity. Sequence-derived features including position-specific scoring matrix, physical properties, physicochemical characteristics, conservation score and protein coding were used to represent a residue. Using this method, predictive values of continuous relative solvent-accessible area were obtained, and then, these values were transformed into binary states with predefined thresholds. Our experimental results showed that our deep learning method improved prediction quality relative to current methods, with mean absolute error and Pearson's correlation coefficient values of 8.8% and 74.8%, respectively, on the CB502 dataset and 8.2% and 78%, respectively, on the Manesh215 dataset.

  15. Minimal access treatment of pectus carinatum: a preliminary report.

    PubMed

    Hock, András

    2009-04-01

    Unlike the minimal access repair of pectus excavatum (PE), a minimal access repair of pectus carinatum (PC) has not been established. This initial experience reports the correction of PC using a minimal access technique in five patients. The procedure was performed by insertion of a pectus bar through either bilateral or only left midaxillary incision. The pectus bar was placed so that the elevated sternum could be depressed. Thoracoscopy was not employed during the procedures and no stabiliser plates were used. On completion of the procedure, a chest tube was inserted into the thoracic cavity to evacuate the air from the thoracic cavity followed by wound closure. The operation time ranged from 75 to 110 min. The chest tube was removed on the second postoperative day and the patients were discharged between the fifth and seventh postoperative day. There was one dislocation in which the bar was finally removed, and in three patients a prolapse of the end of the strut through intercostal space necessitated refixation using wires. Despite a small series, this method offers a minimal access repair of PC, which is comparable to the technique used for PE. The invasiveness of our method is obviously far less, than of those different open surgical techniques performed worldwide presently. Our postoperative results warrant the application of this technique in patients with PC.

  16. A review of global access to emergency contraception.

    PubMed

    Westley, Elizabeth; Kapp, Nathalie; Palermo, Tia; Bleck, Jennifer

    2013-10-01

    Emergency contraception has been known for several decades, and dedicated products have been on the market for close to 20 years. Yet it is unclear whether women, particularly in low-resource countries, have access to this important second-chance method of contraception. To review relevant policies, regulations, and other factors related to access to emergency contraception worldwide. A wide range of gray literature was reviewed, several specific studies were commissioned, and a number of online databases were searched. Several positive policies and regulations are in place: emergency contraception products are registered in the majority of countries around the world, listed in many countries' essential medicines lists, included in widely used guidance, and supported by most donors. Yet analysis of demographic data shows that the majority of women in low-income countries have never heard of emergency contraception, and surveys find that many providers have negative attitudes toward providing emergency contraception. Despite more than a decade of concerted international and country-level efforts to ensure that women have access to emergency contraception, accessibility remains limited. © 2013.

  17. Cyber-Cops: Angels on the Net.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Educom Review, 1996

    1996-01-01

    Curtis Sliwa, founder of the Guardian Angels citizens' safety patrol, discusses the development of the Cyber Angels, an online citizens' patrol group that monitors Internet communication. Cyber Angels voluntarily look for and report any illegal activity conducted over the Internet, such as pyramid scams, transmission of stolen credit card and…

  18. Avoiding "Profscam": For Accounting Educators.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dillaway, Manson P.

    In partial response to a recent best-seller decrying the so-called "ProfScam" scenario whereby professors downgrade undergraduate teaching in favor of often irrelevant research, the paper offers guidance to accounting faculty seeking to undertake meaningful publishable research. Recommendations are given for four stages in the research process:…

  19. Detecting and Analyzing Cybercrime in Text-Based Communication of Cybercriminal Networks through Computational Linguistic and Psycholinguistic Feature Modeling

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mbaziira, Alex Vincent

    2017-01-01

    Cybercriminals are increasingly using Internet-based text messaging applications to exploit their victims. Incidents of deceptive cybercrime in text-based communication are increasing and include fraud, scams, as well as favorable and unfavorable fake reviews. In this work, we use a text-based deception detection approach to train models for…

  20. 78 FR 37427 - World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, 2013

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-06-20

    ... and security. But too often, senior citizens are the victims of abuse, neglect, or financial..., which was enacted as part of the Affordable Care Act, we are working to prevent elder abuse, neglect... seniors to meet financial challenges and helping them avoid scams. And we continue to pursue a rigorous...

  1. Access to parks and physical activity: an eight country comparison.

    PubMed

    Schipperijn, Jasper; Cerin, Ester; Adams, Marc A; Reis, Rodrigo; Smith, Graham; Cain, Kelli; Christiansen, Lars B; van Dyck, Delfien; Gidlow, Christopher; Frank, Lawrence D; Mitáš, Josef; Pratt, Michael; Salvo, Deborah; Schofield, Grant; Sallis, James F

    2017-10-01

    Several systematic reviews have reported mixed associations between access to parks and physical activity, and suggest that this is due to inconsistencies in the study methods or differences across countries. An international study using consistent methods is needed to investigate the association between access to parks and physical activity. The International Physical Activity and Environment Network (IPEN) Adult Study is a multi-country cross-sectional study using a common design and consistent methods. Accelerometer, survey and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) data for 6,181 participants from 12 cities in 8 countries (Belgium, Brazil, Czech Republic, Denmark, Mexico, New Zealand, UK, USA) were used to estimate the strength and shape of associations of 11 measures of park access (1 perceived and 10 GIS-based measures) with accelerometer-based moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and four types of self-reported leisure-time physical activity. Associations were estimated using generalized additive mixed models. More parks within 1 km from participants' homes were associated with greater leisure-time physical activity and accelerometer-measured MVPA. Respondents who lived in the neighborhoods with the most parks did on average 24 minutes more MVPA per week than those living in the neighborhoods with the lowest number of parks. Perceived proximity to a park was positively associated with multiple leisure-time physical activity outcomes. Associations were homogeneous across all cities studied. Living in neighborhoods with many parks could contribute with up to 1/6 of the recommended weekly Having multiple parks nearby was the strongest positive correlate of PA. To increase comparability and validity of park access measures, we recommend that researchers, planners and policy makers use the number of parks within 1 km travel distance of homes as an objective indicator for park access in relation to physical activity.

  2. Videophone Technology and Students with Deaf-Blindness: A Method for Increasing Access and Communication

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Emerson, Judith; Bishop, John

    2012-01-01

    Introduction: Seeing the Possibilities with Videophone Technology began as research project funded by the National Center for Technology Innovation. The project implemented a face-to-face social networking program for students with deaf-blindness to investigate the potential for increasing access and communication using videophone technology.…

  3. A Rewritable, Random-Access DNA-Based Storage System.

    PubMed

    Yazdi, S M Hossein Tabatabaei; Yuan, Yongbo; Ma, Jian; Zhao, Huimin; Milenkovic, Olgica

    2015-09-18

    We describe the first DNA-based storage architecture that enables random access to data blocks and rewriting of information stored at arbitrary locations within the blocks. The newly developed architecture overcomes drawbacks of existing read-only methods that require decoding the whole file in order to read one data fragment. Our system is based on new constrained coding techniques and accompanying DNA editing methods that ensure data reliability, specificity and sensitivity of access, and at the same time provide exceptionally high data storage capacity. As a proof of concept, we encoded parts of the Wikipedia pages of six universities in the USA, and selected and edited parts of the text written in DNA corresponding to three of these schools. The results suggest that DNA is a versatile media suitable for both ultrahigh density archival and rewritable storage applications.

  4. A Rewritable, Random-Access DNA-Based Storage System

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tabatabaei Yazdi, S. M. Hossein; Yuan, Yongbo; Ma, Jian; Zhao, Huimin; Milenkovic, Olgica

    2015-09-01

    We describe the first DNA-based storage architecture that enables random access to data blocks and rewriting of information stored at arbitrary locations within the blocks. The newly developed architecture overcomes drawbacks of existing read-only methods that require decoding the whole file in order to read one data fragment. Our system is based on new constrained coding techniques and accompanying DNA editing methods that ensure data reliability, specificity and sensitivity of access, and at the same time provide exceptionally high data storage capacity. As a proof of concept, we encoded parts of the Wikipedia pages of six universities in the USA, and selected and edited parts of the text written in DNA corresponding to three of these schools. The results suggest that DNA is a versatile media suitable for both ultrahigh density archival and rewritable storage applications.

  5. “They just scraped off the calluses”: a mixed methods exploration of foot care access and provision for people with rheumatoid arthritis in south-western Sydney, Australia

    PubMed Central

    2013-01-01

    Background There is little indication that foot health services in Australia are meeting modern day recommendations for Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) patients. The overall objective of this study was to explore the current state of foot health services for patients with RA with an emphasis on identifying barriers to the receipt of appropriate foot care in South-West Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Methods A mixed (quantitative and qualitative) approach was adopted. Indications for appropriate access to foot care were determined by comparing the foot health, disease and socio-demographic characteristics of patients with unmet foot care demands, foot care users and patients with no demands for foot care. Perceptions of provision of, and access to, foot care were explored by conducting telephone-based interviews using an interpretative phenomenology approach with thematic analysis. Results Twenty-nine participants took part in the cross-sectional quantitative research study design, and 12 participants took part in the interpretative phenomenological approach (qualitative study). Foot care access appeared to be driven predominantly by the presence of rearfoot deformity, which was significantly worse amongst participants in the foot care user group (p = 0.02). Five main themes emerged from the qualitative data: 1) impact of disease-related foot symptoms, 2) footwear difficulties, 3) medical/rheumatology encounters, 4) foot and podiatry care access and experiences, and 5) financial hardship. Conclusions Foot care provision does not appear to be driven by appropriate foot health characteristics such as foot pain or foot-related disability. There may be significant shortfalls in footwear and foot care access and provision in Greater Western Sydney. Several barriers to adequate foot care access and provision were identified and further efforts are required to improve access to and the quality of foot care for people who have RA. Integration of podiatry services within

  6. Homeless people's access to primary care physiotherapy services: an exploratory, mixed-method investigation using a follow-up qualitative extension to core quantitative research.

    PubMed

    Dawes, Jo; Deaton, Stuart; Greenwood, Nan

    2017-06-30

    The purpose of this study was to appraise referrals of homeless patients to physiotherapy services and explore perceptions of barriers to access. This exploratory mixed-method study used a follow-up qualitative extension to core quantitative research design. Over 9 months, quantitative data were gathered from the healthcare records of homeless patients referred to physiotherapy by a general practitioner (GP) practice, including the number of referrals and demographic data of all homeless patients referred. Corresponding physiotherapy records of those people referred to physiotherapy were searched for the outcome of their care. Qualitative semi-structured telephone interviews, based on the quantitative findings, were carried out with staff involved with patient care from the referring GP practice and were used to expand insight into the quantitative findings. Two primary care sites provided data for this study: a GP practice dedicated exclusively to homeless people and the physiotherapy department receiving their referrals. Quantitative data from the healthcare records of 34 homeless patient referrals to physiotherapy were collected and analysed. In addition, five staff involved in patient care were interviewed. 34 referrals of homeless people were made to physiotherapy in a 9-month period. It was possible to match 25 of these to records from the physiotherapy department. Nine (36%) patients did not attend their first appointment; seven (28%) attended an initial appointment, but did not attend a subsequent appointment and were discharged from the service; five (20%) completed treatment and four patients (16%) had ongoing treatment. Semi-structured interviews revealed potential barriers preventing homeless people from accessing physiotherapy services, the complex factors being faced by those making referrals and possible ways to improve physiotherapy access. Homeless people with musculoskeletal problems may fail to access physiotherapy treatment, but opportunities

  7. Quantum secret sharing for a general quantum access structure

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bai, Chen-Ming; Li, Zhi-Hui; Si, Meng-Meng; Li, Yong-Ming

    2017-10-01

    Quantum secret sharing is a procedure for sharing a secret among a number of participants such that only certain subsets of participants can collaboratively reconstruct it, which are called authorized sets. The quantum access structure of a secret sharing is a family of all authorized sets. Firstly, in this paper, we propose the concept of decomposition of quantum access structure to design a quantum secret sharing scheme. Secondly, based on a maximal quantum access structure (MQAS) [D. Gottesman, Phys. Rev. A 61, 042311 (2000)], we propose an algorithm to improve a MQAS and obtain an improved maximal quantum access structure (IMQAS). Then, we present a sufficient and necessary condition about IMQAS, which shows the relationship between the minimal authorized sets and the players. In accordance with properties, we construct an efficient quantum secret sharing scheme with a decomposition and IMQAS. A major advantage of these techniques is that it allows us to construct a method to realize a general quantum access structure. Finally, we present two kinds of quantum secret sharing schemes via the thought of concatenation or a decomposition of quantum access structure. As a consequence, we find that the application of these techniques allows us to save more quantum shares and reduces more cost than the existing scheme.

  8. Accessing primary care: a simulated patient study

    PubMed Central

    Campbell, John L; Carter, Mary; Davey, Antoinette; Roberts, Martin J; Elliott, Marc N; Roland, Martin

    2013-01-01

    Background Simulated patient, or so-called ‘mystery-shopper’, studies are a controversial, but potentially useful, approach to take when conducting health services research. Aim To investigate the construct validity of survey questions relating to access to primary care included in the English GP Patient Survey. Design and setting Observational study in 41 general practices in rural, urban, and inner-city settings in the UK. Method Between May 2010 and March 2011, researchers telephoned practices at monthly intervals, simulating patients requesting routine, but prompt, appointments. Seven measures of access and appointment availability, measured from the mystery-shopper contacts, were related to seven measures of practice performance from the GP Patient Survey. Results Practices with lower access scores in the GP Patient Survey had poorer access and appointment availability for five out of seven items measured directly, when compared with practices that had higher scores. Scores on items from the national survey that related to appointment availability were significantly associated with direct measures of appointment availability. Patient-satisfaction levels and the likelihood that patients would recommend their practice were related to the availability of appointments. Patients’ reports of ease of telephone access in the national survey were unrelated to three out of four measures of practice call handling, but were related to the time taken to resolve an appointment request, suggesting responders’ possible confusion in answering this question. Conclusion Items relating to the accessibility of care in a the English GP patient survey have construct validity. Patients’ satisfaction with their practice is not related to practice call handling, but is related to appointment availability. PMID:23561783

  9. Access Denied

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Villano, Matt

    2008-01-01

    Building access control (BAC)--a catchall phrase to describe the systems that control access to facilities across campus--has traditionally been handled with remarkably low-tech solutions: (1) manual locks; (2) electronic locks; and (3) ID cards with magnetic strips. Recent improvements have included smart cards and keyless solutions that make use…

  10. Open Access Theses in Institutional Repositories: An Exploratory Study of the Perceptions of Doctoral Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Stanton, Kate Valentine; Liew, Chern Li

    2011-01-01

    Introduction: We examine doctoral students' awareness of and attitudes to open access forms of publication. Levels of awareness of open access and the concept of institutional repositories, publishing behaviour and perceptions of benefits and risks of open access publishing were explored. Method: Qualitative and quantitative data were collected…

  11. New Tools to Convert PDF Math Contents into Accessible e-Books Efficiently.

    PubMed

    Suzuki, Masakazu; Terada, Yugo; Kanahori, Toshihiro; Yamaguchi, Katsuhito

    2015-01-01

    New features in our math-OCR software to convert PDF math contents into accessible e-books are shown. A method for recognizing PDF is thoroughly improved. In addition, contents in any selected area including math formulas in a PDF file can be cut and pasted into a document in various accessible formats, which is automatically recognized and converted into texts and accessible math formulas through this process. Combining it with our authoring tool for a technical document, one can easily produce accessible e-books in various formats such as DAISY, accessible EPUB3, DAISY-like HTML5, Microsoft Word with math objects and so on. Those contents are useful for various print-disabled students ranging from the blind to the dyslexic.

  12. An alternative and inexpensive percutaneous access needle in pediatric patients.

    PubMed

    Penbegul, Necmettin; Soylemez, Haluk; Bozkurt, Yasar; Sancaktutar, Ahmet Ali; Bodakci, Mehmet Nuri; Hatipoglu, Namik Kemal; Atar, Murat; Yildirim, Kadir

    2012-10-01

    The most important factor that increases the cost of percutaneous surgery is the disposable instruments used for the surgery. In this study we present the advantages of using an intravenous cannula instead of a percutaneous access needle for renal access. Recently, percutaneous stone surgery has grown in use in pediatric cases and is considered a minimally invasive surgery. The most important step in this surgery is access to the renal collecting systems. Although fluoroscopy has been used frequently at this stage, the use of ultrasound has recently increased. During percutaneous accesses under all types of imaging techniques, disposable 11- to 15-cm-long 18-ga needles are used. In pediatric cases, these longer needles are difficult to use. Using disposable materials in percutaneous nephrolithotomy increases the cost of the procedure. Therefore, we asserted that percutaneous access especially in pediatric cases could be performed using a 16-ga intravenous cannula (angiocath). Indeed, percutaneous access was performed successfully, especially in pediatric preschool patients. Shorter needle length, easy skin entry, comfort of manipulation, clear visualization of the metal needle on ultrasound, and wide availability can be considered advantages of this method. The angiocath is also less expensive than a percutaneous access needle. Angiocath is inexpensive, easily available, and practical, and it is the shortest needle to perform percutaneous access in pediatric patients. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  13. Association between vascular access failure and microparticles in hemodialysis patients

    PubMed Central

    Ryu, Jung-Hwa; Lim, Su-Young; Ryu, Dong-Ryeol; Kang, Duk-Hee; Choi, Kyu Bok; Kim, Seung-Jung

    2012-01-01

    Background Vascular access failure, a major cause of morbidity in hemodialysis (HD) patients, occurs mainly at stenotic endothelium following an acute thrombotic event. Microparticles (MPs) are fragments derived from injured cell membrane and are closely associated with coagulation and vascular inflammatory responses. Methods We investigated the relationship between levels of circulating MPs and vascular access patency in HD patients. A total of 82 HD patients and 28 healthy patients were enrolled. We used flow cytometry to measure endothelial MPs (EMPs) identified by CD31+CD42− or CD51+ and platelet-derived MPs (PMPs) identified by CD31+CD42+ in plasma samples of participants. Vascular access patency was defined as an interval from the time of access formation to the time of first access stenosis in each patient. MP counts were compared according to access patent duration. Results The levels of EMP (both CD31+CD42− and CD51+) and CD31+CD42+PMP were significantly higher in patients than in healthy participants. Levels of CD31+CD42−EMP and CD31+CD42+PMP showed a positive correlation. In non-diabetic HD patients, CD31+CD42−EMPs and CD31+CD42+PMPs were more elevated in the shorter access survival group (access survival <1 year) than in the longer survival group (access survival ≥ 4 years). Conclusion Elevated circulating EMP or PMP counts are influenced by end-stage renal disease and increased levels of EMP and PMP may be associated with vascular access failure in HD patients. PMID:26889407

  14. A Comparison of Web Resource Access Experiments: Planning for the New Millennium.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Greenberg, Jane

    This paper reports on research that compared five leading experiments that aim to improve access to the growing number of information resources on the World Wide Web. The objective was to identify characteristics of success and considerations for improvement in experiments providing access to Web resources via bibliographic control methods. The…

  15. Collaborative Indoor Access Point Localization Using Autonomous Mobile Robot Swarm

    PubMed Central

    Awad, Fahed; Naserllah, Muhammad; Omar, Ammar; Abu-Hantash, Alaa; Al-Taj, Abrar

    2018-01-01

    Localization of access points has become an important research problem due to the wide range of applications it addresses such as dismantling critical security threats caused by rogue access points or optimizing wireless coverage of access points within a service area. Existing proposed solutions have mostly relied on theoretical hypotheses or computer simulation to demonstrate the efficiency of their methods. The techniques that rely on estimating the distance using samples of the received signal strength usually assume prior knowledge of the signal propagation characteristics of the indoor environment in hand and tend to take a relatively large number of uniformly distributed random samples. This paper presents an efficient and practical collaborative approach to detect the location of an access point in an indoor environment without any prior knowledge of the environment. The proposed approach comprises a swarm of wirelessly connected mobile robots that collaboratively and autonomously collect a relatively small number of non-uniformly distributed random samples of the access point’s received signal strength. These samples are used to efficiently and accurately estimate the location of the access point. The experimental testing verified that the proposed approach can identify the location of the access point in an accurate and efficient manner. PMID:29385042

  16. Collaborative Indoor Access Point Localization Using Autonomous Mobile Robot Swarm.

    PubMed

    Awad, Fahed; Naserllah, Muhammad; Omar, Ammar; Abu-Hantash, Alaa; Al-Taj, Abrar

    2018-01-31

    Localization of access points has become an important research problem due to the wide range of applications it addresses such as dismantling critical security threats caused by rogue access points or optimizing wireless coverage of access points within a service area. Existing proposed solutions have mostly relied on theoretical hypotheses or computer simulation to demonstrate the efficiency of their methods. The techniques that rely on estimating the distance using samples of the received signal strength usually assume prior knowledge of the signal propagation characteristics of the indoor environment in hand and tend to take a relatively large number of uniformly distributed random samples. This paper presents an efficient and practical collaborative approach to detect the location of an access point in an indoor environment without any prior knowledge of the environment. The proposed approach comprises a swarm of wirelessly connected mobile robots that collaboratively and autonomously collect a relatively small number of non-uniformly distributed random samples of the access point's received signal strength. These samples are used to efficiently and accurately estimate the location of the access point. The experimental testing verified that the proposed approach can identify the location of the access point in an accurate and efficient manner.

  17. Scientific meeting abstracts: significance, access, and trends.

    PubMed Central

    Kelly, J A

    1998-01-01

    Abstracts of scientific papers and posters that are presented at annual scientific meetings of professional societies are part of the broader category of conference literature. They are an important avenue for the dissemination of current data. While timely and succinct, these abstracts present problems such as an abbreviated peer review and incomplete bibliographic access. METHODS: Seventy societies of health sciences professionals were surveyed about the publication of abstracts from their annual meetings. Nineteen frequently cited journals also were contacted about their policies on the citation of meeting abstracts. Ten databases were searched for the presence of meetings abstracts. RESULTS: Ninety percent of the seventy societies publish their abstracts, with nearly half appearing in the society's journal. Seventy-seven percent of the societies supply meeting attendees with a copy of each abstract, and 43% make their abstracts available in an electronic format. Most of the journals surveyed allow meeting abstracts to be cited. Bibliographic access to these abstracts does not appear to be widespread. CONCLUSIONS: Meeting abstracts play an important role in the dissemination of scientific knowledge. Bibliographic access to meeting abstracts is very limited. The trend toward making meeting abstracts available via the Internet has the potential to give a broader audience access to the information they contain. PMID:9549015

  18. Assessing Impacts on Unplanned Hospitalisations of Care Quality and Access Using a Structural Equation Method: With a Case Study of Diabetes.

    PubMed

    Congdon, Peter

    2016-09-01

    Enhanced quality of care and improved access are central to effective primary care management of long term conditions. However, research evidence is inconclusive in establishing a link between quality of primary care, or access, and adverse outcomes, such as unplanned hospitalisation. This paper proposes a structural equation model for quality and access as latent variables affecting adverse outcomes, such as unplanned hospitalisations. In a case study application, quality of care (QOC) is defined in relation to diabetes, and the aim is to assess impacts of care quality and access on unplanned hospital admissions for diabetes, while allowing also for socio-economic deprivation, diabetes morbidity, and supply effects. The study involves 90 general practitioner (GP) practices in two London Clinical Commissioning Groups, using clinical quality of care indicators, and patient survey data on perceived access. As a single predictor, quality of care has a significant negative impact on emergency admissions, and this significant effect remains when socio-economic deprivation and morbidity are allowed. In a full structural equation model including access, the probability that QOC negatively impacts on unplanned admissions exceeds 0.9. Furthermore, poor access is linked to deprivation, diminished QOC, and larger list sizes. Using a Bayesian inference methodology, the evidence from the analysis is weighted towards negative impacts of higher primary care quality and improved access on unplanned admissions. The methodology of the paper is potentially applicable to other long term conditions, and relevant when care quality and access cannot be measured directly and are better regarded as latent variables.

  19. The effect of cooking and washing rice on the bio-accessibility of As, Cu, Fe, V and Zn using an on-line continuous leaching method.

    PubMed

    Horner, Nolan S; Beauchemin, Diane

    2013-01-03

    A previously developed method based on continuous on-line leaching with artificial gastro-intestinal fluids was used to determine the bio-accessible fraction of As, Cu, Fe, V and Zn in brown and white rice from California by inductively coupled mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Saliva generally accounted for the largest percentage of total element leached in comparison to gastric and intestinal juices. Arsenic speciation analysis was performed on the saliva and gastric juice leachates using ion exchange chromatography coupled to ICP-MS. The four most toxic species of As (As(III), monomethylarsonic acid (MMA), dimethylarsinic acid (DMA) and As(V)), as well as Cl(-) in the gastric juice leachate, were successfully separated within 5.5min using a simple nitric acid gradient. While cooking rice had relatively little effect on total bio-accessibility, a change in species from As(V) and DMA to As(III) was observed for both types of rice. On the other hand, washing the rice with doubly deionized water prior to cooking removed a large percentage of the total bio-accessible fraction of As, Cu, Fe, V and Zn. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  20. Suspect online sellers and contraceptive access.

    PubMed

    Liang, Bryan A; Mackey, Tim K; Lovett, Kimberly M

    2012-11-01

    Issues surrounding contraception access have been a national focus. During this debate, adolescent and adult women may seek these products online. Due to safety concerns, including potential counterfeit forms, we wished to assess whether online "no prescription" contraceptives were available. We assessed online availability of reversible, prescription contraceptive methods resulting in <10 undesired pregnancies/year, i.e., Depo-Provera shot; oral contraceptives; NuvaRing; Ortho Evra patch; Paragard and Mirena IUDs; and Implanon/Nexplanon implants. Using Google search "buy ITEM no prescription," we reviewed the first five result pages for "no prescription" vendors. Searches were conducted 1/3/2012-2/20/2012. All contraceptives were available as "no prescription" products. Furthermore, IUDs were advertised as "over-the-counter" and YouTube videos provided "how to" videos, including a cartoon version. We also found that illicit online pharmacy marketing is shifting from direct search engine access to social media (Facebook, Twitter, Slidehare, flickr). Online contraceptive sales represent patient safety risks and a parallel system of high-risk product access absent professional guidance. Providers should educate patients, while policy makers employ legal strategies to address these systemic risks. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  1. Addressing data access challenges in seismology

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Trabant, C. M.; Ahern, T.; Weertman, B.; Benson, R. B.; Van Fossen, M.; Weekly, R. T.; Casey, R. E.; Suleiman, Y. Y.; Stults, M.

    2016-12-01

    The development of web services at the IRIS Data Management Center (DMC) over the last 6 years represents the most significant enhancement of data access ever introduced at the DMC. These web services have allowed the us to focus our internal operations around a single, consistent data access layer while facilitating development of a new generation of tools and methods for researchers to conduct their work. This effort led the DMC to propose standardized web service interfaces within the International Federation of Digital Seismograph Networks (FDSN), enabling other seismological data centers to offer data using compatible interfaces. With this new foundation, we now turn our attention to more advanced data access challenges. In particular, we will present the status of two developments intending to address 1) access to data of consistent quality for science and 2) discovery and access of data from multiple data centers. To address the challenge of requesting high or consistent quality data we will introduce our Research-Ready Data Sets (RRDS) initiative. The purpose of the RRDS project is to reduce the time a researcher spends culling and otherwise identifying data appropriate for given study. RRDS will provide users with additional criteria related to data quality that can be specified when requesting data. Leveraging the data quality measurements provided by our MUSTANG system, these criteria will include ambient noise, completeness, dead channel identification and more. To address the challenge of seismological data discovery and access, we have built and continue to improve the IRIS Federator. The Federator takes advantage of the FDSN-standard web services at various data centers to help a user locate specific channels, wherever they may be offered globally. The search interface provides results that are pre-formatted requests, ready for submission to each data center that serves that data. These two developments are aimed squarely at reducing the time

  2. Accessible Earth: An accessible study abroad capstone for the geoscience curriculum

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bennett, R. A.; Lamb, D. A.

    2017-12-01

    International capstone field courses offer geoscience-students opportunities to reflect upon their knowledge, develop intercultural competence, appreciate diversity, and recognize themselves as geoscientists on a global scale. Such experiences are often described as pivotal to a geoscientist's education, a right of passage. However, field-based experiences present insurmountable barriers to many students, undermining the goal of inclusive excellence. Nevertheless, there remains a widespread belief that successful geoscientists are those able to traverse inaccessible terrain. One path forward from this apparent dilemma is emerging as we take steps to address a parallel challenge: as we move into the 21st century the geoscience workforce will require an ever increasing range of skills, including analysis, modeling, communication, and computational proficiency. Computer programing, laboratory experimentation, numerical simulation, etc, are inherently more accessible than fieldwork, yet equally valuable. Students interested in pursuing such avenues may be better served by capstone experiences that align more closely with their career goals. Moreover, many of the desirable learning outcomes attributed to field-based education are not unique to immersion in remote inaccessible locations. Affective and cognitive gains may also result from social bonding through extended time with peers and mentors, creative synthesis of knowledge, project-based learning, and intercultural experience. Developing an inclusive course for the geoscience curriculum requires considering all learners, including different genders, ages, physical abilities, familial dynamics, and a multitude of other attributes. The Accessible Earth Study Abroad Program endeavors to provide geoscience students an inclusive capstone experience focusing on modern geophysical observation systems (satellite based observations and permanent networks of ground-based instruments), computational thinking and methods of

  3. 15 CFR 8c.50 - Program accessibility: Existing facilities.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... accessibility requirements to the extent compelled by the Architectural Barriers Act of 1968, as amended (42 U.S.C. 4151-4157), and any regulations implementing it. In choosing among available methods for meeting...

  4. Accessibility to primary health care in Belgium: an evaluation of policies awarding financial assistance in shortage areas.

    PubMed

    Dewulf, Bart; Neutens, Tijs; De Weerdt, Yves; Van de Weghe, Nico

    2013-08-22

    In many countries, financial assistance is awarded to physicians who settle in an area that is designated as a shortage area to prevent unequal accessibility to primary health care. Today, however, policy makers use fairly simple methods to define health care accessibility, with physician-to-population ratios (PPRs) within predefined administrative boundaries being overwhelmingly favoured. Our purpose is to verify whether these simple methods are accurate enough for adequately designating medical shortage areas and explore how these perform relative to more advanced GIS-based methods. Using a geographical information system (GIS), we conduct a nation-wide study of accessibility to primary care physicians in Belgium using four different methods: PPR, distance to closest physician, cumulative opportunity, and floating catchment area (FCA) methods. The official method used by policy makers in Belgium (calculating PPR per physician zone) offers only a crude representation of health care accessibility, especially because large contiguous areas (physician zones) are considered. We found substantial differences in the number and spatial distribution of medical shortage areas when applying different methods. The assessment of spatial health care accessibility and concomitant policy initiatives are affected by and dependent on the methodology used. The major disadvantage of PPR methods is its aggregated approach, masking subtle local variations. Some simple GIS methods overcome this issue, but have limitations in terms of conceptualisation of physician interaction and distance decay. Conceptually, the enhanced 2-step floating catchment area (E2SFCA) method, an advanced FCA method, was found to be most appropriate for supporting areal health care policies, since this method is able to calculate accessibility at a small scale (e.g., census tracts), takes interaction between physicians into account, and considers distance decay. While at present in health care research

  5. Open Access

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Suber, Peter

    2012-01-01

    The Internet lets us share perfect copies of our work with a worldwide audience at virtually no cost. We take advantage of this revolutionary opportunity when we make our work "open access": digital, online, free of charge, and free of most copyright and licensing restrictions. Open access is made possible by the Internet and copyright-holder…

  6. Development of an integrated staircase lift for home access.

    PubMed

    Mattie, Johanne L; Borisoff, Jaimie F; Leland, Danny; Miller, William C

    2015-12-01

    Stairways into buildings present a significant environmental barrier for those with mobility impairments, including older adults. A number of home access solutions that allow users to safely enter and exit the home exist, however these all have some limitations. The purpose of this work was to develop a novel, inclusive home access solution that integrates a staircase and a lift into one device. The development of an integrated staircase lift followed a structured protocol with stakeholders providing feedback at various stages in the design process, consistent with rehabilitation engineering design methods. A novel home access device was developed. The integrated staircase-lift has the following features: inclusivity, by a universal design that provides an option for either use of stairs or a lift; constant availability, with a lift platform always ready for use on either level; and potential aesthetic advantages when integrating the device into an existing home. The potential also exists for emergency descent during a power outage, and self-powered versions. By engaging stakeholders in a user centred design process, insight on the limitations of existing home access solutions and specific feedback on our design guided development of a novel home access device.

  7. Recent trends at the state and federal level in accelerating CERCLA clean-ups

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Clegg, B.

    Efforts at accelerating remedial action at the federal level focus on the following: the Superfund accelerated clean-up model (SCAM); Brownfields economic redevelopment initiative; guidance documents and policies; and collaboration with state voluntary cleanup programs. At the state level efforts involved in accelerating clean-ups include voluntary clean-up programs and Brownfields initiatives.

  8. Tsunami-Relief Groups Advise K-12

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hurst, Marianne D.

    2005-01-01

    As American schools pitch in with an array of charitable projects in response to the tsunami in South Asia, experts say educators and students should consider carefully how they can most effectively support relief groups, avoid fund-raising scams, and incorporate their efforts into service-learning programs. When students returned to school after…

  9. Don't Get "Phished" out of Cyberspace

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Goldsborough, Reid

    2004-01-01

    Identity theft via bogus e-mail links, or "phishing," is escalating, with criminals becoming ever more brazen and sophisticated in their online schemes to trick people into revealing their personal information. People do get scammed. Phishing messages that appear to be sent by trusted companies dupe 3 percent of the people who receive…

  10. Analysis of an Anti-Phishing Lab Activity

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Werner, Laurie A.; Courte, Jill

    2010-01-01

    Despite advances in spam detection software, anti-spam laws, and increasingly sophisticated users, the number of successful phishing scams continues to grow. In addition to monetary losses attributable to phishing, there is also a loss of confidence that stifles use of online services. Using in-class activities in an introductory computer course…

  11. Guaranteed Loans: Just Plain Expensive

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Petri, Thomas E.

    2007-01-01

    The investigation of New York State's attorney general, Andrew M. Cuomo, into the questionable practices of lenders in federal student-loan programs has helped raise public awareness of one of the greatest scams in our government: The Federal Family Education Loan program, otherwise known as the guaranteed-student-loan program, is unnecessarily…

  12. Access to contraception by minors in Jamaica: a public health concern

    PubMed Central

    Crawford, Tazhmoye V.; McGrowder, Donovan A.; Crawford, Alexay

    2009-01-01

    Background: Access to contraceptive by minors (pre-adolescents and adolescents) has spurred policy and legislative debates, part of which is that in an effort to successfully meet government's objective of a healthy sexual lifestyle among minors. Aims: This study examined factors affecting sexual reproductive health in minors, namely: access to contraceptive advice and treatment, pregnancy, number of sexual partners, sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and confidentiality. Materials and Methods: This research involved quantitative and qualitative data. Two hundred and thirty eight sexually active cases were investigated in Jamaica by the researchers, during the period 2006-2007. The age group population was 9-11, 12-14, and 15-17. Results: The study showed that access to contraceptive advice and treatment by minors was more favorable to males than females. The difference in access to contraceptive between male and female was statistically significant (x2 = 20.16, p<0.05). Of the 80 male respondents, who are contraceptive users, 11 encountered challenges in legitimately accessing contraceptive methods, while 38 of the 40 female users also encountered challenges. This resulted in unintended pregnancies and impregnation (33.2%), as well as the contracting of STIs (21%). Conclusion: The findings of this study will be important in informing the development of reproductive health services and family life education programs for pre-adolescents and adolescents in Jamaica and other Caribbean countries. PMID:22666704

  13. Association of State Access Standards With Accessibility to Specialists for Medicaid Managed Care Enrollees.

    PubMed

    Ndumele, Chima D; Cohen, Michael S; Cleary, Paul D

    2017-10-01

    Medicaid recipients have consistently reported less timely access to specialists than patients with other types of coverage. By 2018, state Medicaid agencies will be required by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to enact time and distance standards for managed care organizations to ensure an adequate supply of specialist physicians for enrollees; however, there have been no published studies of whether these policies have significant effects on access to specialty care. To compare ratings of access to specialists for adult Medicaid and commercial enrollees before and after the implementation of specialty access standards. We used Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems survey data to conduct a quasiexperimental difference-in-differences (DID) analysis of 20 163 nonelderly adult Medicaid managed care (MMC) enrollees and 54 465 commercially insured enrollees in 5 states adopting access standards, and 37 290 MMC enrollees in 5 matched states that previously adopted access standards. Reported access to specialty care in the previous 6 months. Seven thousand six hundred ninety-eight (69%) Medicaid enrollees and 28 423 (75%) commercial enrollees reported that it was always or usually easy to get an appointment with a specialist before the policy implementation (or at baseline) compared with 11 889 (67%) of Medicaid enrollees in states that had previously implemented access standards. Overall, there was no significant improvement in timely access to specialty services for MMC enrollees in the period following implementation of standard(s) (adjusted difference-in-differences, -1.2 percentage points; 95% CI, -2.7 to 0.1), nor was there any impact of access standards on insurance-based disparities in access (0.6 percentage points; 95% CI, -4.3 to 5.4). There was heterogeneity across states, with 1 state that implemented both time and distance standards demonstrating significant improvements in access and reductions in disparities

  14. Central intake to improve access to physiotherapy for children with complex needs: a mixed methods case report.

    PubMed

    Wittmeier, Kristy D M; Restall, Gayle; Mulder, Kathy; Dufault, Brenden; Paterson, Marie; Thiessen, Matthew; Lix, Lisa M

    2016-08-31

    Children with complex needs can face barriers to system access and navigation related to their need for multiple services and healthcare providers. Central intake for pediatric rehabilitation was developed and implemented in 2008 in Winnipeg Manitoba Canada as a means to enhance service coordination and access for children and their families. This study evaluates the process and impact of implementing a central intake system, using pediatric physiotherapy as a case example. A mixed methods instrumental case study design was used. Interviews were completed with 9 individuals. Data was transcribed and analyzed for themes. Quantitative data (wait times, referral volume and caregiver satisfaction) was collected for children referred to physiotherapy with complex needs (n = 1399), and a comparison group of children referred for orthopedic concerns (n = 3901). Wait times were analyzed using the Kruskal-Wallis test, caregiver satisfaction was analyzed using Fisher exact test and change point modeling was applied to examine referral volume over the study period. Interview participants described central intake implementation as creating more streamlined processes. Factors that facilitated successful implementation included 1) agreement among stakeholders, 2) hiring of a central intake coordinator, 3) a financial commitment from the government and 4) leadership at the individual and organization level. Mean (sd) wait times improved for children with complex needs (12.3(13.1) to 8.0(6.9) days from referral to contact with family, p < 0.0001; 29.8(17.9) to 24.3(17.0) days from referral to appointment, p < 0.0001) while referral volumes remained consistent. A small but significant increase in wait times was observed for the comparison group (9.6(8.6) to 10.1(6.6) days from referral to contact with family, p < 0.001; 20.4(14.3) to 22.1(13.1) days from referral to appointment, p < 0.0001), accompanied by an increasing referral volume for this group

  15. Access 3 project protocol: young people and health system navigation in the digital age: a multifaceted, mixed methods study.

    PubMed

    Kang, Melissa; Robards, Fiona; Sanci, Lena; Steinbeck, Katharine; Jan, Stephen; Hawke, Catherine; Kong, Marlene; Usherwood, Tim

    2017-08-07

    The integration of digital technology into everyday lives of young people has become widespread. It is not known whether and how technology influences barriers and facilitators to healthcare, and whether and how young people navigate between face-to-face and virtual healthcare. To provide new knowledge essential to policy and practice, we designed a study that would explore health system access and navigation in the digital age. The study objectives are to: (1) describe experiences of young people accessing and navigating the health system in New South Wales (NSW), Australia; (2) identify barriers and facilitators to healthcare for young people and how these vary between groups; (3) describe health system inefficiencies, particularly for young people who are marginalised; (4) provide policy-relevant knowledge translation of the research data. This mixed methods study has four parts, including: (1) a cross-sectional survey of young people (12-24 years) residing in NSW, Australia; (2) a longitudinal, qualitative study of a subsample of marginalised young people (defined as young people who: identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander; are experiencing homelessness; identify as sexuality and/or gender diverse; are of refugee or vulnerable migrant background; and/or live in rural or remote NSW); (3) interviews with professionals; (4) a knowledge translation forum. Ethics approvals were sought and granted. Data collection commenced in March 2016 and will continue until June 2017. This study will gather practice and policy-relevant intelligence about contemporary experiences of young people and health services, with a unique focus on five different groups of marginalised young people, documenting their experiences over time. Access 3 will explore navigation around all levels of the health system, determine whether digital technology is integrated into this, and if so how, and will translate findings into policy-relevant recommendations. © Article author(s) (or

  16. Attacking the information access problem with expert systems

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Ragusa, James M.; Orwig, Gary W.

    1991-01-01

    The results of applications research directed at finding an improved method of storing and accessing information are presented. Twelve microcomputer-based expert systems shells and five laser-optical formats have been studied, and the general and specific methods of interfacing these technologies are being tested in prototype systems. Shell features and interfacing capabilities are discussed, and results from the study of five laser-optical formats are recounted including the video laser, compact, and WORM disks, and laser cards and film. Interfacing, including laser disk device driver interfacing, is discussed and it is pointed out that in order to control the laser device from within the expert systems application, the expert systems shell must be able to access the device driver software. Potential integrated applications are investigated and an initial list is provided including consumer services, travel, law enforcement, human resources, marketing, and education and training.

  17. Limited electricity access in health facilities of sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic review of data on electricity access, sources, and reliability

    PubMed Central

    Adair-Rohani, Heather; Zukor, Karen; Bonjour, Sophie; Wilburn, Susan; Kuesel, Annette C; Hebert, Ryan; Fletcher, Elaine R

    2013-01-01

    ABSTRACT Background: Access to electricity is critical to health care delivery and to the overarching goal of universal health coverage. Data on electricity access in health care facilities are rarely collected and have never been reported systematically in a multi-country study. We conducted a systematic review of available national data on electricity access in health care facilities in sub-Saharan Africa. Methods: We identified publicly-available data from nationally representative facility surveys through a systematic review of articles in PubMed, as well as through websites of development agencies, ministries of health, and national statistics bureaus. To be included in our analysis, data sets had to be collected in or after 2000, be nationally representative of a sub-Saharan African country, cover both public and private health facilities, and include a clear definition of electricity access. Results: We identified 13 health facility surveys from 11 sub-Saharan African countries that met our inclusion criteria. On average, 26% of health facilities in the surveyed countries reported no access to electricity. Only 28% of health care facilities, on average, had reliable electricity among the 8 countries reporting data. Among 9 countries, an average of 7% of facilities relied solely on a generator. Electricity access in health care facilities increased by 1.5% annually in Kenya between 2004 and 2010, and by 4% annually in Rwanda between 2001 and 2007. Conclusions: Energy access for health care facilities in sub-Saharan African countries varies considerably. An urgent need exists to improve the geographic coverage, quality, and frequency of data collection on energy access in health care facilities. Standardized tools should be used to collect data on all sources of power and supply reliability. The United Nations Secretary-General's “Sustainable Energy for All” initiative provides an opportunity to comprehensively monitor energy access in health care

  18. Macroscopic characterisations of Web accessibility

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lopes, Rui; Carriço, Luis

    2010-12-01

    The Web Science framework poses fundamental questions on the analysis of the Web, by focusing on how microscopic properties (e.g. at the level of a Web page or Web site) emerge into macroscopic properties and phenomena. One research topic on the analysis of the Web is Web accessibility evaluation, which centres on understanding how accessible a Web page is for people with disabilities. However, when framing Web accessibility evaluation on Web Science, we have found that existing research stays at the microscopic level. This article presents an experimental study on framing Web accessibility evaluation into Web Science's goals. This study resulted in novel accessibility properties of the Web not found at microscopic levels, as well as of Web accessibility evaluation processes themselves. We observed at large scale some of the empirical knowledge on how accessibility is perceived by designers and developers, such as the disparity of interpretations of accessibility evaluation tools warnings. We also found a direct relation between accessibility quality and Web page complexity. We provide a set of guidelines for designing Web pages, education on Web accessibility, as well as on the computational limits of large-scale Web accessibility evaluations.

  19. Web Accessibility and Guidelines

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Harper, Simon; Yesilada, Yeliz

    Access to, and movement around, complex online environments, of which the World Wide Web (Web) is the most popular example, has long been considered an important and major issue in the Web design and usability field. The commonly used slang phrase ‘surfing the Web’ implies rapid and free access, pointing to its importance among designers and users alike. It has also been long established that this potentially complex and difficult access is further complicated, and becomes neither rapid nor free, if the user is disabled. There are millions of people who have disabilities that affect their use of the Web. Web accessibility aims to help these people to perceive, understand, navigate, and interact with, as well as contribute to, the Web, and thereby the society in general. This accessibility is, in part, facilitated by the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) currently moving from version one to two. These guidelines are intended to encourage designers to make sure their sites conform to specifications, and in that conformance enable the assistive technologies of disabled users to better interact with the page content. In this way, it was hoped that accessibility could be supported. While this is in part true, guidelines do not solve all problems and the new WCAG version two guidelines are surrounded by controversy and intrigue. This chapter aims to establish the published literature related to Web accessibility and Web accessibility guidelines, and discuss limitations of the current guidelines and future directions.

  20. An access technology delivery protocol for children with severe and multiple disabilities: a case demonstration.

    PubMed

    Mumford, Leslie; Lam, Rachel; Wright, Virginia; Chau, Tom

    2014-08-01

    This study applied response efficiency theory to create the Access Technology Delivery Protocol (ATDP), a child and family-centred collaborative approach to the implementation of access technologies. We conducted a descriptive, mixed methods case study to demonstrate the ATDP method with a 12-year-old boy with no reliable means of access to an external device. Evaluations of response efficiency, satisfaction, goal attainment, technology use and participation were made after 8 and 16 weeks of training with a custom smile-based access technology. At the 16 week mark, the new access technology offered better response quality; teacher satisfaction was high; average technology usage was 3-4 times per week for up to 1 h each time; switch sensitivity and specificity reached 78% and 64%, respectively, and participation scores increased by 38%. This case supports further development and testing of the ATDP with additional children with multiple or severe disabilities.

  1. A primer on intraosseous access: History, clinical considerations, and current devices.

    PubMed

    Burgert, James M

    2016-01-01

    Intraosseous (IO) access is a method recommended by the American Heart Association and the European Resuscitation Council to administer resuscitative drugs and fluids when intravenous (IV) access cannot be rapidly or easily obtained. Many clinicians have limited knowledge or experience with the IO route. The purpose of this review was to provide the reader with a succinct review of the history, clinical considerations, and devices associated with IO access. Narrative review. University-based academic research cell. Not applicable. Not applicable. IO access is a lifesaving bridge to definitive vascular access that may be considered when an IV cannot be rapidly attained and the patient's outcome may be negatively affected without prompt circulatory access. The IO route has few contraindications for use and a low rate of serious complications. Multiple manual and powered devices that may be placed in several anatomic sites are commercially available. All clinicians who provide acute care or respond to cardiovascular emergencies should obtain training and maintain proficiency in placing and using IO devices as the IO route is recommended by the major resuscitation organizations as the preferred route of infusion when rapid, reliable IV access is unavailable.

  2. Mining sequence variations in representative polyploid sugarcane germplasm accessions

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Yang, Xiping; Song, Jian; You, Qian

    Sugarcane (Saccharum spp.) is one of the most important economic crops because of its high sugar production and biofuel potential. Due to the high polyploid level and complex genome of sugarcane, it has been a huge challenge to investigate genomic sequence variations, which are critical for identifying alleles contributing to important agronomic traits. In order to mine the genetic variations in sugarcane, genotyping by sequencing (GBS), was used to genotype 14 representative Saccharum complex accessions. GBS is a method to generate a large number of markers, enabled by next generation sequencing (NGS) and the genome complexity reduction using restriction enzymes.more » To use GBS for high throughput genotyping highly polyploid sugarcane, the GBS analysis pipelines in 14 Saccharum complex accessions were established by evaluating different alignment methods, sequence variants callers, and sequence depth for single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) filtering. By using the established pipeline, a total of 76,251 non-redundant SNPs, 5642 InDels, 6380 presence/absence variants (PAVs), and 826 copy number variations (CNVs) were detected among the 14 accessions. In addition, non-reference based universal network enabled analysis kit and Stacks de novo called 34,353 and 109,043 SNPs, respectively. In the 14 accessions, the percentages of single dose SNPs ranged from 38.3% to 62.3% with an average of 49.6%, much more than the portions of multiple dosage SNPs. Concordantly called SNPs were used to evaluate the phylogenetic relationship among the 14 accessions. The results showed that the divergence time between the Erianthus genus and the Saccharum genus was more than 10 million years ago (MYA). The Saccharum species separated from their common ancestors ranging from 0.19 to 1.65 MYA. The GBS pipelines including the reference sequences, alignment methods, sequence variant callers, and sequence depth were recommended and discussed for the Saccharum complex and other related

  3. Mining sequence variations in representative polyploid sugarcane germplasm accessions

    DOE PAGES

    Yang, Xiping; Song, Jian; You, Qian; ...

    2017-08-09

    Sugarcane (Saccharum spp.) is one of the most important economic crops because of its high sugar production and biofuel potential. Due to the high polyploid level and complex genome of sugarcane, it has been a huge challenge to investigate genomic sequence variations, which are critical for identifying alleles contributing to important agronomic traits. In order to mine the genetic variations in sugarcane, genotyping by sequencing (GBS), was used to genotype 14 representative Saccharum complex accessions. GBS is a method to generate a large number of markers, enabled by next generation sequencing (NGS) and the genome complexity reduction using restriction enzymes.more » To use GBS for high throughput genotyping highly polyploid sugarcane, the GBS analysis pipelines in 14 Saccharum complex accessions were established by evaluating different alignment methods, sequence variants callers, and sequence depth for single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) filtering. By using the established pipeline, a total of 76,251 non-redundant SNPs, 5642 InDels, 6380 presence/absence variants (PAVs), and 826 copy number variations (CNVs) were detected among the 14 accessions. In addition, non-reference based universal network enabled analysis kit and Stacks de novo called 34,353 and 109,043 SNPs, respectively. In the 14 accessions, the percentages of single dose SNPs ranged from 38.3% to 62.3% with an average of 49.6%, much more than the portions of multiple dosage SNPs. Concordantly called SNPs were used to evaluate the phylogenetic relationship among the 14 accessions. The results showed that the divergence time between the Erianthus genus and the Saccharum genus was more than 10 million years ago (MYA). The Saccharum species separated from their common ancestors ranging from 0.19 to 1.65 MYA. The GBS pipelines including the reference sequences, alignment methods, sequence variant callers, and sequence depth were recommended and discussed for the Saccharum complex and other related

  4. Trust-based access control model from sociological approach in dynamic online social network environment.

    PubMed

    Baek, Seungsoo; Kim, Seungjoo

    2014-01-01

    There has been an explosive increase in the population of the OSN (online social network) in recent years. The OSN provides users with many opportunities to communicate among friends and family. Further, it facilitates developing new relationships with previously unknown people having similar beliefs or interests. However, the OSN can expose users to adverse effects such as privacy breaches, the disclosing of uncontrolled material, and the disseminating of false information. Traditional access control models such as MAC, DAC, and RBAC are applied to the OSN to address these problems. However, these models are not suitable for the dynamic OSN environment because user behavior in the OSN is unpredictable and static access control imposes a burden on the users to change the access control rules individually. We propose a dynamic trust-based access control for the OSN to address the problems of the traditional static access control. Moreover, we provide novel criteria to evaluate trust factors such as sociological approach and evaluate a method to calculate the dynamic trust values. The proposed method can monitor negative behavior and modify access permission levels dynamically to prevent the indiscriminate disclosure of information.

  5. Trust-Based Access Control Model from Sociological Approach in Dynamic Online Social Network Environment

    PubMed Central

    Kim, Seungjoo

    2014-01-01

    There has been an explosive increase in the population of the OSN (online social network) in recent years. The OSN provides users with many opportunities to communicate among friends and family. Further, it facilitates developing new relationships with previously unknown people having similar beliefs or interests. However, the OSN can expose users to adverse effects such as privacy breaches, the disclosing of uncontrolled material, and the disseminating of false information. Traditional access control models such as MAC, DAC, and RBAC are applied to the OSN to address these problems. However, these models are not suitable for the dynamic OSN environment because user behavior in the OSN is unpredictable and static access control imposes a burden on the users to change the access control rules individually. We propose a dynamic trust-based access control for the OSN to address the problems of the traditional static access control. Moreover, we provide novel criteria to evaluate trust factors such as sociological approach and evaluate a method to calculate the dynamic trust values. The proposed method can monitor negative behavior and modify access permission levels dynamically to prevent the indiscriminate disclosure of information. PMID:25374943

  6. Informal politics and inequity of access to health care in Lebanon

    PubMed Central

    2012-01-01

    Introduction Despite the importance of political institutions in shaping the social environment, the causal impact of politics on health care access and inequalities has been understudied. Even when considered, research tends to focus on the effects of formal macro-political institutions such as the welfare state. We investigate how micro-politics and informal institutions affect access to care. Methods This study uses a mixed-methods approach, combining findings from a household survey (n = 1789) and qualitative interviews (n = 310) in Lebanon. Multivariate logistic regression was employed in the analysis of the survey to examine the effect of political activism on access to health care while controlling for age, sex, socioeconomic status, religious commitment and piety. Results We note a significantly positive association between political activism and the probability of receiving health aid (p < .001), with an OR of 4.0 when comparing individuals with the highest political activity to those least active in our sample. Interviews with key informants also reveal that, although a form of “universal coverage” exists in Lebanon whereby any citizen is eligible for coverage of hospitalization fees and treatments, in practice, access to health services is used by political parties and politicians as a deliberate strategy to gain and reward political support from individuals and their families. Conclusions Individuals with higher political activism have better access to health services than others. Informal, micro-level political institutions can have an important impact on health care access and utilization, with potentially detrimental effects on the least politically connected. A truly universal health care system that provides access based on medical need rather than political affiliation is needed to help to alleviate growing health disparities in the Lebanese population. PMID:22571591

  7. BWI terminal accessibility study.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2001-12-01

    This study details the landside accessibility of the BWI airport. The accessibility of the airport is examined from : each of the access facilities. Included in the study are the terminal garage, ESP parking lot, all satellite lots and : terminal cur...

  8. Access control and privilege management in electronic health record: a systematic literature review.

    PubMed

    Jayabalan, Manoj; O'Daniel, Thomas

    2016-12-01

    This study presents a systematic literature review of access control for electronic health record systems to protect patient's privacy. Articles from 2006 to 2016 were extracted from the ACM Digital Library, IEEE Xplore Digital Library, Science Direct, MEDLINE, and MetaPress using broad eligibility criteria, and chosen for inclusion based on analysis of ISO22600. Cryptographic standards and methods were left outside the scope of this review. Three broad classes of models are being actively investigated and developed: access control for electronic health records, access control for interoperability, and access control for risk analysis. Traditional role-based access control models are extended with spatial, temporal, probabilistic, dynamic, and semantic aspects to capture contextual information and provide granular access control. Maintenance of audit trails and facilities for overriding normal roles to allow full access in emergency cases are common features. Access privilege frameworks utilizing ontology-based knowledge representation for defining the rules have attracted considerable interest, due to the higher level of abstraction that makes it possible to model domain knowledge and validate access requests efficiently.

  9. A Novel Qualitative Method to Improve Access, Elicitation, and Sample Diversification for Enhanced Transferability Applied to Studying Chemistry Outreach

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pratt, Justin M.; Yezierski, Ellen J.

    2018-01-01

    Conducting qualitative research in any discipline warrants two actions: accessing participants and eliciting their ideas. In chemistry education research (CER), survey techniques have been used to increase access to participants and diversify samples. Interview tasks (such as card sorting, using demonstrations, and using simulations) have been…

  10. Time to aortic occlusion: It's all about access.

    PubMed

    Romagnoli, Anna; Teeter, William; Pasley, Jason; Hu, Peter; Hoehn, Melanie; Stein, Deborah; Scalea, Thomas; Brenner, Megan

    2017-12-01

    Resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta (REBOA) is a less invasive method of proximal aortic occlusion compared with resuscitative thoracotomy with aortic cross-clamping (RTACC). This study compared time to aortic occlusion with REBOA and RTACC, both including and excluding time required for common femoral artery (CFA) cannulation. This was a retrospective, single-institution review of REBOA or RTACC performed between February 2013 and January 2016. Time of skin incision to aortic cross-clamp for RTACC, time required for CFA cannulation by percutaneous and open methods, and time from guide-wire insertion to balloon inflation at Zone 1 for REBOA, were obtained from videographic recordings. Eighteen RTACC and 21 REBOAs were performed. Median (Q1, Q3) time from skin incision to aortic cross-clamping was 317 seconds (227, 551 seconds). Median (Q1, Q3) time from start of arterial access to Zone 1 balloon occlusion was 474 seconds (431, 572 seconds) (vs. RTACC, p = 0.01). All REBOA procedures were performed with the same device. The median time to complete CFA cannulation was 247 seconds (range, 164-343 seconds), with no difference between percutaneous or open procedures (p = 0.07). The median (Q1, Q3) time to aortic occlusion in REBOA once arterial access had been established was 245 seconds (179, 295.5 seconds), which was significantly shorter than RTACC (p = 0.003). Once CFA access is achieved, time to aortic occlusion is faster with REBOA. Time to aortic occlusion is less than the time required to cannulate the CFA either by percutaneous or open approaches, emphasizing the importance of accurate and expedient CFA access. Resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta may represent a feasible alternative to thoracotomy for aortic occlusion. Time to aortic occlusion will likely decrease with the advent of newer REBOA technology. The rate-limiting portion of REBOA continues to be obtaining CFA access. Therapeutic, level V.

  11. Reinforced aneurysmorrhaphy for true aneurysmal haemodialysis vascular access.

    PubMed

    Rokošný, S; Baláž, P; Wohlfahrt, P; Palouš, D; Janoušek, L

    2014-04-01

    In 2008, a new technique of reinforced aneurysmorrhaphy with a polyester mesh tube for salvaging true aneurysmal arteriovenous (AV) haemodialysis access was described by us. In this study, the long-term patency and complication rates associated with this procedure were analysed, and the effect of reinforced aneurysmorrhaphy on high-flow vascular access was assessed. This was a retrospective non-randomised study with prospectively collected data performed at a single centre. Patients with true aneurysmal haemodialysis AV access who underwent aneurysmorrhaphy with external mesh prosthesis between March 2007 and October 2012 were included. Clinical assessment and duplex ultrasound were performed preoperatively, 1, 3, and 12 months postoperatively, and annually thereafter. Data from 62 patients (median age 60 years, range 28-81 years; 63% men) were analysed. The commonest indication was high-flow vascular access associated with the risk of high output cardiac failure (24 patients, 39%). The mean follow-up time was 14.66 ± 12.80 months. Primary patency rates at 6 and 12 months were 86% and 79% respectively. Assisted primary patency rates at 6 and 12 months were 89% and 80% respectively. In 23 patients (96%) operated on for high-flow vascular access, decreased vascular access flow was observed after the procedure. The average flow reduction after aneurysmorrhaphy was 2,197 mL/minute. Postoperative bleeding and infection necessitating surgical revision occurred in three (4.8%) and three (4.8%) patients respectively. Reinforced aneurysmorrhaphy with an external mesh prosthesis is an effective method for treating true aneurysmal haemodialysis AV access, with excellent long-term patency and minimal complications due to infection. Copyright © 2014 European Society for Vascular Surgery. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. The geographic accessibility of pharmacies in Nova Scotia

    PubMed Central

    Heard, Deborah; Fisher, Judith; Douillard, Jay; Muzika, Greg; Sketris, Ingrid S.

    2013-01-01

    Introduction: Geographic proximity is an important component of access to primary care and the pharmaceutical services of community pharmacies. Variations in access to primary care have been found between rural and urban areas in Canadian and international jurisdictions. We studied access to community pharmacies in the province of Nova Scotia. Methods: We used information on the locations of 297 community pharmacies operating in Nova Scotia in June 2011. Population estimates at the census block level and network analysis were used to study the number of Nova Scotia residents living within 800 m (walking) and 2 km and 5 km (driving) distances of a pharmacy. We then simulated the impact of pharmacy closures on geographic access in urban and rural areas. Results: We found that 40.3% of Nova Scotia residents lived within walking distance of a pharmacy; 62.6% and 78.8% lived within 2 km and 5 km, respectively. Differences between urban and rural areas were pronounced: 99.2% of urban residents lived within 5 km of a pharmacy compared with 53.3% of rural residents. Simulated pharmacy closures had a greater impact on geographic access to community pharmacies in rural areas than urban areas. Conclusion: The majority of Nova Scotia residents lived within walking or short driving distance of at least 1 community pharmacy. While overall geographic access appears to be lower than in the province of Ontario, the difference appears to be largely driven by the higher proportion of rural dwellers in Nova Scotia. Further studies should examine how geographic proximity to pharmacies influences patients’ access to traditional and specialized pharmacy services, as well as health outcomes and adherence to therapy. Can Pharm J 2013;146:39-46. PMID:23795168

  13. College Scholarship Fraud Prevention Act of 2000: Annual Report to Congress. May 2005

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    US Department of Education, 2005

    2005-01-01

    Every year, millions of high school graduates seek ways to finance the rising costs of a college education, at times falling prey to scholarship and financial aid scams. To help students and their families, on November 5, 2000, Congress passed the College Scholarship Fraud Prevention Act of 2000 (Act) to establish stricter sentencing guidelines…

  14. College Scholarship Fraud Prevention Act of 2000: Second Annual Report to Congress. May 2003

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    US Department of Education, 2003

    2003-01-01

    Every year, millions of high school graduates seek ways to finance the rising costs of a college education, at times falling prey to scholarship and financial aid scams. To help students and their families, on November 5, 2000, Congress passed the College Scholarship Fraud Prevention Act of 2000 (Act) to establish stricter sentencing guidelines…

  15. College Scholarship Fraud Prevention Act of 2000: Annual Report to Congress. May 2006

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    US Department of Education, 2006

    2006-01-01

    Every year, millions of high school graduates seek ways to finance the rising costs of a college education, at times falling prey to scholarship and financial aid scams. To help students and their families, on November 5, 2000, Congress passed the College Scholarship Fraud Prevention Act of 2000 (Act) to establish stricter sentencing guidelines…

  16. The Anti-Fraudulent Adoption Practices Act of 1984. Hearing before the Subcommittee on Courts of the Committee on the Judiciary. United States Senate, Ninety-Eighth Congress, Second Session on S. 2299, a Bill Entitled the "Anti-Fraudulent Adoption Practices Act of 1984 (March 16, 1984).

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Congress of the U.S., Washington, DC. Senate Committee on the Judiciary.

    This hearing provided a forum for witnesses testifying about the Anti-Fraudulent Adoption Practices Act of 1984 (S. 2299) and the issues the bill was designed to address. Testimony focuses on the nature and incidence of fraudulent adoption scams; the need for Federal legislation to address the problem; the experiences of victimized families;…

  17. College Scholarship Fraud Prevention Act of 2000: Annual Report to Congress

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    US Department of Education, 2004

    2004-01-01

    Every year, millions of high school graduates seek ways to finance the rising costs of a college education, at times falling prey to scholarship and financial aid scams. To help students and their families, on November 5, 2000, Congress passed the College Scholarship Fraud Prevention Act of 2000 (Act) to establish stricter sentencing guidelines…

  18. College Scholarship Fraud Prevention Act of 2000: Annual Report to Congress. May 2007

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    US Department of Education, 2007

    2007-01-01

    Every year, millions of high school graduates seek ways to finance the rising costs of a college education, at times falling prey to scholarship and financial aid scams. To help students and their families, on November 5, 2000, Congress passed the College Scholarship Fraud Prevention Act of 2000 (Act) to establish stricter sentencing guidelines…

  19. College Scholarship Fraud Prevention Act of 2000: Annual Report to Congress. 2008

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    US Department of Education, 2008

    2008-01-01

    Every year, millions of high school graduates seek ways to finance the rising costs of a college education, at times falling prey to scholarship and financial aid scams. To help students and their families, on November 5, 2000, Congress passed the College Scholarship Fraud Prevention Act of 2000 (Act) to establish stricter sentencing guidelines…

  20. Strategies of arteriovenous dialysis access.

    PubMed

    Weiswasser, Jonathan M; Kellicut, Dwight; Arora, Subodh; Sidawy, Anton N

    2004-03-01

    Surgical management of the patient who requires hemodialysis access, while continuing to demand more attention from the vascular surgeon, suffers from discrepancies of approach and strategy. With the increase in incidence of dialysis dependent renal failure among our population, many have attempted to present a uniform, logical strategy with which the vascular surgeon can most effectively treat the hemodialysis patient in the long term. Most notably, the multidisciplinary Dialysis Outcomes Quality Initiative (DOQI) guidelines present the surgeon with a rough outline of hemodialysis access insertion strategy, and it has become nationally recognized as an acceptable summary of treatment strategy and goals. The decision as to the most appropriate surgical access to offer a patient depends on immediate need for hemodialysis, history and physical examination findings, and suitability of available veins in the extremity. While percutaneous, catheter based access affords the luxury of immediate access, these devices suffer from several complicating factors, such as infection, and damage to large, proximal veins. For long-term access, the autogenous access, while perhaps less successful in the immediate short term, is always the preferred access type given its favorable longevity. The surgeons should focus on sites distally on the extremity, reserving proximal sites for potential future access insertions should the primary access fail. In the absence of suitable vein, prosthetic access may be considered. When both the upper and lower aspects of both upper extremities have been exhausted, the surgeon should consider access insertion elsewhere, such as the lower extremity.

  1. Why build limited access highways?.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1991-01-01

    This report first explains what a limited access highway is, then describes the benefits and advantages of limited access highways. As compared with highways with no control of access, limited access highways (especially those with full control) have...

  2. Synthesizing qualitative and quantitative evidence on non-financial access barriers: implications for assessment at the district level.

    PubMed

    O'Connell, Thomas S; Bedford, K Juliet A; Thiede, Michael; McIntyre, Di

    2015-06-09

    A key element of the global drive to universal health coverage is ensuring access to needed health services for everyone, and to pursue this goal in an equitable way. This requires concerted efforts to reduce disparities in access through understanding and acting on barriers facing communities with the lowest utilisation levels. Financial barriers dominate the empirical literature on health service access. Unless the full range of access barriers are investigated, efforts to promote equitable access to health care are unlikely to succeed. This paper therefore focuses on exploring the nature and extent of non-financial access barriers. We draw upon two structured literature reviews on barriers to access and utilization of maternal, newborn and child health services in Ghana, Bangladesh, Vietnam and Rwanda. One review analyses access barriers identified in published literature using qualitative research methods; the other in published literature using quantitative analysis of household survey data. We then synthesised the key qualitative and quantitative findings through a conjoint iterative analysis. Five dominant themes on non-financial access barriers were identified: ethnicity; religion; physical accessibility; decision-making, gender and autonomy; and knowledge, information and education. The analysis highlighted that non-financial factors pose considerable barriers to access, many of which relate to the acceptability dimension of access and are challenging to address. Another key finding is that quantitative research methods, while yielding important findings, are inadequate for understanding non-financial access barriers in sufficient detail to develop effective responses. Qualitative research is critical in filling this gap. The analysis also indicates that the nature of non-financial access barriers vary considerably, not only between countries but also between different communities within individual countries. To adequately understand access barriers as a

  3. Accessibility of Health Clubs for People with Mobility Disabilities and Visual Impairments

    PubMed Central

    Rimmer, James H.; Riley, Barth; Wang, Edward; Rauworth, Amy

    2005-01-01

    Objective. We sought to examine the accessibility of health clubs to persons with mobility disabilities and visual impairments. Methods. We assessed 35 health clubs and fitness facilities as part of a national field trial of a new instrument, Accessibility Instruments Measuring Fitness and Recreation Environments (AIMFREE), designed to assess accessibility of fitness facilities in the following domains: (1) built environment, (2) equipment, (3) swimming pools, (4) information, (5) facility policies, and (6) professional behavior. Results. All facilities had a low to moderate level of accessibility. Some of the deficiencies concerned specific Americans with Disabilities Act guidelines pertaining to the built environment, whereas other deficiency areas were related to aspects of the facilities’ equipment, information, policies, and professional staff. Conclusions. Persons with mobility disabilities and visual impairments have difficulty accessing various areas of fitness facilities and health clubs. AIMFREE is an important tool for increasing awareness of these accessibility barriers for people with disabilities. PMID:16254234

  4. Sustaining change: the imperative for patient access strategies.

    PubMed

    Glynn, Peter A R

    2006-01-01

    The paper by Trypuc, MacLeod and Hudson provides a timely and important overview of methods to sustain provincial wait time strategies. The emphasis on accountability for patient access to timely care throughout the healthcare system comes through strongly--as it should. These accountabilities are made "real" through purchase service agreements. Physician-hospital relationships are a fundamental aspect of this accountability. This commentary suggests the inclusion of two additional supporting tools in addition to those cited by the authors of the lead paper--quality monitoring and the use of industrial engineering techniques for queue management and patient flow analysis. Strong and persistent leadership of patient access strategies will ensure sustainable change.

  5. Priorities and strategies for improving disabled women's access to maternity services when they are affected by domestic abuse: a multi-method study using concept maps.

    PubMed

    Bradbury-Jones, Caroline; Breckenridge, Jenna P; Devaney, John; Duncan, Fiona; Kroll, Thilo; Lazenbatt, Anne; Taylor, Julie

    2015-12-28

    Domestic abuse is a significant public health issue. It occurs more frequently among disabled women than those without a disability and evidence suggests that a great deal of domestic abuse begins or worsens during pregnancy. All women and their infants are entitled to equal access to high quality maternity care. However, research has shown that disabled women who experience domestic abuse face numerous barriers to accessing care. The aim of the study was to identify the priority areas for improving access to maternity services for this group of women; develop strategies for improved access and utilisation; and explore the feasibility of implementing the identified strategies. This multi-method study was the third and final part of a larger study conducted in the UK between 2012 and 2014. The study used a modified concept mapping approach and was theoretically underpinned by Andersen's model of healthcare use. Seven focus group interviews were conducted with a range of maternity care professionals (n = 45), incorporating quantitative and qualitative components. Participants ranked perceived barriers to women's access and utilisation of maternity services in order of priority using a 5-point Likert scale. Quantitative data exploration used descriptive and non-parametric analyses. In the qualitative component of each focus group, participants discussed the barriers and identified potential improvement strategies (and feasibility of implementing these). Qualitative data were analysed inductively using a framework analysis approach. The three most highly ranked barriers to women's access and utilisation of maternity services identified in the quantitative component were: 1) staff being unaware and not asking about domestic abuse and disability; 2) the impact of domestic abuse on women; 3) women's fear of disclosure. The top two priority strategies were: providing information about domestic abuse to all women and promoting non-judgemental staff attitude. These were

  6. 45 CFR 1153.150 - Program accessibility: Existing facilities.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... FOUNDATION ON THE ARTS AND THE HUMANITIES NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS ENFORCEMENT OF NONDISCRIMINATION ON THE BASIS OF HANDICAP IN PROGRAMS OR ACTIVITIES CONDUCTED BY THE NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS...), alternative methods of achieving program accessibility include— (i) Using audio-visual materials and devices...

  7. 45 CFR 1153.150 - Program accessibility: Existing facilities.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... FOUNDATION ON THE ARTS AND THE HUMANITIES NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS ENFORCEMENT OF NONDISCRIMINATION ON THE BASIS OF HANDICAP IN PROGRAMS OR ACTIVITIES CONDUCTED BY THE NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS...), alternative methods of achieving program accessibility include— (i) Using audio-visual materials and devices...

  8. 45 CFR 1153.150 - Program accessibility: Existing facilities.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ... FOUNDATION ON THE ARTS AND THE HUMANITIES NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS ENFORCEMENT OF NONDISCRIMINATION ON THE BASIS OF HANDICAP IN PROGRAMS OR ACTIVITIES CONDUCTED BY THE NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS...), alternative methods of achieving program accessibility include— (i) Using audio-visual materials and devices...

  9. 45 CFR 1153.150 - Program accessibility: Existing facilities.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... FOUNDATION ON THE ARTS AND THE HUMANITIES NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS ENFORCEMENT OF NONDISCRIMINATION ON THE BASIS OF HANDICAP IN PROGRAMS OR ACTIVITIES CONDUCTED BY THE NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS...), alternative methods of achieving program accessibility include— (i) Using audio-visual materials and devices...

  10. 45 CFR 1153.150 - Program accessibility: Existing facilities.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... FOUNDATION ON THE ARTS AND THE HUMANITIES NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS ENFORCEMENT OF NONDISCRIMINATION ON THE BASIS OF HANDICAP IN PROGRAMS OR ACTIVITIES CONDUCTED BY THE NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS...), alternative methods of achieving program accessibility include— (i) Using audio-visual materials and devices...

  11. 36 CFR 9.32 - Access.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... MANAGEMENT Non-Federal Oil and Gas Rights § 9.32 Access. (a) No access on, across or through lands or waters... access is by foot, pack animal, or designated road. Persons using designated roads for access to such a...

  12. 36 CFR 9.32 - Access.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... MANAGEMENT Non-Federal Oil and Gas Rights § 9.32 Access. (a) No access on, across or through lands or waters... access is by foot, pack animal, or designated road. Persons using designated roads for access to such a...

  13. 36 CFR 9.32 - Access.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... MANAGEMENT Non-Federal Oil and Gas Rights § 9.32 Access. (a) No access on, across or through lands or waters... access is by foot, pack animal, or designated road. Persons using designated roads for access to such a...

  14. 36 CFR 9.32 - Access.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... MANAGEMENT Non-Federal Oil and Gas Rights § 9.32 Access. (a) No access on, across or through lands or waters... access is by foot, pack animal, or designated road. Persons using designated roads for access to such a...

  15. National Survey on Access, Use and Promotion of Rational Use of Medicines: methods

    PubMed Central

    Álvares, Juliana; Alves, Maria Cecilia Goi Porto; Escuder, Maria Mercedes Loureiro; Almeida, Alessandra Maciel; Izidoro, Jans Bastos; Guerra, Augusto Afonso; Costa, Karen Sarmento; Costa, Ediná Alves; Guibu, Ione Aquemi; Soeiro, Orlando Mario; Leite, Silvana Nair; Karnikowski, Margô Gomes de Oliveira; Acurcio, Francisco de Assis

    2017-01-01

    ABSTRACT The Pesquisa Nacional sobre Acesso, Utilização e Promoção do Uso Racional de Medicamentos –Serviços (PNAUM – National Survey on Access, Use and Promotion of Rational Use of Medicines – Services) aimed to characterize the organization of pharmaceutical services in the Primary Health Care of the Brazilian Unified Health System (SUS). PNAUM – Services is a cross-sectional and evaluative study, with planned sample of 600 cities, held between 2014 and 2015, composed of a remote phase, with telephone interviews with health managers. Of these 600 cities, 300 were selected for a survey on health services. We selected the 27 capitals, the 0.5% largest cities of each region, and the remaining cities were drawn. The estimate of the representative national sample size considered three levels: cities, medicine dispensing services, and patients. The interviews were carried out with a structured questionnaire specific for: municipal secretaries of health, professionals responsible for pharmaceutical services in the city, professionals responsible for the dispensing of medicines, physicians, and patients. The secondary data were obtained in official databases, in the latest update date. PNAUM – Services was the first nationwide research aimed at the assessment and acquisition of national and regional indicators on access to medicines, as well as use and rational use, from the perspective of various social subjects. PMID:29160446

  16. An appraisal of the performance of the economic and financial crimes commission in Nigeria.

    PubMed

    Sowunmi, Fatai Abiola; Adesola, Muniru Adekunle; Salako, Mudashiru Abiodun

    2010-12-01

    This article examines how an anti-graft body, the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC), has fared in reducing the incidence of corruption in Nigeria, in particular, bank fraud, Internet scam, and bad governance. It first discusses the corruption situation in Nigeria by highlighting public office holders who have been associated with corruption charges. A Likert-type scale is used in designing the questionnaire for data collection. Descriptive and chi-square analyses are used, and results reveal that the performance of the EFCC has been affected by government interference (p < .05). However, although the anti-graft body has not been able to reduce the incidence of bank fraud (p > .05), bad governance and advance fee fraud have recorded appreciable reduction (p < .05). Areas of success as well as challenges that need to be addressed are identified. Specifically, it is recommended that the bill that established EFCC should be amended to reduce government interference and improve its manpower development, especially in the areas of fraud and Internet scam detection.

  17. The Role of the Ventromedial Prefrontal Cortex in Purchase Intent Among Older Adults.

    PubMed

    Koestner, Bryan P; Hedgcock, William; Halfmann, Kameko; Denburg, Natalie L

    2016-01-01

    Older adults are frequently the targets of scams and deception, with millions of individuals being affected each year in the United States alone. Previous research has shown that the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) may play a role in vulnerability to fraud. The current study examined brain activation patterns in relation to susceptibility to scams and fraud using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Twenty-eight healthy, community-dwelling older adults were subdivided into groups of impaired and unimpaired decision makers as determined by their performance on the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT). While in the scanner, the participants viewed advertisements that were created directly from cases deemed deceptive by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). We then obtained behavioral measures involving comprehension of claims and purchase intention of the product in each advertisement. Contrasts show brain activity in the vmPFC was less correlated with purchase intention in impaired vs. unimpaired older adult decision makers. Our results have important implications for both future research and recognizing the possible causes of fraud susceptibility among older adults.

  18. The Role of the Ventromedial Prefrontal Cortex in Purchase Intent Among Older Adults

    PubMed Central

    Koestner, Bryan P.; Hedgcock, William; Halfmann, Kameko; Denburg, Natalie L.

    2016-01-01

    Older adults are frequently the targets of scams and deception, with millions of individuals being affected each year in the United States alone. Previous research has shown that the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) may play a role in vulnerability to fraud. The current study examined brain activation patterns in relation to susceptibility to scams and fraud using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Twenty-eight healthy, community-dwelling older adults were subdivided into groups of impaired and unimpaired decision makers as determined by their performance on the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT). While in the scanner, the participants viewed advertisements that were created directly from cases deemed deceptive by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). We then obtained behavioral measures involving comprehension of claims and purchase intention of the product in each advertisement. Contrasts show brain activity in the vmPFC was less correlated with purchase intention in impaired vs. unimpaired older adult decision makers. Our results have important implications for both future research and recognizing the possible causes of fraud susceptibility among older adults. PMID:27536238

  19. Assessing potential spatial accessibility of health services in rural China: a case study of Donghai county

    PubMed Central

    2013-01-01

    Introduction There is a great health services disparity between urban and rural areas in China. The percentage of people who are unable to access health services due to long travel times increases. This paper takes Donghai County as the study unit to analyse areas with physician shortages and characteristics of the potential spatial accessibility of health services. We analyse how the unequal health services resources distribution and the New Cooperative Medical Scheme affect the potential spatial accessibility of health services in Donghai County. We also give some advice on how to alleviate the unequal spatial accessibility of health services in areas that are more remote and isolated. Methods The shortest traffic times of from hospitals to villages are calculated with an O-D matrix of GIS extension model. This paper applies an enhanced two-step floating catchment area (E2SFCA) method to study the spatial accessibility of health services and to determine areas with physician shortages in Donghai County. The sensitivity of the E2SFCA for assessing variation in the spatial accessibility of health services is checked using different impedance coefficient valuesa. Geostatistical Analyst model and spatial analyst method is used to analyse the spatial pattern and the edge effect of potential spatial accessibility of health services. Results The results show that 69% of villages have access to lower potential spatial accessibility of health services than the average for Donghai County, and 79% of the village scores are lower than the average for Jiangsu Province. The potential spatial accessibility of health services diminishes greatly from the centre of the county to outlying areas. Using a smaller impedance coefficient leads to greater disparity among the villages. The spatial accessibility of health services is greater along highway in the county. Conclusions Most of villages are in underserved health services areas. An unequal distribution of health service

  20. Accessibility to primary health care in Belgium: an evaluation of policies awarding financial assistance in shortage areas

    PubMed Central

    2013-01-01

    Background In many countries, financial assistance is awarded to physicians who settle in an area that is designated as a shortage area to prevent unequal accessibility to primary health care. Today, however, policy makers use fairly simple methods to define health care accessibility, with physician-to-population ratios (PPRs) within predefined administrative boundaries being overwhelmingly favoured. Our purpose is to verify whether these simple methods are accurate enough for adequately designating medical shortage areas and explore how these perform relative to more advanced GIS-based methods. Methods Using a geographical information system (GIS), we conduct a nation-wide study of accessibility to primary care physicians in Belgium using four different methods: PPR, distance to closest physician, cumulative opportunity, and floating catchment area (FCA) methods. Results The official method used by policy makers in Belgium (calculating PPR per physician zone) offers only a crude representation of health care accessibility, especially because large contiguous areas (physician zones) are considered. We found substantial differences in the number and spatial distribution of medical shortage areas when applying different methods. Conclusions The assessment of spatial health care accessibility and concomitant policy initiatives are affected by and dependent on the methodology used. The major disadvantage of PPR methods is its aggregated approach, masking subtle local variations. Some simple GIS methods overcome this issue, but have limitations in terms of conceptualisation of physician interaction and distance decay. Conceptually, the enhanced 2-step floating catchment area (E2SFCA) method, an advanced FCA method, was found to be most appropriate for supporting areal health care policies, since this method is able to calculate accessibility at a small scale (e.g. census tracts), takes interaction between physicians into account, and considers distance decay. While at

  1. Methods to measure potential spatial access to delivery care in low- and middle-income countries: a case study in rural Ghana.

    PubMed

    Nesbitt, Robin C; Gabrysch, Sabine; Laub, Alexandra; Soremekun, Seyi; Manu, Alexander; Kirkwood, Betty R; Amenga-Etego, Seeba; Wiru, Kenneth; Höfle, Bernhard; Grundy, Chris

    2014-06-26

    Access to skilled attendance at childbirth is crucial to reduce maternal and newborn mortality. Several different measures of geographic access are used concurrently in public health research, with the assumption that sophisticated methods are generally better. Most of the evidence for this assumption comes from methodological comparisons in high-income countries. We compare different measures of travel impedance in a case study in Ghana's Brong Ahafo region to determine if straight-line distance can be an adequate proxy for access to delivery care in certain low- and middle-income country (LMIC) settings. We created a geospatial database, mapping population location in both compounds and village centroids, service locations for all health facilities offering delivery care, land-cover and a detailed road network. Six different measures were used to calculate travel impedance to health facilities (straight-line distance, network distance, network travel time and raster travel time, the latter two both mechanized and non-mechanized). The measures were compared using Spearman rank correlation coefficients, absolute differences, and the percentage of the same facilities identified as closest. We used logistic regression with robust standard errors to model the association of the different measures with health facility use for delivery in 9,306 births. Non-mechanized measures were highly correlated with each other, and identified the same facilities as closest for approximately 80% of villages. Measures calculated from compounds identified the same closest facility as measures from village centroids for over 85% of births. For 90% of births, the aggregation error from using village centroids instead of compound locations was less than 35 minutes and less than 1.12 km. All non-mechanized measures showed an inverse association with facility use of similar magnitude, an approximately 67% reduction in odds of facility delivery per standard deviation increase in each measure

  2. Direct access: factors that affect physical therapist practice in the state of Ohio.

    PubMed

    McCallum, Christine A; DiAngelis, Tom

    2012-05-01

    Direct access to physical therapist services is permitted by law in the majority of states and across all practice settings. Ohio enacted such legislation in 2004; however, it was unknown how direct access had affected actual clinical practice. The purpose of this study was to describe physical therapist and physical therapist practice environment factors that affect direct access practice. A 2-phase, mixed-method descriptive study was conducted. In the first phase, focus group interviews with 32 purposively selected physical therapists were completed, which resulted in 8 themes for an electronically distributed questionnaire. In the second phase, survey questionnaires were distributed to physical therapists with an e-mail address on file with the Ohio licensing board. An adjusted return rate of 23% was achieved. Data were analyzed for descriptive statistics. A constant comparative method assessed open-ended questions for common themes and patterns. Thirty-one percent of the respondents reported using direct access in physical therapist practice; however, 80% reported they would practice direct access if provided the opportunity. Physical therapists who practiced direct access were more likely to be in practice 6 years or more and hold advanced degrees beyond the entry level, were American Physical Therapy Association members, and had supportive management and organizational practice policies. The direct access physical therapist practice was generally a locally owned suburban private practice or a school-based clinic that saw approximately 6% to 10% of its patients by direct access. The majority of patients treated were adults with musculoskeletal or neuromuscular impairments. Nonresponse from e-mail may be associated with sample frame bias. Implementation of a direct access physical therapist practice model is evident in Ohio. Factors related to reimbursement and organizational policy appear to impede the process.

  3. ARCAS (ACACIA Regional Climate-data Access System) -- a Web Access System for Climate Model Data Access, Visualization and Comparison

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hakkarinen, C.; Brown, D.; Callahan, J.; hankin, S.; de Koningh, M.; Middleton-Link, D.; Wigley, T.

    2001-05-01

    A Web-based access system to climate model output data sets for intercomparison and analysis has been produced, using the NOAA-PMEL developed Live Access Server software as host server and Ferret as the data serving and visualization engine. Called ARCAS ("ACACIA Regional Climate-data Access System"), and publicly accessible at http://dataserver.ucar.edu/arcas, the site currently serves climate model outputs from runs of the NCAR Climate System Model for the 21st century, for Business as Usual and Stabilization of Greenhouse Gas Emission scenarios. Users can select, download, and graphically display single variables or comparisons of two variables from either or both of the CSM model runs, averaged for monthly, seasonal, or annual time resolutions. The time length of the averaging period, and the geographical domain for download and display, are fully selectable by the user. A variety of arithmetic operations on the data variables can be computed "on-the-fly", as defined by the user. Expansions of the user-selectable options for defining analysis options, and for accessing other DOD-compatible ("Distributed Ocean Data System-compatible") data sets, residing at locations other than the NCAR hardware server on which ARCAS operates, are planned for this year. These expansions are designed to allow users quick and easy-to-operate web-based access to the largest possible selection of climate model output data sets available throughout the world.

  4. Using Distance Learning to Impact Access of Diverse Learners to Advanced Placement Programs

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fenty, Nicole S.; Allio, Andrea

    2017-01-01

    Distance learning has been used as one method to increase access for students who have otherwise been underrepresented in college preparatory courses like Advanced Placement (AP). This study evaluated the impact of a statewide Virtual Advanced Placement (VAP) program on access to AP courses for students from underrepresented populations. Survey…

  5. Advanced access appointments

    PubMed Central

    Hudec, John C.; MacDougall, Steven; Rankin, Elaine

    2010-01-01

    ABSTRACT OBJECTIVE To examine the effects of advanced access (same-day physician appointments) on patient and provider satisfaction and to determine its association with other variables such as physician income and patient emergency department use. DESIGN Patient satisfaction survey and semistructured interviews with physicians and support staff; analysis of physician medical insurance billings and patient emergency department visits. SETTING Cape Breton, NS. PARTICIPANTS Patients, physicians, and support staff of 3 comparable family physician practices that had not implemented advanced access and an established advanced access practice. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Self-reported provider and patient satisfaction, physician office income, and patients’ emergency department use. RESULTS The key benefits of implementation of advanced access were an increase in provider and patient satisfaction levels, same or greater physician office income, and fewer less urgent (triage level 4) and nonurgent (triage level 5) emergency department visits by patients. CONCLUSION Currently within the Central Cape Breton Region, 33% of patients wait 4 or more days for urgent appointments. Findings from this study can be used to enhance primary care physician practice redesign. This research supports many benefits of transitioning to an advanced access model of patient booking. PMID:20944024

  6. Establishing a Secure Data Center with Remote Access: Preprint

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Gonder, J.; Burton, E.; Murakami, E.

    2012-04-01

    Access to existing travel data is critical for many analysis efforts that lack the time or resources to support detailed data collection. High-resolution data sets provide particular value, but also present a challenge for preserving the anonymity of the original survey participants. To address this dilemma of providing data access while preserving privacy, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and the U.S. Department of Transportation have launched the Transportation Secure Data Center (TSDC). TSDC data sets include those from regional travel surveys and studies that increasingly use global positioning system devices. Data provided by different collecting agencies varies with respect tomore » formatting, elements included and level of processing conducted in support of the original purpose. The TSDC relies on a number of geospatial and other analysis tools to ensure data quality and to generate useful information outputs. TSDC users can access the processed data in two different ways. The first is by downloading summary results and second-by-second vehicle speed profiles (with latitude/longitude information removed) from a publicly-accessible website. The second method involves applying for a remote connection account to a controlled-access environment where spatial analysis can be conducted, but raw data cannot be removed.« less

  7. Access to continued-use medication among older adults, Brazil

    PubMed Central

    Viana, Karynna Pimentel; Brito, Alexandre dos Santos; Rodrigues, Claudia Soares; Luiz, Ronir Raggio

    2015-01-01

    OBJECTIVE To determine the prevalence and associated access factors for all continued-use prescription drugs and the ways in which they can be obtained. METHODS Data was obtained from the 2008 Household National Survey. The sample comprised 27,333 individuals above 60 years who reported that they used continued-use prescription drugs. A descriptive analysis and binary and multiple multinomial logistic regressions were performed. RESULTS 86.0% of the older adults had access to all the medication they needed, and among them, 50.7% purchased said medication. Those who obtained medication from the public health system were younger (60-64 years), did not have health insurance plans, and belonged to the lower income groups. It is remarkable that 14.0% of the subjects still had no access to any continued-use medication, and for those with more than four chronic diseases, this amount reached 22.0%. Those with a greater number of chronic diseases ran a higher risk of not having access to all the medication they needed. CONCLUSIONS There are some groups of older adults with an increased risk of not obtaining all the medication they need and of purchasing it. The results of this study are expected to contribute to guide programs and plans for access to medication in Brazil. PMID:25741646

  8. Random-access technique for modular bathymetry data storage in a continental shelf wave refraction program

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Poole, L. R.

    1974-01-01

    A study was conducted of an alternate method for storage and use of bathymetry data in the Langley Research Center and Virginia Institute of Marine Science mid-Atlantic continental-shelf wave-refraction computer program. The regional bathymetry array was divided into 105 indexed modules which can be read individually into memory in a nonsequential manner from a peripheral file using special random-access subroutines. In running a sample refraction case, a 75-percent decrease in program field length was achieved by using the random-access storage method in comparison with the conventional method of total regional array storage. This field-length decrease was accompanied by a comparative 5-percent increase in central processing time and a 477-percent increase in the number of operating-system calls. A comparative Langley Research Center computer system cost savings of 68 percent was achieved by using the random-access storage method.

  9. Managing Information Resources for Accessibility.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    General Services Administration, Washington, DC. Clearinghouse on Computer Accommodation.

    This handbook presents guidance for federal managers and other personnel who are unfamiliar with the policy and practice of information accessibility to accommodate users with disabilities and to provide for their effective access to information resources. It addresses federal requirements for accessibility, adopting accessibility as a sound…

  10. Accessibility | FNLCR Staging

    Cancer.gov

    The Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research campus is making every effort to ensure that the information available on our website is accessible to all. If you use special adaptive equipment to access the web and encounter problems when usin

  11. Spatial access disparities to primary health care in rural and remote Australia.

    PubMed

    McGrail, Matthew Richard; Humphreys, John Stirling

    2015-11-04

    Poor spatial access to health care remains a key issue for rural populations worldwide. Whilst geographic information systems (GIS) have enabled the development of more sophisticated access measures, they are yet to be adopted into health policy and workforce planning. This paper provides and tests a new national-level approach to measuring primary health care (PHC) access for rural Australia, suitable for use in macro-level health policy. The new index was constructed using a modified two-step floating catchment area method framework and the smallest available geographic unit. Primary health care spatial access was operationalised using three broad components: availability of PHC (general practitioner) services; proximity of populations to PHC services; and PHC needs of the population. Data used in its measurement were specifically chosen for accuracy, reliability and ongoing availability for small areas. The resultant index reveals spatial disparities of access to PHC across rural Australia. While generally more remote areas experienced poorer access than more populated rural areas, there were numerous exceptions to this generalisation, with some rural areas close to metropolitan areas having very poor access and some increasingly remote areas having relatively good access. This new index provides a geographically-sensitive measure of access, which is readily updateable and enables a fine granulation of access disparities. Such an index can underpin national rural health programmes and policies designed to improve rural workforce recruitment and retention, and, importantly, health service planning and resource allocation decisions designed to improve equity of PHC access.

  12. Reflective Database Access Control

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Olson, Lars E.

    2009-01-01

    "Reflective Database Access Control" (RDBAC) is a model in which a database privilege is expressed as a database query itself, rather than as a static privilege contained in an access control list. RDBAC aids the management of database access controls by improving the expressiveness of policies. However, such policies introduce new interactions…

  13. Plan characteristics and SSI enrollees' access to and quality of care in four TennCare MCOs.

    PubMed

    Hill, Steven C; Wooldridge, Judith

    2002-10-01

    To assess hypotheses about which managed care organization (MCO) characteristics affect access to care and quality of care--including access to specialists, providers' knowledge about disability, and coordination of care--for people with disabilities. Survey of blind/disabled Supplemental Security Income (SSI) enrollees in four MCOs serving TennCare, Tennessee's Medicaid managed care program, in Memphis, conducted from 1998 through spring 1999. We compared enrollee reports of access and quality across the four MCOs using regression methods, and we use case study methods to assess whether patterns both within and across MCOs are consistent with the hypotheses. We conducted computer-assisted telephone surveys and used regression analysis to compare access and quality controlling for enrollee characteristics. Although the four MCOs' characteristics varied, access to providers, coordination of care, and access to some services were generally similar across MCOs. Enrollees in one plan, the only MCO with a larger provider network and that paid physicians on a fee-for-service basis, reported their providers were more knowledgeable, and they had more secondary preventive care visits. Differences found in access to specialists and delays in approving care appear to be unrelated to characteristics reported by the MCOs, but instead may be related to how tightly utilization is reviewed. Plan networks, financial incentives, utilization management methods, and state requirements are important areas for further study, and, in the meantime, ongoing monitoring of SSI enrollees in each MCO may be important for detecting problems and successes.

  14. A Bibliometric Study of Scholarly Articles Published by Library and Information Science Authors about Open Access

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Grandbois, Jennifer; Beheshti, Jamshid

    2014-01-01

    Introduction: This study aims to gain a greater understanding of the development of open access practices amongst library and information science authors, since their role is integral to the success of the broader open access movement. Method: Data were collected from scholarly articles about open access by library and information science authors…

  15. Digital Scholarship and Open Access

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Losoff, Barbara; Pence, Harry E.

    2010-01-01

    Open access publications provide scholars with unrestricted access to the "conversation" that is the basis for the advancement of knowledge. The large number of open access journals, archives, and depositories already in existence demonstrates the technical and economic viability of providing unrestricted access to the literature that is the…

  16. 76 FR 19357 - Emergency Access Advisory Committee; Announcement of Date of Next Meeting

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-04-07

    ... Committee will address the status of the national survey of persons with disability and seniors to learn... access to emergency services by individuals with disabilities as part of our nation's migration to a... methods by which to enable access to NG9-1-1 emergency services by individuals with disabilities. In order...

  17. Access to Preventive Health Care for Cancer Survivors

    PubMed Central

    Yabroff, K. Robin; Short, Pamela Farley; Machlin, Steven; Dowling, Emily; Rozjabek, Heather; Li, Chunyu; McNeel, Timothy; Ekwueme, Donatus U.; Virgo, Katherine S.

    2013-01-01

    Background Access to healthcare, particularly effective primary and secondary preventive care, is critical for cancer survivors, in order to minimize the adverse sequelae of cancer and its treatment. Purpose The goal of the study was to evaluate the association between cancer survivorship and access to primary and preventive health care. Methods Cancer survivors (n=4960) and individuals without a cancer history (n=64,431) aged ≥18 years, from the 2008–2010 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), were evaluated. Multiple measures of access and preventive services use were compared. The association between cancer survivorship and access and preventive services was evaluated with multivariate logistic regression models, stratified by age group (18–64 years and ≥65 years), controlling for the effects of age, gender, race/ethnicity, education, marital status, and comorbidities. Data were analyzed in 2013. Results Cancer survivors aged ≥65 years had equivalent or greater access and preventive services use than individuals without a cancer history, in adjusted analyses. However, among those aged 18–64 years with private health insurance, cancer survivors were more likely than other individuals to have a usual source of care and to use preventive services, whereas uninsured or publicly insured cancer survivors were generally less likely to have a usual source of care and to use preventive services than were uninsured or publicly insured adults without a cancer history. Conclusions Although access and preventive care use in cancer survivors is generally equivalent or greater compared to that of other individuals, disparities for uninsured and publicly insured cancer survivors aged 18–64 years suggest that improvements in survivor care are needed. PMID:23953357

  18. Direct Percutaneous Left Ventricular Access and Port Closure

    PubMed Central

    Barbash, Israel M.; Saikus, Christina E.; Faranesh, Anthony Z.; Ratnayaka, Kanishka; Kocaturk, Ozgur; Chen, Marcus Y.; Bell, Jamie A.; Virmani, Renu; Schenke, William H.; Hansen, Michael S.; Slack, Michael C.; Lederman, Robert J.

    2012-01-01

    Objectives This study sought to evaluate feasibility of nonsurgical transthoracic catheter-based left ventricular (LV) access and closure. Background Implanting large devices, such as mitral or aortic valve prostheses, into the heart requires surgical exposure and repair. Reliable percutaneous direct transthoracic LV access and closure would allow new nonsurgical therapeutic procedures. Methods Percutaneous direct LV access was performed in 19 swine using real-time magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and an “active” MRI needle antenna to deliver an 18-F introducer sheath. The LV access ports were closed percutaneously using a commercial ventricular septal defect occluder and an “active” MRI delivery cable for enhanced visibility. We used “permissive pericardial tamponade” (temporary fluid instillation to separate the 2 pericardial layers) to avoid pericardial entrapment by the epicardial disk. Techniques were developed in 8 animals, and 11 more were followed up to 3 months by MRI and histopathology. Results Imaging guidance allowed 18-F sheath access and closure with appropriate positioning of the occluder inside the transmyocardial tunnel. Of the survival cohort, immediate hemostasis was achieved in 8 of 11 patients. Failure modes included pericardial entrapment by the epicardial occluder disk (n = 2) and a true-apex entry site that prevented hemostatic apposition of the endocardial disk (n = 1). Reactive pericardial effusion (192 ± 118 ml) accumulated 5 ± 1 days after the procedure, requiring 1-time drainage. At 3 months, LV function was preserved, and the device was endothelialized. Conclusions Direct percutaneous LV access and closure is feasible using real-time MRI. A commercial occluder achieved hemostasis without evident deleterious effects on the LV. Having established the concept, further clinical development of this approach appears realistic. PMID:22192372

  19. Non-volatile magnetic random access memory

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Katti, Romney R. (Inventor); Stadler, Henry L. (Inventor); Wu, Jiin-Chuan (Inventor)

    1994-01-01

    Improvements are made in a non-volatile magnetic random access memory. Such a memory is comprised of an array of unit cells, each having a Hall-effect sensor and a thin-film magnetic element made of material having an in-plane, uniaxial anisotropy and in-plane, bipolar remanent magnetization states. The Hall-effect sensor is made more sensitive by using a 1 m thick molecular beam epitaxy grown InAs layer on a silicon substrate by employing a GaAs/AlGaAs/InAlAs superlattice buffering layer. One improvement avoids current shunting problems of matrix architecture. Another improvement reduces the required magnetizing current for the micromagnets. Another improvement relates to the use of GaAs technology wherein high electron-mobility GaAs MESFETs provide faster switching times. Still another improvement relates to a method for configuring the invention as a three-dimensional random access memory.

  20. A sparse autoencoder-based deep neural network for protein solvent accessibility and contact number prediction.

    PubMed

    Deng, Lei; Fan, Chao; Zeng, Zhiwen

    2017-12-28

    Direct prediction of the three-dimensional (3D) structures of proteins from one-dimensional (1D) sequences is a challenging problem. Significant structural characteristics such as solvent accessibility and contact number are essential for deriving restrains in modeling protein folding and protein 3D structure. Thus, accurately predicting these features is a critical step for 3D protein structure building. In this study, we present DeepSacon, a computational method that can effectively predict protein solvent accessibility and contact number by using a deep neural network, which is built based on stacked autoencoder and a dropout method. The results demonstrate that our proposed DeepSacon achieves a significant improvement in the prediction quality compared with the state-of-the-art methods. We obtain 0.70 three-state accuracy for solvent accessibility, 0.33 15-state accuracy and 0.74 Pearson Correlation Coefficient (PCC) for the contact number on the 5729 monomeric soluble globular protein dataset. We also evaluate the performance on the CASP11 benchmark dataset, DeepSacon achieves 0.68 three-state accuracy and 0.69 PCC for solvent accessibility and contact number, respectively. We have shown that DeepSacon can reliably predict solvent accessibility and contact number with stacked sparse autoencoder and a dropout approach.

  1. College Scholarship Fraud Prevention Act of 2000: First Annual Report to Congress. May 2002

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    US Department of Education, 2002

    2002-01-01

    Every year, millions of high school graduates enter college. The cost of a four-year college education has risen over 600 percent since 1969. Students and their families seek ways to finance the rising costs of a college education, at times falling prey to scholarship and financial aid scams. To help students and their families, on November 5,…

  2. CrossTalk. The Journal of Defense Software Engineering. Volume 17, Number 3, March 2004

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2004-03-01

    grace and a littlemore space to house our growing child . Memory filled, the disk over spilled and the infant was now teen wild. The coffers were plump...and a plethora of spam. Jobs reborn, lots of porn , and a case of identity scam. We were the butt of your jokes,drank all your Cokes, and programmed

  3. Con Artists Attack Colleges with Fake Help-Desk E-Mail

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Young, Jeffrey R.

    2008-01-01

    An e-mail scam has hit tens of thousands of users at dozens of colleges over the past few weeks, leaving network administrators scrambling to respond before campus computer accounts are taken over by spammers. Students, professors, and staff members at the affected colleges received e-mail messages that purported to come from the colleges' help…

  4. Spatial accessibility of primary health care in China: A case study in Sichuan Province.

    PubMed

    Wang, Xiuli; Yang, Huazhen; Duan, Zhanqi; Pan, Jay

    2018-05-10

    Access to primary health care is considered a fundamental right and an important facilitator of overall population health. Township health centers (THCs) and Community health centers (CHCs) serve as central hubs of China's primary health care system and have been emphasized during recent health care reforms. Accessibility of these hubs is poorly understood and a better understanding of the current situation is essential for proper decision making. This study assesses spatial access to health care provided by primary health care institutions (THCs/CHCs) in Sichuan Province as a microcosm in China. The Nearest-Neighbor method, Enhanced Two-Step Floating Catchment Area (E2SFCA) method, and Gini Coefficient are utilized to represent travel impedance, spatial accessibility, and disparity of primary health care resources (hospital beds, doctors, and health professionals). Accessibilities and Gini Coefficients are correlated with social development indexes (GDP, ethnicity, etc.) to identify influencing factors. Spatial access to primary health care is better in southeastern Sichuan compared to northwestern Sichuan in terms of shorter travel time, higher spatial accessibility, and lower inequity. Social development indexes all showed significant correlation with county averaged spatial accessibilities/Gini Coefficients, with population density ranking top. The disparity of access to primary health care is also apparent between ethnic minority and non-minority regions. To improve spatial access to primary health care and narrow the inequity, more township health centers staffed by qualified health professionals are recommended for northwestern Sichuan. Improved road networks will also help. Among areas with insufficient primary health care, the specific counties where demographics are dominated by older people and children due to widespread rural-urban migration of the workforce, and by ethnic minorities, should be especially emphasized in future planning. Copyright © 2018

  5. Spatial Accessibility to Health Care Services: Identifying under-Serviced Neighbourhoods in Canadian Urban Areas.

    PubMed

    Shah, Tayyab Ikram; Bell, Scott; Wilson, Kathi

    2016-01-01

    Urban environments can influence many aspects of health and well-being and access to health care is one of them. Access to primary health care (PHC) in urban settings is a pressing research and policy issue in Canada. Most research on access to healthcare is focused on national and provincial levels in Canada; there is a need to advance current understanding to local scales such as neighbourhoods. This study examines spatial accessibility to family physicians using the Three-Step Floating Catchment Area (3SFCA) method to identify neighbourhoods with poor geographical access to PHC services and their spatial patterning across 14 Canadian urban settings. An index of spatial access to PHC services, representing an accessibility score (physicians-per-1000 population), was calculated for neighborhoods using a 3km road network distance. Information about primary health care providers (this definition does not include mobile services such as health buses or nurse practitioners or less distributed services such as emergency rooms) used in this research was gathered from publicly available and routinely updated sources (i.e. provincial colleges of physicians and surgeons). An integrated geocoding approach was used to establish PHC locations. The results found that the three methods, Simple Ratio, Neighbourhood Simple Ratio, and 3SFCA that produce City level access scores are positively correlated with each other. Comparative analyses were performed both within and across urban settings to examine disparities in distributions of PHC services. It is found that neighbourhoods with poor accessibility scores in the main urban settings across Canada have further disadvantages in relation to population high health care needs. The results of this study show substantial variations in geographical accessibility to PHC services both within and among urban areas. This research enhances our understanding of spatial accessibility to health care services at the neighbourhood level. In

  6. Open-access microfluidic patch-clamp array with raised lateral cell trapping sites.

    PubMed

    Lau, Adrian Y; Hung, Paul J; Wu, Angela R; Lee, Luke P

    2006-12-01

    A novel open-access microfluidic patch-clamp array chip with lateral cell trapping sites raised above the bottom plane of the chip was developed by combining both a microscale soft-lithography and a macroscale polymer fabrication method. This paper demonstrates the capability of using such an open-access fluidic system for patch-clamp measurements. The surface of the open-access patch-clamp sites prepared by the macroscale hole patterning method of soft-state elastic polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) is examined; the seal resistances are characterized and correlated with the aperture dimensions. Whole cell patch-clamp measurements are carried out with CHO cells expressing Kv2.1 ion channels. Kv2.1 ion channel blocker (TEA) dosage response is characterized and the binding activity is examined. The results demonstrate that the system is capable of performing whole cell measurements and drug profiling in a more efficient manner than the traditional patch-clamp set-up.

  7. Access to timely formal dementia care in Europe: protocol of the Actifcare (ACcess to Timely Formal Care) study.

    PubMed

    Kerpershoek, Liselot; de Vugt, Marjolein; Wolfs, Claire; Jelley, Hannah; Orrell, Martin; Woods, Bob; Stephan, Astrid; Bieber, Anja; Meyer, Gabriele; Engedal, Knut; Selbaek, Geir; Handels, Ron; Wimo, Anders; Hopper, Louise; Irving, Kate; Marques, Maria; Gonçalves-Pereira, Manuel; Portolani, Elisa; Zanetti, Orazio; Verhey, Frans

    2016-08-23

    Previous findings indicate that people with dementia and their informal carers experience difficulties accessing and using formal care services due to a mismatch between needs and service use. This mismatch causes overall dissatisfaction and is a waste of the scarce financial care resources. This article presents the background and methods of the Actifcare (ACcess to Timely Formal Care) project. This is a European study aiming at best-practice development in finding timely access to formal care for community-dwelling people with dementia and their informal carers. There are five main objectives: 1) Explore predisposing and enabling factors associated with the use of formal care, 2) Explore the association between the use of formal care, needs and quality of life and 3) Compare these across European countries, 4) Understand the costs and consequences of formal care services utilization in people with unmet needs, 5) Determine the major costs and quality of life drivers and their relationship with formal care services across European countries. In a longitudinal cohort study conducted in eight European countries approximately 450 people with dementia and informal carers will be assessed three times in 1 year (baseline, 6 and 12 months). In this year we will closely monitor the process of finding access to formal care. Data on service use, quality of life and needs will be collected. The results of Actifcare are expected to reveal best-practices in organizing formal care. Knowledge about enabling and predisposing factors regarding access to care services, as well as its costs and consequences, can advance the state of the art in health systems research into pathways to dementia care, in order to benefit people with dementia and their informal carers.

  8. ChIPWig: a random access-enabling lossless and lossy compression method for ChIP-seq data.

    PubMed

    Ravanmehr, Vida; Kim, Minji; Wang, Zhiying; Milenkovic, Olgica

    2018-03-15

    Chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing (ChIP-seq) experiments are inexpensive and time-efficient, and result in massive datasets that introduce significant storage and maintenance challenges. To address the resulting Big Data problems, we propose a lossless and lossy compression framework specifically designed for ChIP-seq Wig data, termed ChIPWig. ChIPWig enables random access, summary statistics lookups and it is based on the asymptotic theory of optimal point density design for nonuniform quantizers. We tested the ChIPWig compressor on 10 ChIP-seq datasets generated by the ENCODE consortium. On average, lossless ChIPWig reduced the file sizes to merely 6% of the original, and offered 6-fold compression rate improvement compared to bigWig. The lossy feature further reduced file sizes 2-fold compared to the lossless mode, with little or no effects on peak calling and motif discovery using specialized NarrowPeaks methods. The compression and decompression speed rates are of the order of 0.2 sec/MB using general purpose computers. The source code and binaries are freely available for download at https://github.com/vidarmehr/ChIPWig-v2, implemented in C ++. milenkov@illinois.edu. Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.

  9. An extended Kalman-Bucy filter for atmospheric temperature profile retrieval with a passive microwave sounder

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Ledsham, W. H.; Staelin, D. H.

    1978-01-01

    An extended Kalman-Bucy filter has been implemented for atmospheric temperature profile retrievals from observations made using the Scanned Microwave Spectrometer (SCAMS) instrument carried on the Nimbus 6 satellite. This filter has the advantage that it requires neither stationary statistics in the underlying processes nor linear production of the observed variables from the variables to be estimated. This extended Kalman-Bucy filter has yielded significant performance improvement relative to multiple regression retrieval methods. A multi-spot extended Kalman-Bucy filter has also been developed in which the temperature profiles at a number of scan angles in a scanning instrument are retrieved simultaneously. These multi-spot retrievals are shown to outperform the single-spot Kalman retrievals.

  10. Using Operational Analysis to Improve Access to Pulmonary Function Testing.

    PubMed

    Ip, Ada; Asamoah-Barnieh, Raymond; Bischak, Diane P; Davidson, Warren J; Flemons, W Ward; Pendharkar, Sachin R

    2016-01-01

    Background. Timely pulmonary function testing is crucial to improving diagnosis and treatment of pulmonary diseases. Perceptions of poor access at an academic pulmonary function laboratory prompted analysis of system demand and capacity to identify factors contributing to poor access. Methods. Surveys and interviews identified stakeholder perspectives on operational processes and access challenges. Retrospective data on testing demand and resource capacity was analyzed to understand utilization of testing resources. Results. Qualitative analysis demonstrated that stakeholder groups had discrepant views on access and capacity in the laboratory. Mean daily resource utilization was 0.64 (SD 0.15), with monthly average utilization consistently less than 0.75. Reserved testing slots for subspecialty clinics were poorly utilized, leaving many testing slots unfilled. When subspecialty demand exceeded number of reserved slots, there was sufficient capacity in the pulmonary function schedule to accommodate added demand. Findings were shared with stakeholders and influenced scheduling process improvements. Conclusion. This study highlights the importance of operational data to identify causes of poor access, guide system decision-making, and determine effects of improvement initiatives in a variety of healthcare settings. Importantly, simple operational analysis can help to improve efficiency of health systems with little or no added financial investment.

  11. Web accessibility support for visually impaired users using link content analysis.

    PubMed

    Iwata, Hajime; Kobayashi, Naofumi; Tachibana, Kenji; Shirogane, Junko; Fukazawa, Yoshiaki

    2013-12-01

    Web pages are used for a variety of purposes. End users must understand dynamically changing content and sequentially follow page links to find desired material, requiring significant time and effort. However, for visually impaired users using screen readers, it can be difficult to find links to web pages when link text and alternative text descriptions are inappropriate. Our method supports the discovery of content by analyzing 8 categories of link types, and allows visually impaired users to be aware of the content represented by links in advance. This facilitates end users access to necessary information on web pages. Our method of classifying web page links is therefore effective as a means of evaluating accessibility.

  12. ThermoBuild: Online Method Made Available for Accessing NASA Glenn Thermodynamic Data

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    McBride, Bonnie; Zehe, Michael J.

    2004-01-01

    The new Web site program "ThermoBuild" allows users to easily access and use the NASA Glenn Thermodynamic Database of over 2000 solid, liquid, and gaseous species. A convenient periodic table allows users to "build" the molecules of interest and designate the temperature range over which thermodynamic functions are to be displayed. ThermoBuild also allows users to build custom databases for use with NASA's Chemical Equilibrium with Applications (CEA) program or other programs that require the NASA format for thermodynamic properties. The NASA Glenn Research Center has long been a leader in the compilation and dissemination of up-to-date thermodynamic data, primarily for use with the NASA CEA program, but increasingly for use with other computer programs.

  13. Anomaly and signature filtering improve classifier performance for detection of suspicious access to EHRs.

    PubMed

    Kim, Jihoon; Grillo, Janice M; Boxwala, Aziz A; Jiang, Xiaoqian; Mandelbaum, Rose B; Patel, Bhakti A; Mikels, Debra; Vinterbo, Staal A; Ohno-Machado, Lucila

    2011-01-01

    Our objective is to facilitate semi-automated detection of suspicious access to EHRs. Previously we have shown that a machine learning method can play a role in identifying potentially inappropriate access to EHRs. However, the problem of sampling informative instances to build a classifier still remained. We developed an integrated filtering method leveraging both anomaly detection based on symbolic clustering and signature detection, a rule-based technique. We applied the integrated filtering to 25.5 million access records in an intervention arm, and compared this with 8.6 million access records in a control arm where no filtering was applied. On the training set with cross-validation, the AUC was 0.960 in the control arm and 0.998 in the intervention arm. The difference in false negative rates on the independent test set was significant, P=1.6×10(-6). Our study suggests that utilization of integrated filtering strategies to facilitate the construction of classifiers can be helpful.

  14. Anomaly and Signature Filtering Improve Classifier Performance For Detection Of Suspicious Access To EHRs

    PubMed Central

    Kim, Jihoon; Grillo, Janice M; Boxwala, Aziz A; Jiang, Xiaoqian; Mandelbaum, Rose B; Patel, Bhakti A; Mikels, Debra; Vinterbo, Staal A; Ohno-Machado, Lucila

    2011-01-01

    Our objective is to facilitate semi-automated detection of suspicious access to EHRs. Previously we have shown that a machine learning method can play a role in identifying potentially inappropriate access to EHRs. However, the problem of sampling informative instances to build a classifier still remained. We developed an integrated filtering method leveraging both anomaly detection based on symbolic clustering and signature detection, a rule-based technique. We applied the integrated filtering to 25.5 million access records in an intervention arm, and compared this with 8.6 million access records in a control arm where no filtering was applied. On the training set with cross-validation, the AUC was 0.960 in the control arm and 0.998 in the intervention arm. The difference in false negative rates on the independent test set was significant, P=1.6×10−6. Our study suggests that utilization of integrated filtering strategies to facilitate the construction of classifiers can be helpful. PMID:22195129

  15. A Conceptual Framework of Mapping Access to Health Care across EU Countries: The Patient Access Initiative.

    PubMed

    Souliotis, Kyriakos; Hasardzhiev, Stanimir; Agapidaki, Eirini

    Research evidence suggests that access to health care is the key influential factor for improved population health outcomes and health care system sustainability. Although the importance of addressing barriers in access to health care across European countries is well documented, little has been done to improve the situation. This is due to different definitions, approaches and policies, and partly due to persisting disparities in access within and between European countries. To bridge this gap, the Patient Access Partnership (PACT) developed (a) the '5As' definition of access, which details the five critical elements (adequacy, accessibility, affordability, appropriateness, and availability) of access to health care, (b) a multi-stakeholders' approach for mapping access, and (c) a 13-item questionnaire based on the 5As definition in an effort to address these obstacles and to identify best practices. These tools are expected to contribute effectively to addressing access barriers in practice, by suggesting a common framework and facilitating the exchange of knowledge and expertise, in order to improve access to health care between and within European countries. © 2016 S. Karger AG, Basel.

  16. A study comparing centralized CD-ROM and decentralized intranet access to MEDLINE

    PubMed Central

    Darmoni, Stefan J.; Benichou, Jacques; Thirion, Benoit; Hellot, Marie France; Fuss, Jacques

    2000-01-01

    Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of a decentralized intranet access in each medical department as opposed to centralized unique MEDLINE access in the medical library. Design: A two-phase questionnaire to evaluate MEDLINE use was given to junior and senior physicians at Rouen University Hospital (RUH). Phase I (August–October 1996) corresponded to a time period when centralized access was the only means of access available and phase II (August–October 1997) to a time period following the introduction of decentralized intranet access. Results: A total of 168 physicians filled out at least one phase of the questionnaire, among whom 123 (73%) filled out both phases. Use of MEDLINE significantly increased in 1997 (average of 10.2 ± 1.1 searches in three months) versus 1996 (average of 4.9 ± 0.7 searches in three months, P < 0.0001). The aim of searches changed, becoming significantly more care oriented in phase II (P < 0.0001). The number of searches performed by the physicians alone increased (P < 0.0001) and searches performed by the librarian decreased (P < 0.0001) in phase II. The method of searches also changed, as searches by author (P < 0.0001), by journal (P = 0.0042), and by free word (P = 0.0027) increased in phase II. Knowledge of the following concepts of MEDLINE significantly increased: explosion (P < 0.0001), scope note (P < 0.0001), Abridged Index Medicus (AIM) journals (P < 0.0001), Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) qualifier (P < 0.0001), and focus (P < 0.0001). Conclusion: A decentralized intranet access to MEDLINE increased the number of searches and knowledge of this bibliographic database. MEDLINE intranet access modified the purpose and the methods of searching. PMID:10783970

  17. Automating testbed documentation and database access using World Wide Web (WWW) tools

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Ames, Charles; Auernheimer, Brent; Lee, Young H.

    1994-01-01

    A method for providing uniform transparent access to disparate distributed information systems was demonstrated. A prototype testing interface was developed to access documentation and information using publicly available hypermedia tools. The prototype gives testers a uniform, platform-independent user interface to on-line documentation, user manuals, and mission-specific test and operations data. Mosaic was the common user interface, and HTML (Hypertext Markup Language) provided hypertext capability.

  18. Database Access Systems.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dalrymple, Prudence W.; Roderer, Nancy K.

    1994-01-01

    Highlights the changes that have occurred from 1987-93 in database access systems. Topics addressed include types of databases, including CD-ROMs; enduser interface; database selection; database access management, including library instruction and use of primary literature; economic issues; database users; the search process; and improving…

  19. SIPP ACCESS: Information Tools Improve Access to National Longitudinal Panel Surveys.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Robbin, Alice; David, Martin

    1988-01-01

    A computer-based, integrated information system incorporating data and information about the data, SIPP ACCESS systematically links technologies of laser disk, mainframe computer, microcomputer, and electronic networks, and applies relational technology to provide access to information about complex statistical data collections. Examples are given…

  20. Accessibility of antiretroviral therapy in Ghana: convenience of access.

    PubMed

    Addo-Atuah, Joyce; Gourley, Dick; Gourley, Greta; White-Means, Shelley I; Womeodu, Robin J; Faris, Richard J; Addo, Nii Akwei

    2012-01-01

    The convenience of accessing antiretroviral therapy (ART) is important for initial access to care and subsequent adherence to ART. We conducted a qualitative study of people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) and ART healthcare providers in Ghana in 2005. The objective of this study was to explore the participants' perceived convenience of accessing ART by PLWHA in Ghana. The convenience of accessing ART was evaluated from the reported travel and waiting times to receive care, the availability, or otherwise, of special considerations, with respect to the waiting time to receive care, for those PLWHA who were in active employment in the formal sector, the frequency of clinic visits before and after initiating ART, and whether the PLWHA saw the same or different providers at each clinic visit (continuity of care). This qualitative study used in-depth interviews based on Yin's case-study research design to collect data from 20 PLWHA and 24 ART healthcare providers as study participants. • Reported travel time to receive ART services ranged from 2 to 12 h for 30% of the PLWHA. • Waiting time to receive care was from 4 to 9 h. • While known government workers, such as teachers, were attended to earlier in some of the centres, this was not a consistent practice in all the four ART centres studied. • The PLWHA corroborated the providers' description of the procedure for initiating and monitoring ART in Ghana. • PLWHA did not see the same provider every time, but they were assured that this did not compromise the continuity of their care. Our study suggests that convenience of accessing ART is important to both PLWHA and ART healthcare providers, but the participants alluded to other factors, including open provider-patient communication, which might explain the PLWHA's understanding of the constraints under which they were receiving care. The current nation-wide coverage of the ART programme in Ghana, however, calls for the replication of this study to identify

  1. Deficits in Young Men's Knowledge about Accessing Sexual and Reproductive Health Services

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bersamin, Melina; Fisher, Deborah A.; Marcell, Arik V.; Finan, Laura J.

    2017-01-01

    Objective: The current study aimed to examine (1) gender differences in college students' knowledge of sexual and reproductive health care (K-SRHC) service access points, and (2) the relationship between demographic and psychosocial factors and college students' overall K-SRHC service access points. Methods and Participants: Self-report online…

  2. Standards and Access.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fox, Tom

    1993-01-01

    Argues that easy claims about the relationship between language mastery and academic or economic access (made by both conservative commentators on education and mainstream writing teachers) are false and obscure real social and political boundaries, such as racism, sexism, elitism, and homophobia, that really do prevent access. (SR)

  3. Online Access to Doctors' Notes: Patient Concerns About Privacy

    PubMed Central

    Mejilla, Roanne; Leveille, Suzanne G; Ralston, James D; Darer, Jonathan D; Delbanco, Tom; Walker, Jan; Elmore, Joann G

    2013-01-01

    Background Offering patients online access to medical records, including doctors’ visit notes, holds considerable potential to improve care. However, patients may worry about loss of privacy when accessing personal health information through Internet-based patient portals. The OpenNotes study provided patients at three US health care institutions with online access to their primary care doctors’ notes and then collected survey data about their experiences, including their concerns about privacy before and after participation in the intervention. Objective To identify patients’ attitudes toward privacy when given electronic access to their medical records, including visit notes. Methods The design used a nested cohort study of patients surveyed at baseline and after a 1-year period during which they were invited to read their visit notes through secure patient portals. Participants consisted of 3874 primary care patients from Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (Boston, MA), Geisinger Health System (Danville, PA), and Harborview Medical Center (Seattle, WA) who completed surveys before and after the OpenNotes intervention. The measures were patient-reported levels of concern regarding privacy associated with online access to visit notes. Results 32.91% of patients (1275/3874 respondents) reported concerns about privacy at baseline versus 36.63% (1419/3874 respondents) post-intervention. Baseline concerns were associated with non-white race/ethnicity and lower confidence in communicating with doctors, but were not associated with choosing to read notes or desire for continued online access post-intervention (nearly all patients with notes available chose to read them and wanted continued access). While the level of concern among most participants did not change during the intervention, 15.54% (602/3874 respondents, excluding participants who responded “don’t know”) reported more concern post-intervention, and 12.73% (493/3874 respondents, excluding

  4. Committee Opinion No 707: Access to Emergency Contraception.

    PubMed

    2017-07-01

    Emergency contraception refers to contraceptive methods used to prevent pregnancy in the first few days after unprotected intercourse, sexual assault, or contraceptive failure. Although the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the first dedicated product for emergency contraception in 1998, numerous barriers to emergency contraception remain. The purpose of this Committee Opinion is to examine barriers to the use of emergency contraception, emphasize the importance of increasing access, and review new methods of emergency contraception and limitations in efficacy in special populations.

  5. When are food deserts? Integrating time into research on food accessibility.

    PubMed

    Widener, Michael J; Shannon, Jerry

    2014-11-01

    The food desert concept is used as a means for defining regions as having inadequate spatial and socioeconomic access to vendors selling nutritious foods. This primarily aggregate-level and static method for understanding the food environment is commonly used by researchers and policy makers seeking to improve health outcomes of those affected by reduced access. However, recent research findings have brought the association between living in a food desert and adverse health outcomes into question. In this viewpoint, we put forward the idea that the food desert concept, and food accessibility research more generally, should be expanded to include a temporal component, and note potential avenues for future research. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. NLM Emergency Access Initiative: FAQs

    Science.gov Websites

    provide temporary free access to full-text articles from over 650 biomedical serial titles and over 4,000 specified on the EAI welcome page can access the free full text resources during the period indicated to will I have access to this site? The dates of the free access period are listed on the home page along

  7. Design of Unstructured Adaptive (UA) NAS Parallel Benchmark Featuring Irregular, Dynamic Memory Accesses

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Feng, Hui-Yu; VanderWijngaart, Rob; Biswas, Rupak; Biegel, Bryan (Technical Monitor)

    2001-01-01

    We describe the design of a new method for the measurement of the performance of modern computer systems when solving scientific problems featuring irregular, dynamic memory accesses. The method involves the solution of a stylized heat transfer problem on an unstructured, adaptive grid. A Spectral Element Method (SEM) with an adaptive, nonconforming mesh is selected to discretize the transport equation. The relatively high order of the SEM lowers the fraction of wall clock time spent on inter-processor communication, which eases the load balancing task and allows us to concentrate on the memory accesses. The benchmark is designed to be three-dimensional. Parallelization and load balance issues of a reference implementation will be described in detail in future reports.

  8. Public Access and Open Access: Is There a Difference? | Poster

    Cancer.gov

    By Robin Meckley, Contributing Writer, and Tracie Frederick, Guest Writer Open access and public access—are they different concepts or are they the same? What do they mean for the researchers at NCI at Frederick? “Open-access (OA) literature is digital, online, free of charge, and free of most copyright and licensing restrictions. What makes it possible is the Internet and the

  9. Context-aware access control for pervasive access to process-based healthcare systems.

    PubMed

    Koufi, Vassiliki; Vassilacopoulos, George

    2008-01-01

    Healthcare is an increasingly collaborative enterprise involving a broad range of healthcare services provided by many individuals and organizations. Grid technology has been widely recognized as a means for integrating disparate computing resources in the healthcare field. Moreover, Grid portal applications can be developed on a wireless and mobile infrastructure to execute healthcare processes which, in turn, can provide remote access to Grid database services. Such an environment provides ubiquitous and pervasive access to integrated healthcare services at the point of care, thus improving healthcare quality. In such environments, the ability to provide an effective access control mechanism that meets the requirement of the least privilege principle is essential. Adherence to the least privilege principle requires continuous adjustments of user permissions in order to adapt to the current situation. This paper presents a context-aware access control mechanism for HDGPortal, a Grid portal application which provides access to workflow-based healthcare processes using wireless Personal Digital Assistants. The proposed mechanism builds upon and enhances security mechanisms provided by the Grid Security Infrastructure. It provides tight, just-in-time permissions so that authorized users get access to specific objects according to the current context. These permissions are subject to continuous adjustments triggered by the changing context. Thus, the risk of compromising information integrity during task executions is reduced.

  10. DETAIL VIEW OF SRB/ET ACCESS PANELS, THROUGH VEHICLE ACCESS PLATFORMS ...

    Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

    DETAIL VIEW OF SRB/ET ACCESS PANELS, THROUGH VEHICLE ACCESS PLATFORMS E-NORTH, E-SOUTH, B-NORTH, AND B-SOUTH, HB-3, FACING NORTH - Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Launch Complex 39, Vehicle Assembly Building, VAB Road, East of Kennedy Parkway North, Cape Canaveral, Brevard County, FL

  11. Web client and ODBC access to legacy database information: a low cost approach.

    PubMed Central

    Sanders, N. W.; Mann, N. H.; Spengler, D. M.

    1997-01-01

    A new method has been developed for the Department of Orthopaedics of Vanderbilt University Medical Center to access departmental clinical data. Previously this data was stored only in the medical center's mainframe DB2 database, it is now additionally stored in a departmental SQL database. Access to this data is available via any ODBC compliant front-end or a web client. With a small budget and no full time staff, we were able to give our department on-line access to many years worth of patient data that was previously inaccessible. PMID:9357735

  12. Effects of gamma irradiation on the performance of Jatropha (Jatropha curcas L.) accessions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Surahman, M.; Santosa, E.; Agusta, H.; Aisyah, S. I.; Nisya, F. N.

    2018-03-01

    This study aimed to assess the effects of mutation by using gamma ray on the performance of jatropha plants. The study was conducted at PAIR BATAN. Jatropha seeds obtained from the collection farm of SBRC LPPM IPB and PT Indocement Tunggal Prakarsa Tbk in Gunung Putri, Bogor, were irradiated. The irradiated seeds were grown in Jonggol Trial Farm of IPB. Gamma irradiation was conducted by using a GCM 4000A device. Treatments consisted of irradiation doses, irradiation methods, and accessions. Irradiation doses given were 175, 200, 225 Gy, and no irradiation (control). Irradiation methods consisted of acute, intermittent, and split-dose. Accessions used in this study were Dompu, Medan, Bima, Lombok, ITP II, IP2P, and Thailand. Results of the study were analysed until 5 months after planting showed that gamma ray mutation gave stimulating and inhibiting effects on similar traits. Irradiation dose of 225 Gy was good to be given in acute, intermittent, and split-dose methods. Irradiation effects were found to be significant in jatropha accessions. Effects of irradiation on production will be published soon.

  13. Specialty-care access for community health clinic patients: processes and barriers

    PubMed Central

    Ezeonwu, Mabel C

    2018-01-01

    Introduction Community health clinics/centers (CHCs) comprise the US’s core health-safety net and provide primary care to anyone who walks through their doors. However, access to specialty care for CHC patients is a big challenge. Materials and methods In this descriptive qualitative study, semistructured interviews of 37 referral coordinators of CHCs were used to describe their perspectives on processes and barriers to patients’ access to specialty care. Analysis of data was done using content analysis. Results The process of coordinating care referrals for CHC patients is complex and begins with a provider’s order for consultation and ends when the referring provider receives the specialist’s note. Poverty, specialist and referral coordinator shortages, lack of insurance, insurance acceptability by providers, transport and clinic-location factors, lack of clinic–hospital affiliations, and poor communication between primary and specialty providers constitute critical barriers to specialty-care access for patients. Conclusion Understanding the complexities of specialty-care coordination processes and access helps determine the need for comprehensive and uninterrupted access to quality health care for vulnerable populations. Guaranteed access to primary care at CHCs has not translated into improved access to specialty care. It is critical that effective policies be pursued to address the barriers and minimize interruptions in care, and to ensure continuity of care for all patients needing specialty care. PMID:29503559

  14. Impact of direct drug delivery via gastric access devices.

    PubMed

    Kurien, Matthew; Penny, Hugo; Sanders, David S

    2015-03-01

    Gastric access devices such as nasogastric tubes and gastrostomy tubes are increasingly being used in clinical practice to provide both short- and long-term nutrition support therapy. Increasingly these devices are being utilized to help deliver oral medications, where swallowing is impaired. This concomitant administration of medications and enteral formulas could derive potential benefits in regard to time and cost; however, uncertainty exists regarding potential drug and nutrient interactions and the influence this may have on both safety and efficacy. This article provides an overview of the differing gastric access devices used in clinical practice and evaluates the evidence base for using oral medications via these routes. Alternative methods of drug administration are discussed, alongside common drug nutrient interactions and potential complications. Delivering medications via gastric access devices can be performed safely; however, careful consideration needs to be made regarding tube and patient influences, alongside drug-nutrient interactions. Improving practice in this area in the future necessitates enhancement of an evidence base to substantiate the safety of drug delivery via gastric access devices and improvement in education among healthcare professionals about the potential problems.

  15. Access Based Cost Estimation for Beddown Analysis

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2006-03-23

    logic. This research expands upon the existing research by using Visual Basic for Applications ( VBA ) to further customize and streamline the...methods with the use of VBA . Calculations are completed in either underlying Form VBA code or through global modules accessible throughout the...query and SQL referencing. Attempts were made where possible to align data structures with possible external sources to minimize import errors and

  16. Use of Mobile Devices to Access Resources Among Health Professions Students: A Systematic Review.

    PubMed

    Mi, Misa; Wu, Wendy; Qiu, Maylene; Zhang, Yingting; Wu, Lin; Li, Jie

    2016-01-01

    This systematic review examines types of mobile devices used by health professions students, kinds of resources and tools accessed via mobile devices, and reasons for using the devices to access the resources and tools. The review included 20 studies selected from articles published in English between January 2010 and April 2015, retrieved from PubMed and other sources. Data extracted included participants, study designs, mobile devices used, mobile resources/apps accessed, outcome measures, and advantages of and barriers to using mobile devices. The review indicates significant variability across the studies in terms of research methods, types of mobile programs implemented, resources accessed, and outcomes. There were beneficial effects of using mobile devices to access resources as well as conspicuous challenges or barriers in using mobile devices.

  17. The burden of rheumatoid arthritis and access to treatment: determinants of access.

    PubMed

    Lundqvist, J; Kastäng, F; Kobelt, G; Jönsson, B

    2008-01-01

    As part of the study "The Burden of Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) and Patient Access to Treatment", this paper reviews the impact on access to RA drugs of the approval processes, pricing and funding decisions and times to market (access) in different countries. In addition, an overview of health technology assessments (HTA) and the economic literature related to RA treatments is provided. The time from approval to market access ranged from immediate to over 500 days in the countries included in the study. A total of 55 HTA reports were identified, 40 of them in the period between 2002 and 2006; 29 were performed by European HTA agencies, 14 in Canada and 7 in the United States. A total of 239 economic evaluations related to RA were identified in a specialized health economic database (HEED).

  18. Improving access to high-quality primary care for socioeconomically disadvantaged older people in rural areas: a mixed method study protocol.

    PubMed

    Ford, John A; Jones, Andrew P; Wong, Geoff; Clark, Allan B; Porter, Tom; Shakespeare, Tom; Swart, Ann Marie; Steel, Nicholas

    2015-09-18

    The UK has an ageing population, especially in rural areas, where deprivation is high among older people. Previous research has identified this group as at high risk of poor access to healthcare. The aim of this study is to generate a theory of how socioeconomically disadvantaged older people from rural areas access primary care, to develop an intervention based on this theory and test it in a feasibility trial. On the basis of the MRC Framework for Developing and Evaluating Complex Interventions, three methods will be used to generate the theory. First, a realist review will elucidate the patient pathway based on existing literature. Second, an analysis of the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing will be completed using structural equation modelling. Third, 15 semistructured interviews will be undertaken with patients and four focus groups with health professionals. A triangulation protocol will be used to allow each of these methods to inform and be informed by each other, and to integrate data into one overall realist theory. Based on this theory, an intervention will be developed in discussion with stakeholders to ensure that the intervention is feasible and practical. The intervention will be tested within a feasibility trial, the design of which will depend on the intervention. Lessons from the feasibility trial will be used to refine the intervention and gather the information needed for a definitive trial. Ethics approval from the regional ethics committee has been granted for the focus groups with health professionals and interviews with patients. Ethics approval will be sought for the feasibility trial after the intervention has been designed. Findings will be disseminated to the key stakeholders involved in intervention development, to researchers, clinicians and health planners through peer-reviewed journal articles and conference publications, and locally through a dissemination event. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to

  19. Accessible Geoscience - Digital Fieldwork

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Meara, Rhian

    2017-04-01

    Accessible Geoscience is a developing field of pedagogic research aimed at widening participation in Geography, Earth and Environmental Science (GEES) subjects. These subjects are often less commonly associated with disabilities, ethnic minorities, low income socio-economic groups and females. While advancements and improvements have been made in the inclusivity of these subject areas in recent years, access and participation of disabled students remains low. While universities are legally obligated to provide reasonable adjustments to ensure accessibility, the assumed incompatibility of GEES subjects and disability often deters students from applying to study these courses at a university level. Instead of making reasonable adjustments if and when they are needed, universities should be aiming to develop teaching materials, spaces and opportunities which are accessible to all, which in turn will allow all groups to participate in the GEES subjects. With this in mind, the Swansea Geography Department wish to enhance the accessibility of our undergraduate degree by developing digital field work opportunities. In the first instance, we intend to digitise three afternoon excursions which are run as part of a 1st year undergraduate module. Each of the field trips will be digitized into English- and Welsh-medium formats. In addition, each field trip will be digitized into British Sign Language (BSL) to allow for accessibility for D/deaf and hard of hearing students. Subtitles will also be made available in each version. While the main focus of this work is to provide accessible fieldwork opportunities for students with disabilities, this work also has additional benefits. Students within the Geography Department will be able to revisit the field trips, to revise and complete associated coursework. The use of digitized field work should not replace opportunities for real field work, but its use by the full cohort of students will begin to "normalize" accessible field

  20. Wheelchair accessibility to public buildings in the Kumasi metropolis, Ghana

    PubMed Central

    Ashigbi, Evans Y.K.

    2017-01-01

    Background Accessibility implies making public places accessible to every individual, irrespective of his or her disability or special need, ensuring the integration of the wheelchair user into the society and thereby granting them the capability of participating in activities of daily living and ensuring equality in daily life. Objective This study was carried out to assess the accessibility of the physical infrastructures (public buildings) in the Kumasi metropolis to wheelchairs after the passage of the Ghanaian Disability Law (Act 716, 2006). Methods Eighty-four public buildings housing education facilities, health facilities, ministries, departments and agencies, sports and recreation, religious groups and banks were assessed. The routes, entrances, height of steps, grade of ramps, sinks, entrance to washrooms, toilets, urinals, automated teller machines and tellers’ counters were measured and computed. Results Out of a total of 84 buildings assessed, only 34 (40.5%) of the buildings, 52.3% of the entrances and 87.4% of the routes of the buildings were accessible to wheelchair users. A total of 25% (13 out of 52) of the public buildings with more than one floor were fitted with elevators to connect the different levels of floors. Conclusion The results of this study show that public buildings in the Kumasi metropolis are not wheelchair accessible. An important observation made during this study was that there is an intention to improve accessibility when buildings are being constructed or renovated, but there are no laid down guidelines as how to make the buildings accessible for wheelchair users. PMID:29062761

  1. Does the public deserve free access to climate system science?

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Grigorov, Ivo

    2010-05-01

    Some time ago it was the lack of public access to medical research data that really stirred the issue and gave inertia for legislation and a new publishing model that puts tax payer-funded medical research in the hands of those who fund it. In today's age global climate change has become the biggest socio-economic challenge, and the same argument resonates: climate affects us all and the publicly-funded science quantifying it should be freely accessible to all stakeholders beyond academic research. Over the last few years the ‘Open Access' movement to remove as much as possible subscription, and other on-campus barriers to academic research has rapidly gathered pace, but despite significant progress, the climate system sciences are not among the leaders in providing full access to their publications and data. Beyond the ethical argument, there are proven and tangible benefits for the next generation of climate researchers to adapt the way their output is published. Through the means provided by ‘open access', both data and ideas can gain more visibility, use and citations for the authors, but also result in a more rapid exchange of knowledge and ideas, and ultimately progress towards a sought solution. The presentation will aim to stimulate discussion and seek progress on the following questions: Should free access to climate research (& data) be mandatory? What are the career benefits of using ‘open access' for young scientists? What means and methods should, or could, be incorporated into current European graduate training programmes in climate research, and possible ways forward?

  2. Access to Essential Medicines in Pakistan: Policy and Health Systems Research Concerns

    PubMed Central

    Zaidi, Shehla; Bigdeli, Maryam; Aleem, Noureen; Rashidian, Arash

    2013-01-01

    Introduction Inadequate access to essential medicines is a common issue within developing countries. Policy response is constrained, amongst other factors, by a dearth of in-depth country level evidence. We share here i) gaps related to access to essential medicine in Pakistan; and ii) prioritization of emerging policy and research concerns. Methods An exploratory research was carried out using a health systems perspective and applying the WHO Framework for Equitable Access to Essential Medicine. Methods involved key informant interviews with policy makers, providers, industry, NGOs, experts and development partners, review of published and grey literature, and consultative prioritization in stakeholder’s Roundtable. Findings A synthesis of evidence found major gaps in essential medicine access in Pakistan driven by weaknesses in the health care system as well as weak pharmaceutical regulation. 7 major policy concerns and 11 emerging research concerns were identified through consultative Roundtable. These related to weaknesses in medicine registration and quality assurance systems, unclear and counterproductive pricing policies, irrational prescribing and sub-optimal drug availability. Available research, both locally and globally, fails to target most of the identified policy concerns, tending to concentrate on irrational prescriptions. It overlooks trans-disciplinary areas of policy effectiveness surveillance, consumer behavior, operational pilots and pricing interventions review. Conclusion Experience from Pakistan shows that policy concerns related to essential medicine access need integrated responses across various components of the health systems, are poorly addressed by existing evidence, and require an expanded health systems research agenda. PMID:23717442

  3. Channel Access in Erlang

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Nicklaus, Dennis J.

    2013-10-13

    We have developed an Erlang language implementation of the Channel Access protocol. Included are low-level functions for encoding and decoding Channel Access protocol network packets as well as higher level functions for monitoring or setting EPICS process variables. This provides access to EPICS process variables for the Fermilab Acnet control system via our Erlang-based front-end architecture without having to interface to C/C++ programs and libraries. Erlang is a functional programming language originally developed for real-time telecommunications applications. Its network programming features and list management functions make it particularly well-suited for the task of managing multiple Channel Access circuits and PVmore » monitors.« less

  4. MetNetAPI: A flexible method to access and manipulate biological network data from MetNet

    PubMed Central

    2010-01-01

    Background Convenient programmatic access to different biological databases allows automated integration of scientific knowledge. Many databases support a function to download files or data snapshots, or a webservice that offers "live" data. However, the functionality that a database offers cannot be represented in a static data download file, and webservices may consume considerable computational resources from the host server. Results MetNetAPI is a versatile Application Programming Interface (API) to the MetNetDB database. It abstracts, captures and retains operations away from a biological network repository and website. A range of database functions, previously only available online, can be immediately (and independently from the website) applied to a dataset of interest. Data is available in four layers: molecular entities, localized entities (linked to a specific organelle), interactions, and pathways. Navigation between these layers is intuitive (e.g. one can request the molecular entities in a pathway, as well as request in what pathways a specific entity participates). Data retrieval can be customized: Network objects allow the construction of new and integration of existing pathways and interactions, which can be uploaded back to our server. In contrast to webservices, the computational demand on the host server is limited to processing data-related queries only. Conclusions An API provides several advantages to a systems biology software platform. MetNetAPI illustrates an interface with a central repository of data that represents the complex interrelationships of a metabolic and regulatory network. As an alternative to data-dumps and webservices, it allows access to a current and "live" database and exposes analytical functions to application developers. Yet it only requires limited resources on the server-side (thin server/fat client setup). The API is available for Java, Microsoft.NET and R programming environments and offers flexible query and broad

  5. Assessing Accessibility: How Accessible Are Online Courses for Students with Disabilities?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Massengale, Lindsey R.; Vasquez, Eleazar, III

    2016-01-01

    Delivering course material in a manner that is accessible to all students including those with disabilities is important in the online environment. This article presents an analysis focusing on the accessibility of six courses presented through the Webcourses platform. Six professors volunteered one course for analysis. The tool used for analyzing…

  6. Genome-scale characterization of RNA tertiary structures and their functional impact by RNA solvent accessibility prediction.

    PubMed

    Yang, Yuedong; Li, Xiaomei; Zhao, Huiying; Zhan, Jian; Wang, Jihua; Zhou, Yaoqi

    2017-01-01

    As most RNA structures are elusive to structure determination, obtaining solvent accessible surface areas (ASAs) of nucleotides in an RNA structure is an important first step to characterize potential functional sites and core structural regions. Here, we developed RNAsnap, the first machine-learning method trained on protein-bound RNA structures for solvent accessibility prediction. Built on sequence profiles from multiple sequence alignment (RNAsnap-prof), the method provided robust prediction in fivefold cross-validation and an independent test (Pearson correlation coefficients, r, between predicted and actual ASA values are 0.66 and 0.63, respectively). Application of the method to 6178 mRNAs revealed its positive correlation to mRNA accessibility by dimethyl sulphate (DMS) experimentally measured in vivo (r = 0.37) but not in vitro (r = 0.07), despite the lack of training on mRNAs and the fact that DMS accessibility is only an approximation to solvent accessibility. We further found strong association across coding and noncoding regions between predicted solvent accessibility of the mutation site of a single nucleotide variant (SNV) and the frequency of that variant in the population for 2.2 million SNVs obtained in the 1000 Genomes Project. Moreover, mapping solvent accessibility of RNAs to the human genome indicated that introns, 5' cap of 5' and 3' cap of 3' untranslated regions, are more solvent accessible, consistent with their respective functional roles. These results support conformational selections as the mechanism for the formation of RNA-protein complexes and highlight the utility of genome-scale characterization of RNA tertiary structures by RNAsnap. The server and its stand-alone downloadable version are available at http://sparks-lab.org. © 2016 Yang et al.; Published by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press for the RNA Society.

  7. An improved task-role-based access control model for G-CSCW applications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    He, Chaoying; Chen, Jun; Jiang, Jie; Han, Gang

    2005-10-01

    Access control is an important and popular security mechanism for multi-user applications. GIS-based Computer Supported Cooperative Work (G-CSCW) application is one of such applications. This paper presents an improved Task-Role-Based Access Control (X-TRBAC) model for G-CSCW applications. The new model inherits the basic concepts of the old ones, such as role and task. Moreover, it has introduced two concepts, i.e. object hierarchy and operation hierarchy, and the corresponding rules to improve the efficiency of permission definition in access control models. The experiments show that the method can simplify the definition of permissions, and it is more applicable for G-CSCW applications.

  8. Nonconscious semantic processing of emotional words modulates conscious access

    PubMed Central

    Gaillard, Raphaël; Del Cul, Antoine; Naccache, Lionel; Vinckier, Fabien; Cohen, Laurent; Dehaene, Stanislas

    2006-01-01

    Whether masked words can be processed at a semantic level remains a controversial issue in cognitive psychology. Although recent behavioral studies have demonstrated masked semantic priming for number words, attempts to generalize this finding to other categories of words have failed. Here, as an alternative to subliminal priming, we introduce a sensitive behavioral method to detect nonconscious semantic processing of words. The logic of this method consists of presenting words close to the threshold for conscious perception and examining whether their semantic content modulates performance in objective and subjective tasks. Our results disclose two independent sources of modulation of the threshold for access to consciousness. First, prior conscious perception of words increases the detection rate of the same words when they are subsequently presented with stronger masking. Second, the threshold for conscious access is lower for emotional words than for neutral ones, even for words that have not been previously consciously perceived, thus implying that written words can receive nonconscious semantic processing. PMID:16648261

  9. Rural women and violence situation: access and accessibility limits to the healthcare network.

    PubMed

    Costa, Marta Cocco da; Silva, Ethel Bastos da; Soares, Joannie Dos Santos Fachinelli; Borth, Luana Cristina; Honnef, Fernanda

    2017-07-13

    To analyze the access and accessibility to the healthcare network of women dwelling in rural contexts undergoing violence situation, as seen from the professionals' speeches. A qualitative, exploratory, descriptive study with professionals from the healthcare network services about coping with violence in four municipalities in the northern region of Rio Grande do Sul. The information derived from interviews, which have been analyzed by thematic modality. (Lack of) information of women, distance, restricted access to transportation, dependence on the partner and (lack of) attention by professionals to welcome women undergoing violence situation and (non)-articulation of the network are factors that limit the access and, as a consequence, they result in the lack of confrontation of this problem. To bring closer the services which integrate the confrontation network of violence against women and to qualify professionals to welcome these situations are factors that can facilitate the access and adhesion of rural women to the services.

  10. Access to destinations : annual accessibility measure for the Twin Cities Metropolitan Region.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2012-11-01

    This report summarizes previous phases of the Access to Destinations project and applies the techniques developed : over the course of the project to conduct an evaluation of accessibility in the Twin Cities metropolitan region for : 2010. It describ...

  11. Registered access: a 'Triple-A' approach.

    PubMed

    Dyke, Stephanie O M; Kirby, Emily; Shabani, Mahsa; Thorogood, Adrian; Kato, Kazuto; Knoppers, Bartha M

    2016-12-01

    We propose a standard model for a novel data access tier - registered access - to facilitate access to data that cannot be published in open access archives owing to ethical and legal risk. Based on an analysis of applicable research ethics and other legal and administrative frameworks, we discuss the general characteristics of this Registered Access Model, which would comprise a three-stage approval process: Authentication, Attestation and Authorization. We are piloting registered access with the Demonstration Projects of the Global Alliance for Genomics and Health for which it may provide a suitable mechanism for access to certain data types and to different types of data users.

  12. Public Access Report.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Anshien, Carol M.; And Others

    A short review of the development of cable television in New York City, a brief description of wiring patterns, a history of public access, and some statistical data on public channel usage are provided in the first portion of this report. The second major part describes the Public Access Celebration, a three-day informational event held in July…

  13. Modeling track access charge to enhance railway industry performance

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Berawi, Mohammed Ali; Miraj, Perdana; Berawi, Abdur Rohim Boy; Susantono, Bambang; Leviakangas, Pekka; Radiansyah, Hendra

    2017-11-01

    Indonesia attempts to improve nation's competitiveness by increasing the quality and the availability of railway network. However, the infrastructure improperly managed by the operator in terms of the technical issue. One of the reasons for this problem is an unbalanced value of infrastructure charge. In 2000's track access charge and infrastructure maintenance and operation for Indonesia railways are equal and despite current formula of the infrastructure charge, issues of transparency and accountability still in question. This research aims to produce an alternative scheme of track access charge by considering marginal cost plus markup (MC+) approach. The research combines qualitative and quantitative method through an in-depth interview and financial analysis. The result will generate alternative formula of infrastructure charge in Indonesia's railway industry. The simulation also conducted to estimate track access charge for the operator and to forecast government support in terms of subsidy. The result is expected to enhance railway industry performance and competitiveness.

  14. 47 CFR 15.711 - Interference avoidance methods.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... channel availability for a TVBD is determined based on the geo-location and database access method described in paragraphs (a) and (b) of this section. (a) Geo-location and database access. A TVBD shall rely on the geo-location and database access mechanism to identify available television channels...

  15. 47 CFR 15.711 - Interference avoidance methods.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ... channel availability for a TVBD is determined based on the geo-location and database access method described in paragraphs (a) and (b) of this section. (a) Geo-location and database access. A TVBD shall rely on the geo-location and database access mechanism to identify available television channels...

  16. 47 CFR 15.711 - Interference avoidance methods.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... channel availability for a TVBD is determined based on the geo-location and database access method described in paragraphs (a) and (b) of this section. (a) Geo-location and database access. A TVBD shall rely on the geo-location and database access mechanism to identify available television channels...

  17. 47 CFR 15.711 - Interference avoidance methods.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... channel availability for a TVBD is determined based on the geo-location and database access method described in paragraphs (a) and (b) of this section. (a) Geo-location and database access. A TVBD shall rely on the geo-location and database access mechanism to identify available television channels...

  18. Individual Public Transportation Accessibility is Positively Associated with Self-Reported Active Commuting

    PubMed Central

    Djurhuus, Sune; Hansen, Henning Sten; Aadahl, Mette; Glümer, Charlotte

    2014-01-01

    Background: Active commuters have lower risk of chronic disease. Understanding which of the, to some extent, modifiable characteristics of public transportation that facilitate its use is thus important in a public health perspective. The aim of the study was to examine the association between individual public transportation accessibility and self-reported active commuting, and whether the associations varied with commute distance, age, and gender. Methods: Twenty-eight thousand nine hundred twenty-eight commuters in The Capital Region of Denmark reported self-reported time spent either walking or cycling to work or study each day and the distance to work or study. Data were obtained from the Danish National Health Survey collected in February to April 2010. Individual accessibility by public transportation was calculated using a multi-modal network in a GIS. Multilevel logistic regression was used to analyze the association between accessibility, expressed as access area, and being an active commuter. Results: Public transport accessibility area based on all stops within walking and cycling distance was positively associated with being an active commuter. Distance to work, age, and gender modified the associations. Residing within 10 km commute distance and in areas of high accessibility was associated with being an active commuter and meeting the recommendations of physical activity. For the respondents above 29 years, individual public transportation accessibility was positively associated with being an active commuter. Women having high accessibility had significantly higher odds of being an active commuter compared to having a low accessibility. For men, the associations were insignificant. Conclusion: This study extends the knowledge about the driving forces of using public transportation for commuting by examining the individual public transportation accessibility. Findings suggest that transportation accessibility supports active commuting and planning

  19. Accessibility

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    Federal laws, including Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, mandate that people with disabilities have access to the same information that someone without a disability would have. 508 standards cover electronic and information technology (EIT) products.

  20. Using Geographic Information Systems and Spatial Analysis Methods to Assess Household Water Access and Sanitation Coverage in the SHINE Trial.

    PubMed

    Ntozini, Robert; Marks, Sara J; Mangwadu, Goldberg; Mbuya, Mduduzi N N; Gerema, Grace; Mutasa, Batsirai; Julian, Timothy R; Schwab, Kellogg J; Humphrey, Jean H; Zungu, Lindiwe I

    2015-12-15

    Access to water and sanitation are important determinants of behavioral responses to hygiene and sanitation interventions. We estimated cluster-specific water access and sanitation coverage to inform a constrained randomization technique in the SHINE trial. Technicians and engineers inspected all public access water sources to ascertain seasonality, function, and geospatial coordinates. Households and water sources were mapped using open-source geospatial software. The distance from each household to the nearest perennial, functional, protected water source was calculated, and for each cluster, the median distance and the proportion of households within <500 m and >1500 m of such a water source. Cluster-specific sanitation coverage was ascertained using a random sample of 13 households per cluster. These parameters were included as covariates in randomization to optimize balance in water and sanitation access across treatment arms at the start of the trial. The observed high variability between clusters in both parameters suggests that constraining on these factors was needed to reduce risk of bias. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press for the Infectious Diseases Society of America.

  1. Servicemembers Civil Relief Act: Information on Mortgage Protections and Related Education Efforts

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2014-01-01

    activities; legal assistance attorneys provide counseling; and a number of outreach media , such as publications and websites, are aimed at informing...to servicemembers. DOD and the Consumer Federation of America also conduct the Military Saves Campaign every year, a social marketing campaign to...theft, and insurance scams targeted at servicemembers and their families. DOD established its financial education partnerships by signing memorandums

  2. Pretending Pirates: Tracing the Toxic Trail in South Asia

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Singh, Nivedita; Dev, Santosh; Sengupta, Santoshi

    2018-01-01

    The recent decades that launched us into the 21st century had a long list of horrendous errors, and scams, which can be traced back to decisions made by those in positions of authority, whether in the public sphere or in business. It questions the very intentions and objectives of leaders and one wonders if failures were deliberate or due to the…

  3. Access to dental care among 15–64 year old people

    PubMed Central

    Eslamipour, Faezeh; Heydari, Kamal; Ghaiour, Marzieh; Salehi, Hoda

    2018-01-01

    INTRODUCTION: The current study aims to study people's access to oral and dental health-care services and their satisfaction with the services provided to them. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A descriptive study with multi-stage sampling was conducted on 1360 people aged 16–64 years residing in Isfahan city, Iran. The required data were collected by a questionnaire which comprised of three main parts: demographic characteristics, patients’ access to oral and dental health-care services and its barriers and participants’ satisfaction with access to services. Data were analyzed by SPSS statistical software. RESULTS: The results showed 40% of participants reported an average level for oral health, and 82% of them did not have any problems regarding access to dental care facilities. The main causes of their dissatisfaction were high cost of services (60%) and insufficient health insurance coverage (40%). About 73% reported that they had to spend 30 min or less to access to a dental health-care facility. In addition, 50% of participants were satisfied with the provided services. The main reported reasons for referring to dentists were oral and dental problems (69%) and regular check-ups (15%). There was no significant relationship between participants’ gender, education level, insurance coverage, and access to dental health-care centers (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Most participants were satisfied with access to dental healthcare, but they were dissatisfied with the costs and inadequate insurance coverage. About half of the participants were satisfied with the services provided to them, and the highest level of satisfaction was reported for easy access to health-care centers. PMID:29693027

  4. Health Care Access and Utilization after the 2010 Pakistan Floods.

    PubMed

    Jacquet, Gabrielle A; Kirsch, Thomas; Durrani, Aqsa; Sauer, Lauren; Doocy, Shannon

    2016-10-01

    Introduction The 2010 floods submerged more than one-fifth of Pakistan's land area and affected more than 20 million people. Over 1.6 million homes were damaged or destroyed and 2,946 direct injuries and 1,985 deaths were reported. Infrastructure damage was widespread, including critical disruptions to the power and transportation networks. Hypothesis Damage and loss of critical infrastructure will affect the population's ability to seek and access adequate health care for years to come. This study sought to evaluate factors associated with access to health care in the aftermath of the 2010 Pakistan floods. A population-proportional, randomized cluster-sampling survey method with 80 clusters of 20 (1,600) households of the flood-affected population was used. Heads of households were surveyed approximately six months after flood onset. Multivariate analysis was used to determine significance. A total of 77.8% of households reported needing health services within the first month after the floods. Household characteristics, including rural residence location, large household size, and lower pre- and post-flood income, were significantly associated (P<.05) with inadequate access to health care after the disaster. Households with inadequate access to health care were more likely to have a death or injury in the household. Significantly higher odds of inadequate access to health care were observed in rural populations (adjusted OR 4.26; 95% CI, 1.89-9.61). Adequate health care access after the 2010 Pakistani floods was associated with urban residence location, suggesting that locating health care providers in rural areas may be difficult. Access to health services also was associated with post-flood income level, suggesting health resources are not readily available to households suffering great income losses. Jacquet GA , Kirsch T , Durrani A , Sauer L , Doocy S . Health care access and utilization after the 2010 Pakistan floods. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2016;31(5):485-491.

  5. Human Lymphoid Translocation Fragile Zones Are Hypomethylated and Have Accessible Chromatin

    PubMed Central

    Lu, Zhengfei; Tsai, Albert G.; Pardo, Carolina E.; Müschen, Markus; Kladde, Michael P.

    2015-01-01

    Chromosomal translocations are a hallmark of hematopoietic malignancies. CG motifs within translocation fragile zones (typically 20 to 600 bp in size) are prone to chromosomal translocation in lymphomas. Here we demonstrate that the CG motifs in human translocation fragile zones are hypomethylated relative to the adjacent DNA. Using a methyltransferase footprinting assay on isolated nuclei (in vitro), we find that the chromatin at these fragile zones is accessible. We also examined in vivo accessibility using cellular expression of a prokaryotic methylase. Based on this assay, which measures accessibility over a much longer time interval than is possible with in vitro methods, these fragile zones were found to be more accessible than the adjacent DNA. Because DNA within the fragile zones can be methylated by both cellular and exogenous methyltransferases, the fragile zones are predominantly in a duplex DNA conformation. These observations permit more-refined models for why these zones are 100- to 1,000-fold more prone to undergo chromosomal translocation than the adjacent regions. PMID:25624348

  6. Area Disparity in Children's Perceptions of Access to Tobacco and Cigarette Purchasing Experiences in Taiwan

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lee, Heng; Hsu, Chih-Cheng; Chen, Fu-Li; Yen, Yea-Yin; Lin, Pi-Li; Chiu, Yu-Wen; Lee, Chien-Hung; Peng, Wu-Der; Chen, Ted; Lu, Di-Lin; Huang, Hsiao-Ling

    2014-01-01

    Background: Adolescents who perceive easy access to tobacco are more likely to acquire cigarettes and experience smoking. This study assesses area disparities in perceptions of access to tobacco and cigarette purchasing experiences among schoolchildren. Methods: Data on children's tobacco-related variables were obtained from the Control of…

  7. Disadvantages of publishing biomedical research articles in English for non-native speakers of English.

    PubMed

    Rezaeian, Mohsen

    2015-01-01

    English has become the most frequently used language for scientific communication in the biomedical field. Therefore, scholars from all over the world try to publish their findings in English. This trend has a number of advantages, along with several disadvantages. In the current article, the most important disadvantages of publishing biomedical research articles in English for non-native speakers of English are reviewed. The most important disadvantages of publishing biomedical research articles in English for non-native speakers may include: Overlooking, either unintentionally or even deliberately, the most important local health problems; failure to carry out groundbreaking research due to limited medical research budgets; violating generally accepted codes of publication ethics and committing research misconduct and publications in open-access scam/predatory journals rather than prestigious journals. The above mentioned disadvantages could eventually result in academic establishments becoming irresponsible or, even worse, corrupt. In order to avoid this, scientists, scientific organizations, academic institutions, and scientific associations all over the world should design and implement a wider range of collaborative and comprehensive plans.

  8. AccessScope project: Accessible light microscope for users with upper limb mobility or visual impairments.

    PubMed

    Mansoor, Awais; Ahmed, Wamiq M; Samarapungavan, Ala; Cirillo, John; Schwarte, David; Robinson, J Paul; Duerstock, Bradley S

    2010-01-01

    A web-based application was developed to remotely view slide specimens and control all functions of a research-level light microscopy workstation, called AccessScope. Students and scientists with upper limb mobility and visual impairments are often unable to use a light microscope by themselves and must depend on others in its operation. Users with upper limb mobility impairments and low vision were recruited to assist in the design process of the AccessScope personal computer (PC) user interface. Participants with these disabilities were evaluated in their ability to use AccessScope to perform microscopical tasks. AccessScope usage was compared with inspecting prescanned slide images by grading participants' identification and understanding of histological features and knowledge of microscope operation. With AccessScope subjects were able to independently perform common light microscopy functions through an Internet browser by employing different PC pointing devices or accessibility software according to individual abilities. Subjects answered more histology and microscope usage questions correctly after first participating in an AccessScope test session. AccessScope allowed users with upper limb or visual impairments to successfully perform light microscopy without assistance. This unprecedented capability is crucial for students and scientists with disabilities to perform laboratory coursework or microscope-based research and pursue science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields.

  9. Access to Higher Education in the European Community: Synthesis Report (Volume 1) and Country Reports (Volume 2).

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    de Jonge, J. F. M.; And Others

    This report examines, country by country, the present state of student access to higher education institutions in the Member States of the European Community (EC), as well as the elements which affect access directly and the elements which can potentially have an effect on access. Volume 1 of the report gives an overview of the methods of data…

  10. Influence of Place of Residence in Access to Specialized Cancer Care for African Americans

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Onega, Tracy; Duell, Eric J.; Shi, Xun; Demidenko, Eugene; Goodman, David

    2010-01-01

    Context: Disparities in cancer care for rural residents and for African Americans have been documented, but the interaction of these factors is not well understood. Purpose: The authors examined the simultaneous influence of race and place of residence on access to and utilization of specialized cancer care in the United States. Methods: Access to…

  11. Amplatzer vascular plug for arteriovenous hemodialysis access occlusion: initial experience.

    PubMed

    Bui, J T; Gaba, R C; Knuttinen, M G; West, D L; Owens, C A

    2009-01-01

    The Amplatzer Vascular Plug (AVP; AGA Medical, Golden Valley, MN) is a recently developed self-expanding metallic device indicated for peripheral vascular embolizations. Herein, we describe use of this device in the treatment of vascular complications related to arteriovenous hemodialysis fistulas and grafts. This HIPAA compliant retrospective study was approved by the institutional review board with informed consent waived. Six patients with problematic arteriovenous access underwent access occlusion using the AVP. Procedure indications included vascular steal syndrome in five patients, and enlarging vascular aneurysms in one patient. Contraindications for surgical correction were determined by the referring surgeon. AVP embolizations were performed using devices oversized by 50% introduced through vascular sheaths positioned within vein segments just beyond the arteriovenous anastomoses. Noninvasive evaluation of the involved extremity was performed pre- and post-embolization in addition to clinical follow-up examinations. Measured outcomes included success of angiographic occlusion, improvement in distal arterial flow, AVP number, AVP diameter, time to access occlusion, and clinical symptomatic improvement. Technical success was 100%, with complete arteriovenous access occlusion accomplished in all cases, with an average of 1.5 AVPs used per patient. Mean time to access occlusion was 19.3 minutes. Angiographic improvement in distal arterial flow was immediately evident and resolution of clinical symptoms occurred in all patients, with mean long-term follow-up of 16 months. No procedure-related complications were encountered. The Amplatzer Vascular Plug provides a minimally invasive and efficacious method for embolization of problematic arteriovenous hemodialysis access.

  12. Widening Access to Higher Education: An Evaluative Case Study of a Foundation Year Alternative to Access

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Reddy, Peter A.; Moores, Elisabeth

    2008-01-01

    Universities are encouraged to widen access to a broad range of applicants, including mature students taking Access qualifications. Admissions tutors can find it difficult to compare and choose between Access and A-level applications, and Access applicants for popular courses may be disadvantaged relative to students with good A-levels. In this…

  13. Complication with Intraosseous Access: Scandinavian Users’ Experience

    PubMed Central

    Hallas, Peter; Brabrand, Mikkel; Folkestad, Lars

    2013-01-01

    Introduction: Intraosseous access (IO) is indicated if vascular access cannot be quickly established during resuscitation. Complication rates are estimated to be low, based on small patient series, model or cadaver studies, and case reports. However, user experience with IO use in real-life emergency situations might differ from the results in the controlled environment of model studies and small patient series. We performed a survey of IO use in real-life emergency situations to assess users’ experiences of complications. Methods: An online questionnaire was sent to Scandinavian emergency physicians, anesthesiologists and pediatricians. Results: 1,802 clinical cases of IO use was reported by n=386 responders. Commonly reported complications with establishing IO access were patient discomfort/pain (7.1%), difficulties with penetration of periosteum with IO needle (10.3%), difficulties with aspiration of bone marrow (12.3%), and bended/broken needle (4.0%). When using an established IO access the reported complications were difficulties with injection fluid and drugs after IO insertion (7.4%), slow infusion (despite use of pressure bag) (8.8%), displacement after insertion (8.5%), and extravasation (3.7%). Compartment syndrome and osteomyelitis occurred in 0.6% and 0.4% of cases respectively. Conclusion: In users’ recollection of real-life IO use, perceived complications were more frequent than usually reported from model studies. The perceived difficulties with using IO could affect the willingness of medical staff to use IO. Therefore, user experience should be addressed both in education of how to use, and research and development of IOs. PMID:24106537

  14. Direct access midwifery booking for prenatal care and its role in Down syndrome screening.

    PubMed

    Nawaz, Tariq S; Tringham, Gillian M; Holding, Stephen; McFarlane, Jane; Lindow, Stephen W

    2011-10-01

    To compare the uptake of Down syndrome screening by women following referral by direct access and general practitioner (GP) modes. The method of referral by either GP or direct access, for women who booked into prenatal care in Hull and East Yorkshire in 2010, was analysed using data collected from the Protos database at the Women and Children's Hospital, Hull. Subsequently, the uptake of first and second trimester screening for Down syndrome was reviewed by combining the Protos database to the screening data collected by the Clinical Biochemistry Laboratory at Hull Royal Infirmary, Hull. Women booked into prenatal care significantly earlier when referred by GP in comparison to direct access with a significant difference in screening uptake of 49.5 and 42.7%, respectively. The ratio of uptake between first and second trimester screening was not significantly different. Further research on the new direct access method of referral is required, as it may have a role in the uptake of prenatal screening for Down syndrome. More time is needed to show a definitive effect. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  15. 47 CFR 79.2 - Accessibility of programming providing emergency information.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ...) BROADCAST RADIO SERVICES ACCESSIBILITY OF VIDEO PROGRAMMING Video Programming Owners, Providers, and... of programming providing emergency information. (1) Video programming distributors must make... or by using a method of visual presentation, as described in § 79.1. (2) Video programming...

  16. Arteriovenous Vascular Access Selection and Evaluation

    PubMed Central

    MacRae, Jennifer M.; Oliver, Matthew; Clark, Edward; Dipchand, Christine; Hiremath, Swapnil; Kappel, Joanne; Kiaii, Mercedeh; Lok, Charmaine; Luscombe, Rick; Miller, Lisa M.; Moist, Louise

    2016-01-01

    When making decisions regarding vascular access creation, the clinician and vascular access team must evaluate each patient individually with consideration of life expectancy, timelines for dialysis start, risks and benefits of access creation, referral wait times, as well as the risk for access complications. The role of the multidisciplinary team in facilitating access choice is reviewed, as well as the clinical evaluation of the patient. PMID:28270917

  17. HRP Data Accessibility Current Status

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Sams, Clarence

    2009-01-01

    Overview of talk: a) Content of Human Life Science data; b) Data archive structure; c) Applicable legal documents and policies; and d) Methods for data access. Life Science Data Archive (LSDA) contains research data from NASA-funded experiments, primarily data from flight experiments and ground analog data collected at NASA facilities. Longitudinal Study of Astronaut Health (LSAH) contains electronic health records (medical data) of all astronauts, including mission data. Data are collected for clinical purposes. Clinical data are analyzed by LSAH epidemiologists to identify trends in crew health and implement changes in pre-, in-, or post-flight medical care.

  18. Self-Reported Barriers to Healthcare Access for Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients in Rural and Northern Saskatchewan: A Mixed Methods Study.

    PubMed

    Nair, B V; Schuler, R; Stewart, S; Taylor-Gjevre, R M

    2016-12-01

    The aim of the present study was to identify potential barriers for access to medical and allied health services from the perspective of rural and Northern Saskatchewan rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients. A total of 100 adults with established RA, residing in rural and Northern Saskatchewan, were recruited from two rheumatology practices. Structured interviews with standardized scripts solicited patient perspectives on appointment waiting times, travel required to access medical services and satisfaction with healthcare provision. Thematic analysis was employed for qualitative data. Patients-reported concerns regarding waiting time for their first rheumatology appointment. There was reduced access to allied health professionals, with only 53% of the participants having seen a physiotherapist (PT), and only 26% an occupational therapist (OT). Patients had similar driving distances to their family physician, PT, pharmacy and laboratory services but commuted significantly further for rheumatologist and OT services. There were high levels of satisfaction with their rheumatologist and family physician appointments (8.96 and 8.04 on a ten-point scale). Patients with longer travel times had higher satisfaction with their health care appointments: Patients who travelled one, two and more than two hours had satisfaction scores of 0.93, 0.88 and 1.32 points higher on a ten-point scale (p < 0.03). Access to medical services is a concern for this population. Patients were dissatisfied with the waiting time for their first specialist appointment and with decreased access to allied health professionals. Patients travelling longer distances were more satisfied with their health care provider's care, suggesting that good patient-care giver relationships helped to ameliorate the difficulties of travelling to their appointments. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  19. Solving problems of disclosure risk in an academic setting: using a combination of restricted data and restricted access methods.

    PubMed

    Rodgers, Willard; Nolte, Michael

    2006-09-01

    THE HEALTH AND RETIREMENT STUDY collects a vast amount of information about a sample of the U.S. population over age 50 from biennial interviews, supplemental questionnaires, and through linkages with administrative data including Social Security earnings and benefits records and Medicare claims records. To h onor i ts p ledge to t he r espondents that their data will be kept confidential, but at the same time meet its objective of providing useful data to researchers, it has develop ed procedures for stripping sensitive information (i.e., information that could facilitate re-identification of sample members) from data sets that are publicly released, and also for providing mechanisms for qualified researchers to gain access to a variety of restricted-access data files. These mechanisms include a procedure whereby highly qualified researchersin particular, only those who have a current grant from a federal agencycan apply to obtain restricted-access data sets for a limited amount of time, with the understanding that they will make no attempt to r e-identify s amp le m embers and t hat they w ill be audited to ensure that they have adhered to the agreedupon safeguards. For those who meet some but not all of the requirements for receiving these data, the files can be analyzed in a data enclave (a controlled, secure environment in which eligible researchers can perform analyses). This paper focuses on approaches to restricting data access that may need to be considered by investigators who plan to share their data, and by their institutional officials who will need to support that effort with appropriate infrastructure and policies. It also provides guidance to investigators and institutional review boards (IRBs) who seek access to restricted data generated and archived elsewhere.

  20. American Thyroid Association Statement on Remote-Access Thyroid Surgery.

    PubMed

    Berber, Eren; Bernet, Victor; Fahey, Thomas J; Kebebew, Electron; Shaha, Ashok; Stack, Brendan C; Stang, Michael; Steward, David L; Terris, David J

    2016-03-01

    Remote-access techniques have been described over the recent years as a method of removing the thyroid gland without an incision in the neck. However, there is confusion related to the number of techniques available and the ideal patient selection criteria for a given technique. The aims of this review were to develop a simple classification of these approaches, describe the optimal patient selection criteria, evaluate the outcomes objectively, and define the barriers to adoption. A review of the literature was performed to identify the described techniques. A simple classification was developed. Technical details, outcomes, and the learning curve were described. Expert opinion consensus was formulated regarding recommendations for patient selection and performance of remote-access thyroid surgery. Remote-access thyroid procedures can be categorized into endoscopic or robotic breast, bilateral axillo-breast, axillary, and facelift approaches. The experience in the United States involves the latter two techniques. The limited data in the literature suggest long operative times, a steep learning curve, and higher costs with remote-access thyroid surgery compared with conventional thyroidectomy. Nevertheless, a consensus was reached that, in appropriate hands, it can be a viable option for patients with unilateral small nodules who wish to avoid a neck incision. Remote-access thyroidectomy has a role in a small group of patients who fit strict selection criteria. These approaches require an additional level of expertise, and therefore should be done by surgeons performing a high volume of thyroid and robotic surgery.