An Interdisciplinary Program in Technical Communications: Problems Encountered.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eckman, Martha

The need for experts in technical communication is growing significantly while the number of college graduates in the field accounts for less than one percent of the need. Three major types of problems should be considered in trying to establish a technical communication program: those involving society's need for better technical communicators,…

Upper-Division Student Difficulties with Separation of Variables

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wilcox, Bethany R.; Pollock, Steven J.

2015-01-01

Separation of variables can be a powerful technique for solving many of the partial differential equations that arise in physics contexts. Upper-division physics students encounter this technique in multiple topical areas including electrostatics and quantum mechanics. To better understand the difficulties students encounter when utilizing the…

The impact of an evolving profession on the frequency and perceived difficulty of ethical encounters among physical therapists in the clinic.

PubMed

Berg-Poppe, Patti; MacCabe, Angela; Karges, Joy

2018-05-14

Ethical decision making is situated within dynamic contexts specific to practice standards and environments, contemporary policy, and responsive educational systems. Reflecting on an evolving profession lends insight into the role of ethical codes of conduct. The purpose of this study was to gather information about the frequency and perceived difficulty physical therapists (PTs) experience with common ethical situations within contemporary clinical practice. PTs within the United States were invited to participate in an online questionnaire replicating a 1980 study. Subjects were 336 PTs from a variety of practice environments. Just 1 item was reported as moderately/extremely difficult by contemporary respondents, compared to 16 items in the 1980 study. The number of items meeting moderate/high encounter frequency was similar between the two groups (2015 = 16/19; 1980 = 15/19). While today's PTs report that they encounter ethical situations at a frequency similar to PTs in 1980, these same PTs report these ethical challenges as minimally difficult when compared to PTs responding to the 1980 survey. It is proposed that a move toward autonomous practice, the elevation of the entry level professional degree, and changing health care policy and environments have been influential in shaping these changes over time.

Difficulties encountered by hospitalized Syrian refugees and their expectations from nurses.

PubMed

Sevinç, S; Kılıç, S P; Ajghif, M; Öztürk, M H; Karadağ, E

2016-09-01

Treating patients with care and respecting their cultural values are key factors necessary to enhance the quality of nursing care. The objective of this study was to explore and describe the difficulties experienced by hospitalized Syrian refugees and their expectations from nurses and hospital administration. We used a descriptive qualitative research approach to engage 30 Syrian refugees undergoing treatment in internal medicine who met the study criteria. Data were collected using a descriptive questionnaire and a semi-structured interview with open-ended interview questions. Interview transcripts were analysed using an inductive coding approach. Descriptive questions were analysed and presented via number and percentage. Other data were assessed using content analysis methods. Three major themes were developed following the analysis of the interviews. We determined that the refugees who participated in the study experienced difficulties in communicating, meeting their personal needs and correctly following treatment instructions. They also had certain expectations from the hospital administration and nurses, and they felt gratitude for both nurses and the nation of Turkey. The results of this study, shared with the executive administration of the hospital, may result in new policies which will help new Syrian refugee patients and patients with similar needs to have better experience related to patient care, communications and meeting personal needs. It is important that nurses and other healthcare provider consider the difficulties and expectations of refugees regarding healthcare services and include same in the development of provider training programmes. Development of public health welfare and employment law and policies help to lay the groundwork for successful integration of refugees in new cultures and countries. © 2016 International Council of Nurses.

Pragmatic Difficulties in the Production of the Speech Act of Apology by Iraqi EFL Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Al-Ghazalli, Mehdi Falih; Al-Shammary, Mohanad A. Amert

2014-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the pragmatic difficulties encountered by Iraqi EFL university students in producing the speech act of apology. Although the act of apology is easy to recognize or use by native speakers of English, non-native speakers generally encounter difficulties in discriminating one speech act from another. The…

Work week duration, work-family balance and difficulties encountered by female and male physicians: results from the French SESMAT study.

PubMed

Estryn-Behar, M; Fry, C; Guetarni, K; Aune, I; Machet, G; Doppia, M A; Lassaunière, J M; Muster, D; Pelloux, P; Prudhomme, Ch

2011-01-01

France encounters difficulties attracting physicians to work in hospitals. Organisation at work and at home may be at the heart of the problem for female as well as for male physicians. A comprehensive questionnaire was filled out online by a representative sample of 1924 French hospital physicians. We conducted gender bivariate and multivariate analysis of the risk factors for burnout and intent to leave the profession(ITL). ITL was declared by 17.4% of physicians. According to 41.3% of female physicians (FP), their profession was an obstacle to having children (versus 19.3% for male physicians (MP)). Major factors linked with burnout were Effort/Reward imbalance (FP adjOR = 5.09, MP adjOR = 5.93), Work-family conflicts (FP adjOR = 2.97, MP adjOR = 3.04), and Low quality of teamwork (FP adjOR = 1.82, MP adjOR = 2.68). Major factors linked with ITL were Low quality of teamwork (FP adjOR = 4.49, MP adjOR = 3.03), Patient-related burnout (FP adjOR = 2.10, MP adjOR = 2.35) and General burnout (FP adjOR = 1.85, MP adjOR = 1.45). Excessive job demands are linked with burnout and with work-family conflicts, conducting to difficulties in organising one's life in order to have and raise children. Potential solutions include facilitating teamwork in order to reduce departure, which increase workload on those who stay increasing their work family conflict.

Difficulties encountered in collaborative care: logistics trumps desire.

PubMed

Legault, Frances; Humbert, Jennie; Amos, Stephanie; Hogg, William; Ward, Natalie; Dahrouge, Simone; Ziebell, Laura

2012-01-01

This study examines the development of collaborative relationships between family physicians (FPs) and Anticipatory And Preventative Team Care (APTCare) team members providing care to medically complex patients who have been identified as at-risk for negative health outcomes. We undertook a qualitative study of a primary health care intervention in a family practice. Interviews were held with FPs and ATPCare intervention nurse practitioners (NPs) and pharmacists. Focus groups were conducted and a survey was administered to participating FPs, NPs, and pharmacists. NPs and pharmacists maintained a log recording their tasks and moments of collaboration. Scheduling demands rendered face-to-face collaboration difficult, leaving the team to rely on technological tools to keep in touch. Limited space meant the APTCare team had to work out of a downstairs office, limiting informal interactions with the practitioners on the main level. We demonstrate that the difficulties inherent in collaborative care are independent of the patient population being cared for. Regardless of the patient population and sector of health care, developing collaborative relationships and learning to work collaboratively is difficult and takes time. What many of these teams need is ongoing support and education about how to make these collaborative care practices work.

Pharmacists' Assessment of the Difficulty and Frequency of Ethical Issues Encountered in Community Pharmacy Settings.

PubMed

Crnjanski, Tatjana; Krajnovic, Dusanka; Savic, Mirko

2017-05-23

Researching ethical problems and their frequency could give us a complex picture and greater insight into the types of ethical issues that pharmacists face in providing health care. The overall aim of this study was to assess the pharmacist's perception of difficulty and frequency of selected ethical issues encountered by the community pharmacists in their everyday practice. A quantitative cross sectional multicenter study was performed using a validated survey instrument - Ethical Issue Scale for Community Pharmacy (EISP). The results of the analysis of 690 completely filled out instruments (response rate 78.49%) showed the difference between the ethical issues which always occurred ("A pharmacist is prevented from dispensing a medicine to the patient due to an administrative error in the prescription"), and the ones that pharmacists found most difficult ("A pharmacist dispenses a medicine he/she personally considers inadequate for the therapeutic treatment of the patient, in order to avoid any conflicts with the physician" and "A pharmacist is considering violating the rules and regulations in order to perform an act of humanity"). The majority of respondents (84.78%) were familiar with the Code of Ethics but the correlation between the familiarity and the perceived usefulness of the code in resolving problems in everyday practice was negative (ρ = -0.17, p < 0.001). Results showed that patients' well-being had a high influence on pharmacists' behavior. The results provided quantitative data by the examination of specific ethical issues and their occurrence. Further empirical research is recommended in order to systematically identify the ethical issues faced by community pharmacists.

Confronting Task Difficulty in Ego Involvement: Change in Performance Goals

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kumar, Shamala; Jagacinski, Carolyn M.

2011-01-01

Both Dweck (1986) and Nicholls (1984) proposed that when ego-involved individuals encounter difficulty, they would begin to doubt their level of ability, and as a consequence, their commitment to the goal of demonstrating high ability would decline. As difficulty continued, perceived ability would decline, and eventually the goal would be…

[Medical surveillance in university: organizational difficulties, legal problems, scientific e technical specificities. Experience of University of Milan Bicocca].

PubMed

D'Orso, M I; Giuliani, C; Assini, R; Riva, M A; Cesana, G

2012-01-01

Our research describes activities of Occupational Health carried out during last year in University of Milan Bicocca by Occupational Doctors. We describe results of medical surveillance in 1153 employees or students exposed to occupational risks for health and safety. We report results obtained, technical difficulties, organizational problems, and preventive actions decided to improve functionality of our activity. Students seem to be less protected and consequently seem to have higher professional safety and health risks.

Identification of technical item flaws leads to improvement of the quality of single best Multiple Choice Questions.

PubMed

Fayyaz Khan, Humaira; Farooq Danish, Khalid; Saeed Awan, Azra; Anwar, Masood

2013-05-01

The purpose of the study was to identify technical item flaws in the multiple choice questions submitted for the final exams for the years 2009, 2010 and 2011. This descriptive analytical study was carried out in Islamic International Medical College (IIMC). The Data was collected from the MCQ's submitted by the faculty for the final exams for the year 2009, 2010 and 2011. The data was compiled and evaluated by a three member assessment committee. The data was analyzed for frequency and percentages the categorical data was analyzed by chi-square test. Overall percentage of flawed item was 67% for the year 2009 of which 21% were for testwiseness and 40% were for irrelevant difficulty. In year 2010 the total item flaws were 36% and 11% testwiseness and 22% were for irrelevant difficulty. The year 2011 data showed decreased overall flaws of 21%. The flaws of testwisness were 7%, irrelevant difficulty were 11%. Technical item flaws are frequently encountered during MCQ construction, and the identification of flaws leads to improved quality of the single best MCQ's.

Intradural Procedural Time to Assess Technical Difficulty of Superciliary Keyhole and Pterional Approaches for Unruptured Middle Cerebral Artery Aneurysms

PubMed Central

Choi, Yeon-Ju; Son, Wonsoo; Park, Ki-Su

2016-01-01

Objective This study used the intradural procedural time to assess the overall technical difficulty involved in surgically clipping an unruptured middle cerebral artery (MCA) aneurysm via a pterional or superciliary approach. The clinical and radiological variables affecting the intradural procedural time were investigated, and the intradural procedural time compared between a superciliary keyhole approach and a pterional approach. Methods During a 5.5-year period, patients with a single MCA aneurysm were enrolled in this retrospective study. The selection criteria for a superciliary keyhole approach included : 1) maximum diameter of the unruptured MCA aneurysm <15 mm, 2) neck diameter of the MCA aneurysm <10 mm, and 3) aneurysm location involving the sphenoidal or horizontal segment of MCA (M1) segment and MCA bifurcation, excluding aneurysms distal to the MCA genu. Meanwhile, the control comparison group included patients with the same selection criteria as for a superciliary approach, yet who preferred a pterional approach to avoid a postoperative facial wound or due to preoperative skin trouble in the supraorbital area. To determine the variables affecting the intradural procedural time, a multiple regression analysis was performed using such data as the patient age and gender, maximum aneurysm diameter, aneurysm neck diameter, and length of the pre-aneurysm M1 segment. In addition, the intradural procedural times were compared between the superciliary and pterional patient groups, along with the other variables. Results A total of 160 patients underwent a superciliary (n=124) or pterional (n=36) approach for an unruptured MCA aneurysm. In the multiple regression analysis, an increase in the diameter of the aneurysm neck (p<0.001) was identified as a statistically significant factor increasing the intradural procedural time. A Pearson correlation analysis also showed a positive correlation (r=0.340) between the neck diameter and the intradural procedural time

Academic Reading Difficulties Encountered by International Graduate Students in a Malaysian University

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alghail, Ali Abdullah Ali; Mahfoodh, Omer Hassan Ali

2016-01-01

This study examines how international graduate students in a Malaysian public university perceive and overcome academic reading difficulties. The target population included all graduate students from Yemen, an Arab country, studying at Universiti Sains Malaysia. Data were collected using questionnaires, focus group interviews, and journal writing.…

Academic Difficulties Encountered by East Asian International University Students in New Zealand

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Boram; Farruggia, Susan P.; Brown, Gavin T. L.

2013-01-01

The study focused on learning difficulties experienced by East Asian International (EAI) students. Participants were 117 EAI students undertaking tertiary study at a major university, all were surveyed and 21 students were interviewed. The findings suggest that language limitations, academic content and learning styles were associated with…

Differences and commonalities in difficulties faced by clinical nursing educators and faculty in Japan: a qualitative cross-sectional study

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background To clarify the current state of communication between clinical nursing educators and nursing faculty members and the perceived difficulties encountered while teaching nursing students in clinical training in Japan. Methods We collected data via focus group interviews with 14 clinical nursing educators, two nursing technical college teachers, and five university nursing faculty members. Interview transcripts were coded to express interview content as conclusions for each unit of meaning. Similar compiled content was categorized. Results Difficulties in providing clinical training mentioned by both clinical educators and faculty members were classified into four categories: “difficulties with directly exchanging opinions,” “mismatch between school-required teaching content and clinical teaching content,” “difficulties with handling students who demonstrate a low level of readiness for training,” and “human and time limitations in teaching.” In some categories, the opinions of educators matched those of the faculty members, whereas in others, the problems differed according to position. Conclusions The Japanese culture and working conditions may affect communication between clinical educators and faculty members; however, a direct “opinion exchange” between them is crucial for improving the clinical teaching environment in Japan. PMID:23098211

Difficulties for University Students with Mental Health Problems: A Critical Interpretive Synthesis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Markoulakis, Roula; Kirsh, Bonnie

2013-01-01

Postsecondary institutions are witnessing an increase in the number and severity of student mental health problems, necessitating an understanding of the difficulties these students encounter in striving for higher education. The authors conducted a critical interpretive synthesis of 10 articles pertaining to difficulties experienced by students…

Mapping and Interpreting Novice Physical Education Teachers' Self-Perceptions of Strengths and Difficulties

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shoval, Ella; Erlich, Ilana; Fejgin, Naomi

2010-01-01

Background: Research regarding beginning teachers' typical responses to the difficulties encountered at work relates to the professional, personal and environmental aspects of teaching. At the professional level, research describes mainly the beginner's difficulties in dealing with discipline problems, in using teaching methods efficiently, in…

Specific Learning Difficulties--What Teachers Need to Know

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hudson, Diana

2015-01-01

This book clearly explains what Specific Learning Difficulties (SpLD) are, and describes the symptoms of conditions most commonly encountered in the mainstream classroom: dyslexia, dyspraxia, dyscalculia, dysgraphia, Autism Spectrum Disorder, ADHD, and OCD. The author provides an overview of the strengths and weaknesses commonly associated with…

Methodological Problems Encountered in the Review of Research in Science Teaching

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lawlor, E. P.; Lawlor, F. X.

1972-01-01

Describes the difficulties encountered in selecting material to be included in the reviews of science education research in the Curtis Series'' published by the Columbia Teachers' College Press. Presents evidence outlining the weaknesses of using a jury'' to determine so-called superior research. (AL)

Modelling Difficulties and Their Overcoming Strategies in the Solution of a Modelling Problem

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dede, Ayse Tekin

2016-01-01

The purpose of the study is to reveal the elementary mathematics student teachers' difficulties encountered in the solution of a modelling problem, the strategies to overcome those difficulties and whether the strategies worked or not. Nineteen student teachers solved the modelling problem in their four or five-person groups, and the video records…

The Challenges of Chinese: A Preliminary Study of UK Learners' Perceptions of Difficulty

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hu, Bo

2010-01-01

This study aims to highlight aspects of difficulty encountered by Chinese as a Foreign Language (CFL) learners and to explore the factors underlying these aspects. Data were gathered through a Chinese Language Learning Difficulty Survey from 164 CFL learners, mostly in British higher education. The survey data provided useful exploratory findings.…

Estimating the Probability of a Diffusing Target Encountering a Stationary Sensor.

DTIC Science & Technology

1985-07-01

7 RD-R1577 6- 44 ESTIMATING THE PROBABILITY OF A DIFFUSING TARGET i/i ENCOUNTERING R STATIONARY SENSOR(U) NAVAL POSTGRADUATE U SCHOOL MONTEREY CA...8217,: *.:.; - -*.. ,’.-,:;;’.’.. ’,. ,. .*.’.- 4 6 6- ..- .-,,.. : .-.;.- -. NPS55-85-013 NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL Monterey, California ESTIMATING THE PROBABILITY OF A DIFFUSING TARGET...PROBABILITY OF A DIFFUSING Technical TARGET ENCOUNTERING A STATIONARY SENSOR S. PERFORMING ORG. REPORT NUMBER 7. AUTHOR(@) S. CONTRACT OR GRANT NUMBER(a

Learning Computing Topics in Undergraduate Information Systems Courses: Managing Perceived Difficulty

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wall, Jeffrey D.; Knapp, Janice

2014-01-01

Learning technical computing skills is increasingly important in our technology driven society. However, learning technical skills in information systems (IS) courses can be difficult. More than 20 percent of students in some technical courses may dropout or fail. Unfortunately, little is known about students' perceptions of the difficulty of…

Feasibility, efficacy, and predictive factors for the technical success of endoscopic nasogallbladder drainage: a prospective study.

PubMed

Yane, Kei; Maguchi, Hiroyuki; Katanuma, Akio; Takahashi, Kuniyuki; Osanai, Manabu; Kin, Toshifumi; Takaki, Ryo; Matsumoto, Kazuyuki; Gon, Katsushige; Matsumori, Tomoaki; Tomonari, Akiko; Nojima, Masanori

2015-03-01

Several studies have shown the useful-ness of endoscopic nasogallbladder drainage (ENGBD) in patients with acute cholecystitis. However, the procedure is difficult, and factors that affect technical success have not yet been clarified. We conducted a prospective study to eval-uate the technical feasibility, efficacy, and predictive factors for the technical success of ENGBD in patients with acute cholecystitis. All patients with moderate or severe acute cholecystitis who were enrolled underwent ENGBD between April 2009 and April 2011. Patients with surgically altered anatomy or pancreatobiliary malignancies were ex-cluded. The primary outcomes included technical success, clinical success, and complications. Factors that could affect the technical success were also examined. Of the 27 patients who underwent ENGBD during the study period, technical success was achieved in 21 (78%) and clinical improvement was achieved in 20 (95%). Early complications were encountered in four patients (15%). Gallbladder wall thickness (odds ratio [OR], 1.64; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.08 to 2.47) and age (OR, 1.16; 95% CI, 1.00 to 1.35) were effective predictors of technical failure. ENGBD was effective in resolving acute cholecystitis; however, this modality was technically challenging and had a limited suc-cess rate. Because of technical difficulties, ENGBD should be reserved for limited indications. (Gut Liver, 2015;9239-246).

Technical difficulties in retro-peritoneoscopic radical nephrectomy. Is tumor location important?

PubMed

Lucan, M; Lucan, V; Ghervan, L; Elec, F; Iacob, G; Barbos, A

2007-01-01

Tumor location on the posterior aspect of the kidney or close to the renal hilum could increase the difficulty of the retro-peritoneoscopic radical nephrectomy. The aim of our study was to assess how tumor location influences the difficulty of the retro-peritoneoscopic radical nephrectomy. We performed a nonrandomized prospective study in 116 patients with localized renal cell carcinoma who underwent RRN, between Jan. 2000 and Jan. 2005. Twenty-nine patients with a tumor located close to the renal hilum or on the posterior aspect of the kidney (Gr.A) were compared with 87 patients with a tumor at a distance from the renal hilum (Gr.B) in terms of operative time, intraoperative blood loss, and difficulty of the dissection. The difficulty of the dissection was subjectively estimated by the main surgeon using a three degree scale (G1-easy, G2-medium, and G3-difficult). All the operations were finalized by retro-peritoneoscopy and G4-very difficult degree--was not recorded. In the Gr. A, the operative time was longer (117.28 min vs. 94.63 min, p < 0.001) and blood loss was higher (291.86 ml vs. 199.54 ml, p < 0.001). The dissection of the renal pedicle was also more difficult in the Gr. A either for artery dissection (G3 27.59% vs. 11.49%, p = 0.0202) or for vein dissection (G3 20.69% vs. 8.05%, p = 0.0321), while peri-fascial dissection was less frequently difficult (G3 10.34% vs. 28.74%, p = 0.0237). Tumor location close to the renal hilum or on the posterior aspect of the kidney increases the difficulty of renal pedicle dissection.

To See or Not to See: Analyzing Difficulties in Geometry from the Perspective of Visual Perception

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gal, Hagar; Linchevski, Liora

2010-01-01

In this paper, we consider theories about processes of visual perception and perception-based knowledge representation (VPR) in order to explain difficulties encountered in figural processing in junior high school geometry tasks. In order to analyze such difficulties, we take advantage of the following perspectives of VPR: (1) Perceptual…

Divided attention: an undesirable difficulty in memory retention.

PubMed

Gaspelin, Nicholas; Ruthruff, Eric; Pashler, Harold

2013-10-01

How can we improve memory retention? A large body of research has suggested that difficulty encountered during learning, such as when practice sessions are distributed rather than massed, can enhance later memory performance (see R. A. Bjork & E. L. Bjork, 1992). Here, we investigated whether divided attention during retrieval practice can also constitute a desirable difficulty. Following two initial study phases and one test phase with Swahili-English word pairs (e.g., vuvi-snake), we manipulated whether items were tested again under full or divided attention. Two days later, participants were brought back for a final cued-recall test (e.g., vuvi-?). Across three experiments (combined N = 122), we found no evidence that dividing attention while practicing retrieval enhances memory retention. This finding raises the question of why many types of difficulty during practice do improve long-term retention, but dividing attention does not.

Commognitive Analysis of Undergraduate Mathematics Students' First Encounter with the Subgroup Test

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ioannou, Marios

2018-01-01

This study analyses learning aspects of undergraduate mathematics students' first encounter with the subgroup test, using the commognitive theoretical framework. It focuses on students' difficulties as these are related to the object-level and metalevel mathematical learning in group theory, and, when possible, highlights any commognitive…

Sickness certification difficulties in Ireland--a GP focus group study.

PubMed

Foley, M; Thorley, K; Von Hout, M-C

2013-07-01

Sickness certification causes problems for general practitioners (GPs). Difficulty with the assessment of capacity to work, conflict with patients and other non-medical factors have been shown to influence GPs' decision-making. Inadequate leadership and management of certification issues add to GPs' difficulties. To explore problems associated with sickness certification, as part of a larger mixed method research project exploring GPs' experiences and perceptions of sickness certification in Ireland. A qualitative study in an urban region of Ireland. A focus group of four male and four female GPs explored problems encountered by GPs in certifying sickness absence. Thematic data analysis was used. Three major themes emerged: perception of the sickness certification system, organization of health care and cultural factors in sickness absence behaviour. Employment structures in public and private sectors and lack of communication with other health care providers and employers were identified as complicating sickness certification. GPs encounter a complexity of issues in sick certification and are dissatisfied with their role in certifying sickness absence. Our results open the debate for policy change and development in Ireland.

Selecting Students at Risk of Academic Difficulties

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cummings, Kelli D.; Smolkowski, Keith

2015-01-01

This paper aims to translate for practitioners the principles and methods for evaluating screening measures in education, including benchmark goals and cut points, from our technical manuscript "Evaluation of Diagnostic Systems: The Selection of Students at Risk of Academic Difficulties" (this issue). We offer a brief description of…

Undergraduate ESL Students' Difficulties in Writing the Introduction for Research Reports

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maznun, Mirrah Diyana Binti; Monsefi, Roya; Nimehchisalem, Vahid

2017-01-01

This study was conducted to investigate the difficulties encountered by undergraduate ESL students in writing the introduction section of their project reports. Five introduction sections of bachelor of arts students, majoring in English language, were analyzed and a lecturer was interviewed regarding the areas of the students' weaknesses. Swales'…

Problem Solving Instruction for Overcoming Students' Difficulties in Stoichiometric Problems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shadreck, Mandina; Enunuwe, Ochonogor Chukunoye

2017-01-01

The study sought to find out difficulties encountered by high school chemistry students when solving stoichiometric problems and how these could be overcome by using a problem-solving approach. The study adopted a quasi-experimental design. 485 participants drawn from 8 highs schools in a local education district in Zimbabwe participated in the…

Working with a patient claiming a direct relationship with god: encountering otherness.

PubMed

Charles, Marilyn

2009-01-01

Although we expect to encounter otherness in the consulting room, some types of otherness are more difficult to encounter than others. Differing ethnicities, religions, lifestyles, or other aspects of worldview can bring us into uneasy alliance with the other, as we also encounter disowned or unclaimed aspects of self in this process. I will discuss some of my difficulties working with a man who was born into my own religion-thus offering some common heritage of world view-but subsequently adopted another religion with such intensity that his faith seemed to have psychotic aspects. I struggled to keep my bearings with a man who could at times be cogent, at other times seem quite crazy, and also struggled to keep in mind how prejudices in my own culture might skew my perspective such that intense faith and devoted adherence to scripture seems suspect rather than worthy of respect.

Artwork as Technics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jackson, Mark

2016-01-01

"Artwork as technics" opens discussion on activating aesthetics in educational contexts by arguing that we require some fundamental revision in understanding relations between aesthetics and technology in contexts where education is primarily encountered instrumentally and technologically. The paper addresses this through the writing of…

Difficulties Experienced by University Students with Severe Mental Illness Who Participate in Supported Education Programs.

PubMed

Shor, Ron

2017-04-01

Knowledge about the difficulties students with severe mental illness (SMI) encounter is essential to helping them meet the challenges of studying in universities. Therefore, a study was conducted in Israel with 80 university students with SMI to ascertain their difficulties and the relationship between these difficulties and their level of recovery. The two subscales of an instrument measuring students' difficulties that were ranked the highest were "Learning Skills and Management of Academic Tasks" and "Social Inclusion Difficulties." Inverse relationships were found between the students' difficulties and their perceived level of recovery. The findings illuminate that one of the major challenges that students with SMI experience is to meet academic requirements while coping with mental illness. They also indicate that students' difficulties may not be limited to academic functioning. Therefore, there is a need to broaden the view of students' difficulties to include social and contextual factors in the university environment.

An Investigation of the Difficulties Faced by EFL Undergraduates in Speaking Skills

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Al-Jamal, Dina A.; Al-Jamal, Ghadeer A.

2014-01-01

Since speaking well in English is crucial for English language literature undergraduates, the present study aimed at describing difficulties that may be encountered at an EFL setting. The sample was stratified random as drawn from six Jordanian public universities. Survey questionnaires as well as semi-structured interviews were constructed. 64…

[Experiences and difficulties in implementing immunization registries in Saxony-Anhalt].

PubMed

Oppermann, H; Borrmann, M; Thriene, B; Gräfe, L; Wilhelms, E; Herrmann, C; Weise, H; Hennig, E; Claus, H

2004-12-01

In the German Federal State of Saxony-Anhalt, the Health Department must be notified of vaccines administered to children <7 years of age including their names. The goal of this mandatory notification is to improve and stabilize the age-appropriate vaccination coverage. However, difficulties have been encountered in implementing mandatory notification. Therefore, the Health Departments of Magdeburg and Halle have launched a model project focusing on analysing and eliminating these problems. Mandatory notification requires parents' approval, endorsement of vaccantors, and availability of human and technicely resources in the Health Department. An enquiry among paediatricians and family doctors in private practice revealed widespread reservations about mandatory notification because of privacy issues related to data and legal protection. Furthermore, family doctors believed that parents disapproved of notification by name. However, a survey among young mothers revealed this not to be the case. Winning young mothers' approval depends largely on the positive attitude of the vaccinators. To implement the mandatory notification of vaccinations to the Health Department, it is necessary to dispel physicians' concerns and to inform young parents about the practical benefits. However, this places high demands on the Health Departments for maintaining immunization registries, communicating with physicians and notifying parents when immunisations are due or late.

Feeding Difficulties in Children with Esophageal Atresia.

PubMed

Mahoney, Lisa; Rosen, Rachel

2016-06-01

The current available literature evaluating feeding difficulties in children with esophageal atresia was reviewed. The published literature was searched through PubMed using a pre-defined search strategy. Feeding difficulties are commonly encountered in children and adults with repaired esophageal atresia [EA]. The mechanism for abnormal feeding includes both esophageal and oropharyngeal dysphagia. Esophageal dysphagia is commonly reported in patients with EA and causes include dysmotility, anatomic lesions, esophageal outlet obstruction and esophageal inflammation. Endoscopic evaluation, esophageal manometry and esophograms can be useful studies to evaluate for causes of esophageal dysphagia. Oropharyngeal dysfunction and aspiration are also important mechanisms for feeding difficulties in patients with EA. These patients often present with respiratory symptoms. Videofluoroscopic swallow study, salivagram, fiberoptic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing and high-resolution manometry can all be helpful tools to identify aspiration. Once diagnosed, management goals include reduction of aspiration during swallowing, reducing full column reflux into the oropharynx and continuation of oral feeding to maintain skills. We review specific strategies which can be used to reduce aspiration of gastric contents, including thickening feeds, changing feeding schedule, switching formula, trialing transpyloric feeds and fundoplication. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Word problems: a review of linguistic and numerical factors contributing to their difficulty

PubMed Central

Daroczy, Gabriella; Wolska, Magdalena; Meurers, Walt Detmar; Nuerk, Hans-Christoph

2015-01-01

Word problems (WPs) belong to the most difficult and complex problem types that pupils encounter during their elementary-level mathematical development. In the classroom setting, they are often viewed as merely arithmetic tasks; however, recent research shows that a number of linguistic verbal components not directly related to arithmetic contribute greatly to their difficulty. In this review, we will distinguish three components of WP difficulty: (i) the linguistic complexity of the problem text itself, (ii) the numerical complexity of the arithmetic problem, and (iii) the relation between the linguistic and numerical complexity of a problem. We will discuss the impact of each of these factors on WP difficulty and motivate the need for a high degree of control in stimuli design for experiments that manipulate WP difficulty for a given age group. PMID:25883575

[Urinary evaluations of drug consumption among workers having high risk of accident: technical difficulties, limits and possibilities of increasing efficacy of the law].

PubMed

D'Orso, M I; Grosso, D; Colli, M; Gironi, A; Riva, M A; Cesana, G

2012-01-01

Urinary evaluations of drug consumption among workers having high risk of accident became compulsory in Italian legislation few years ago. We report results of 322.110 single urinary drug detections carried out between 2008 and 2011 on 35.789 subjects. We verified technical difficulties arisen during laboratory detections and organizational difficulties evidenced by Occupational Doctors during collections of samples. We screened 701 positive samples (1.96%), mostly to Cannabinoids and Cocaine, verified using first and second level screening according to national law. Many patients referred regular or irregular use of medicines active on Central Nervous System frequently ignoring their collateral effects. After the evidence of a positive result, during a second medical visit, many workers referred assumption of "natural diet supplements" acquired not in traditional commercial distributors. In two cases we have had the possibility of analyzing these supplements which have shown the presence of law concentrations of drugs in their compositions.

A Study on the Difficulties of Learning Phase Transition in Object-Oriented Analysis and Design from the Viewpoint of Semantic Distance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shin, Shin-Shing

2015-01-01

Students in object-oriented analysis and design (OOAD) courses typically encounter difficulties transitioning from object-oriented analysis (OOA) to logical design (OOLD). This study conducted an empirical experiment to examine these learning difficulties by evaluating differences between OOA-to-OOLD and OOLD-to-object-oriented-physical-design…

The Problems Encountered in a CTEV Clinic: Can Better Casting and Bracing Be Accomplished?

PubMed

Agarwal, Anil; Kumar, Anubrat; Shaharyar, Abbas; Mishra, Madhusudan

2016-09-07

The aim of the study is to create awareness in the practicing health care workers toward the problems encountered during casting and bracing of clubfoot following Ponseti method, and in turn avoid them. Retrospective audit of 6 years' clubfoot clinic records to analyze problems associated with Ponseti method. Problems were encountered in 26 cast and in 6 braced patients. Just 4 patients out of 71 syndromic (5.6%) experienced problems during casting compared with 3% overall incidence. The common problems encountered in casted patients were moisture lesions, hematoma, dermatitis due to occlusion, pressure sores, and fractures. There was excessive bleeding in 1 patient at time of tenotomy. In braced patients, pressure sores and tenderness at tenotomy site were major problems. None of the syndromic patients experienced difficulties during bracing. Problems were encountered with Ponseti method during casting, tenotomy, or bracing. Syndromic children had lesser complication rate than idiopathic clubfeet. It is important to be aware of these problems so that appropriate intervention can be done early. Level IV: Retrospective. © 2016 The Author(s).

Researching Female Professors: The Difficulties of Representation, Positionality and Power in Feminist Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hoskins, Kate

2015-01-01

This article draws on findings from my doctoral research to exemplify some of the difficulties I encountered when interviewing 20 female professors and subsequently writing about their life histories. In this article, I discuss how I addressed the issues of representing and positioning my participants, and I reflect on the power dynamics present…

Difficulties in Academic Writing: From the Perspective of King Saud University Postgraduate Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Al Fadda, Hind

2012-01-01

The purpose of this study was to determine what difficulties King Saud University students encounter when learning to write academic English and to differentiate between students' learning needs and objectives. The sample consisted of 50 postgraduate students enrolled in King Saud University during the academic year 2009-2010. Analysis of the data…

Cartographic Encounters at the Bureau of Indian Affairs Geographic Information System Center of Calculation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Palmer, Mark H.

2012-01-01

The centering processes of geographic information system (GIS) development at the United States Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) was an extension of past cartographic encounters with American Indians through the central control of geospatial technologies, uneven development of geographic information resources, and extension of technically dependent…

Teaching and Learning the Nature of Technical Artifacts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Frederik, Ineke; Sonneveld, Wim; de Vries, Marc J.

2011-01-01

Artifacts are probably our most obvious everyday encounter with technology. Therefore, a good understanding of the nature of technical artifacts is a relevant part of technological literacy. In this article we draw from the philosophy of technology to develop a conceptualization of technical artifacts that can be used for educational purposes.…

Recommendations to address the difficulties encountered when determining linezolid resistance from whole genome sequencing data.

PubMed

Beukers, Alicia G; Hasman, Henrik; Hegstad, Kristin; van Hal, Sebastiaan J

2018-05-29

Mutations associated with linezolid resistance within the V domain of 23S rRNA are annotated using an Escherichia coli numbering system. The 23S rRNA gene varies in length, nucleotide sequence and copy number between bacterial species. Consequently, this numbering system is not intuitive and can lead to confusion when locating mutation sites using whole genome sequencing data. Using the mutation G2576T as an example, we demonstrate the difficulties associated with using the E. coli numbering system. © Crown copyright 2018.

Emergency medicine clerkship encounter and procedure logging using handheld computers.

PubMed

Penciner, Rick; Siddiqui, Sanam; Lee, Shirley

2007-08-01

Tracking medical student clinical encounters is now an accreditation requirement of medical schools. The use of handheld computers for electronic logging is emerging as a strategy to achieve this. To evaluate the technical feasibility and student satisfaction of a novel electronic logging and feedback program using handheld computers in the emergency department. This was a survey study of fourth-year medical student satisfaction with the use of their handheld computers for electronic logging of patient encounters and procedures. The authors also included an analysis of this technology. Forty-six students participated in this pilot project, logging a total of 2,930 encounters. Students used the logs an average of 7.6 shifts per rotation, logging an average of 8.3 patients per shift. Twenty-nine students (63%) responded to the survey. Students generally found it easy to complete each encounter (69%) and easy to synchronize their handheld computer with the central server (83%). However, half the students (49%) never viewed the feedback Web site and most (79%) never reviewed their logs with their preceptors. Overall, only 17% found the logging program beneficial as a learning tool. Electronic logging by medical students during their emergency medicine clerkship has many potential benefits as a method to document clinical encounters and procedures performed. However, this study demonstrated poor compliance and dissatisfaction with the process. In order for electronic logging using handheld computers to be a beneficial educational tool for both learners and educators, obstacles to effective implementation need to be addressed.

New Desktop Virtual Reality Technology in Technical Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ausburn, Lynna J.; Ausburn, Floyd B.

2008-01-01

Virtual reality (VR) that immerses users in a 3D environment through use of headwear, body suits, and data gloves has demonstrated effectiveness in technical and professional education. Immersive VR is highly engaging and appealing to technically skilled young Net Generation learners. However, technical difficulty and very high costs have kept…

The importance of motivation, weapons, and foul odors in driving encounter competition in carnivores.

PubMed

Allen, Maximilian L; Wilmers, Christopher C; Elbroch, L Mark; Golla, Julie M; Wittmer, Heiko U

2016-08-01

Encounter competition is interference competition in which animals directly contend for resources. Ecological theory predicts the trait that determines the resource holding potential (RHP), and hence the winner of encounter competition, is most often body size or mass. The difficulties of observing encounter competition in complex organisms in natural environments, however, has limited opportunities to test this theory across diverse species. We studied the outcome of encounter competition contests among mesocarnivores at deer carcasses in California to determine the most important variables for winning these contests. We found some support for current theory in that body mass is important in determining the winner of encounter competition, but we found that other factors including hunger and species-specific traits were also important. In particular, our top models were "strength and hunger" and "size and hunger," with models emphasizing the complexity of variables influencing outcomes of encounter competition. In addition, our wins above predicted (WAP) statistic suggests that an important aspect that determines the winner of encounter competition is species-specific advantages that increase their RHP, as bobcats (Lynx rufus) and spotted skunks (Spilogale gracilis) won more often than predicted based on mass. In complex organisms, such as mesocarnivores, species-specific adaptations, including strategic behaviors, aggressiveness, and weapons, contribute to competitive advantages and may allow certain species to take control or defend resources better than others. Our results help explain how interspecific competition shapes the occurrence patterns of species in ecological communities. © 2016 by the Ecological Society of America.

Technical difficulties and its remedies in laparoscopic cholecystectomy in situs inversus totalis: A rare case report.

PubMed

Arya, S V; Das, Anupam; Singh, Sunil; Kalwaniya, Dheer Singh; Sharma, Ashok; Thukral, B B

2013-01-01

Laparoscopic cholecystectomy is considered to be the gold standard surgical procedure for cholelithiasis and is one of the commonest surgical procedures in the world today. However, in rare cases of previously undiagnosed situs inversus totalis (with dextrocardia), the presentation of the cholecystitis, its diagnosis and the operative procedure can pose problems. We present here one such case and discuss how the diagnosis was made and difficulties encountered during surgery and how they were coped with. A 35 year old female presented with left hypochondrium pain and dyspepsia, for 2 years. A diagnosis of cholelithiasis with situs inversus was confirmed after thorough clinical examination, abdominal and chest X-rays and ultrasonography of the abdomen. Laparoscopic cholecystectomy, which is the standard treatment, was performed with numerous modifications in the positioning of the monitor, insufflator, ports and the position of the members of the surgical team and the laparoscopic instruments. The patient had an uneventful recovery. Situs inversus totalis is itself a rare condition and when associated with cholelithiasis poses a challenge in the management of the condition. We must appreciate the necessity of setting up the operating theatre, the positioning of the ports, the surgical team and the instruments. Therefore, it becomes important for the right handed surgeons to modify their techniques and establish a proper hand eye coordination to adapt to the mirror image anatomy of the Calot's triangle in a patient of situs inversus totalis. Copyright © 2013 Surgical Associates Ltd. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Scientific misconduct encountered by APAME journals: an online survey.

PubMed

Looi, Lai-Meng; Wong, Li Xuan; Koh, Cing Chai

2015-12-01

In June 2015, invitations were sent by email to 151 APAME journals to participate in an online survey with an objective of gaining insight into the common publication misconduct encountered by APAME editors. The survey, conducted through SurveyMonkey over a 20-day-period, comprised 10 questions with expansions to allow anecdotes limited to 400 characters, estimated to take less than 10 minutes to complete. Only one invitation was issued per journal, targeting (in order of priority) editors, editorial board members and editorial staff, and limited by email availability. 54 (36%) journals responded. 98% of respondents held Editor or Editorial Board positions. All respondent journals have editorial policies on publication ethics and 96% provide instructions related to ethics. 45% use anti-plagiarism software to screen manuscripts, the most popular being iThenticate, CrossCheck and Turnitin. Up to 50% of journals had encountered studies without IRB approval. Author misconduct encountered were (in rank order): plagiarism (75%), duplicate publication (58%), unjustified authorship (39%), authorship disputes (33%), data falsification (29%), data/image manipulation (27%), conflict of interest (25%), copyright violation (17%) and breach of confidentiality (10%). Reviewer misconduct encountered were: conflict of interest (19%), plagiarism (17%), obstructive behavior (17%), abusive language (13%) and breach of confidentiality (13%). Notwithstanding the limitations of the survey and the response rate, a few insights have been gained: (1) the need for strengthening the ethical culture of researchers/authors and reviewers, (2) anti-plagiarism software can improve plagiarism detection by about 15%, and (3) the need for technical support to detect plagiarism, duplicate publication and image manipulation.

Commognitive analysis of undergraduate mathematics students' first encounter with the subgroup test

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ioannou, Marios

2018-06-01

This study analyses learning aspects of undergraduate mathematics students' first encounter with the subgroup test, using the commognitive theoretical framework. It focuses on students' difficulties as these are related to the object-level and metalevel mathematical learning in group theory, and, when possible, highlights any commognitive conflicts. In the data analysis, one can identify three types of difficulties, relevant to object-level learning: namely regarding the frequently observed confusion between groups and sets, the object-level rules of visual mediators, and the object-level rules of contextual notions, such as permutations, exponentials, sets and matrices. In addition, data analysis suggests two types of difficulties, relevant to metalevel learning. The first refers to the actual proof that the three conditions of subgroup test hold, and the second is related to syntactic inaccuracies, incomplete argumentation and problematic use of visual mediators. Finally, this study suggests that there are clear links between object-level and metalevel learning, mainly due to the fact that objectification of the various relevant mathematical notions influences the endorsement of the governing metarules.

Endoscopic approaches to pituitary lesions: difficulties and challenges.

PubMed

de los Santos, Gonzalo; Fragola, Claudio; Del Castillo, Raúl; Rodríguez, Víctor; D'oleo, Claudio; Reyes, Pablo

2013-01-01

The evolution of surgical approaches to the pituitary region brings benefits to the patient, but also means changes for otolaryngologists, who have to face new difficulties and complications. The objective of this paper was to present our experience in the endoscopic approach to the pituitary region, assessing the difficulties and complications encountered, and to offer possible elements for improvement. We reviewed the first 40 cases of pituitary approaches we carried out between 2008 and 2011. Interventions were performed by a team of neurosurgeons and otolaryngologists in simultaneous collaboration. We analysed the pathology intervened, complications and difficulties. There were 37 patients operated on for pituitary tumours and 3 cysts; 34 cases were macroadenomas. The complications were 6 cerebrospinal fluid leaks, 3 with meningitis, 6 diabetes insipidus, 1 pulmonary embolism, 1 hydrocephalus and 4 mild nasal complications. The frequency and type of complications depend on the extent of the endoscopic approach, patient age, tumour size and suprasellar extension. The use of specific instruments, navigation and preoperative assessment of imaging tests help to minimise complications. Prudent implementation of new approaches, knowledge of techniques and complications, and the analysis of the activity allow further progress in access to skull base pathology. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier España, S.L. All rights reserved.

Students' difficulties with vector calculus in electrodynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bollen, Laurens; van Kampen, Paul; De Cock, Mieke

2015-12-01

Understanding Maxwell's equations in differential form is of great importance when studying the electrodynamic phenomena discussed in advanced electromagnetism courses. It is therefore necessary that students master the use of vector calculus in physical situations. In this light we investigated the difficulties second year students at KU Leuven encounter with the divergence and curl of a vector field in mathematical and physical contexts. We have found that they are quite skilled at doing calculations, but struggle with interpreting graphical representations of vector fields and applying vector calculus to physical situations. We have found strong indications that traditional instruction is not sufficient for our students to fully understand the meaning and power of Maxwell's equations in electrodynamics.

Direct Evidence of Memory Retrieval as a Source of Difficulty in Non-Local Dependencies in Language

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fedorenko, Evelina; Woodbury, Rebecca; Gibson, Edward

2013-01-01

Linguistic dependencies between non-adjacent words have been shown to cause comprehension difficulty, compared with local dependencies. According to one class of sentence comprehension accounts, non-local dependencies are difficult because they require the retrieval of the first dependent from memory when the second dependent is encountered.…

Eye Movements while Reading Biased Homographs: Effects of Prior Encounter and Biasing Context on Reducing the Subordinate Bias Effect

PubMed Central

Leinenger, Mallorie; Rayner, Keith

2013-01-01

Readers experience processing difficulties when reading biased homographs preceded by subordinate-biasing contexts. Attempts to overcome this processing deficit have often failed to reduce the subordinate bias effect (SBE). In the present studies, we examined the processing of biased homographs preceded by single-sentence, subordinate-biasing contexts, and varied whether this preceding context contained a prior instance of the homograph or a control word/phrase. Having previously encountered the homograph earlier in the sentence reduced the SBE for the subsequent encounter, while simply instantiating the subordinate meaning produced processing difficulty. We compared these reductions in reading times to differences in processing time between dominant-biased repeated and non-repeated conditions in order to verify that the reductions observed in the subordinate cases did not simply reflect a general repetition benefit. Our results indicate that a strong, subordinate-biasing context can interact during lexical access to overcome the activation from meaning frequency and reduce the SBE during reading. PMID:24073328

Ethical difficulties in clinical practice: experiences of European doctors

PubMed Central

Hurst, S A; Perrier, A; Pegoraro, R; Reiter‐Theil, S; Forde, R; Slowther, A‐M; Garrett‐Mayer, E; Danis, M

2007-01-01

Background Ethics support services are growing in Europe to help doctors in dealing with ethical difficulties. Currently, insufficient attention has been focused on the experiences of doctors who have faced ethical difficulties in these countries to provide an evidence base for the development of these services. Methods A survey instrument was adapted to explore the types of ethical dilemma faced by European doctors, how they ranked the difficulty of these dilemmas, their satisfaction with the resolution of a recent ethically difficult case and the types of help they would consider useful. The questionnaire was translated and given to general internists in Norway, Switzerland, Italy and the UK. Results Survey respondents (n = 656, response rate 43%) ranged in age from 28 to 82 years, and averaged 25 years in practice. Only a minority (17.6%) reported having access to ethics consultation in individual cases. The ethical difficulties most often reported as being encountered were uncertain or impaired decision‐making capacity (94.8%), disagreement among caregivers (81.2%) and limitation of treatment at the end of life (79.3%). The frequency of most ethical difficulties varied among countries, as did the type of issue considered most difficult. The types of help most often identified as potentially useful were professional reassurance about the decision being correct (47.5%), someone capable of providing specific advice (41.1%), help in weighing outcomes (36%) and clarification of the issues (35.9%). Few of the types of help expected to be useful varied among countries. Conclusion Cultural differences may indeed influence how doctors perceive ethical difficulties. The type of help needed, however, did not vary markedly. The general structure of ethics support services would not have to be radically altered to suit cultural variations among the surveyed countries. PMID:17209113

Coordination and resource-related difficulties encountered by Quebec's public health specialists and infectious diseases/medical microbiologists in the management of A (H1N1)--a mixed-method, exploratory survey.

PubMed

Nhan, Charles; Laprise, Réjean; Douville-Fradet, Monique; Macdonald, Mary Ellen; Quach, Caroline

2012-02-10

In Quebec, the influenza A (H1N1) pandemic was managed using a top-down style that left many involved players with critical views and frustrations. We aimed to describe physicians' perceptions--infectious diseases specialists/medical microbiologists (IDMM) and public health/preventive medicine specialists (PHPMS)--in regards to issues encountered with the pandemics management at the physician level and highlight suggested improvements for future healthcare emergencies. In April 2010, Quebec IDMM and PHPMS physicians were invited to anonymously complete a web-based learning needs assessment. The survey included both open-ended and multiple-choice questions. Descriptive statistics were used to report on the frequency distribution of multiple choice responses whereas thematic content analysis was used to analyse qualitative data generated from the survey and help understand respondents' experience and perceptions with the pandemics. Of the 102 respondents, 85.3% reported difficulties or frustrations in their practice during the pandemic. The thematic analysis revealed two core themes describing the problems experienced in the pandemic management: coordination and resource-related difficulties. Coordination issues included communication, clinical practice guidelines, decision-making, roles and responsibilities, epidemiological investigation, and public health expert advisory committees. Resources issues included laboratory resources, patient management, and vaccination process. Together, the quantitative and qualitative data suggest a need for improved coordination, a better definition of roles and responsibilities, increased use of information technologies, merged communications, and transparency in the decisional process. Increased flexibility and less contradiction in clinical practice guidelines from different sources and increased laboratory/clinical capacity were felt critical to the proper management of infectious disease emergencies.

The Difficulties That the Undergraduate Students Face about Inner Product Space

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Burhanzade, Hülya; Aygör, Nilgün

2016-01-01

In this qualitative research, we studied difficulties that undergraduate students face while learning the concept of inner product space. Participants were 35 first-year mathematics students from Yildiz Technical University in the 2011 and 2012 academic years. We asked participants to solve 5 inner product space questions. Data were jointly…

Universalist ethics in extraterrestrial encounter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baum, Seth D.

2010-02-01

If humanity encounters an extraterrestrial civilization, or if two extraterrestrial civilizations encounter each other, then the outcome may depend not only on the civilizations' relative strength to destroy each other but also on what ethics are held by one or both civilizations. This paper explores outcomes of encounter scenarios in which one or both civilizations hold a universalist ethical framework. Several outcomes are possible in such scenarios, ranging from one civilization destroying the other to both civilizations racing to be the first to commit suicide. Thus, attention to the ethics of both humanity and extraterrestrials is warranted in human planning for such an encounter. Additionally, the possibility of such an encounter raises profound questions for contemporary human ethics, even if such an encounter never occurs.

Learner Outcomes in Science in South Africa: Role of the Nature of Learner Difficulties with the Language for Learning and Teaching Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oyoo, Samuel Ouma

2017-08-01

Paul Leslie Gardner pioneered the study of student difficulties with everyday words presented in the science context (Gardner 1971); several similarly designed studies (e.g. Cassels and Johnstone 1985; Tao in Research in Science Education, 24, 322-330, 1994; Farell and Ventura in Language and Education, 12(4), 243-254, 1998; Childs and O'Farell in Chemistry Education: Research and Practice, 4(3), 233-247, 2003) have since been reported in literature. This article draws from an exploratory study of the difficulties South African High School physical science learners encounter with everyday English words when presented in the science context. The participants (1107 learners and 35 respective physical science teachers) were drawn from 35 public secondary schools in Johannesburg area of South Africa. Data were obtained through a word test to participant learners followed by group interviews but face-to-face interviews with each physical science teacher. This study has revealed that in similar ways as have been reported in each of the studies so far, South African learners also face difficulties with meanings of everyday words presented in a science context. The main source of difficulties encountered was learner inability to distinguish between the meanings of familiar everyday words as used in everyday parlance from the `new' meanings of the same everyday words when used in the science context. Interpretations of learner interview responses revealed that fewer difficulties would have been experienced by learners if science teachers generally explained the context meanings of the words as used during science teaching. The findings suggest that focusing on contextual proficiency more than on general proficiency in the language of learning and teaching (LOLT) during teaching perhaps holds more promise for enhanced learning and achievement in science. Steps necessary to raise teacher awareness of the potential impact of context on meanings of everyday words of the LOLT

Voyager's last encounter

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Miner, Ellis D.

1989-01-01

Preliminary results from Voyager's encounter with Neptune are reviewed. The major events of the encounter are listed and the data on the atmosphere, magnetosphere, and ring-arc region of Neptune are discussed. The communications and photographical techniques used in the mission are examined. In addition, a search for Neptune satellites is considered.

Are externalizing and internalizing difficulties of young children with spelling impairment related to their ADHD symptoms?

PubMed

Rietz, Chantal Sabrina; Hasselhorn, Marcus; Labuhn, Andju Sara

2012-08-01

Children with literacy difficulties often suffer from a variety of co-occurring externalizing and internalizing difficulties, as well as comorbid ADHD. Therefore, these externalizing and internalizing problems might be more related to comorbid ADHD, rather than being a correlate of literacy difficulties per se. In the present study, we investigated the occurrence of externalizing and internalizing difficulties in elementary school children (third grade) with and without spelling impairment. Taking the high rate of comorbidity between literacy difficulties and ADHD into account, we investigated whether co-occurring difficulties are associated with spelling impairment per se or with comorbid ADHD symptoms. Results indicated that these young children with spelling impairment showed more co-occurring difficulties compared with children without spelling impairment. Hierarchical regression analysis indicated that occurrence of externalizing symptoms is more strongly related to comorbid ADHD symptoms than to spelling impairment per se. The pattern of results concerning internalizing problems was not as distinct but showed a similar trend. Preferably, carers and educators should be aware of co-occurring socio-emotional and behavioural problems in children with spelling impairment. Particularly children with spelling impairment and comorbid ADHD symptoms seem to have an increased risk of encountering further co-occurring difficulties. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

L'Utilisation de l'ordinateur en lexicometrie (The Use of the Computer in Lexicometry). Series B-1.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Savard, Jean-Guy

This report treats some of the technical difficulties encountered in lexicological studies that were undertaken in order to establish a basic vocabulary. Its purpose is to show that the computer can overcome some of these difficulties, and specifically that computer programming can serve to establish a vocabulary common to scientific and technical…

[Mothers' difficulty in childrearing classified in terms of their children's behavioral characteristics].

PubMed

Sakata, Sachi; Naruse, Takashi; Taguchi, Atsuko; Murashima, Sachiyo

2014-01-01

Mothers who experience difficulty in childrearing are becoming increasingly more prevalent in Japan. This study described and classified mothers' childrearing difficulty in terms of their children's behavioral characteristics and related factors. Self-administered questionnaires were distributed to 818 mothers at their children's 3-year-old health checkup in eight suburban cities in Japan. The questionnaire consisted of items assessing the mother's experience of difficulty in childrearing for the child undergoing the checkup. The subjects were classified into four groups according to their children's behavioral characteristics: "low needs," "internalizing behavior," "externalizing behavior," and "comorbid internalizing-externalizing behavior." Multiple regression analysis was performed to examine the relationships between mothers' difficulty in childrearing and related factors. A total of 775 respondents were divided as follows: 332 mothers had children with low needs, 104 had those with internalizing behavior, 230 had those with externalizing behavior, and 109 had those with comorbid internalizing-externalizing behavior. Mothers in the low needs group showed less childrearing difficulty than did mothers in the other groups. Childrearing difficulty increased by group in the following order: internalizing, externalizing, and comorbid internalizing-externalizing. In all four groups, mothers with low self-efficacy and less appraisal support from their family encountered greater childrearing difficulty. In the low needs group, experiencing childrearing difficulty with another child was related experiencing childrearing difficulty with the child undergoing the checkup. In the internalizing behavior group, mothers who had experienced greater difficulty in childrearing were more likely to be housewives and of younger age, and were more likely to have had boys as the child undergoing the checkup. In the externalizing behavior group, mothers with more difficulty in

Comparative Racial Analysis of Enlisted Advancement Exams: Item- Difficulty.

DTIC Science & Technology

1975-07-01

11cm-ana lysis Promotion Racial comparison Equal opportunity 1 20. ABSTRACT (Continue on reveree aide 11 neceeemry mnd Identity by block...improving equal oppor- tunity in career growth for minority groups. The study of exam item- difficulty levels is the first of a series of technical reports...under Exploratory Development Task Area PF55.521.032 (Contemporary Social Issues). J. J. CLARKIN Commanding Officer SUMMARY Purpose A number of

Use of Social Media by Spanish Hospitals: Perceptions, Difficulties, and Success Factors

PubMed Central

Bermúdez-Tamayo, Clara; Jiménez-Pernett, Jaime; García Gutiérrez, José-Francisco; Traver-Salcedo, Vicente; Yubraham-Sánchez, David

2013-01-01

Abstract This exploratory study has two aims: (1) to find out if and how social media (SM) applications are used by hospitals in Spain and (2) to assess hospital managers' perception of these applications in terms of their evaluation of them, reasons for use, success factors, and difficulties encountered during their implementation. A cross-sectional survey has been carried out using Spanish hospitals as the unit of analysis. Geographical differences in the use of SM were found. Social networks are used most often by larger hospitals (30% by medium-size, 28% by large-size). They are also more frequently used by public hospitals (19%, p<0.01) than by private ones. Respondents with a negative perception of SM felt that there is a chance they may be abused by healthcare professionals, whereas those with a positive perception believed that they can be used to improve communication both within and outside the hospital. Reasons for the use of SM include the idea of maximizing exposure of the hospital. The results show that Spanish hospitals are only just beginning to use SM applications and that hospital type can influence their use. The perceptions, reasons for use, success factors, and difficulties encountered during the implementation of SM mean that it is very important for healthcare professionals to use SM correctly and adequately. PMID:23368890

Hildegard Peplau’s Theory and the Healthcare Encounters of Survivors of Sexual Violence

PubMed Central

Courey, Tamra J.; Martsolf, Donna S.; Draucker, Claire B.; Strickland, Karen B.

2011-01-01

Background Individuals who experience sexual violence often seek services in a variety of healthcare settings. Although research indicates that survivors often report that interactions with healthcare professionals are distressing, little is known about what renders these encounters helpful or hurtful. Objective The purpose of this study was to use Hildegard Peplau’s (1952) conceptualization of nurses’ helping roles (i.e., stranger, resource person, teacher, leadership, surrogate, counselor, technical expert) in nurse-client interactions to explore how survivors of sexual violence perceive their encounters with healthcare professionals. Study Design Content analysis was conducted on the transcripts of 60 minimally structured interviews in which participants discussed their experiences of sexual violence. Results The results revealed that the helping roles of counselor and technical expert, as identified by Peplau, were most important to survivors of sexual violence. Regardless of role, participants perceived healthcare professionals to be helpful when they exhibited interpersonal sensitivity, especially in regards to the participants’ experiences with violence. Conclusions The findings indicate that healthcare professionals need to maintain an attentive and compassion stance when working with survivors of sexual violence. Those who serve in a counselor role need to create an atmosphere of trust so that clients may explore in depth how violence has affected their lives. PMID:21665762

Teaching 3D computer animation to illustrators: the instructor as translator and technical director.

PubMed

Koning, Wobbe F

2012-01-01

An art instructor discusses the difficulties he's encountered teaching computer graphics skills to undergraduate art students. To help the students, he introduced an automated-rigging script for character animation.

Teacher Educators Using Encounter Stories

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Davis, Danné E.; Kellinger, Janna Jackson

2014-01-01

Many prospective teachers are unaware of the encounters that Black, heterosexual women or White lesbians face. Here, we present encounter stories--individual narratives of poignant encounters and interactions that we have experienced with people unlike us--to identify with and ultimately draw on their experiences. Subsequently, the narratives…

Patient anxiety and surgical difficulty in impacted lower third molar extractions: a prospective cohort study.

PubMed

Aznar-Arasa, L; Figueiredo, R; Valmaseda-Castellón, E; Gay-Escoda, C

2014-09-01

Encountering patients who are fearful and anxious is common in dental practice and these factors can increase the complexity of dental procedures. A prospective cohort study was performed to assess whether patient anxiety influences the difficulty of impacted lower third molar extraction and to identify other predictive factors of surgical difficulty; 102 extractions done under local anaesthesia were assessed. Several preoperative variables were recorded (demographic, anatomical, and surgical) and patient anxiety was assessed through the use of various questionnaires. Extraction difficulty was measured using the operation time (OT) and a 100-mm visual analogue scale (difficulty VAS) completed by the surgeon. Patients with deep impacted third molars that required bone removal and tooth sectioning showed higher levels of preoperative anxiety. Significant correlations were found between questionnaire scores and the surgical difficulty (OT and difficulty VAS). OT was also related to age, depth of impaction, third molar angulations, proximity of the third molar roots to the mandibular canal, hard and soft tissue coverage, and the need to perform an ostectomy and tooth sectioning. Impacted lower third molar extraction is significantly more difficult in anxious patients. Other demographic, radiological, and surgical factors were also found to be significantly related to the surgical difficulty. Copyright © 2014 International Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

33 CFR 157.12d - Technical specifications.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... Design, Equipment, and Installation § 157.12d Technical specifications. (a) Oil discharge monitoring and... effectively under all environmental conditions normally encountered by oil tankers, and must be designed and... must be designed so a discharge of dirty-ballast or other oil-contaminated water from the cargo tank...

33 CFR 157.12d - Technical specifications.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... Design, Equipment, and Installation § 157.12d Technical specifications. (a) Oil discharge monitoring and... effectively under all environmental conditions normally encountered by oil tankers, and must be designed and... must be designed so a discharge of dirty-ballast or other oil-contaminated water from the cargo tank...

'I still have no idea why this patient was here': An exploration of the difficulties GP trainees experience when gathering information.

PubMed

Giroldi, Esther; Veldhuijzen, Wemke; de Leve, Tijme; van der Weijden, Trudy; Bueving, Herman; van der Vleuten, Cees

2015-07-01

Collecting information during patient encounters is essential for the delivery of patient-centered care. To obtain insight into areas that require more attention in medical communication training, this study explores what difficulties GP trainees encounter when gathering information. In this phenomenological study, we observed a morning clinic of 15 GP trainees. To explore trainees' experiences with information-gathering, we held brief interviews after every consultation and a lengthier interview directly after the morning clinic. The resulting data were analyzed using template analysis. From trainees' reflections, we distilled five difficulties that trainees experience when gathering information: (1) Goal conflicts; (2) Ineffectiveness of trained communication skills in specific situations; (3) Trainees' distress hampers open communication; (4) Untrustworthy information; (5) Tunnel vision. Information-gathering is difficult for GP trainees. Current generic communication skills training does not seem to support trainees sufficiently to handle effectively the challenges they encounter during consultations. Medical communication training needs to support trainees in handling their goal-conflicts and feelings that hamper information-gathering, while also providing them with communication strategies adapted to handling specific challenging situations. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Love at First Sight: Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy with an Adolescent Boy with Severe Physical Disabilities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pozzi, Maria E.

2005-01-01

The content of this paper reflects the title but it expands upon the technical issues encountered right from the beginning of the assessment. These technical difficulties include the management of physical pain during sessions and the request by the patient for physical interventions as well as contact. The problem of discrimination in the setting…

Understanding metropolitan patterns of daily encounters.

PubMed

Sun, Lijun; Axhausen, Kay W; Lee, Der-Horng; Huang, Xianfeng

2013-08-20

Understanding of the mechanisms driving our daily face-to-face encounters is still limited; the field lacks large-scale datasets describing both individual behaviors and their collective interactions. However, here, with the help of travel smart card data, we uncover such encounter mechanisms and structures by constructing a time-resolved in-vehicle social encounter network on public buses in a city (about 5 million residents). Using a population scale dataset, we find physical encounters display reproducible temporal patterns, indicating that repeated encounters are regular and identical. On an individual scale, we find that collective regularities dominate distinct encounters' bounded nature. An individual's encounter capability is rooted in his/her daily behavioral regularity, explaining the emergence of "familiar strangers" in daily life. Strikingly, we find individuals with repeated encounters are not grouped into small communities, but become strongly connected over time, resulting in a large, but imperceptible, small-world contact network or "structure of co-presence" across the whole metropolitan area. Revealing the encounter pattern and identifying this large-scale contact network are crucial to understanding the dynamics in patterns of social acquaintances, collective human behaviors, and--particularly--disclosing the impact of human behavior on various diffusion/spreading processes.

Cognitive Difficulties in Struggling Comprehenders and Their Relation to Reading Comprehension: A Comparison of Group Selection and Regression-Based Models

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barnes, Marcia A.; Stuebing, Karla K.; Fletcher, Jack M.; Barth, Amy E.; Francis, David J.

2016-01-01

Difficulties suppressing previously encountered but currently irrelevant information from working memory characterize less skilled comprehenders in studies in which they are matched to skilled comprehenders on word decoding and nonverbal IQ. These "extreme" group designs are associated with several methodological issues. When sample size…

Readability Formulas and User Perceptions of Electronic Health Records Difficulty: A Corpus Study

PubMed Central

Yu, Hong

2017-01-01

Background Electronic health records (EHRs) are a rich resource for developing applications to engage patients and foster patient activation, thus holding a strong potential to enhance patient-centered care. Studies have shown that providing patients with access to their own EHR notes may improve the understanding of their own clinical conditions and treatments, leading to improved health care outcomes. However, the highly technical language in EHR notes impedes patients’ comprehension. Numerous studies have evaluated the difficulty of health-related text using readability formulas such as Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level (FKGL), Simple Measure of Gobbledygook (SMOG), and Gunning-Fog Index (GFI). They conclude that the materials are often written at a grade level higher than common recommendations. Objective The objective of our study was to explore the relationship between the aforementioned readability formulas and the laypeople’s perceived difficulty on 2 genres of text: general health information and EHR notes. We also validated the formulas’ appropriateness and generalizability on predicting difficulty levels of highly complex technical documents. Methods We collected 140 Wikipedia articles on diabetes and 242 EHR notes with diabetes International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision code. We recruited 15 Amazon Mechanical Turk (AMT) users to rate difficulty levels of the documents. Correlations between laypeople’s perceived difficulty levels and readability formula scores were measured, and their difference was tested. We also compared word usage and the impact of medical concepts of the 2 genres of text. Results The distributions of both readability formulas’ scores (P<.001) and laypeople’s perceptions (P=.002) on the 2 genres were different. Correlations of readability predictions and laypeople’s perceptions were weak. Furthermore, despite being graded at similar levels, documents of different genres were still perceived with different

Readability Formulas and User Perceptions of Electronic Health Records Difficulty: A Corpus Study.

PubMed

Zheng, Jiaping; Yu, Hong

2017-03-02

Electronic health records (EHRs) are a rich resource for developing applications to engage patients and foster patient activation, thus holding a strong potential to enhance patient-centered care. Studies have shown that providing patients with access to their own EHR notes may improve the understanding of their own clinical conditions and treatments, leading to improved health care outcomes. However, the highly technical language in EHR notes impedes patients' comprehension. Numerous studies have evaluated the difficulty of health-related text using readability formulas such as Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level (FKGL), Simple Measure of Gobbledygook (SMOG), and Gunning-Fog Index (GFI). They conclude that the materials are often written at a grade level higher than common recommendations. The objective of our study was to explore the relationship between the aforementioned readability formulas and the laypeople's perceived difficulty on 2 genres of text: general health information and EHR notes. We also validated the formulas' appropriateness and generalizability on predicting difficulty levels of highly complex technical documents. We collected 140 Wikipedia articles on diabetes and 242 EHR notes with diabetes International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision code. We recruited 15 Amazon Mechanical Turk (AMT) users to rate difficulty levels of the documents. Correlations between laypeople's perceived difficulty levels and readability formula scores were measured, and their difference was tested. We also compared word usage and the impact of medical concepts of the 2 genres of text. The distributions of both readability formulas' scores (P<.001) and laypeople's perceptions (P=.002) on the 2 genres were different. Correlations of readability predictions and laypeople's perceptions were weak. Furthermore, despite being graded at similar levels, documents of different genres were still perceived with different difficulty (P<.001). Word usage in the 2 related genres

Monitoring inter-group encounters in wilderness

Treesearch

Alan E. Watson; Rich Cronn; Neal A. Christensen

1998-01-01

Many managers face the challenge of monitoring rates of visitor encounters in wilderness. This study (1) provides estimates of encounter rates through use of several monitoring methods, (2) determines the relationship between the various measures of encounter rates, and (3) determines the relationship between various indirect predictors of encounter rates and actual...

INTERRUPTED STELLAR ENCOUNTERS IN STAR CLUSTERS

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

Geller, Aaron M.; Leigh, Nathan W. C., E-mail: a-geller@northwestern.edu, E-mail: nleigh@amnh.org

Strong encounters between single stars and binaries play a pivotal role in the evolution of star clusters. Such encounters can also dramatically modify the orbital parameters of binaries, exchange partners in and out of binaries, and are a primary contributor to the rate of physical stellar collisions in star clusters. Often, these encounters are studied under the approximation that they happen quickly enough and within a small enough volume to be considered isolated from the rest of the cluster. In this paper, we study the validity of this assumption through the analysis of a large grid of single–binary and binary–binarymore » scattering experiments. For each encounter we evaluate the encounter duration, and compare this with the expected time until another single or binary star will join the encounter. We find that for lower-mass clusters, similar to typical open clusters in our Galaxy, the percent of encounters that will be “interrupted” by an interloping star or binary may be 20%–40% (or higher) in the core, though for typical globular clusters we expect ≲1% of encounters to be interrupted. Thus, the assumption that strong encounters occur in relative isolation breaks down for certain clusters. Instead, many strong encounters develop into more complex “mini-clusters,” which must be accounted for in studying, for example, the internal dynamics of star clusters, and the physical stellar collision rate.« less

Physician as partner or salesman? Shared decision-making in real-time encounters.

PubMed

Karnieli-Miller, Orit; Eisikovits, Zvi

2009-07-01

The results of recent research have led to the increased advocacy of shared decision-making regarding medical treatment. Nonetheless, only a limited number of studies have focused on the process of decision-making in real-time encounters. The present paper aims to document and analyze this process. Specifically, we assess whether these decisions are the result of partnership or of persuasive tactics based on power and hierarchical relationships. We will describe and analyze different strategies used by pediatric gastroenterologists in breaking bad news encounters, as well as their consequences. The analysis is based on a multi-method, multi-participant phenomenological study on breaking bad news to adolescents and their families regarding a chronic illness. It included 17 units of analysis (actual encounters and 52 interviews with physicians, parents and adolescents). Data were collected from three hospitals in Northern Israel using observations and audiotapes of diagnosis disclosure encounters and audio-taped interviews with all participants. The analysis identified eight different presentation tactics used in actual encounters during which physicians made various use of language, syntax and different sources of power to persuade patients to agree with their preferred treatment choice. The tactics included various ways of presenting the illness, treatment and side effects; providing examples from other success or failure stories; sharing the decision only concerning technicalities; and using plurals and authority. The findings suggest that shared decision-making may be advocated as a philosophical tenet or a value, but it is not necessarily implemented in actual communication with patients. Rather, treatment decisions tend to be unilaterally made, and a variety of persuasive approaches are used to ensure agreement with the physician's recommendation. The discussion is focused on the complexity of sharing a decision, especially in the initial bad news encounter

Handling the Difficulties of Technical School Students in the Construction and Interpretation of Graphic Representations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marinos, Andreas

2010-01-01

In this work, an attempt is made to evaluate the errors that have to do with the interpretation and construction of graphic representations. Although the students are studying in the second year of technical high school (secondary education), i.e. in schools with an emphasis in technical subjects (post junior secondary), it is observed that they…

Assortment of encounters and evolution of cooperativeness.

PubMed

Eshel, I; Cavalli-Sforza, L L

1982-02-01

The method of evolutionary stable strategies (ESS), in its current form, is confronted with a difficulty when it tries to explain how some social behaviors initiate their evolution. We show that this difficulty may be removed by changing the assumption made tacitly in game theory (and in ESS) of randomness of meetings or encounters. In reality, such randomness seems to be rare in nature. Family, population and social structure, customs, and habits impose various types of deviation from randomness. Introducing nonrandomness of meeting in a way formally similar to assortative mating, we show that the bar to initial increase of inherited cooperative or altruistic behaviors can be removed, provided there is sufficient assortment of meetings. Family structure may cause contacts predominantly between certain types of relatives, and one can reconstruct some results of classical kin selection in terms of evolutionary stable strategy with assortative meetings. Neighbor effects and group selection might be similarly treated. Assortment need not be a passive consequence of population and social structure, but it can also be actively pursued. Behaviors favoring the choice of cooperative companions will have the effect of favoring the evolution of cooperativeness. It can be shown that discrimination in the choice of companions, especially if combined with assortment, can favor the development of cooperativeness, making initial increase of cooperative behavior possible even at levels of assortment passively imposed which would not be adequate, per se, to guarantee the increase of cooperativeness. It is possible that, in some cases, cooperativeness and behavior favoring some type of assortment are coselected.

Lessons Learned and Technical Standards: A Logical Marriage

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gill, Paul; Vaughan, William W.; Garcia, Danny; Gill, Maninderpal S. (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

A comprehensive database of lessons learned that corresponds with relevant technical standards would be a boon to technical personnel and standards developers. The authors discuss the emergence of one such database within NASA, and show how and why the incorporation of lessons learned into technical standards databases can be an indispensable tool for government and industry. Passed down from parent to child, teacher to pupil, and from senior to junior employees, lessons learned have been the basis for our accomplishments throughout the ages. Government and industry, too, have long recognized the need to systematically document And utilize the knowledge gained from past experiences in order to avoid the repetition of failures and mishaps. The use of lessons learned is a principle component of any organizational culture committed to continuous improvement. They have formed the foundation for discoveries, inventions, improvements, textbooks, and technical standards. Technical standards are a very logical way to communicate these lessons. Using the time-honored tradition of passing on lessons learned while utilizing the newest in information technology, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has launched an intensive effort to link lessons learned with specific technical standards through various Internet databases. This article will discuss the importance of lessons learned to engineers, the difficulty in finding relevant lessons learned while engaged in an engineering project, and the new NASA project that can help alleviate this difficulty. The article will conclude with recommendations for more expanded cross-sectoral uses of lessons learned with reference to technical standards.

Understanding metropolitan patterns of daily encounters

PubMed Central

Sun, Lijun; Axhausen, Kay W.; Lee, Der-Horng; Huang, Xianfeng

2013-01-01

Understanding of the mechanisms driving our daily face-to-face encounters is still limited; the field lacks large-scale datasets describing both individual behaviors and their collective interactions. However, here, with the help of travel smart card data, we uncover such encounter mechanisms and structures by constructing a time-resolved in-vehicle social encounter network on public buses in a city (about 5 million residents). Using a population scale dataset, we find physical encounters display reproducible temporal patterns, indicating that repeated encounters are regular and identical. On an individual scale, we find that collective regularities dominate distinct encounters’ bounded nature. An individual’s encounter capability is rooted in his/her daily behavioral regularity, explaining the emergence of “familiar strangers” in daily life. Strikingly, we find individuals with repeated encounters are not grouped into small communities, but become strongly connected over time, resulting in a large, but imperceptible, small-world contact network or “structure of co-presence” across the whole metropolitan area. Revealing the encounter pattern and identifying this large-scale contact network are crucial to understanding the dynamics in patterns of social acquaintances, collective human behaviors, and—particularly—disclosing the impact of human behavior on various diffusion/spreading processes. PMID:23918373

Technical difficulties and solutions of direct transesterification process of microbial oil for biodiesel synthesis.

PubMed

Yousuf, Abu; Khan, Maksudur Rahman; Islam, M Amirul; Wahid, Zularisam Ab; Pirozzi, Domenico

2017-01-01

Microbial oils are considered as alternative to vegetable oils or animal fats as biodiesel feedstock. Microalgae and oleaginous yeast are the main candidates of microbial oil producers' community. However, biodiesel synthesis from these sources is associated with high cost and process complexity. The traditional transesterification method includes several steps such as biomass drying, cell disruption, oil extraction and solvent recovery. Therefore, direct transesterification or in situ transesterification, which combines all the steps in a single reactor, has been suggested to make the process cost effective. Nevertheless, the process is not applicable for large-scale biodiesel production having some difficulties such as high water content of biomass that makes the reaction rate slower and hurdles of cell disruption makes the efficiency of oil extraction lower. Additionally, it requires high heating energy in the solvent extraction and recovery stage. To resolve these difficulties, this review suggests the application of antimicrobial peptides and high electric fields to foster the microbial cell wall disruption.

Comparative Difficulties with Non-Scientific General Vocabulary and Scientific/Medical Terminology in English as a Second Language (ESL) Medical Students.

PubMed

Heming, Thomas A; Nandagopal, Shobha

2012-11-01

Medical education requires student comprehension of both technical (scientific/medical) and non-technical (general) vocabulary. Our experience with "English as a second language" (ESL) Arab students suggested they often have problems comprehending scientific statements because of weaknesses in their understanding of non-scientific vocabulary. This study aimed to determine whether ESL students have difficulties with general vocabulary that could hinder their understanding of scientific/medical texts. A survey containing English text was given to ESL students in the premedical years of an English-medium medical school in an Arabic country. The survey consisted of sample questions from the Medical College Admission Test (USA). Students were instructed to identify all unknown words in the text. ESL students commenced premedical studies with substantial deficiencies in English vocabulary. Students from English-medium secondary schools had a selective deficiency in scientific/medical terminology which disappeared with time. Students from Arabic-medium secondary schools had equal difficulty with general and scientific/medical vocabulary. Deficiencies in both areas diminished with time but remained even after three years of English-medium higher education. Typically, when teaching technical subjects to ESL students, attention is focused on subject-unique vocabulary and associated modifiers. This study highlights that ESL students also face difficulties with the general vocabulary used to construct statements employing technical words. Such students would benefit from increases in general vocabulary knowledge.

Biological Simulations in Distance Learning. CAL Research Group Technical Report No. 12.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Murphy, P. J.

When two biological simulations on evolution and genetics (one originally developed for a conventional university undergraduate course) were introduced into Open University distance education classes, the difficulties encountered required a reappraisal of the concept of using computer simulation for distance learning and decisions on which…

Stream Lifetimes Against Planetary Encounters

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Valsecchi, G. B.; Lega, E.; Froeschle, Cl.

2011-01-01

We study, both analytically and numerically, the perturbation induced by an encounter with a planet on a meteoroid stream. Our analytical tool is the extension of pik s theory of close encounters, that we apply to streams described by geocentric variables. The resulting formulae are used to compute the rate at which a stream is dispersed by planetary encounters into the sporadic background. We have verified the accuracy of the analytical model using a numerical test.

Identifying familiar strangers in human encounter networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liang, Di; Li, Xiang; Zhang, Yi-Qing

2016-10-01

Familiar strangers, pairs of individuals who encounter repeatedly but never know each other, have been discovered for four decades yet lack an effective method to identify. Here we propose a novel method called familiar stranger classifier (FSC) to identify familiar strangers from three empirical datasets, and classify human relationships into four types, i.e., familiar stranger (FS), in-role (IR), friend (F) and stranger (S). The analyses of the human encounter networks show that the average number of FS one may encounter is finite but larger than the Dunbar Number, and their encounters are structurally more stable and denser than those of S, indicating the encounters of FS are not limited by the social capacity, and more robust than the random scenario. Moreover, the temporal statistics of encounters between FS over the whole time span show strong periodicity, which are diverse from the bursts of encounters within one day, suggesting the significance of longitudinal patterns of human encounters. The proposed method to identify FS in this paper provides a valid framework to understand human encounter patterns and analyse complex human social behaviors.

Identifying Student and Teacher Difficulties in Interpreting Atomic Spectra Using a Quantum Model of Emission and Absorption of Radiation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Savall-Alemany, Francisco; Domènech-Blanco, Josep Lluís; Guisasola, Jenaro; Martínez-Torregrosa, Joaquín

2016-01-01

Our study sets out to identify the difficulties that high school students, teachers, and university students encounter when trying to explain atomic spectra. To do so, we identify the key concepts that any quantum model for the emission and absorption of electromagnetic radiation must include to account for the gas spectra and we then design two…

Obstacles encountered in the development of the low vision enhancement system.

PubMed

Massof, R W; Rickman, D L

1992-01-01

The Johns Hopkins Wilmer Eye Institute and the NASA Stennis Space Center are collaborating on the development of a new high technology low vision aid called the Low Vision Enhancement System (LVES). The LVES consists of a binocular head-mounted video display system, video cameras mounted on the head-mounted display, and real-time video image processing in a system package that is battery powered and portable. Through a phased development approach, several generations of the LVES can be made available to the patient in a timely fashion. This paper describes the LVES project with major emphasis on technical problems encountered or anticipated during the development process.

Determine the difficulties of home care in children following haematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

PubMed

Kılıcarslan Toruner, E; Altay, N; Kisecik, Z

2016-07-01

The aim of this study was to determine the difficulties regarding the home care of children following haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). The sample of the study includes the families of 73 children in a bone marrow transplant unit between 2010 and 2013, Turkey. Data were collected using a form included descriptive information and questions about the difficulties and complications of home care. Families were telephoned and problems they had encountered were recorded. Mann-Whitney U-test and the logistic regression analysis were used. The average age of the children was 10.65 ± 5.03 years, the average age was 8.89 ± 4.9 when HSCT was performed, and the average year after HSCT was 1.79 ± 0.74. 41.1% of the children underwent transplantation with diagnoses of anaemia. Primary physical problems that were found after discharge from the hospital were fever (43.8%), decreased appetite (37%), rash (34.2%) and pain (26%). Socially, 43.8% of families reported that their children had difficulties with school. Primary difficulties regarding care and follow-up were reported as skin care (34.2%) and catheter care (33.3%). In the post-transplantation period, it is important to provide information about potential problems and care to patients and families in order to increase the quality of life. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

A Preliminary Study of Some of the Learning and Assessment Difficulties in Connection with O-Level Electrochemistry.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hillman, R. A. H.; And Others

1981-01-01

Describes a study which explored some difficulties related to technical and nontechnical vocabulary and the structure of the examination questions in electrochemistry. Includes results from a sample of 1,500 students in the fourth forms. (DS)

[One of Avicenna's electuaries: or on the difficulty of identifying the ingredients of ancient medications].

PubMed

Silberman, H C

1994-01-01

In view of the many thousands of existing plant varieties, it is sometimes difficult to determine which particular medicinal plant has been used in antiquity and during the middle ages. Scanty descriptions transmit often insufficient information to later generations of physicians and pharmacists trying to duplicate a prescribed medication. In the article a composite medication on xyloaloesbasis, taken from the Canon of Avicenna is used as an example to show the difficulties connected with the understanding of an ancient text. Quarrels more than a century ago between expert translators of old Arabic scientific works further illustrate the difficulties encountered with the interpretatiion of such texts. The example chosen provides furthermore an insight to the formerly neglected influence of old Indian medical tradition and gives an additional indication of the identity of Avicenna's ingredients.

Encounters and the guided group trip: going "on the scene" to examine the situational interpretation of encounters

Treesearch

Erin K. Sharpe

2002-01-01

The disconnection between reported encounter norms and the number of encounters visitors can tolerate has disturbed recreation researchers for a number of years. Recent research suggests that visitors, specifically white water rafters on a guided group trip, make sense of encounters not normatively, but through a process of situational negotiation at the moment of the...

"It´s incredible how much I´ve had to fight." Negotiating medical uncertainty in clinical encounters.

PubMed

Lian, Olaug S; Robson, Catherine

2017-01-01

Clinical encounters related to medically unexplained physical symptoms (MUPS) are associated with high levels of conflict between patients and doctors. Collaborative difficulties are fused by the medical uncertainty that dominates these consultations. The main aim of this study is to explore the interactional dynamics of clinical encounters riddled by medical uncertainty, as experienced by people living with long-term medically unexplained fatigue in Norway. A qualitative thematic analysis of written texts from 256 study participants. We found that patients experience being met with disbelief, inappropriate psychological explanations, marginalisation of experiences, disrespectful treatment, lack of physical examination and damaging health advice. The main source of their discontent is not the lack of biomedical knowledge, but doctors who fail to communicate acknowledgement of patients' experiences, knowledge and autonomy. War metaphors are emblematic of how participants describe their medical encounters. The overarching storyline depicts experiences of being caught in a power struggle with doctors and health systems, fused by a lack of common conceptual ground. When physical symptoms cannot be detected, explained and managed by biomedical knowledge and technology, good doctor-patient partnerships are crucial. Without clearly acknowledging patients' perspectives and capabilities in clinical practice, such partnerships cannot be achieved.

Exploring the Capability of Evaluating Technical Solutions: A Collaborative Study into the Primary Technology Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Björkholm, Eva

2014-01-01

Within the field of technology education, evaluating technical solutions is considered as an important topic. Research indicates that pupils have difficulties in evaluating technical solutions in terms of fitness for purpose, i.e. how effective a technical solution supports its intended function. By using the learning study, which is an iterative…

[Usefulness and limitations of rapid automatized naming to predict reading difficulties after school entry in preschool children].

PubMed

Kaneko, Masato; Uno, Akira; Haruhara, Noriko; Awaya, Noriko

2012-01-01

We investigated the usability and limitations of Rapid Automatized Naming (RAN) results in 6-year-old Japanese preschool children to estimate whether reading difficulties will be encountered after school entry. We administered a RAN task to 1,001 preschool children. Then after they had entered school, we performed follow-up surveys yearly to assess their reading performance when these children were in the first, second, third and fourth grades. Also, we examined Hiragana non-words and Kanji words at each time point to detect the children who were having difficulty with reading Hiragana and Kanji. Results by Receiver Operating Characteristic analysis showed that the RAN result in 6-year-old preschool children was predictive of Kanji reading difficulty in the lower grades of elementary school, especially in the second grade with a probability of 0.86, and the area under the curve showed a probability of 0.84 in the third grade. These results suggested that the RAN task was useful as a screening tool.

Transesophageal echocardiography and intracardiac echocardiography differently predict potential technical challenges or failures of interatrial shunts catheter-based closure.

PubMed

Rigatelli, Gianluca; Rigateli, Gianluca; Cardaioli, Paolo; Braggion, Gabriele; Aggio, Silvio; Giordan, Massimo; Magro, Beatrice; Nascimben, Alberto; Favaro, Alberto; Roncon, Loris; Rincon, Loris

2007-02-01

We sought to prospectively assess the role of transesophageal (TEE) and intracardiac echocardiography (ICE) in detecting potential technical difficulties or failures in patients submitted to interatrial shunts percutaneous closure. We prospectively enrolled 46 consecutive patients (mean age 35+/-28, 8 years, 30 female) referred to our center for catheter-based closure of interatrial shunts. All patients were screened with TEE before the intervention. Patients who met the inclusion criteria underwent ICE study before the closure attempt (40 patients). TEE detected potential technical difficulties in 22.5% (9/40) patients, whereas ICE detected technical difficulties in 32.5% (13/40 patients). In patients with positive TEE/ICE the procedural success (92.4% versus 100% and, P = ns) and follow-up failure rate (7.7% versus 0%, P = ns) were similar to patients with negative TEE/ICE, whereas the fluoroscopy time (7 +/- 1.2 versus 5 +/- 0.7 minutes, P < 0.03), the procedural time (41 +/- 4.1 versus 30 +/- 8.2 minutes, P +/- 0.03), and technical difficulties rate (23.1% versus 0%, P = 0.013) were higher. Differences between ICE and TEE in the evaluation of rims, measurement of ASD or fossa ovalis, and detection of venous valve and embryonic septal membrane remnants impacted on technical challenges and on procedural and fluoroscopy times but did not influence the success rate and follow-up failure rate.

Modeling of Wake-vortex Aircraft Encounters. Appendix B

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smith, Sonya T.

1999-01-01

There are more people passing through the world's airports today than at any other time in history. With this increase in civil transport, airports are becoming capacity limited. In order to increase capacity and thus meet the demands of the flying public, the number of runways and number of flights per runway must be increased. In response to the demand, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), in conjunction with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), airport operators, and the airline industry are taking steps to increase airport capacity without jeopardizing safety. Increasing the production per runway increases the likelihood that an aircraft will encounter the trailing wake-vortex of another aircraft. The hazard of a wake-vortex encounter is that heavy load aircraft can produce high intensity wake turbulence, through the development of its wing-tip vortices. A smaller aircraft following in the wake of the heavy load aircraft will experience redistribution of its aerodynamic load. This creates a safety hazard for the smaller aircraft. Understanding this load redistribution is of great importance, particularly during landing and take-off. In this research wake-vortex effects on an encountering 10% scale model of the B737-100 aircraft are modeled using both strip theory and vortex-lattice modeling methods. The models are then compared to wind tunnel data that was taken in the 30ft x 60ft wind tunnel at NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC). Comparisons are made to determine if the models will have acceptable accuracy when parts of the geometry are removed, such as the horizontal stabilizer and the vertical tail. A sensitivity analysis was also performed to observe how accurately the models could match the experimental data if there was a 10% error in the circulation strength. It was determined that both models show accurate results when the wing, horizontal stabilizer, and vertical tail were a part of the geometry. When the horizontal

Technology-Dependent Children: Hospital v. Home Care: A Technical Memorandum.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Congress of the U.S., Washington, DC. Office of Technology Assessment.

This technical memorandum examines the problems of health care financing encountered by technology-dependent children. A working definition of technology dependence is provided and the prevalence of technology dependence among American children is estimated. Analysis shows that the population of technology-dependent children has increased in size…

Pioneer 11 Encounter. [with Jupiter

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1975-01-01

Pioneer 11's encounter with Jupiter is discussed in detail. The scientific experiments carried out on the probe are described along with the instruments used. Tables are included which provide data on the times of experiments, encounters, and the distances from Jupiter. Educational study projects are also given.

[Problems encountered during the installation of an automated anesthesia documentation system (AIMS)].

PubMed

Müller, H; Naujoks, F; Dietz, S

2002-08-01

Problems encountered during the installation and introduction of an automated anaesthesia documentation system are discussed. Difficulties have to be expected in the area of staff training because of heterogeneous experience in computer usage and in the field of online documentation of vital signs. Moreover the areas of net administration and hardware configuration as well as general administrative issues also represent possible sources of drawbacks. System administration and reliable support provided by personnel of the department of anaesthesiology assuring staff motivation and reducing time of system failures require adequately staffed departments. Based on our own experiences, we recommend that anaesthesiology departments considering the future installation and use of an automated anaesthesia documentation system should verify sufficient personnel capacities prior to their decision.

Motor and Coordination Difficulties in Children with Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hill, Elisabeth; Pratt, Michelle L; Kanji, Zara; Bartoli, Alice Jones

2017-01-01

To date, very few studies have explored the incidence of motor impairment amongst children with social, emotional and behavioural difficulties (social, emotional and mental health (SEMH); formerly SEBD in England). Following research that suggests an increase in motor difficulties in young children and adolescents with SEMH difficulties, this…

Due Regard Encounter Model Version 1.0

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-08-19

Table No. Page 1 Encounter model categories. 3 2 Geographic domain limits. 8 3 Cut points used for feature quantization. 15 B-1 Validation results. 34...out to the limits of radar coverage [ 8 ]. • Correlated Encounter Model of the National Airspace System (C): A correlated encounter model is used to...Note that no existing model covers encoun- ters between two IFR aircraft in oceanic airspace. The reason for this is that one cannot observe encounters

Empowering Technical College Students in the Work Place.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lewis, Theodore; And Others

The purpose of this report is to describe how Minnesota technical college students can be empowered through vocational education to be full participants in the labor force and to deal with the changes that they encounter in the workplace. Chapter 1 introduces the problem of keeping up with changes in the ways in which work is performed. Chapter 2…

A Program for the Blind at Randolph Technical College.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wells, Richard T.

Randolph Technical College (RTC) and the Division of Services for the Blind of the North Carolina Department of Human Resources have cooperated for two years on a program to provide blind students with the opportunity to receive instruction in a traditional classroom setting on a college campus. Problems encountered in the early stages of the…

Potential difficulties in applying the Pay for Safety Scheme (PFSS) in construction projects.

PubMed

Choi, Tracy N Y; Chan, Daniel W M; Chan, Albert P C

2012-09-01

Since 1996, the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) has introduced the Pay for Safety Scheme (PFSS) to the public works construction contracts to uplift their safety performance. However, the adoption of PFSS has also encountered some difficulties that merit considerable attention. This paper purports to provide a concise review of the prevailing application of PFSS in Hong Kong in general, and to explore the potential difficulties associated with PFSS in particular. By means of an empirical questionnaire survey geared towards industrial practitioners with extensive direct hands-on PFSS experience, their opinions were solicited, analyzed and compared between the client group and contractor group of respondents. The three most significant difficulties in implementing PFSS were found to be: (1) "Plenty of paperwork required for certifying payment to contractor"; (2) "Complicated contract documents and lengthy assessment process"; and (3) "Over-tight project schedule requiring rush jobs". The output of this research study is particularly essential in assisting the contracting parties to mitigate the avoidable hindrances when embarking on PFSS. It has also generated valuable insights into developing effective recommendations for alleviating the barriers to PFSS success for future construction projects. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

[A tale of two encounters].

PubMed

Chanel, Marie-Paule

The moving testimony of a patient shows the impact which a successful encounter can have. Beyond the positive clinical consequences, her rediscovered motivation and pleasure are the essential drivers which have guided her along the pathway of reconstruction. A tale of two encounters which have marked her life course. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Shuttle ku-band communications/radar technical concepts

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Griffin, J. W.; Kelley, J. S.; Steiner, A. W.; Vang, H. A.; Zrubek, W. E.; Huth, G. K.

1985-01-01

Technical data on the Shuttle Orbiter K sub u-band communications/radar system are presented. The more challenging aspects of the system design and development are emphasized. The technical problems encountered and the advancements made in solving them are discussed. The radar functions are presented first. Requirements and design/implementation approaches are discussed. Advanced features are explained, including Doppler measurement, frequency diversity, multiple pulse repetition frequencies and pulse widths, and multiple modes. The communications functions that are presented include advances made because of the requirements for multiple communications modes. Spread spectrum, quadrature phase shift keying (QPSK), variable bit rates, and other advanced techniques are discussed. Performance results and conclusions reached are outlined.

Platelet counting using the Coulter electronic counter.

PubMed

Eggleton, M J; Sharp, A A

1963-03-01

A method for counting platelets in dilutions of platelet-rich plasm using the Coulter electronic counter is described.(1) The results obtained show that such platelet counts are at least as accurate as the best methods of visual counting. The various technical difficulties encountered are discussed.

ASRS Reports on Wake Vortex Encounters

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Connell, Linda J.; Taube, Elisa Ann; Drew, Charles Robert; Barclay, Tommy Earl

2010-01-01

ASRS is conducting a structured callback research project of wake vortex incidents reported to the ASRS at all US airports, as well as wake encounters in the enroute environment. This study has three objectives: (1) Utilize the established ASRS supplemental data collection methodology and provide ongoing analysis of wake vortex encounter reports; (2) Document event dynamics and contributing factors underlying wake vortex encounter events; and (3) Support ongoing FAA efforts to address pre-emptive wake vortex risk reduction by utilizing ASRS reporting contributions.

Seasonal variation in hospital encounters with hypoglycaemia and hyperglycaemia.

PubMed

Clemens, K K; Shariff, S; Richard, L; Booth, G; Gilliland, J; Garg, A X

2017-07-01

To assess whether rates of hospital encounters with hypoglycaemia and hyperglycaemia display seasonal variation. Time series analyses of the monthly rates of hospital encounters (emergency room visits or inpatient admissions) with hypoglycaemia and hyperglycaemia from 2003 to 2012 using linked healthcare databases in Ontario, Canada. Over the study period, there were 129 887 hypoglycaemia and 79 773 hyperglycaemia encounters. The characteristics of people at the time of their encounters were similar across the seasons in 2008 (median age 68 years for hypoglycaemia encounters and 53 years for hyperglycaemia encounters; 50% female; 90% with diabetes). We observed moderate seasonality in both types of encounters (R 2 autoregression coefficient 0.58 for hypoglycaemia; 0.59 for hyperglycaemia). The rate of hypoglycaemia encounters appeared to peak between April and June, when on average, there was an additional 49 encounters per month (0.36 encounters per 100 000 persons per month) compared with the other calendar months (5% increase). The rate of hyperglycaemia encounters appeared to peak in January, when on average, there was an additional 69 encounters per month (0.50 encounters per 100 000 persons per month) compared with the other calendar months (11% increase). In our region, there is seasonal variation in the rate of hospital encounters with hypoglycaemia and hyperglycaemia. Our findings may help to highlight periods of vulnerability for people, may inform future epidemiological studies and may aid in the appropriate planning of healthcare resources. © 2017 Diabetes UK.

Lessons Learned and Technical Standards: A Logical Marriage for Future Space Systems Design

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gill, Paul S.; Garcia, Danny; Vaughan, William W.; Parker, Nelson C. (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

A comprehensive database of engineering lessons learned that corresponds with relevant technical standards will be a valuable asset to those engaged in studies on future space vehicle developments, especially for structures, materials, propulsion, control, operations and associated elements. In addition, this will enable the capturing of technology developments applicable to the design, development, and operation of future space vehicles as planned in the Space Launch Initiative. Using the time-honored tradition of passing on lessons learned while utilizing the newest information technology, NASA has launched an intensive effort to link lessons learned acquired through various Internet databases with applicable technical standards. This paper will discuss the importance of lessons learned, the difficulty in finding relevant lessons learned while engaged in a space vehicle development, and the new NASA effort to relate them to technical standards that can help alleviate this difficulty.

Technical Education and Vocational Training in Developing Nations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Okolie, Ugochukwu Chinonso, Ed.

2017-01-01

Severe economic depression and the difficulty to acquire employment with adequate income have significant impact on a nation's social welfare. The need to provide ample educational opportunities is more imperative than ever, particularly in emerging economies. "Technical Education and Vocational Training in Developing Nations" is a…

The space of togetherness--a caring encounter.

PubMed

Holopainen, Gunilla; Kasén, Anne; Nyström, Lisbet

2014-03-01

Encounters in relation to the nurse-patient relationship are often discussed within nursing and caring literature without a reflection on the actual meaning of the concept. Assuming that an encounter is essential for nursing care, this article seeks to create a deeper understanding of the concept through a hermeneutic approach to texts by the philosophers Buber and Marcel. Presence, recognition, availability and mutuality seem to be essential prerequisites for an encounter. As these prerequisites are fulfilled within and between human beings who encounter each other, it is possible to speak of a space of togetherness, a mutual existence, where life's mystery shines forth and caring is realized. The challenge lies in creating these encounters within nursing care. © 2012 The Authors Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences © 2012 Nordic College of Caring Science.

General Aviation Weather Encounter Case Studies

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2012-09-01

This study presents a compilation of 24 cases involving general aviation (GA) pilots weather encounters over the : continental U.S. The project team interviewed pilots who had experienced a weather encounter, and we : examined their backgrounds, f...

Diffusional encounter of barnase and barstar.

PubMed

Spaar, Alexander; Dammer, Christian; Gabdoulline, Razif R; Wade, Rebecca C; Helms, Volkhard

2006-03-15

We present an analysis of trajectories from Brownian dynamics simulations of diffusional protein-protein encounter for the well-studied system of barnase and barstar. This analysis reveals details about the optimal association pathways, the regions of the encounter complex, possible differences of the pathways for dissociation and association, the coupling of translational and rotation motion, and the effect of mutations on the trajectories. We found that a small free-energy barrier divides the energetically most favorable region into a region of the encounter complex above the barnase binding interface and a region around a second energy minimum near the RNA binding loop. When entering the region of the encounter complex from the region near the RNA binding loop, barstar has to change its orientation to increase the electrostatic attraction between the proteins. By concentrating the analysis on the successful binding trajectories, we found that the region of the second minimum is not essential for the binding of barstar to barnase. Nevertheless, this region may be helpful to steer barstar into the region of the encounter complex. When applying the same analysis to several barnase mutants, we found that single mutations may drastically change the free-energy landscape and may significantly alter the population of the two minima. Therefore, certain protein-protein pairs may require careful adaptation of the positions of encounter and transition states when interpreting mutation effects on kinetic rates of association and/or dissociation.

[Elderlies in street situation or social vulnerability: facilities and difficulties in the use of computational tools].

PubMed

Frias, Marcos Antonio da Eira; Peres, Heloisa Helena Ciqueto; Pereira, Valclei Aparecida Gandolpho; Negreiros, Maria Célia de; Paranhos, Wana Yeda; Leite, Maria Madalena Januário

2014-01-01

This study aimed to identify the advantages and difficulties encountered by older people living on the streets or social vulnerability, to use the computer or internet. It is an exploratory qualitative research, in which five elderlies, attended on a non-governmental organization located in the city of São Paulo, have participated. The discourses were analyzed by content analysis technique and showed, as facilities, among others, to clarify doubts with the monitors, the stimulus for new discoveries coupled with proactivity and curiosity, and develop new skills. The mentioned difficulties were related to physical or cognitive issues, lack of instructor, and lack of knowledge to interact with the machine. The studies focusing on the elderly population living on the streets or in social vulnerability may contribute with evidence to guide the formulation of public policies to this population.

A Real-Life Basis for Reports in Business and Technical Writing.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stephenson, William

1987-01-01

For students who have difficulty finding material for writing formal business and technical reports, suggests keeping a file folder of clippings about new products and services taken from a leading newspaper.(NH)

Platelet counting using the Coulter electronic counter

PubMed Central

Eggleton, M. J.; Sharp, A. A.

1963-01-01

A method for counting platelets in dilutions of platelet-rich plasm using the Coulter electronic counter is described.1 The results obtained show that such platelet counts are at least as accurate as the best methods of visual counting. The various technical difficulties encountered are discussed. PMID:16811002

Digital London: Creating a Searchable Web of Interlinked Sources on Eighteenth Century London

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shoemaker, Robert

2005-01-01

Purpose: To outline the conceptual and technical difficulties encountered, as well as the opportunities created, when developing an interlinked collection of web-based digitised primary sources on eighteenth century London. Design/methodology/approach: As a pilot study for a larger project, a variety of primary sources, including the "Old…

Increasing body mass index predicts increasing difficulty, failure rate, and time to discovery of failure of epidural anesthesia in laboring patients.

PubMed

Kula, Ayse O; Riess, Matthias L; Ellinas, Elizabeth H

2017-02-01

Obese parturients both greatly benefit from neuraxial techniques, and may represent a technical challenge to obstetric anesthesiologists. Several studies address the topic of obesity and neuraxial analgesia in general, but few offer well described definitions or rates of "difficulty" and "failure" of labor epidural analgesia. Providing those definitions, we hypothesized that increasing body mass index (BMI) is associated with negative outcomes in both categories and increased time needed for epidural placement. Single center retrospective chart review. Labor and Delivery Unit of an inner city academic teaching hospital. 2485 parturients, ASA status 2 to 4, receiving labor epidural analgesia for anticipated vaginal delivery. None. We reviewed quality assurance and anesthesia records over a 12-month period. "Failure" was defined as either inadequate analgesia or a positive test dose, requiring replacement, and/or when the anesthesia record stated they failed. "Difficulty" was defined as six or more needle redirections or a note indicating difficulty in the anesthesia record. Overall epidural failure and difficulty rates were 4.3% and 3.0%, respectively. Patients with a BMI of 30kg/m 2 or higher had a higher chance of both failure and difficulty with two and almost three fold increases, respectively. Regression analysis indicated that failure was best predicted by BMI and less provider training while difficulty was best predicted by BMI. Additionally, increased BMI was associated with increased time of discovery of epidural catheter failure. Obesity is associated with increasing technical difficulty and failure of neuraxial analgesia for labor. Practitioners should consider allotting extra time for obese parturients in order to manage potential problems. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Voyager encounter with Neptune

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stone, E. C.; Miner, E. D.

1991-01-01

The investigations carried out by the Voyager Neptune/Interstellar Mission are discussed. Attention is given to the location of the various science instruments and the spacecraft subsystems on the Voyager spacecraft and to the charactgeristics of eleven instruments used in the Voyager mission. The Voyager 1 and 2 trajectories from the launch through the Voyager-2 Neptune encounter are presented together with data for the Neptune encounter events.

Neptune encounter highlights

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

1989-11-01

Voyager encounter data are presented in computer animation (CA) and real (R) animation. The highlights include a view of 2 full rotations of Neptune. It shows spacecraft trajectory 'diving' over Neptune and intercepting Triton's orbit, depicting radiation and occulation zones. Also shown are a renegade orbit of Triton and Voyager's encounter with Neptune's Magnetopause. A model of the spacecraft's complex maneuvers during close encounters of Neptune and Triton is presented. A view from Earth of Neptune's occulation experiment is is shown as well as a recreation of Voyager's final pass. There is detail of Voyager's Image Compensation technique which produces Voyager images. Eighteen images were produced on June 22 - 23, 1989, from 57 million miles away. A 68 day sequence which provides a stroboscopic view - colorization approximates what is seen by the human eye. Real time images recorded live from Voyager on 8/24/89 are presented. Photoclinometry produced the topography of Triton. Three images are used to create a sequence of Neptune's rings. The globe of Neptune and 2 views of the south pole are shown as well as Neptune rotating. The rotation of a scooter is frozen in images showing differential motion. There is a view of rotation of the Great Dark Spot about its own axis. Photoclinometry provides a 3-dimensional perspective using a color mosaic of Triton images. The globe is used to indicate the orientation of Neptune's crescent. The east and west plumes on Triton are shown.

The Challenges of Science Inquiry Teaching for Pre-Service Teachers in Elementary Classrooms: Difficulties on and under the Scene

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yoon, Hye-Gyoung; Joung, Yong Jae; Kim, Mijung

2012-06-01

In the context of the emphasis on inquiry teaching in science education, this study looks into how pre-service elementary teachers understand and practise science inquiry teaching during field experience. By examining inquiry lesson preparation, practice, and reflections of pre-service elementary teachers, we attempt to understand the difficulties they encounter and what could result from those difficulties in their practice. A total of 16 seniors (fourth-year students) in an elementary teacher education program participated in this study. In our findings, we highlight three difficulties `on the lesson' that are related to teaching practices that were missing in the classrooms: (1) developing children's own ideas and curiosity, (2) guiding children in designing valid experiments for their hypotheses, (3) scaffolding children's data interpretation and discussion and another three difficulties `under the lesson' that are related to problems with the pre-service teachers' conceptualization of the task: (4) tension between guided and open inquiry, (5) incomplete understanding of hypothesis, and (6) lack of confidence in science content knowledge. Based on these findings, we discuss how these difficulties are complexly related in the pre-service teachers' understandings and action. Several suggestions for science teacher education for inquiry teaching, especially hypothesis-based inquiry teaching, are then explored.

ISABELLE: a progress report

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

Hahn, H

This paper discusses the ISABELLE project, which has the objective of constructing a high-energy proton colliding beam facility at Brookhaven National Laboratory. The major technical features of the intersecting storage accelerators with their projected performance are described. Application of over 1000 superconducting magnets in the two rings represents the salient characteristic of the machine. The status of the entire project, the technical progress made so far, and difficulties encountered are reviewed.

Estimation for the Rasch Model When Both Ability and Difficulty Parameters are Random.

DTIC Science & Technology

1987-02-01

Office of Naval Research. The authors would also like to thank Hsin Ying Lin for performing the computations of the third section and the reviewers of an...MODEL 0’) WHEN BOTH ABILITY AND_ DIFFICULTY PARAMETERS ARE RANDOM Steven E. Rigdon and Robert K. Tsutakawa Mathematical Sciences Technical Report No...13, NR 150-535 with the Personnel and Training Research Programs Psychological Sciences Division Office of Naval Research Approved for public release

Enlightened Use of Passive Voice in Technical Writing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Trammell, M. K.

1981-01-01

The passive voice as a normal, acceptable, and established syntactic form in technical writing is defended. Passive/active verb ratios, taken from sources including 'antipassivist' text books, are considered. The suitability of the passive voice in technical writing which involves unknown or irrelevant agents is explored. Three 'myths' that the passive (1) utilizes an abnormal and artificial word order, (2) is lifeless, and (3) is indirect are considered. Awkward and abnormal sounding examples encountered in text books are addressed in terms of original context. Unattractive or incoherent passive sentences are explained in terms of inappropriate conversion from active sentences having (1) short nominal or pronominal subjects or (2) verbs with restrictions on their passive use.

The most common nonconformities encountered during the assessments of medical laboratories in Hong Kong using ISO 15189 as accreditation criteria

PubMed Central

Ho, Bella; Ho, Eric

2012-01-01

Introduction: ISO 15189 was a new standard published in 2003 for accrediting medical laboratories. We believe that some requirements of the ISO 15189 standard are especially difficult to meet for majority of laboratories. The aim of this article was to present the frequency of nonconformities to requirements of the ISO 15189 accreditation standard, encountered during the assessments of medical laboratories in Hong Kong, during 2004 to 2009. Materials and methods: Nonconformities reported in assessments based on ISO 15189 were analyzed in two periods – from 2004 to 2006 and in 2009. They are categorized according to the ISO 15189 clause numbers. The performance of 27 laboratories initially assessed between 2004 and 2006 was compared to their performance in the second reassessment in 2009. Results: For management requirements, nonconformities were most frequently reported against quality management system, quality and technical records and document control; whereas for technical requirements, they were reported against examination procedures, equipment, and assuring quality of examination procedures. There was no major difference in types of common nonconformities reported in the two study periods. The total number of nonconformities reported in the second reassessment of 27 laboratories in 2009 was almost halved compared to their initial assessments. The number of significant nonconformities per laboratory significantly decreased (P = 0.023). Conclusion: Similar nonconformities were reported in the two study periods though the frequency encountered decreased. The significant decrease in number of significant nonconformities encountered in the same group of laboratories in the two periods substantiated that ISO15189 contributed to quality improvement of accredited laboratories. PMID:22838190

The most common nonconformities encountered during the assessments of medical laboratories in Hong Kong using ISO 15189 as accreditation criteria.

PubMed

Ho, Bella; Ho, Eric

2012-01-01

ISO 15189 was a new standard published in 2003 for accrediting medical laboratories. We believe that some requirements of the ISO 15189 standard are especially difficult to meet for majority of laboratories. The aim of this article was to present the frequency of nonconformities to requirements of the ISO 15189 accreditation standard, encountered during the assessments of medical laboratories in Hong Kong, during 2004 to 2009. Nonconformities reported in assessments based on ISO 15189 were analyzed in two periods - from 2004 to 2006 and in 2009. They are categorized according to the ISO 15189 clause numbers. The performance of 27 laboratories initially assessed between 2004 and 2006 was compared to their performance in the second reassessment in 2009. For management requirements, nonconformities were most frequently reported against quality management system, quality and technical records and document control; whereas for technical requirements, they were reported against examination procedures, equipment, and assuring quality of examination procedures. There was no major difference in types of common nonconformities reported in the two study periods. The total number of nonconformities reported in the second reassessment of 27 laboratories in 2009 was almost halved compared to their initial assessments. The number of significant nonconformities per laboratory significantly decreased (P = 0.023). Similar nonconformities were reported in the two study periods though the frequency encountered decreased. The significant decrease in number of significant nonconformities encountered in the same group of laboratories in the two periods substantiated that 15015189 contributed to quality improvement of accredited laboratories.

Understanding Orgasmic Difficulty in Women.

PubMed

Rowland, David L; Kolba, Tiffany N

2016-08-01

Women's primary issue with the orgasmic phase is usually difficulty reaching orgasm. To identify predictors of orgasmic difficulty in women within the context of a partnered sexual experience; to assess the relation between orgasmic difficulty and self-reported levels of sexual desire or interest and arousal in women; and to assess the interrelations among three dimensions of orgasmic response during partnered sex: self-reported time to reach orgasm, general difficulty or ease of reaching orgasm, and level of distress or concern. Drawing from a community-based sample using the Internet, 866 women were queried on a 26-item survey regarding their difficulty reaching orgasm during partnered sex. Four hundred sixteen women who indicated difficulty also responded to items assessing arousal and desire difficulties, level of distress about their condition, and their estimated time to reach orgasm. Answers to a 26-item survey on surveyed women's difficulty reaching orgasm during partnered sex. Age, arousal difficulty, and lubrication difficulty predicted difficulty reaching orgasm in the overall sample. In the subsample of women reporting difficulty, approximately half reported issues with arousal. Women with arousal problems reported greater difficulty reaching orgasm but did not differ from those without arousal problems on measurements of orgasm latency or levels of distress. Slightly more than half the women experiencing difficulty reaching orgasm were distressed by their condition; distressed women reported greater difficulty reaching orgasm and longer latencies to orgasm than non-distressed counterparts. They also reported lower satisfaction with their sexual relationship. This study indicates the importance of assessing multiple parameters when investigating orgasmic problems in women, including arousal issues, levels of distress, and latency to orgasm. Results also clarify that women with arousal problems do not differ substantially from those without arousal

Career and Technical Education Teachers' Perceptions of Culturally Diverse Classes: Rewards, Difficulties, and Useful Teaching Strategies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rehm, Marsha L.

2008-01-01

The purpose of this study was to identify CTE teachers' perceptions of selected rewards, difficulties, and useful teaching strategies in culturally diverse classes. The sample was comprised of 41 trade and industrial, business technology, and family and consumer sciences teachers who taught students from 30 cultural backgrounds. The data were…

The difficulties of conducting maternal death reviews in Malawi.

PubMed

Kongnyuy, Eugene J; van den Broek, Nynke

2008-09-11

Maternal death reviews is a tool widely recommended to improve the quality of obstetric care and reduce maternal mortality. Our aim was to explore the challenges encountered in the process of facility-based maternal death review in Malawi, and to suggest sustainable and logically sound solutions to these challenges. SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) analysis of the process of maternal death review during a workshop in Malawi. Strengths: Availability of data from case notes, support from hospital management, and having maternal death review forms. Weaknesses: fear of blame, lack of knowledge and skills to properly conduct death reviews, inadequate resources and missing documentation. Opportunities: technical assistance from expatriates, support from the Ministry of Health, national protocols and high maternal mortality which serves as motivation factor. Threats: Cultural practices, potential lawsuit, demotivation due to the high maternal mortality and poor planning at the district level. Solutions: proper documentation, conducting maternal death review in a blame-free manner, good leadership, motivation of staff, using guidelines, proper stock inventory and community involvement. Challenges encountered during facility-based maternal death review are provider-related, administrative, client related and community related. Countries with similar socioeconomic profiles to Malawi will have similar 'pull-and-push' factors on the process of facility-based maternal death reviews, and therefore we will expect these countries to have similar potential solutions.

Frontcountry encounter norms among three cultures

Treesearch

Jerry J. Vaske; Maureen P. Donnelly; Robert M. Doctor; James P. Petruzzi

1995-01-01

Existing normative studies have focused on backcountry encounter norms reported by North Americans. This study extends previous research by comparing encounter norms reported by three different cultures - North Americans, Europeans, and Japanese - in a frontcountry day use recreation area. Data were obtained from on-site surveys distributed at the Columbia Icefield in...

Numerical Magnitude Representation in Children With Mathematical Difficulties With or Without Reading Difficulties.

PubMed

Tobia, Valentina; Fasola, Anna; Lupieri, Alice; Marzocchi, Gian Marco

2016-01-01

This study aimed to explore the spatial numerical association of response codes (SNARC), the flanker, and the numerical distance effects in children with mathematical difficulties. From a sample of 720 third, fourth, and fifth graders, 60 children were selected and divided into the following three groups: typically developing children (TD; n = 29), children with mathematical difficulties only (MD only; n = 21), and children with mathematical and reading difficulties (MD+RD; n = 10). Children were tested with a numerical Eriksen task that was built to assess SNARC, numerical distance, and flanker (first and second order congruency) effects. Children with MD only showed stronger SNARC and second order congruency effects than did TD children, whereas the numerical distance effects were similar across the three groups. Finally, the first order congruency effect was associated with reading difficulties. These results showed that children with mathematical difficulties with or without reading difficulties were globally more impaired when spatial incompatibilities were presented. © Hammill Institute on Disabilities 2014.

A Technical History of the SEI

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-01-01

service-oriented architecture concepts by leading a team of technical ex - perts from several Air Force financial management programs of record in...the application of computing, that trend re- versed dramatically in the 1970s for a variety of reasons, including the difficulty the DoD was ex ...implement it in programming languages other than Ada. The lessons learned from the testbed ex - periments were incorporated into a comprehensive guide

High-velocity runaway stars from three-body encounters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gvaramadze, V. V.; Gualandris, A.; Portegies Zwart, S.

2010-01-01

We performed numerical simulations of dynamical encounters between hard, massive binaries and a very massive star (VMS; formed through runaway mergers of ordinary stars in the dense core of a young massive star cluster) to explore the hypothesis that this dynamical process could be responsible for the origin of high-velocity (≥ 200 - 400 km s-1) early or late B-type stars. We estimated the typical velocities produced in encounters between very tight massive binaries and VMSs (of mass of ≥ 200 M⊙) and found that about 3 - 4% of all encounters produce velocities ≥ 400 km s-1, while in about 2% of encounters the escapers attain velocities exceeding the Milky Ways's escape velocity. We therefore argue that the origin of high-velocity (≥ 200 - 400 km s-1) runaway stars and at least some so-called hypervelocity stars could be associated with dynamical encounters between the tightest massive binaries and VMSs formed in the cores of star clusters. We also simulated dynamical encounters between tight massive binaries and single ordinary 50 - 100 M⊙ stars. We found that from 1 to ≃ 4% of these encounters can produce runaway stars with velocities of ≥ 300 - 400 km s-1 (typical of the bound population of high-velocity halo B-type stars) and occasionally (in less than 1% of encounters) produce hypervelocity (≥ 700 km s-1) late B-type escapers.

Replantation of an avulsed ear, using a single arterial anastamosis.

PubMed

O'Toole, G; Bhatti, K; Masood, S

2008-01-01

Avulsion of the ear is relatively uncommon and replantation a technical challenge. A case in which an avulsed ear was successfully replanted using a single arterial anastamosis is described. The surgical difficulties encountered, the pharmaceutical approach to postoperative care and the problems which resulted from the lack of venous drainage are discussed.

Processing changes across reading encounters.

PubMed

Levy, B A; Newell, S; Snyder, J; Timmins, K

1986-10-01

Five experiments examined changes in the processing of a text across reading encounters. Experiment 1 showed that reading speed increased systematically across encounters, with no loss in the extensiveness of analyses of the printed text, as indicated by the ability to detect nonword errors embedded within that passage. Experiment 2 replicated this improved reading fluency with experience and showed that it occurred even with typescript changes across trials, thus indicating that a primed visual operations explanation cannot account for the effect. The third and fourth experiments then extended the study of the familiarity effect to higher level processing, as indicated by the detection of word errors. Familiarity facilitated the detection of these violations at the syntactic-semantic levels. Finally, Experiment 5 showed that these higher level violations continued to be well detected over a series of reading encounters with the same text. The results indicate that prior experience improves reading speed, with no attenuation of analysis of the printed words or of the passage's message.

Selected Technical Spin Offs from the Space Program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gilmore, H. L.

1970-01-01

The report describes some of the problems which the National Aeronautics and Space Administration has encountered in getting people to understand how the general public has profited from the technical discoveries of the space program. Next, it describes NASA's Technology Utilization Program and comments on it. It then describes some of the many spin-offs from the space program. These include examples from management technology, communications, aeronautics, medicine, fabrics highway safety, and weather forecasting.

Plasma Spraying of Ceramics with Particular Difficulties in Processing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mauer, G.; Schlegel, N.; Guignard, A.; Jarligo, M. O.; Rezanka, S.; Hospach, A.; Vaßen, R.

2015-01-01

Emerging new applications and growing demands of plasma-sprayed coatings initiate the development of new materials. Regarding ceramics, often complex compositions are employed to achieve advanced material properties, e.g., high thermal stability, low thermal conductivity, high electronic and ionic conductivity as well as specific thermo-mechanical properties and microstructures. Such materials however, often involve particular difficulties in processing by plasma spraying. The inhomogeneous dissociation and evaporation behavior of individual constituents can lead to changes of the chemical composition and the formation of secondary phases in the deposited coatings. Hence, undesired effects on the coating characteristics are encountered. In this work, examples of such challenging materials are investigated, namely pyrochlores applied for thermal barrier coatings as well as perovskites for gas separation membranes. In particular, new plasma spray processes like suspension plasma spraying and plasma spray-physical vapor deposition are considered. In some cases, plasma diagnostics are applied to analyze the processing conditions.

Technical Secondary Education in Togo and Cameroon--Research Note.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Paul, Jean-Jacques

1990-01-01

Evaluates technical secondary education in Togo and Cameroon from the market perspective, using tracer study data. To help overcome difficulties in finding employment after training, many individuals secure work in the low-paying informal sector. One solution is to stimulate and enhance the role of informal training through apprentice training…

Do word-problem features differentially affect problem difficulty as a function of students' mathematics difficulty with and without reading difficulty?

PubMed

Powell, Sarah R; Fuchs, Lynn S; Fuchs, Douglas; Cirino, Paul T; Fletcher, Jack M

2009-01-01

This study examined whether and, if so, how word-problem features differentially affect problem difficulty as a function of mathematics difficulty (MD) status: no MD (n = 109), MD only (n = 109), or MD in combination with reading difficulties (MDRD; n = 109). The problem features were problem type (total, difference, or change) and position of missing information in the number sentence representing the word problem (first, second, or third position). Students were assessed on 14 word problems near the beginning of third grade. Consistent with the hypothesis that mathematical cognition differs as a function of MD subtype, problem type affected problem difficulty differentially for MDRD versus MD-only students; however, the position of missing information in word problems did not. Implications for MD subtyping and for instruction are discussed.

A Study of Moroccan Pupils' Difficulties at Second Baccalaureate Year in Solving Chemistry Problems Relating to the Reactivity of Ethanoate Ions and to Copper-Aluminium Cells

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ouasri, Ali

2017-01-01

This paper investigates the difficulties that Moroccan pupils (18-19) of the second Baccalaureate year encountered in solving chemical equilibrium problems relating to ethanoate ions' reactivity with water and methanoic acid, and to copper-aluminum cells. The pupils were asked to provide answers to questions derived from two problems. The…

A Systematic Review of Patients’ Experiences in Communicating with Primary Care Physicians: Intercultural Encounters and a Balance between Vulnerability and Integrity

PubMed Central

Rocque, Rhea; Leanza, Yvan

2015-01-01

Communication difficulties persist between patients and physicians. In order to improve care, patients’ experiences of this communication must be understood. The main objective of this study is to synthesize qualitative studies exploring patients’ experiences in communicating with a primary care physician. A secondary objective is to explore specific factors pertaining to ethnic minority or majority patients and their influence on patients’ experiences of communication. Pertinent health and social sciences electronic databases were searched systematically (PubMed, Cinahl, PsychNet, and IBSS). Fifty-seven articles were included in the review on the basis of being qualitative studies targeting patients’ experiences of communication with a primary care physician. The meta-ethnography method for qualitative studies was used to interpret data and the COREQ checklist was used to evaluate the quality of included studies. Three concepts emerged from analyses: negative experiences, positive experiences, and outcomes of communication. Negative experiences related to being treated with disrespect, experiencing pressure due to time constraints, and feeling helpless due to the dominance of biomedical culture in the medical encounter. Positive experiences are attributed to certain relational skills, technical skills, as well as certain approaches to care privileged by the physician. Outcomes of communication depend on patients’ evaluation of the consultation. Four categories of specific factors exerted mainly a negative influence on consultations for ethnic minorities: language barriers, discrimination, differing values, and acculturation. Ethnic majorities also raised specific factors influencing their experience: differing values and discrimination. Findings of this review are limited by the fact that more than half of the studies did not explore cultural aspects relating to this experience. Future research should address these aspects in more detail. In conclusion

A Systematic Review of Patients' Experiences in Communicating with Primary Care Physicians: Intercultural Encounters and a Balance between Vulnerability and Integrity.

PubMed

Rocque, Rhea; Leanza, Yvan

2015-01-01

Communication difficulties persist between patients and physicians. In order to improve care, patients' experiences of this communication must be understood. The main objective of this study is to synthesize qualitative studies exploring patients' experiences in communicating with a primary care physician. A secondary objective is to explore specific factors pertaining to ethnic minority or majority patients and their influence on patients' experiences of communication. Pertinent health and social sciences electronic databases were searched systematically (PubMed, Cinahl, PsychNet, and IBSS). Fifty-seven articles were included in the review on the basis of being qualitative studies targeting patients' experiences of communication with a primary care physician. The meta-ethnography method for qualitative studies was used to interpret data and the COREQ checklist was used to evaluate the quality of included studies. Three concepts emerged from analyses: negative experiences, positive experiences, and outcomes of communication. Negative experiences related to being treated with disrespect, experiencing pressure due to time constraints, and feeling helpless due to the dominance of biomedical culture in the medical encounter. Positive experiences are attributed to certain relational skills, technical skills, as well as certain approaches to care privileged by the physician. Outcomes of communication depend on patients' evaluation of the consultation. Four categories of specific factors exerted mainly a negative influence on consultations for ethnic minorities: language barriers, discrimination, differing values, and acculturation. Ethnic majorities also raised specific factors influencing their experience: differing values and discrimination. Findings of this review are limited by the fact that more than half of the studies did not explore cultural aspects relating to this experience. Future research should address these aspects in more detail. In conclusion, all

City encounter and desert encounter: two sources of American regional planning thought

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

Guttenberg, A.Z.

1978-10-01

Referring to the American experience, the historian, Richard Hofstadter wrote, The US was born in the country and has moved to the city, but this is only part of the story. At the turn of the century while some Americans were moving to the city others were moving to the arid West. As different as they were in many respects, the city encounter and the desert encounter were alike in that both resulted in planned attempts to establish rural institutions and values in inhospitable environments. In the urban East the basis for regional planning was the neighborhood concept. In themore » arid West it was the cooperative colony and the scientific family farm. This article is a study of the similarity-in-diversity which characterized American planning in its original phase. 60 references.« less

A survey on difficulties and desires of breast-feeding women in Wuhan, China.

PubMed

Ouyang, Yan-Qiong; Su, Min; Redding, Sharon R

2016-06-01

exclusive breast feeding in China is relatively low and no research has been conducted to explore the difficulties and desires of Chinese lactating mothers. Currently, Chinese women turn to massage therapists to increase breastmilk volume, implying that many breast-feeding women faced problems but had few support mechanisms.This study aimed to explore the difficulties and desires of Chinese breast-feeding women and to propose strategies for increasing the rate of exclusive breast feeding. three hundred and seventy-five primiparous women were recruited from two randomized cluster communities in Wuhan following ethical approval. Face-to-face semistructured interviews were conducted with 76 of the participants to collect data on their infants' feeding status, duration of exclusive breast feeding, reasons for stopping, difficulties encountered, and sources of support for lactation. the breast feeding initiation rate was 93.6%, but exclusive breast feeding was only 6.2% at six months. The most frequently cited reason for giving up exclusive breast feeding was perceived breastmilk insufficiency. Women cited a desire for professional and individualised instruction from following resources: (1) lactation consultants in hospital and communities; (2) Qualified cuirushi; (3) breast feeding website;(4) Relatives, friends and peers;(5) Telephone hotline. to improve the rate and duration of exclusive breast feeding in China, effective and available resources must be available. Timely,professional and face-to-face lactation counselling such as lactation consultant, qualified cuirushin is needed. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Game Theory and Technical Communication: Interpreting the Texas Two-Step through Harsanyi Transformation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Williams, Miriam F.

2012-01-01

The author uses game theoretical models to identify technical communication breakdowns encountered during the notoriously confusing Texas Two-Step voting and caucusing process. Specifically, the author uses narrative theory and game theory to highlight areas where caucus participants needed instructions to better understand the rules of the game…

Exploring Digital Encounters in the Public Arena

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schieck, Ava Fatah Gen.; Kostakos, Vassilis; Penn, Alan

In this chapter, we explore the types of encounters that technology enables. We consider the differences between digital and nondigital encounters through two pilot studies carried out in the city of Bath, United Kingdom. We investigate how technology can be appropriated for shared interactions that support conscious (or unconscious) social encounters, and highlight the importance of space and the role of place in providing temporal and spatial mechanisms facilitating different types of shared encounters. Here, we apply a method based on intervention through "sensing and projecting" Bluetooth names and digital identity in the public arena, and describe initial observations about people's reaction toward the projection of their Bluetooth names in public. In particular, we note the significance of constructing socially meaningful relations between people mediated by these technologies. We discuss initial results and outline issues raised in detail before finally describing the ongoing work.

A Lakatosian Encounter

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chick, Helen

2010-01-01

There is much to be learned and pondered by reading "Proofs and Refutations," by Imre Lakatos. It highlights the importance of mathematical definitions, and how definitions evolve to capture the essence of the object they are defining. It also provides an exhilarating encounter with the ups and downs of the mathematical reasoning process, where…

Engineering the System and Technical Integration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Blair, J. C.; Ryan, R. S.; Schutzenhofer, L. A.

2011-01-01

Approximately 80% of the problems encountered in aerospace systems have been due to a breakdown in technical integration and/or systems engineering. One of the major challenges we face in designing, building, and operating space systems is: how is adequate integration achieved for the systems various functions, parts, and infrastructure? This Contractor Report (CR) deals with part of the problem of how we engineer the total system in order to achieve the best balanced design. We will discuss a key aspect of this question - the principle of Technical Integration and its components, along with management and decision making. The CR will first provide an introduction with a discussion of the Challenges in Space System Design and meeting the challenges. Next is an overview of Engineering the System including Technical Integration. Engineering the System is expanded to include key aspects of the Design Process, Lifecycle Considerations, etc. The basic information and figures used in this CR were presented in a NASA training program for Program and Project Managers Development (PPMD) in classes at Georgia Tech and at Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). Many of the principles and illustrations are extracted from the courses we teach for MSFC.

Memory Abilities in Children with Mathematical Difficulties: Comorbid Language Difficulties Matter

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reimann, Giselle; Gut, Janine; Frischknecht, Marie-Claire; Grob, Alexander

2013-01-01

The present study investigated cognitive abilities in children with difficulties in mathematics only (n = 48, M = 8 years and 5 months), combined mathematical and language difficulty (n = 27, M = 8 years and 1 month) and controls (n = 783, M = 7 years and 11 months). Cognitive abilities were measured with seven subtests, tapping visual perception,…

Difficulties First-Year University Mathematics Students Have in Reading Their Mathematics Textbook. Technical Report. No. 2009-1

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shepherd, Mary D.; Selden, Annie; Selden, John

2009-01-01

This exploratory study examined the experiences and difficulties certain first-year university students displayed in reading new passages from their mathematics textbooks. We interviewed eleven precalculus and calculus students who were considered to be good at mathematics, as indicated by high ACT mathematics scores. These students were also …

Teacher Collaborative Curriculum Design in Technical Vocational Colleges: A Strategy for Maintaining Curriculum Consistency?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Albashiry, Nabeel M.; Voogt, Joke M.; Pieters, Jules M.

2015-01-01

The Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) curriculum requires continuous renewal and constant involvement of stakeholders in the redesign process. Due to a lack of curriculum design expertise, TVET institutions in developing contexts encounter challenges maintaining and advancing the quality and relevance of their programmes to the…

Feasibility of ecological momentary assessment of hearing difficulties encountered by hearing aid users

PubMed Central

Galvez, Gino; Turbin, Mitchel B.; Thielman, Emily J.; Istvan, Joseph A.; Andrews, Judy A.; Henry, James A.

2012-01-01

Objectives Measurement of outcomes has become increasingly important to assess the benefit of audiologic rehabilitation, including hearing aids, in adults. Data from questionnaires, however, are based on retrospective recall of events and experiences, and often can be inaccurate. Questionnaires also do not capture the daily variation that typically occurs in relevant events and experiences. Clinical researchers in a variety of fields have turned to a methodology known as ecological momentary assessment (EMA) to assess quotidian experiences associated with health problems. The objective of this study was to determine the feasibility of using EMA to obtain real-time responses from hearing aid users describing their experiences with challenging hearing situations. Design This study required three phases: (1) develop EMA methodology to assess hearing difficulties experienced by hearing aid users; (2) utilize focus groups to refine the methodology; and (3) test the methodology with 24 hearing aid users. Phase 3 participants carried a personal digital assistant (PDA) 12 hr per day for 2 wk. The PDA alerted participants to respond to questions four times a day. Each assessment started with a question to determine if a hearing problem was experienced since the last alert. If “yes,” then up to 23 questions (depending on contingent response branching) obtained details about the situation. If “no,” then up to 11 questions obtained information that would help to explain why hearing was not a problem. Each participant completed the Hearing Handicap Inventory for the Elderly (HHIE) both before and after the 2-wk EMA testing period to evaluate for “reactivity” (exacerbation of self-perceived hearing problems that could result from the repeated assessments). Results Participants responded to the alerts with a 77% compliance rate, providing a total of 991 completed momentary assessments (mean = 43.1 per participant). A substantial amount of data was obtained with the

Feasibility of ecological momentary assessment of hearing difficulties encountered by hearing aid users.

PubMed

Galvez, Gino; Turbin, Mitchel B; Thielman, Emily J; Istvan, Joseph A; Andrews, Judy A; Henry, James A

2012-01-01

Measurement of outcomes has become increasingly important to assess the benefit of audiologic rehabilitation, including hearing aids, in adults. Data from questionnaires, however, are based on retrospective recall of events and experiences, and often can be inaccurate. Questionnaires also do not capture the daily variation that typically occurs in relevant events and experiences. Clinical researchers in a variety of fields have turned to a methodology known as ecological momentary assessment (EMA) to assess quotidian experiences associated with health problems. The objective of this study was to determine the feasibility of using EMA to obtain real-time responses from hearing aid users describing their experiences with challenging hearing situations. This study required three phases: (1) develop EMA methodology to assess hearing difficulties experienced by hearing aid users; (2) make use of focus groups to refine the methodology; and (3) test the methodology with 24 hearing aid users. Phase 3 participants carried a personal digital assistant 12 hr per day for 2 weeks. The personal digital assistant alerted participants to respond to questions four times a day. Each assessment started with a question to determine whether a hearing problem was experienced since the last alert. If "yes," then up to 23 questions (depending on contingent response branching) obtained details about the situation. If "no," then up to 11 questions obtained information that would help to explain why hearing was not a problem. Each participant completed the Hearing Handicap Inventory for the Elderly (HHIE) both before and after the 2-week EMA testing period to evaluate for "reactivity" (exacerbation of self-perceived hearing problems that could result from the repeated assessments). Participants responded to the alerts with a 77% compliance rate, providing a total of 991 completed momentary assessments (mean = 43.1 per participant). A substantial amount of data were obtained with the

Exotic encounters with dental implants: managing complications with unidentified systems.

PubMed

Mattheos, N; Janda, M Schittek

2012-06-01

As the application of dental implants increases worldwide, so is the number of technical and biological complications that general dental practitioners will be called to manage, while maintaining implant patients. In addition, the greater patient mobility encountered today combined with a growing trend of 'dental implant tourism' will very often result in situations where the dentist is requested to deal with complications in implants placed elsewhere and which sometimes might be of an 'exotic' system one cannot directly recognize. Such a situation can pose significant challenges to even experienced clinicians. The challenges are not only in the scientific field, but often include professional and ethical implications. This case report will discuss strategies for the management of implant complications in cases of unidentified implant systems. Critical factors in such situations would be the clinician's experience and special training, the correct radiographic technique, as well as access to the appropriate tools and devices. © 2012 Australian Dental Association.

Voyager: Neptune Encounter Highlights

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1989-01-01

Voyager encounter data are presented in computer animation (CA) and real (R) animation. The highlights include a view of 2 full rotations of Neptune. It shows spacecraft trajectory 'diving' over Neptune and intercepting Triton's orbit, depicting radiation and occulation zones. Also shown are a renegade orbit of Triton and Voyager's encounter with Neptune's Magnetopause. A model of the spacecraft's complex maneuvers during close encounters of Neptune and Triton is presented. A view from Earth of Neptune's occulation experiment is is shown as well as a recreation of Voyager's final pass. There is detail of Voyager's Image Compensation technique which produces Voyager images. Eighteen images were produced on June 22 - 23, 1989, from 57 million miles away. A 68 day sequence which provides a stroboscopic view - colorization approximates what is seen by the human eye. Real time images recorded live from Voyager on 8/24/89 are presented. Photoclinometry produced the topography of Triton. Three images are used to create a sequence of Neptune's rings. The globe of Neptune and 2 views of the south pole are shown as well as Neptune rotating. The rotation of a scooter is frozen in images showing differential motion. There is a view of rotation of the Great Dark Spot about its own axis. Photoclinometry provides a 3-dimensional perspective using a color mosaic of Triton images. The globe is used to indicate the orientation of Neptune's crescent. The east and west plumes on Triton are shown.

Interagency telemetry arraying for Voyager-Neptune encounter

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brown, D. W.; Brundage, W. D.; Ulvestad, J. S.; Kent, S. S.; Bartos, K. P.

1990-01-01

The reception capability of the Deep Space Network (DSN) has been improved over the years by increasing both the size and number of antennas at each complex to meet spacecraft-support requirements. However, even more aperture was required for the final planetary encounters of the Voyager 2 spacecraft. This need was met by arraying one radio astronomy observatory with the DSN complex in the United States and another with the complex in Australia. Following a review of augmentation for the Uranus encounter, both the preparation at the National Radio Astronomy (NRAO) Very Large Array (VLA) and the Neptune encounter results for the Parkes-Canberra and VLA-Goldstone arrays are presented.

Technical College Teachers Sharing Their Knowledge: Does Leadership, Institutional Factors or Barriers Predict Their Practices?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tahir, Lokman Mohd; Musah, Muhamad Berhanddin; Abdullah, Abdul Halim; Musta'amal, Aede Hatib; Abdullah, Mohd Hazim Asran

2016-01-01

This study determines the preferable leadership practised by colleges' directors, institutional factors and challenges encountered in knowledge sharing in Malaysian technical higher learning institutions (HLIs). Using a pragmatic mixed-method strand, we obtained 212 teachers and instructors' viewpoints on knowledge sharing factors and barriers.…

Administrative encounters in general practice: low value or hidden value care?

PubMed

Trevena, Lyndal J; Harrison, Christopher; Britt, Helena C

2018-02-19

To determine the frequency of general practice administrative encounters, and to determine whether they represent low value care. Secondary analysis of data from the Bettering Evaluation and Care of Health (BEACH) dataset. 1 568 100 GP-patient encounters in Australia, 2000-01 to 2015-16. An annual nationally representative random sample of about 1000 GPs, who each recorded the details of 100 consecutive encounters with patients. Proportions of general practice encounters that were potentially low value care encounters (among the patient's reasons for the encounter was at least one administrative, medication, or referral request) and potentially low value care only encounters (such reasons were the sole reason for the encounter). For 2015-16, we also examined other health care provided by GPs at these encounters. During 2015-16, 18.5% (95% CI, 17.7-19.3%) of 97 398 GP-patient encounters were potentially low value care request encounters; 7.4% (95% CI, 7.0-7.9%) were potentially low value care only encounters. Administrative work was requested at 3.8% (95% CI, 3.5-4.0%) of GP visits, 35.4% of which were for care planning and coordination, 33.5% for certification, and 31.2% for other reasons. Medication requests were made at 13.1% (95% CI, 12.4-13.7%) of encounters; other health care was provided at 57.9% of medication request encounters, counselling, advice or education at 23.4%, and pathology testing was ordered at 16.7%. Referrals were requested at 2.8% (95% CI, 1.7-3.0%) of visits, at 69.4% of which additional health care was provided. The problems managed most frequently at potentially low value care only encounters were chronic diseases. Most patients requested certificates, medications and referrals in the context of seeking help for other health needs. Additional health care, particularly for chronic diseases, was provided at most GP administrative encounters. The MBS Review should consider the hidden value of these encounters.

Solar energy/utility interface - The technical issues

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tabors, R. D.; White, D. C.

1982-01-01

The technical and economic factors affecting an interface between solar/wind power sources and utilities are examined. Photovoltaic, solar thermal, and wind powered systems are subject to stochastic local climatic variations and as such may require full back-up services from utilities, which are then in a position of having reserve generating power and power lines and equipment which are used only part time. The low reliability which has degraded some economies of scale formerly associated with large, centralized power plants, and the lowered rate of the increase in electricity usage is taken to commend the inclusion of power sources with a modular nature such as is available from solar derived electrical generation. Technical issues for maintaining the quality of grid power and also effectively metering purchased and supplied back-up power as part of a homeostatic system of energy control are discussed. It is concluded that economic considerations, rather than technical issues, bear the most difficulty in integrating solar technologies into the utility network.

Emergence of encounter networks due to human mobility.

PubMed

Riascos, A P; Mateos, José L

2017-01-01

There is a burst of work on human mobility and encounter networks. However, the connection between these two important fields just begun recently. It is clear that both are closely related: Mobility generates encounters, and these encounters might give rise to contagion phenomena or even friendship. We model a set of random walkers that visit locations in space following a strategy akin to Lévy flights. We measure the encounters in space and time and establish a link between walkers after they coincide several times. This generates a temporal network that is characterized by global quantities. We compare this dynamics with real data for two cities: New York City and Tokyo. We use data from the location-based social network Foursquare and obtain the emergent temporal encounter network, for these two cities, that we compare with our model. We found long-range (Lévy-like) distributions for traveled distances and time intervals that characterize the emergent social network due to human mobility. Studying this connection is important for several fields like epidemics, social influence, voting, contagion models, behavioral adoption and diffusion of ideas.

An Analysis of Difficulties of Children with Stuttering Enrolled in Turkish Primary Inclusive Classes Who Encounter in Academic and Social Activities: From Their Perspectives

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sari, Hakan; Gökdag, Hatice

2017-01-01

Stuttering means that children have difficulties in rhythm, sound, syllable, word and phrase repetitions, or flow of speech cut in the form of extension or block form. In the "International Classification of Diseases" (1992) ("International Classification of Diseases-10" ("ICD-10"), Stuttering was defined as speech…

Methodological, technical, and ethical issues of a computerized data system.

PubMed

Rice, C A; Godkin, M A; Catlin, R J

1980-06-01

This report examines some methodological, technical, and ethical issues which need to be addressed in designing and implementing a valid and reliable computerized clinical data base. The report focuses on the data collection system used by four residency based family health centers, affiliated with the University of Massachusetts Medical Center. It is suggested that data reliability and validity can be maximized by: (1) standardizing encounter forms at affiliated health centers to eliminate recording biases and ensure data comparability; (2) using forms with a diagnosis checklist to reduce coding errors and increase the number of diagnoses recorded per encounter; (3) developing uniform diagnostic criteria; (4) identifying sources of error, including discrepancies of clinical data as recorded in medical records, encounter forms, and the computer; and (5) improving provider cooperation in recording data by distributing data summaries which reinforce the data's applicability to service provision. Potential applications of the data for research purposes are restricted by personnel and computer costs, confidentiality considerations, programming related issues, and, most importantly, health center priorities, largely focused on patient care, not research.

Difficulties in health care for female Turkish immigrants with type 2 diabetes: a qualitative study in Vienna.

PubMed

Biyikli Gültekin, Elif

2017-05-01

According to studies, type 2 diabetes mellitus (DMT2) is more commonly encountered among Turkish immigrants than resident populations in Europe and Turkish people living in Turkey. Within this context this study focused on female Turkish immigrants with DMT2 who are living in Vienna. The purpose of this study was to determine the needs, expectations, special conditions and cultural characteristics of Turkish women with DMT2 by gathering information about their own perceptions about DMT2, difficulties encountered during the diagnosis, treatment and their experiences living with the disease. A qualitative phenomenological design was utilized with a sample of 13 participants recruited from the Turkish mosques in Vienna. The interview guide, which included semi-structured questions, was based on previous studies conducted on DMT2 and immigration. Interviews were transcribed verbally from tape recordings, translated into German and each statement paraphrased for further analysis. The interviews indicated participants' degree of knowledge about DMT2 and was the most significant factor affecting approaches to the disease. The most important difficulty for the participants was the re-organization of nutritional habits to DMT2 because of the Turkish cuisine culture. The results of this study can be utilized by the health care providers to gain an understanding of Turkish immigrants and DMT2. Thus, it will enable them to adapt their health care and education to meet the needs of this population better.

Children in difficulties.

PubMed

Pairojkul, Srivieng; Limratana, Napa

2012-07-01

Children in difficulties are characterized by: chronic neglect; disability; physical, emotional or sexual abuse; HIV or one/both parents with HIV and/or limited socio-economic opportunities. To review the current situation by reviewing the incidence of problems affecting children and exploring both potential short-/long-term strategies, including the role of pediatricians. The authors reviewed the incidence and situations of children in difficulties, did a synthesis of guidelines and made recommendations. The fundamental causes of difficulties include: failed macro-economic policies; inadequate and inaccessible education system; and weakness of the family unit, which is associated with: separation and divorce; violence between partners and/or toward their children; neglect and abandonment; inappropriate child-rearing; and child exploitation, including trafficking. GOs and NGOs need to work collaboratively for child protection. Pediatricians can play a vital role in strengthening the family (a) by providing timely strategic, informal education for parents on healthy child-rearing (b) by being attuned to signs, symptoms and attitudes of children in difficulties from childhood through adolescence and (c) by working interactively with children/teens, their families, teachers and communities. Medical schools need to revise the curricula to include these crucial roles for pediatricians in child and family advocacy.

The Relationship Between Technical Errors and Decision Making Skills in the Junior Resident

PubMed Central

Nathwani, J. N.; Fiers, R.M.; Ray, R.D.; Witt, A.K.; Law, K. E.; DiMarco, S.M.; Pugh, C.M.

2017-01-01

Objective The purpose of this study is to co-evaluate resident technical errors and decision-making capabilities during placement of a subclavian central venous catheter (CVC). We hypothesize that there will be significant correlations between scenario based decision making skills, and technical proficiency in central line insertion. We also predict residents will have problems in anticipating common difficulties and generating solutions associated with line placement. Design Participants were asked to insert a subclavian central line on a simulator. After completion, residents were presented with a real life patient photograph depicting CVC placement and asked to anticipate difficulties and generate solutions. Error rates were analyzed using chi-square tests and a 5% expected error rate. Correlations were sought by comparing technical errors and scenario based decision making. Setting This study was carried out at seven tertiary care centers. Participants Study participants (N=46) consisted of largely first year research residents that could be followed longitudinally. Second year research and clinical residents were not excluded. Results Six checklist errors were committed more often than anticipated. Residents performed an average of 1.9 errors, significantly more than the 1 error, at most, per person expected (t(44)=3.82, p<.001). The most common error was performance of the procedure steps in the wrong order (28.5%, P<.001). Some of the residents (24%) had no errors, 30% committed one error, and 46 % committed more than one error. The number of technical errors committed negatively correlated with the total number of commonly identified difficulties and generated solutions (r(33)= −.429, p=.021, r(33)= −.383, p=.044 respectively). Conclusions Almost half of the surgical residents committed multiple errors while performing subclavian CVC placement. The correlation between technical errors and decision making skills suggests a critical need to train

Information constraints in medical encounters.

PubMed

Hollander, R D

1984-01-01

This article describes three kinds of information constraints in medical encounters that have not been discussed at length in the medical ethics literature: constraints from the concept of a disease, from the diffusion of medical innovation, and from withholding information. It describes how these limit the reliance rational people can justifiably put in their doctors, and even the reliance doctors can have on their own advice. It notes the implications of these constraints for the value of informed consent, identifies several procedural steps that could increase the value of the latter and improve diffusion of innovation, and argues that recognition of these constraints should lead us to devise protections which intrude on but can improve these encounters.

Feasibility of applying data mining techniques for predicting technical difficulties during laparoscopic cholecystectomy based on routine patient work-up in a small community hospital.

PubMed

Stanisic, Veselin; Andjelkovic, Igor; Vlaovic, Darko; Babic, Igor; Kocev, Nikola; Nikolic, Bosko; Milicevic, Miroslav

2013-10-01

Predicting technical difficulties in laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) in a small regional hospital increases efficacy, cost-benefit and safety of the procedure. The aim of the study was to assess whether it is possible to accurately predict a difficult LC (DLC) in a small regional hospital based only on the routine available clinical work-up parameters (patient history, ultrasound examination and blood chemistry) and their combinations. A prospective, cohort, of 369 consecutive patients operated by the same surgeon was analyzed. Conversion rate was 10 (2.7%). DLC was registered in 55 (14.90%). Various data mining techniques were applied and assessed. Seven significant predictors of DLC were identified: i) shrunken (fibrotic) gallbladder (GB); ii) ultrasound (US) GB wall thickness >4 mm; iii) >5 attacks of pain lasting >5 hours; iv) WBC >10x109 g/L; v) pericholecystic fluid; vi) urine amylase >380 IU/L, and vii) BMI >30kg/m2. Bayesian network was selected as the best classifier with accuracy of 94.57, specificity 0.98, sensitivity 0.77, AUC 0.96 and F-measure 0.81. It is possible to predict a DLC with high accuracy using data mining techniques, based on routine preoperative clinical parameters and their combinations. Use of sophisticated diagnostic equipment is not necessary.

Galileo post-Gaspra cruise and Earth-2 encounter

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Beyer, P. E.; Andrews, M. M.

1993-01-01

This article documents DSN support for the Galileo cruise after the Oct. 1991 encounter with the asteroid Gaspra. This article also details the Earth-2 encounter and the special non-DSN support provided during the Earth-2 closest approach.

Behavioural Difficulties That Co‐occur With Specific Word Reading Difficulties: A UK Population‐ Based Cohort Study

PubMed Central

Ryder, Denise; Norwich, Brahm; Ford, Tamsin

2015-01-01

This study aimed to examine the association between specific word reading difficulties (SWRD) identified at age 7 years using a discrepancy approach and subsequent dimensional measures of behavioural difficulties reported by teachers and parents at age 11 years. Behavioural problems were assessed using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. Secondary analysis of a UK representative population‐based sample of children (n = 12 631) was conducted using linear regression models. There were 284 children (2.2%) identified with SWRD at age 7 years. Children with SWRD had significantly higher scores on all measures of behavioural difficulties in unadjusted analysis. SWRD was associated with elevated behavioural difficulties at age 11 years according to parent report, and with greater emotional problems, hyperactivity and conduct issues according to teachers, even after having controlled for baseline difficulties. These results were replicated for children with low reading attainment, but no cognitive ability discrepancy. Categories of special educational need into which children with SWRD were classed at school were varied. Given high rates of co‐occurring behavioural difficulties, assessment that identifies each individual child's specific functional, rather than categorical, difficulties is likely to be the most effective way of providing classroom support. © 2015 The Authors. Dyslexia published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. PMID:25693052

[Integral assessment of learning subjects difficulties].

PubMed

Grebniak, N P; Shchudro, S A

2010-01-01

The integral criterion for subject difficulties in senior classes is substantiated in terms of progress in studies, variation coefficient, and subjective and expert appraisals of the difficulty of subjects. The compiled regression models adequately determine the difficulty of academic subjects. According to the root-mean-square deviation, all subjects were found to have 3 degrees of difficulty.

The Locked Box in the Attic: Ghosts and Memories

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gatti, Patrizia

2011-01-01

The author discusses the technical difficulties encountered in clinical work with children who have suffered an early trauma, as is often the case for fostered and adopted children. An account of the first five years of psychotherapy with a nine-year-old boy, who was removed from his birth family at an early age, will be elaborated in some detail…

Health support for the Raid of the Seven Stones : in the footsteps of Navy physician Jules Crevaux in French Guiana.

PubMed

Barthes, N; Boudsocq, J-P

2017-06-01

In the summer of 2015, soldiers of the 3rd Foreign Infantry Regiment and civilian scientists mounted a joint expedition on foot to reconnoiter and better define the southern frontier of French Guiana with Brazil. Three doctor-nurse pairs worked in relay to provide medical support for this unprecedented 42-day, 320-km journey through a hostile and isolated environment, a mission whose success was made possible by large-scale logistic and technical prowess. The army health department, using knowledge gained from previous large-scale missions and expeditions and from its staff's local experience, provided its technical support for personnel selection, organization of the health logistics, and field support. This article describes the difficulties encountered from a medical perspective, the diseases encountered, and the final assessments of the personnel who completed this expedition.

First Comet Encounter

NASA Image and Video Library

2010-09-09

Dr. Michael A'Hearn, Principal Investigator, EPOXI Comet Encounter Mission, speaks during a symposium commemorating a quarter-century of comet discoveries, Friday, Sept. 10, 2010, in the Knight studio at the Newseum in Washington. The International Sun-Earth Explorer-3 (ISEE-3) spacecraft flew past the comet Giacobini-Zinner on Sept. 11, 1985 which established a foundation of discoveries that continue today. Photo Credit: (NASA/Paul E. Alers)

Stirring of a planetesimal swarm - The role of distant encounters

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Weidenschilling, Stuart J.

1989-01-01

The viscous stirring algorithm developed by Stewart and Wetherill (1988) to treat the random velocities induced in planetesimals by their mutual gravitational perturbations encompasses only the scattering of bodies in crossing orbits by close encounters. Expressions are presently derived for the stirring rate due to distant encounters on the basis of three-body formalism, using a stirring rate that has the same mass-dependence as that for close encounters. The relative importance of both the close encounter and distant encounter mechanisms depends on the Safronov number. Perturbations by a planetary embryo in scenarios that involve explosive growth are found capable of affecting planetesimal evolution in noncrossing orbits.

``Recycling'' Nuclear Power Plant Waste: Technical Difficulties and Proliferation Concerns

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lyman, Edwin

2007-04-01

One of the most vexing problems associated with nuclear energy is the inability to find a technically and politically viable solution for the disposal of long-lived radioactive waste. The U.S. plan to develop a geologic repository for spent nuclear fuel at Yucca Mountain in Nevada is in jeopardy, as a result of managerial incompetence, political opposition and regulatory standards that may be impossible to meet. As a result, there is growing interest in technologies that are claimed to have the potential to drastically reduce the amount of waste that would require geologic burial and the length of time that the waste would require containment. A scenario for such a vision was presented in the December 2005 Scientific American. While details differ, these technologies share a common approach: they require chemical processing of spent fuel to extract plutonium and other long-lived actinide elements, which would then be ``recycled'' into fresh fuel for advanced reactors and ``transmuted'' into shorter-lived fission products. Such a scheme is the basis for the ``Global Nuclear Energy Partnership,'' a major program unveiled by the Department of Energy (DOE) in early 2006. This concept is not new, but has been studied for decades. Major obstacles include fundamental safety issues, engineering feasibility and cost. Perhaps the most important consideration in the post-9/11 era is that these technologies involve the separation of plutonium and other nuclear weapon-usable materials from highly radioactive fission products, providing opportunities for terrorists seeking to obtain nuclear weapons. While DOE claims that it will only utilize processes that do not produce ``separated plutonium,'' it has offered no evidence that such technologies would effectively deter theft. It is doubtful that DOE's scheme can be implemented without an unacceptable increase in the risk of nuclear terrorism.

History-Enriched Spaces for Shared Encounters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Konomi, Shin'ichi; Sezaki, Kaoru; Kitsuregawa, Masaru

We discuss "history-enriched spaces" that use historical data to support shared encounters. We first examine our experiences with DeaiExplorer, a social network display that uses RFID and a historical database to support social interactions at academic conferences. This leads to our discussions on three complementary approaches to addressing the issues of supporting social encounters: (1) embedding historical data in embodied interactions, (2) designing for weakly involved interactions such as social navigation, and (3) designing for privacy. Finally, we briefly describe a preliminary prototype of a proxemics-based awareness tool that considers these approaches.

Brain systems underlying encounter expectancy bias in spider phobia.

PubMed

Aue, Tatjana; Hoeppli, Marie-Eve; Piguet, Camille; Hofstetter, Christoph; Rieger, Sebastian W; Vuilleumier, Patrik

2015-06-01

Spider-phobic individuals are characterized by exaggerated expectancies to be faced with spiders (so-called encounter expectancy bias). Whereas phobic responses have been linked to brain systems mediating fear, little is known about how the recruitment of these systems relates to exaggerated expectancies of threat. We used fMRI to examine spider-phobic and control participants while they imagined visiting different locations in a forest after having received background information about the likelihood of encountering different animals (spiders, snakes, and birds) at these locations. Critically, imagined encounter expectancies modulated brain responses differently in phobics as compared with controls. Phobics displayed stronger negative modulation of activity in the lateral prefrontal cortex, precuneus, and visual cortex by encounter expectancies for spiders, relative to snakes or birds (within-participants analysis); these effects were not seen in controls. Between-participants correlation analyses within the phobic group further corroborated the hypothesis that these phobia-specific modulations may underlie irrationality in encounter expectancies (deviations of encounter expectancies from objective background information) in spider phobia; the greater the negative modulation a phobic participant displayed in the lateral prefrontal cortex, precuneus, and visual cortex, the stronger was her bias in encounter expectancies for spiders. Interestingly, irrationality in expectancies reflected in frontal areas relied on right rather than left hemispheric deactivations. Our data accord with the idea that expectancy biases in spider phobia may reflect deficiencies in cognitive control and contextual integration that are mediated by right frontal and parietal areas.

Romantic ideals, mate preferences, and anticipation of future difficulties in marital life: a comparative study of young adults in India and America

PubMed Central

Bejanyan, Kathrine; Marshall, Tara C.; Ferenczi, Nelli

2014-01-01

Previous studies have established that Indians tend to be greater in collectivism and gender role traditionalism than Americans. The purpose of the present study was to examine whether these differences explained further cultural differences in romantic beliefs, traditional mate preferences, and anticipation of future difficulties in marital life. Results revealed that Indians reported greater collectivism than Americans and, in turn, held stronger romantic beliefs. Additionally, Indians' greater collectivism and endorsement of more traditional gender roles in part predicted their preferences for a marital partner possessing traditional characteristics, and fully accounted for their heightened concerns about encountering future difficulties in marital life. These results shed light on the processes underlying cultural differences in relationship attitudes and preferences, and point to culture-specific therapies to enhance marital functioning. PMID:25520681

Difficulties in Lexical Stress versus Difficulties in Segmental Phonology among Adolescents with Dyslexia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Anastasiou, Dimitris; Protopapas, Athanassios

2015-01-01

Dyslexic difficulties in lexical stress were compared to difficulties in segmental phonology. Twenty-nine adolescents with dyslexia and 29 typically developing adolescents, matched on age and nonverbal ability, were assessed on reading, spelling, phonological and stress awareness, rapid naming, and short-term memory. Group differences in stress…

Evaluation of a novel, hybrid model (Mumbai EUS II) for stepwise teaching and training in EUS-guided biliary drainage and rendezvous procedures

PubMed Central

Dhir, Vinay; Itoi, Takao; Pausawasdi, Nonthalee; Khashab, Mouen A.; Perez-Miranda, Manuel; Sun, Siyu; Park, Do Hyun; Iwashita, Takuji; Teoh, Anthony Y. B.; Maydeo, Amit P.; Ho, Khek Yu

2017-01-01

Background and aims  EUS-guided biliary drainage (EUS-BD) and rendezvous (EUS-RV) are acceptable rescue options for patients with failed endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP). However, there are limited training opportunities at most centers owing to low case volumes. The existing models do not replicate the difficulties encountered during EUS-BD. We aimed to develop and validate a model for stepwise learning of EUS-BD and EUS-RV, which replicates the actual EUS-BD procedures. Methods  A hybrid model was created utilizing pig esophagus and stomach, with a synthetic duodenum and biliary system. The model was objectively assessed on a grade of 1 – 4 by two experts. Twenty-eight trainees were given initial training with didactic lectures and live procedures. This was followed by hands-on training in EUS-BD and EUS-RV on the hybrid model. Trainees were assessed for objective criteria of technical difficulties. Results  Both the experts graded the model as very good or above for all parameters. All trainees could complete the requisite steps of EUS-BD and EUS-RV in a mean time of 11 minutes (8 – 18 minutes). Thirty-six technical difficulties were noted during the training (wrong scope position, 13; incorrect duct puncture, 12; guidewire related problems, 11). Technical difficulties peaked for EUS-RV, followed by hepaticogastrostomy (HGS) and choledochoduodenostomy (CDS) (20, 9, and 7, P  = 0.001). At 10 days follow-up, nine of 28 trainees had successfully performed three EUS-RV and seven EUS-BD procedures independently. Conclusions  The Mumbai EUS II hybrid model replicates situations encountered during EUS-RV and EUS-BD. Stepwise mentoring improves the chances of success in EUS-RV and EUS-BD procedures. PMID:29250585

Evaluation of a novel, hybrid model (Mumbai EUS II) for stepwise teaching and training in EUS-guided biliary drainage and rendezvous procedures.

PubMed

Dhir, Vinay; Itoi, Takao; Pausawasdi, Nonthalee; Khashab, Mouen A; Perez-Miranda, Manuel; Sun, Siyu; Park, Do Hyun; Iwashita, Takuji; Teoh, Anthony Y B; Maydeo, Amit P; Ho, Khek Yu

2017-11-01

 EUS-guided biliary drainage (EUS-BD) and rendezvous (EUS-RV) are acceptable rescue options for patients with failed endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP). However, there are limited training opportunities at most centers owing to low case volumes. The existing models do not replicate the difficulties encountered during EUS-BD. We aimed to develop and validate a model for stepwise learning of EUS-BD and EUS-RV, which replicates the actual EUS-BD procedures.  A hybrid model was created utilizing pig esophagus and stomach, with a synthetic duodenum and biliary system. The model was objectively assessed on a grade of 1 - 4 by two experts. Twenty-eight trainees were given initial training with didactic lectures and live procedures. This was followed by hands-on training in EUS-BD and EUS-RV on the hybrid model. Trainees were assessed for objective criteria of technical difficulties.  Both the experts graded the model as very good or above for all parameters. All trainees could complete the requisite steps of EUS-BD and EUS-RV in a mean time of 11 minutes (8 - 18 minutes). Thirty-six technical difficulties were noted during the training (wrong scope position, 13; incorrect duct puncture, 12; guidewire related problems, 11). Technical difficulties peaked for EUS-RV, followed by hepaticogastrostomy (HGS) and choledochoduodenostomy (CDS) (20, 9, and 7, P  = 0.001). At 10 days follow-up, nine of 28 trainees had successfully performed three EUS-RV and seven EUS-BD procedures independently.  The Mumbai EUS II hybrid model replicates situations encountered during EUS-RV and EUS-BD. Stepwise mentoring improves the chances of success in EUS-RV and EUS-BD procedures.

Orbital Perturbations of the Galilean Satellites during Planetary Encounters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deienno, Rogerio; Nesvorný, David; Vokrouhlický, David; Yokoyama, Tadashi

2014-08-01

The Nice model of the dynamical instability and migration of the giant planets can explain many properties of the present solar system, and can be used to constrain its early architecture. In the jumping-Jupiter version of the Nice model, required from the terrestrial planet constraint and dynamical structure of the asteroid belt, Jupiter has encounters with an ice giant. Here, we study the survival of the Galilean satellites in the jumping-Jupiter model. This is an important concern because the ice-giant encounters, if deep enough, could dynamically perturb the orbits of the Galilean satellites and lead to implausible results. We performed numerical integrations where we tracked the effect of planetary encounters on the Galilean moons. We considered three instability cases from Nesvorný & Morbidelli that differed in the number and distribution of encounters. We found that in one case, where the number of close encounters was relatively small, the Galilean satellite orbits were not significantly affected. In the other two, the orbital eccentricities of all moons were excited by encounters, Callisto's semimajor axis changed, and, in a large fraction of trials, the Laplace resonance of the inner three moons was disrupted. The subsequent evolution by tides damps eccentricities and can recapture the moons in the Laplace resonance. A more important constraint is represented by the orbital inclinations of the moons, which can be excited during the encounters and not appreciably damped by tides. We find that one instability case taken from Nesvorný & Morbidelli clearly does not meet this constraint. This shows how the regular satellites of Jupiter can be used to set limits on the properties of encounters in the jumping-Jupiter model, and help us to better understand how the early solar system evolved.

Voyager Saturn encounter press briefing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1980-01-01

The briefing reviewed the mission planning of the Voyager project. The near encounter trajectories of both Voyager spacecraft were examined. The Saturn system is discussed with particular emphasis on Saturn's moons.

Kin encounter rate and inbreeding avoidance in canids

USGS Publications Warehouse

Geffen, Eli; Kam, Michael; Hefner, Reuven; Hersteinsson, Pall; Angerbjorn, Anders; Dalen, Love; Fuglei, Eva; Noren, Karin; Adams, Jennifer R.; Vicetich, John; Meier, Thomas J.; Mech, L.D.; VonHoldt, Bridgett M.; Stahler, Daniel R.; Wayne, Robert K.

2011-01-01

Mating with close kin can lead to inbreeding depression through the expression of recessive deleterious alleles and loss of heterozygosity. Mate selection may be affected by kin encounter rate, and inbreeding avoidance may not be uniform but associated with age and social system. Specifically, selection for kin recognition and inbreeding avoidance may be more developed in species that live in family groups or breed cooperatively. To test this hypothesis, we compared kin encounter rate and the proportion of related breeding pairs in noninbred and highly inbred canid populations. The chance of randomly encountering a full sib ranged between 1–8% and 20–22% in noninbred and inbred canid populations, respectively. We show that regardless of encounter rate, outside natal groups mates were selected independent of relatedness. Within natal groups, there was a significant avoidance of mating with a relative. Lack of discrimination against mating with close relatives outside packs suggests that the rate of inbreeding in canids is related to the proximity of close relatives, which could explain the high degree of inbreeding depression observed in some populations. The idea that kin encounter rate and social organization can explain the lack of inbreeding avoidance in some species is intriguing and may have implications for the management of populations at risk.

Kin encounter rate and inbreeding avoidance in canids

USGS Publications Warehouse

Geffen, E.; Kam, M.; Hefner, R.; Hersteinsson, P.; Angerbjorn, A.; Dalen, L.; Fuglei, E.; Noren, K.; Adams, J.R.; Vucetich, J.; Meier, T.J.; Mech, L.D.; Vonholdt, B.M.; Stahler, D.R.; Wayne, R.K.

2011-01-01

Mating with close kin can lead to inbreeding depression through the expression of recessive deleterious alleles and loss of heterozygosity. Mate selection may be affected by kin encounter rate, and inbreeding avoidance may not be uniform but associated with age and social system. Specifically, selection for kin recognition and inbreeding avoidance may be more developed in species that live in family groups or breed cooperatively. To test this hypothesis, we compared kin encounter rate and the proportion of related breeding pairs in noninbred and highly inbred canid populations. The chance of randomly encountering a full sib ranged between 1-8% and 20-22% in noninbred and inbred canid populations, respectively. We show that regardless of encounter rate, outside natal groups mates were selected independent of relatedness. Within natal groups, there was a significant avoidance of mating with a relative. Lack of discrimination against mating with close relatives outside packs suggests that the rate of inbreeding in canids is related to the proximity of close relatives, which could explain the high degree of inbreeding depression observed in some populations. The idea that kin encounter rate and social organization can explain the lack of inbreeding avoidance in some species is intriguing and may have implications for the management of populations at risk. ?? 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Developing Technical Writing Skills in the Physical Chemistry Laboratory: A Progressive Approach Employing Peer Review

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gragson, Derek E.; Hagen, John P.

2010-01-01

Writing formal "journal-style" lab reports is often one of the requirements chemistry and biochemistry students encounter in the physical chemistry laboratory. Helping students improve their technical writing skills is the primary reason this type of writing is a requirement in the physical chemistry laboratory. Developing these skills is an…

Voyager program. Voyager 1 encounter at Jupiter, 5 March 1979

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1979-01-01

Highlights of Voyager 1 activity during the observatory and far-encounter phases are summarized. Daily sequence of events for the spacecraft during the period of greatest encounter activity (Feb. 26 through Mar. 7) the near-encounter phase is given. Times shown designate the time of signal reception at Deep Space Network stations. Events listed emphasize activities pertaining to the four remote sensing instruments on the scan platforms. However, the other 7 experiments will continuously collect data throughout the encounter period.

Guest-Host Encounters in Diaspora-Heritage Tourism: The Taglit-Birthright Israel Mifgash (Encounter)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sasson, Theodore; Mittelberg, David; Hecht, Shahar; Saxe, Leonard

2011-01-01

More than 300,000 diaspora Jewish young adults and tens of thousands of their Israeli peers have participated in structured, cross-cultural encounters--"mifgashim"--in the context of an experiential education program known as Taglit-Birthright Israel. Drawing on field observations, interviews, and surveys, the formal and informal…

Pioneer to encounter Saturn on September 1

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1979-01-01

The encounter of the Pioneer 11 Spacecraft with Saturn, designed to provide information on the evolution of the Sun and its planets, is described. Photographs and measurements of Saturn, its rings, and several of its 10 satellites, including Titan, to be taken by Pioneer instruments, are emphasized. The encounter sequence and spacecraft trajectory are discussed. A description of Saturn and its atmosphere is included. Onboard instruments and experiments are also described.

Students’ difficulties in probabilistic problem-solving

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arum, D. P.; Kusmayadi, T. A.; Pramudya, I.

2018-03-01

There are many errors can be identified when students solving mathematics problems, particularly in solving the probabilistic problem. This present study aims to investigate students’ difficulties in solving the probabilistic problem. It focuses on analyzing and describing students errors during solving the problem. This research used the qualitative method with case study strategy. The subjects in this research involve ten students of 9th grade that were selected by purposive sampling. Data in this research involve students’ probabilistic problem-solving result and recorded interview regarding students’ difficulties in solving the problem. Those data were analyzed descriptively using Miles and Huberman steps. The results show that students have difficulties in solving the probabilistic problem and can be divided into three categories. First difficulties relate to students’ difficulties in understanding the probabilistic problem. Second, students’ difficulties in choosing and using appropriate strategies for solving the problem. Third, students’ difficulties with the computational process in solving the problem. Based on the result seems that students still have difficulties in solving the probabilistic problem. It means that students have not able to use their knowledge and ability for responding probabilistic problem yet. Therefore, it is important for mathematics teachers to plan probabilistic learning which could optimize students probabilistic thinking ability.

Measuring Difficulty in English-Chinese Translation: Towards a General Model of Translation Difficulty

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sun, Sanjun

2012-01-01

Accurate assessment of a text's level of translation difficulty is critical for translator training and accreditation, translation research, and the language industry as well. Traditionally, people rely on their general impression to gauge a text's translation difficulty level. If the evaluation process is to be more effective and the…

The role of stigma and uncertainty in moderating the effect of procedural justice on cooperation and resistance in police encounters with persons with mental illnesses.

PubMed

Watson, Amy C; Angell, Beth

2013-01-01

Within social psychology, procedural justice theory has been used to understand variations in compliance with legal authorities such as police. Thus, it may help explain variation in cooperation and compliance in encounters between police officers and people with serious mental illness (SMI), which are often fraught with difficulty and risk. In this paper, we examine the extent to which perceptions of procedural justice among persons with SMI are associated with self-reported levels of cooperation and resistance in encounters with police. We also examine stigma and encounter type as potential moderators of the procedural justice effect. 154 persons with serious mental illness who reported a police contact within the past year were interviewed using the newly developed Police Contact Experience Survey (PCES), which includes questions about the characteristics of the contact, perceived procedural justice (PPJ) and degree of cooperation and resistance. Participants also completed the Link Perceived Devaluation and Discrimination Scale (PDS). Findings suggest that greater PPJ is associated with more cooperation and less resistance. The effect on cooperation, however, is moderated by both perceived stigma and the type of encounter. The direct effect of perceived stigma (PDS) on cooperation was unexpected, with higher perceived stigma associated with greater cooperation. Findings underline the importance of both procedurally just treatment in police interactions with vulnerable individuals and further efforts to reduce the stigma of mental illness.

The role of stigma and uncertainty in moderating the effect of procedural justice on cooperation and resistance in police encounters with persons with mental illnesses

PubMed Central

Watson, Amy C; Angell, Beth

2014-01-01

Within social psychology, procedural justice theory has been used to understand variations in compliance with legal authorities such as police. Thus, it may help explain variation in cooperation and compliance in encounters between police officers and people with serious mental illness (SMI), which are often fraught with difficulty and risk. In this paper, we examine the extent to which perceptions of procedural justice among persons with SMI are associated with self-reported levels of cooperation and resistance in encounters with police. We also examine stigma and encounter type as potential moderators of the procedural justice effect. 154 persons with serious mental illness who reported a police contact within the past year were interviewed using the newly developed Police Contact Experience Survey (PCES), which includes questions about the characteristics of the contact, perceived procedural justice (PPJ) and degree of cooperation and resistance. Participants also completed the Link Perceived Devaluation and Discrimination Scale (PDS). Findings suggest that greater PPJ is associated with more cooperation and less resistance. The effect on cooperation, however, is moderated by both perceived stigma and the type of encounter. The direct effect of perceived stigma (PDS) on cooperation was unexpected, with higher perceived stigma associated with greater cooperation. Findings underline the importance of both procedurally just treatment in police interactions with vulnerable individuals and further efforts to reduce the stigma of mental illness. PMID:24920876

Breathing difficulty

MedlinePlus

... page: //medlineplus.gov/ency/article/003075.htm Breathing difficulty To use the sharing features on this page, ... Duplication for commercial use must be authorized in writing by ADAM Health Solutions. About MedlinePlus Site Map ...

The dynamics of search, impasse, and representational change provide a coherent explanation of difficulty in the nine-dot problem.

PubMed

Öllinger, Michael; Jones, Gary; Knoblich, Günther

2014-03-01

The nine-dot problem is often used to demonstrate and explain mental impasse, creativity, and out of the box thinking. The present study investigated the interplay of a restricted initial search space, the likelihood of invoking a representational change, and the subsequent constraining of an unrestricted search space. In three experimental conditions, participants worked on different versions of the nine-dot problem that hinted at removing particular sources of difficulty from the standard problem. The hints were incremental such that the first suggested a possible route for a solution attempt; the second additionally indicated the dot at which lines meet on the solution path; and the final condition also provided non-dot locations that appear in the solution path. The results showed that in the experimental conditions, representational change is encountered more quickly and problems are solved more often than for the control group. We propose a cognitive model that focuses on general problem-solving heuristics and representational change to explain problem difficulty.

Problems Relating to Examinations in Three-Year Technical/Natural Science Courses of Study at the Federal Armed Forces University, Munich.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ulbricht, Kurt; Zimmermann, Peter

1981-01-01

Problems encountered in testing in aerospace engineering courses in an accelerated technical program of a German military university are outlined. Four common grading procedures are compared, and the optimum length of written tests is discussed. (MSE)

Experiences of Public Doctors on Managing Work Difficulties and Maintaining Professional Enthusiasm in Acute General Hospitals: A Qualitative Study.

PubMed

Luk, Andrew Leung; Yau, Adrian Fai To

2018-01-01

Overseas studies suggest that 10-20% of doctors are depressed, 30-45% have burnout, and many report dissatisfaction with work-life balance. A local study on public doctors showed that 31.4% of the respondents satisfied the criteria for high burnout. Young, but moderately experienced doctors who need to work shifts appeared most vulnerable. This study aims to explore the experiences of those public doctors who have managed their work difficulties and maintained professional enthusiasm for references in medical education and continuing professional training. Ten public doctors with reputation were invited respectively from three acute general hospitals for an in-depth interview. Interviews were audio recorded and transcribed. Content analysis was carried out to identify major themes in relation to the research questions. Three themes emerging from difficulties encountered were (1) managing people, mostly are patients, followed by colleagues and then patients' relatives; (2) constraints at work, include time and resources; and (3) managing self with decision-making within a short time. Three themes generating from managing work difficulties included (1) self-adjustment with practicing problem solving and learning good communication appeared more frequently, followed by maintaining a professional attitude and accumulating clinical experiences; (2) seeking help from others; and (3) organizational support is also a theme though it is the least mentioned. Four themes emerging from maintaining work enthusiasm were (1) personal conviction and discipline: believing that they are helping the needy, having the sense of vocation and support from religion; disciplining oneself by continuing education, maintaining harmonious family relationship and volunteer work. (2) Challenging work: different challenging natures of their job. (3) Positive feedback from patients: positive encounters with patients keep a connectedness with their clients. (4) Organization support: working with

Item Writer Judgments of Item Difficulty versus Actual Item Difficulty: A Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sydorenko, Tetyana

2011-01-01

This study investigates how accurate one item writer can be on item difficulty estimates and whether factors affecting item writer judgments correspond to predictors of actual item difficulty. The items were based on conversational dialogs (presented as videos online) that focus on pragmatic functions. Thirty-five 2nd-, 3rd-, and 4th-year learners…

Breathing Difficulties

MedlinePlus

... frequently during the night (insomnia) Difficulty lying flat ALS and your lungs Breathing in and out is ... improve effective coughing. Techniques are explained in The ALS Association’s Living with ALS manual #6 “Adapting to ...

Voyager Encounters Saturn: Scientific Highlights

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1980-01-01

Observations generated by Voyager 1's encounter with Saturn are disclosed. Atmospheric conditions, the rings, new moons and the five inner moons are described. Titan, Hyperion and Iapetus are discussed in detail, as is Saturn's magnetosphere.

Measurement of functional task difficulty during motor learning: What level of difficulty corresponds to the optimal challenge point?

PubMed

Akizuki, Kazunori; Ohashi, Yukari

2015-10-01

The relationship between task difficulty and learning benefit was examined, as was the measurability of task difficulty. Participants were required to learn a postural control task on an unstable surface at one of four different task difficulty levels. Results from the retention test showed an inverted-U relationship between task difficulty during acquisition and motor learning. The second-highest level of task difficulty was the most effective for motor learning, while learning was delayed at the most and least difficult levels. Additionally, the results indicate that salivary α-amylase and the performance dimension of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration-Task Load Index (NASA-TLX) are useful indices of task difficulty. Our findings suggested that instructors may be able to adjust task difficulty based on salivary α-amylase and the performance dimension of the NASA-TLX to enhance learning. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Live Aircraft Encounter Visualization at FutureFlight Central

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Murphy, James R.; Chinn, Fay; Monheim, Spencer; Otto, Neil; Kato, Kenji; Archdeacon, John

2018-01-01

Researchers at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) have developed an aircraft data streaming capability that can be used to visualize live aircraft in near real-time. During a joint Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)/NASA Airborne Collision Avoidance System flight series, test sorties between unmanned aircraft and manned intruder aircraft were shown in real-time at NASA Ames' FutureFlight Central tower facility as a virtual representation of the encounter. This capability leveraged existing live surveillance, video, and audio data streams distributed through a Live, Virtual, Constructive test environment, then depicted the encounter from the point of view of any aircraft in the system showing the proximity of the other aircraft. For the demonstration, position report data were sent to the ground from on-board sensors on the unmanned aircraft. The point of view can be change dynamically, allowing encounters from all angles to be observed. Visualizing the encounters in real-time provides a safe and effective method for observation of live flight testing and a strong alternative to travel to the remote test range.

Facets of Career Decision-Making Difficulties

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Amir, Tami; Gati, Itamar

2006-01-01

The present research investigated the relations among the measured and the expressed career decision-making difficulties in a sample of 299 young adults who intended to apply to college or university. As hypothesised, the correlations between career decision-making difficulties, as measured by the Career Decision-Making Difficulties Questionnaire…

Anatomic severity grading score predicts technical difficulty, early outcomes, and hospital resource utilization of endovascular aortic aneurysm repair.

PubMed

Ahanchi, Sadaf S; Carroll, Megan; Almaroof, Babatunde; Panneton, Jean M

2011-11-01

-rendering software. The anatomic severity grading score correlates with the technical difficulty of EVAR and the extent of hospital resource utilization. Copyright © 2011 Society for Vascular Surgery. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

Desirable Difficulties in Vocabulary Learning

PubMed Central

BJORK, ROBERT A.; KROLL, JUDITH F.

2016-01-01

In this article we discuss the role of desirable difficulties in vocabulary learning from two perspectives, one having to do with identifying conditions of learning that impose initial challenges to the learner but then benefit later retention and transfer, and the other having to do with the role of certain difficulties that are intrinsic to language processes, are engaged during word learning, and reflect how language is understood and produced. From each perspective we discuss evidence that supports the notion that difficulties in learning and imposed costs to language processing may produce benefits because they are likely to increase conceptual understanding. We then consider the consequences of these processes for actual second-language learning and suggest that some of the domain-general cognitive advantages that have been reported for proficient bilinguals may reflect difficulties imposed by the learning process, and by the requirement to negotiate cross-language competition, that are broadly desirable. As Alice Healy and her collaborators were perhaps the first to demonstrate, research on desirable difficulties in vocabulary and language learning holds the promise of bringing together research traditions on memory and language that have much to offer each other. PMID:26255443

Desirable Difficulties in Vocabulary Learning.

PubMed

Bjork, Robert A; Kroll, Judith F

2015-01-01

In this article we discuss the role of desirable difficulties in vocabulary learning from two perspectives, one having to do with identifying conditions of learning that impose initial challenges to the learner but then benefit later retention and transfer, and the other having to do with the role of certain difficulties that are intrinsic to language processes, are engaged during word learning, and reflect how language is understood and produced. From each perspective we discuss evidence that supports the notion that difficulties in learning and imposed costs to language processing may produce benefits because they are likely to increase conceptual understanding. We then consider the consequences of these processes for actual second-language learning and suggest that some of the domain-general cognitive advantages that have been reported for proficient bilinguals may reflect difficulties imposed by the learning process, and by the requirement to negotiate cross-language competition, that are broadly desirable. As Alice Healy and her collaborators were perhaps the first to demonstrate, research on desirable difficulties in vocabulary and language learning holds the promise of bringing together research traditions on memory and language that have much to offer each other.

The Difficulty of Difficulty. Report Series 4.2.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Adams, Hazard

The notion of literature's difficulty must have begun with its first interpreter. Biblical readings sometimes allegorized scripture into moral precept, while occult readings (i.e., Gnostic writings) often carried an implication that such texts are either for an elite readership or represent the essence of a tradition of spiritual truth under…

Rings from Close Encounters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kohler, Susanna

2016-09-01

Weve recently discovered narrow sets of rings around two minor planets orbiting in our solar system. How did these rings form? A new study shows that they could be a result of close encounters between the minor planets and giants like Jupiter or Neptune.Unexpected Ring SystemsPositions of the centaurs in our solar system (green). Giant planets (red), Jupiter trojans (grey), scattered disk objects (tan) and Kuiper belt objects (blue) are also shown. [WilyD]Centaurs are minor planets in our solar system that orbit between Jupiter and Neptune. These bodies of which there are roughly 44,000 with diameters larger than 1 km have dynamically unstable orbits that cross paths with those of one or more giant planets.Recent occultation observations of two centaurs, 10199 Chariklo and 2060 Chiron, revealed that these bodies both host narrow ring systems. Besides our four giant planets, Chariklo and Chiron are the only other bodies in the solar system known to have rings. But how did these rings form?Scientists have proposed several models, implicating collisions, disruption of a primordial satellite, or dusty outgassing. But a team of scientists led by Ryuki Hyodo (Paris Institute of Earth Physics, Kobe University) has recently proposed an alternative scenario: what if the rings were formed from partial disruption of the centaur itself, after it crossed just a little too close to a giant planet?Tidal Forces from a GiantHyodo and collaborators first used past studies of centaur orbits to estimate that roughly 10% of centaurs experience close encounters (passing within a distance of ~2x the planetary radius) with a giant planet during their million-year lifetime. The team then performed a series of simulations of close encounters between a giant planet and a differentiated centaur a body in which the rocky material has sunk to form a dense silicate core, surrounded by an icy mantle.Some snapshots of simulation outcomes (click for a closer look!) for different initial states of

The effect of multiple encounters on short period comet orbits

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lowrey, B. E.

1972-01-01

The observed orbital elements of short period comets are found to be consistent with the hypothesis of derivation from long period comets as long as two assumptions are made. First, the distribution of short period comets has been randomized by multiple encounters with Jupiter and second, the short period comets have lower velocities of encounter with Jupiter than is generally expected. Some 16% of the observed short period comets have lower encounter velocities than is allowed mathematically using Laplace's method. This may be due to double encounter processes with Jupiter and Saturn, or as a result of prolonged encounters. The distribution of unobservable short period comets can be inferred in part from the observed comets. Many have orbits between Jupiter and Saturn with somewhat higher inclinations than those with perihelions near the earth. Debris from those comets may form the major component of the zodiacal dust.

Optical navigation during the Voyager Neptune encounter

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Riedel, J. E.; Owen, W. M., Jr.; Stuve, J. A.; Synnott, S. P.; Vaughan, R. M.

1990-01-01

Optical navigation techniques were required to successfully complete the planetary exploration phase of the NASA deep-space Voyager mission. The last of Voyager's planetary encounters, with Neptune, posed unique problems from an optical navigation standpoint. In this paper we briefly review general aspects of the optical navigation process as practiced during the Voyager mission, and discuss in detail particular features of the Neptune encounter which affected optical navigation. New approaches to the centerfinding problem were developed for both stars and extended bodies, and these are described. Results of the optical navigation data analysis are presented, as well as a description of the optical orbit determination system and results of its use during encounter. Partially as a result of the optical navigation processing, results of scientific significance were obtained. These results include the discovery and orbit determination of several new satellites of Neptune and the determination of the size of Triton, Neptune's largest moon.

Player Modeling for Intelligent Difficulty Adjustment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Missura, Olana; Gärtner, Thomas

In this paper we aim at automatically adjusting the difficulty of computer games by clustering players into different types and supervised prediction of the type from short traces of gameplay. An important ingredient of video games is to challenge players by providing them with tasks of appropriate and increasing difficulty. How this difficulty should be chosen and increase over time strongly depends on the ability, experience, perception and learning curve of each individual player. It is a subjective parameter that is very difficult to set. Wrong choices can easily lead to players stopping to play the game as they get bored (if underburdened) or frustrated (if overburdened). An ideal game should be able to adjust its difficulty dynamically governed by the player’s performance. Modern video games utilise a game-testing process to investigate among other factors the perceived difficulty for a multitude of players. In this paper, we investigate how machine learning techniques can be used for automatic difficulty adjustment. Our experiments confirm the potential of machine learning in this application.

Asklepian dreams: the ethos of the wounded-healer in the clinical encounter.

PubMed

Kirmayer, Laurence J

2003-06-01

The clinical encounter is structured hierarchically: explicit technical action is embedded in levels of organization that reflect the personality and biography of the clinician, which in turn, are embedded in a larger matrix of cultural values or ethos. Systems of medicine can be compared at each of these levels. Shamanism and other elementary systems of medicine are built on an ethos that identifies healers' calling, authority and effectiveness with their own initiatory illness experiences. The Asklepian religious cults of ancient Greece also drew from the image of the wounded-healer. This essay argues that ethos of the wounded-healer remains relevant to contemporary medicine, psychiatry and psychotherapy. Developmental changes in the relationship of the healer to his wounds during psychiatric training are illustrated by a series of dreams. The ethos of the wounded-healer has implications for the training of clinicians, as well as for the ethics and pragmatics of clinical work.

[Central diabetes insipidus: diagnostic difficulties].

PubMed

Matoussi, N; Aissa, K; Fitouri, Z; Hajji, M; Makni, S; Bellagha, I; Ben Becher, S

2008-06-01

Central diabetes insipidus is rare in children. Characteristic features include polyuria and polydipsia due to arginine vasopressin deficiency. The differential diagnosis of polyuric states may be difficult. Etiologic diagnosis of central diabetes insipidus may be an equally difficult task. To specify the difficulties encountered in the diagnosis of central diabetes insipidus and to point out features of the etiologic work-up and of long-term follow-up of children with idiopathic central diabetes insipidus. A retrospective study of 12 children admitted with a polyuria/polydipsia syndrome to the pediatric - consultation and emergency unit of the children's hospital of Tunis between 1988 and 2005. Children with acquired nephrogenic central diabetes insipidus were excluded. Fourteen-hour fluid restriction test and/or desmopressin test were used without plasma vasopressin measurement. Eight patients were classified as having central diabetes insipidus, which was severe in seven children and partial in one girl. One patient was classified as having primary polydipsia. The diagnosis remains unclear in three patients. The etiological work-up in eight patients with central diabetes insipidus enabled the identification of Langerhan's-cell histiocytosis in two patients and neurosurgical trauma in one. The cause was considered idiopathic in five patients. The median follow-up of the five patients with idiopathic central diabetes insipidus was five years two months plus or minus six years seven months (range five months, 14.5 years). During this follow-up, neither brain magnetic resonance imaging scans findings nor anterior pituitary function have changed. Fluid restriction and desmopressin tests did not enable an accurate distinction between partial diabetes insipidus and primary polydipsia. Regular surveillance is warranted in patients with idiopathic central diabetes insipidus to identify potential etiologies.

Emergency coronary angioplasty with stenting using Cordis® diagnostic coronary catheters when there is difficulty in engaging guide catheters and bench evaluation of diagnostic and guide catheters.

PubMed

Arokiaraj, Mark Christopher

2018-02-01

Difficulty in engaging with guide catheters is not uncommon in acute emergencies. We aimed to evaluate the use of Cordis ® INFINITI diagnostic catheters to perform angioplasty in patients in whom the coronaries cannot be engaged using standard guide catheters. In 34 cases of acute coronary syndrome, when difficulty in engagement with two standard guide catheters was encountered with reasonable manipulations, angioplasty was performed using diagnostic catheters. In total, 40 stents were placed by this technique. Pushability and trackability, distal tip flexion and three-point bending tests were performed to evaluate the performance of the guide and diagnostic catheters. Angioplasty was performed easily in a setting where it would have been very difficult to perform. Coronary dissection occurred in one patient, treated by a stent. The stent and dilatation balloons were easily passed through the diagnostic catheters. Pressure tracings were clearly preserved with certain stent delivery systems, and at angioplasty, although there was slightly reduced opacification of the respective artery, the coronary anatomy was sufficiently visualized to perform angioplasty. No periprocedural target lesion complications were seen in any cases. Pushability and trackability tests showed good force transmission along a tortuous path with diagnostic catheters, and balanced force-displacement curves from three-point bending tests and distal tip softness tests. Angioplasty with stenting can be performed safely through 6F Cordis ® infiniti diagnostic catheters when difficulty in engaging guide catheters is encountered. Copyright © 2018 Sociedade Portuguesa de Cardiologia. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Training, age and technological change: difficulties associated with age, the design of tools, and the organization of work.

PubMed

Cau-Bareille, Dominique; Gaudart, Corinne; Delgoulet, Catherine

2012-01-01

This article presents two ergonomic studies carried out when two French administrative bodies modernized their work tools. Our objective was to identify and define the vocational learning of experienced technicians who were required to adopt new working methods to cope with these technological changes. We observed the work activity of technicians of different ages and length of service both before and during training, and also after their return to their work unit during the appropriation phase. These two studies revealed some difficulties that were common to all the technicians and others that were more specific to the older employees. In terms of the design of the training course, we were able to point out some mistaken assumptions about the technicians' original command of the work activity and the computers, which made it difficult for them to adopt new work procedures. The difficulties encountered by the older employees were ultimately found to be more an indication of organizational problems to do with the management of change rather than training problems due to age.

An opportunity in difficulty: Japan-Korea-Taiwan expert Delphi consensus on surgical difficulty during laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

PubMed

Iwashita, Yukio; Hibi, Taizo; Ohyama, Tetsuji; Honda, Goro; Yoshida, Masahiro; Miura, Fumihiko; Takada, Tadahiro; Han, Ho-Seong; Hwang, Tsann-Long; Shinya, Satoshi; Suzuki, Kenji; Umezawa, Akiko; Yoon, Yoo-Seok; Choi, In-Seok; Huang, Wayne Shih-Wei; Chen, Kuo-Hsin; Watanabe, Manabu; Abe, Yuta; Misawa, Takeyuki; Nagakawa, Yuichi; Yoon, Dong-Sup; Jang, Jin-Young; Yu, Hee Chul; Ahn, Keun Soo; Kim, Song Cheol; Song, In Sang; Kim, Ji Hoon; Yun, Sung Su; Choi, Seong Ho; Jan, Yi-Yin; Shan, Yan-Shen; Ker, Chen-Guo; Chan, De-Chuan; Wu, Cheng-Chung; Lee, King-Teh; Toyota, Naoyuki; Higuchi, Ryota; Nakamura, Yoshiharu; Mizuguchi, Yoshiaki; Takeda, Yutaka; Ito, Masahiro; Norimizu, Shinji; Yamada, Shigetoshi; Matsumura, Naoki; Shindoh, Junichi; Sunagawa, Hiroki; Gocho, Takeshi; Hasegawa, Hiroshi; Rikiyama, Toshiki; Sata, Naohiro; Kano, Nobuyasu; Kitano, Seigo; Tokumura, Hiromi; Yamashita, Yuichi; Watanabe, Goro; Nakagawa, Kunitoshi; Kimura, Taizo; Yamakawa, Tatsuo; Wakabayashi, Go; Mori, Rintaro; Endo, Itaru; Miyazaki, Masaru; Yamamoto, Masakazu

2017-04-01

We previously identified 25 intraoperative findings during laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) as potential indicators of surgical difficulty per nominal group technique. This study aimed to build a consensus among expert LC surgeons on the impact of each item on surgical difficulty. Surgeons from Japan, Korea, and Taiwan (n = 554) participated in a Delphi process and graded the 25 items on a seven-stage scale (range, 0-6). Consensus was defined as (1) the interquartile range (IQR) of overall responses ≤2 and (2) ≥66% of the responses concentrated within a median ± 1 after stratification by workplace and LC experience level. Response rates for the first and the second-round Delphi were 92.6% and 90.3%, respectively. Final consensus was reached for all the 25 items. 'Diffuse scarring in the Calot's triangle area' in the 'Factors related to inflammation of the gallbladder' category had the strongest impact on surgical difficulty (median, 5; IQR, 1). Surgeons agreed that the surgical difficulty increases as more fibrotic change and scarring develop. The median point for each item was set as the difficulty score. A Delphi consensus was reached among expert LC surgeons on the impact of intraoperative findings on surgical difficulty. © 2017 Japanese Society of Hepato-Biliary-Pancreatic Surgery.

Blink activity and task difficulty.

PubMed

Tanaka, Y; Yamaoka, K

1993-08-01

This study investigated the relationship between task difficulty and blink activity, which includes blink rate, blink amplitude, and blink duration. Two kinds of tasks established two levels of difficulty. In Exp. 1, a mental arithmetic task was used to examine the relationship. Analysis showed that blink rate for a difficult task was significantly higher than that for an easier one. In Exp. 2, a letter-search task (hiragana Japanese alphabet) was used while the other conditions were the same as those in Exp. 1; however, the results of this experiment were not influenced by the difficulty of the task. As results indicate that blink rate is related to not only difficulty but also the nature of the task, the nature of the task is probably dependent on a mechanism in information processing. The results for blink amplitude and blink duration showed no systematic change during either experiment.

Pet ownership increases human risk of encountering ticks.

PubMed

Jones, E H; Hinckley, A F; Hook, S A; Meek, J I; Backenson, B; Kugeler, K J; Feldman, K A

2018-02-01

We examined whether pet ownership increased the risk for tick encounters and tickborne disease among residents of three Lyme disease-endemic states as a nested cohort within a randomized controlled trial. Information about pet ownership, use of tick control for pets, property characteristics, tick encounters and human tickborne disease were captured through surveys, and associations were assessed using univariate and multivariable analyses. Pet-owning households had 1.83 times the risk (95% CI = 1.53, 2.20) of finding ticks crawling on and 1.49 times the risk (95% CI = 1.20, 1.84) of finding ticks attached to household members compared to households without pets. This large evaluation of pet ownership, human tick encounters and tickborne diseases shows that pet owners, whether of cats or dogs, are at increased risk of encountering ticks and suggests that pet owners are at an increased risk of developing tickborne disease. Pet owners should be made aware of this risk and be reminded to conduct daily tick checks of all household members, including the pets, and to consult their veterinarian regarding effective tick control products. © 2017 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Convectively Induced Turbulence Encountered During NASA's Fall-2000 Flight Experiments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hamilton, David W.; Proctor, Fred H.

2002-01-01

Aircraft encounters with atmospheric turbulence are a leading cause of in-flight injuries aboard commercial airliners and cost the airlines millions of dollars each year. Most of these injuries are due to encounters with turbulence in and around convection. In a recent study of 44 turbulence accident reports between 1990 and 1996, 82% of the cases were found to be near or within convective activity (Kaplan et al. 1999). According to NTSB accident reports, pilots' descriptions of these turbulence encounters include 'abrupt', 'in Instrument Meteorological Conditions (IMC)', 'saw nothing on the weather radar', and 'the encounter occurred while deviating around' convective activity. Though the FAA has provided guidelines for aircraft operating in convective environments, turbulence detection capability could decrease the number of injuries by alerting pilots of a potential encounter. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration, through its Aviation Safety Program, is addressing turbulence hazards through research, flight experiments, and data analysis. Primary focus of this program element is the characterization of turbulence and its environment, as well as the development and testing of hazard estimation algorithms for both radar and in situ detection. The ultimate goal is to operationally test sensors that will provide ample warning prior to hazardous turbulence encounters. In order to collect data for support of these activities, NASA-Langley's B-757 research aircraft was directed into regions favorable for convectively induced turbulence (CIT). On these flights, the airborne predictive wind shear (PWS) radar, augmented with algorithms designed for turbulence detection, was operated in real time to test this capability. In this paper, we present the results of two research flights when turbulence was encountered. Described is an overview of the flights, the general radar performance, and details of four encounters with severe turbulence.

Dynamics of protein-protein encounter: a Langevin equation approach with reaction patches.

PubMed

Schluttig, Jakob; Alamanova, Denitsa; Helms, Volkhard; Schwarz, Ulrich S

2008-10-21

We study the formation of protein-protein encounter complexes with a Langevin equation approach that considers direct, steric, and thermal forces. As three model systems with distinctly different properties we consider the pairs barnase:barstar, cytochrome c-cytochrome c peroxidase, and p53:MDM2. In each case, proteins are modeled either as spherical particles, as dipolar spheres, or as collection of several small beads with one dipole. Spherical reaction patches are placed on the model proteins according to the known experimental structures of the protein complexes. In the computer simulations, concentration is varied by changing box size. Encounter is defined as overlap of the reaction patches and the corresponding first passage times are recorded together with the number of unsuccessful contacts before encounter. We find that encounter frequency scales linearly with protein concentration, thus proving that our microscopic model results in a well-defined macroscopic encounter rate. The number of unsuccessful contacts before encounter decreases with increasing encounter rate and ranges from 20 to 9000. For all three models, encounter rates are obtained within one order of magnitude of the experimentally measured association rates. Electrostatic steering enhances association up to 50-fold. If diffusional encounter is dominant (p53:MDM2) or similarly important as electrostatic steering (barnase:barstar), then encounter rate decreases with decreasing patch radius. More detailed modeling of protein shapes decreases encounter rates by 5%-95%. Our study shows how generic principles of protein-protein association are modulated by molecular features of the systems under consideration. Moreover it allows us to assess different coarse-graining strategies for the future modeling of the dynamics of large protein complexes.

Dynamics of protein-protein encounter: A Langevin equation approach with reaction patches

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schluttig, Jakob; Alamanova, Denitsa; Helms, Volkhard; Schwarz, Ulrich S.

2008-10-01

We study the formation of protein-protein encounter complexes with a Langevin equation approach that considers direct, steric, and thermal forces. As three model systems with distinctly different properties we consider the pairs barnase:barstar, cytochrome c-cytochrome c peroxidase, and p53:MDM2. In each case, proteins are modeled either as spherical particles, as dipolar spheres, or as collection of several small beads with one dipole. Spherical reaction patches are placed on the model proteins according to the known experimental structures of the protein complexes. In the computer simulations, concentration is varied by changing box size. Encounter is defined as overlap of the reaction patches and the corresponding first passage times are recorded together with the number of unsuccessful contacts before encounter. We find that encounter frequency scales linearly with protein concentration, thus proving that our microscopic model results in a well-defined macroscopic encounter rate. The number of unsuccessful contacts before encounter decreases with increasing encounter rate and ranges from 20 to 9000. For all three models, encounter rates are obtained within one order of magnitude of the experimentally measured association rates. Electrostatic steering enhances association up to 50-fold. If diffusional encounter is dominant (p53:MDM2) or similarly important as electrostatic steering (barnase:barstar), then encounter rate decreases with decreasing patch radius. More detailed modeling of protein shapes decreases encounter rates by 5%-95%. Our study shows how generic principles of protein-protein association are modulated by molecular features of the systems under consideration. Moreover it allows us to assess different coarse-graining strategies for the future modeling of the dynamics of large protein complexes.

Feasibility and Acceptability of Smartphone Assessment in Older Adults with Cognitive and Emotional Difficulties

PubMed Central

Ramsey, Alex T.; Wetherell, Julie Loebach; Depp, Colin; Dixon, David; Lenze, Eric

2016-01-01

Objectives Ecological momentary assessment (EMA) has several advantages in clinical research yet little is known about the feasibility of collecting EMA data with mobile technologies in older adults, particularly those with emotional or cognitive difficulties. The aim of this feasibility study was to assess perceived acceptability, adherence rates, and reasons for non-adherence to smartphone-based EMA. Method At two sites, participants (n=103) aged 65 years or older with a DSM-IV-defined anxiety or depressive disorder and cognitive concerns responded three times daily to smartphone-based EMA questions assessing clinical outcomes for two 10-day periods. Quantitative and qualitative measures assessed acceptability, adherence, and reasons for non-adherence following both 10-day EMA periods. Results Participants were moderately satisfied with and comfortable using smartphone-based EMA. Overall, 76% of participants completed surveys on ≥10 of the 20 assessment days, and 70% of participants completed at least 30% of the total surveys. Reasons for non-adherence included technical (malfunction), logistical (competing demands), physiological (hearing difficulties), and cognitive (forgetting) issues. Discussion Smartphone-based EMA is feasible in older adults with cognitive and emotional difficulties. EMA tools should be responsive to the needs and preferences of participants to ensure adequate acceptability and adherence in this population. Our findings can inform the design, development, and implementation of mobile technologies in older adults in research and clinical contexts. PMID:27683018

Feasibility and Acceptability of Smartphone Assessment in Older Adults with Cognitive and Emotional Difficulties.

PubMed

Ramsey, Alex T; Wetherell, Julie Loebach; Depp, Colin; Dixon, David; Lenze, Eric

Ecological momentary assessment (EMA) has several advantages in clinical research yet little is known about the feasibility of collecting EMA data with mobile technologies in older adults, particularly those with emotional or cognitive difficulties. The aim of this feasibility study was to assess perceived acceptability, adherence rates, and reasons for non-adherence to smartphone-based EMA. At two sites, participants ( n =103) aged 65 years or older with a DSM-IV-defined anxiety or depressive disorder and cognitive concerns responded three times daily to smartphone-based EMA questions assessing clinical outcomes for two 10-day periods. Quantitative and qualitative measures assessed acceptability, adherence, and reasons for non-adherence following both 10-day EMA periods. Participants were moderately satisfied with and comfortable using smartphone-based EMA. Overall, 76% of participants completed surveys on ≥10 of the 20 assessment days, and 70% of participants completed at least 30% of the total surveys. Reasons for non-adherence included technical (malfunction), logistical (competing demands), physiological (hearing difficulties), and cognitive (forgetting) issues. Smartphone-based EMA is feasible in older adults with cognitive and emotional difficulties. EMA tools should be responsive to the needs and preferences of participants to ensure adequate acceptability and adherence in this population. Our findings can inform the design, development, and implementation of mobile technologies in older adults in research and clinical contexts.

The need for trust and safety inducing encounters: a qualitative exploration of women's experiences of seeking perinatal care when living as undocumented migrants in Sweden.

PubMed

Barkensjö, My; Greenbrook, Josephine T V; Rosenlundh, Josefine; Ascher, Henry; Elden, Helen

2018-06-07

Studies from around the world have shown that women living as undocumented migrants have limited and deficient access to perinatal care, increasing their risks of both physical and psychological complications during pregnancy and childbirth. Failures to provide equal access to healthcare have been criticized extensively by the United Nations. In 2013, undocumented migrants' rights to healthcare in Sweden were expanded to include full access to perinatal care. Research surrounding clinical encounters involving women living as undocumented migrants remains largely lacking. The present study aimed to provide a composite description of women's experiences of clinical encounters throughout pregnancy and childbirth, when living as undocumented migrants in Sweden. Taking an inductive approach, qualitative content analysis was implemented. Thirteen women from ten different countries were interviewed. Meaning-units were extracted from the data collected in order to identify emergent overarching themes. In clinical encounters where healthcare professionals displayed empathic concern and listening behaviours, women felt empowered, acknowledged, and encouraged, leading them to trust clinicians, diminishing fears relating to seeking healthcare services. Conversely, when neglectful behaviour on part of healthcare professionals was perceived in encounters, anxiousness and fear intensified. Vulnerability and distress induced by the women's uncertain living circumstances were apparent across themes, and appeared exacerbated by traumatic memories, difficulties in coping with motherhood, and fears of deportation. The present study contributes unique and important knowledge surrounding women's experience of being pregnant and giving birth when living as undocumented migrants. The overarching findings indicated that the needs of undocumented migrant women were largely similar to those of all expectant mothers, but that due to vulnerabilities relating to their circumstances, flexible

Interactional difficulties as a resource for patient participation in prenatal screening consultations in Hong Kong.

PubMed

Kang, M Agnes; Zayts, Olga A

2013-07-01

In this paper, we examine the interactional means by which non-native English speaking patients in Hong Kong participate in prenatal screening sessions. Using interactional sociolinguistics as the theoretical framework, we apply the concept of contextualization cues to illustrate that patients indicate their participation in the consultation through verbal and non-verbal modes. We find that non-native English speaking patients participate: (1) by displaying the interactional difficulties they are encountering and (2) by coordinating their displays of interactional difficulties with the activities of the healthcare provider. We conclude that the notion of patient participation must be expanded to take into account non-native speaking contexts; in particular, that collaborative displays of knowledge (or lack thereof) must be included as part of the definition of patient participation. While verbal contributions represent an important mode of participation in consultations, patients also participate by contextualizing their lack of understanding, which then can serve as a resource to healthcare providers in pursuing meaningful consultations. Our analysis illustrates how health care professionals' awareness of the modes of patient participation and what these modes may signal in non-native consultations can help to establish what the patient knows in the consultation. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Blue Whale Visual and Acoustic Encounter Rates in the Southern California Bight

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-07-01

blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus) visual and acoustic encounter rates was quantitatively evaluated using hourly counts of detected whales during...surveys occurring in April, there were visual and acoustic detections of blue whales in all surveyed months and regions. Encounter rate is...difference between acoustic encounters of singing whales and visual encounters suggest seasonal variation in the ability of each method to detect blue

Athletic Training Student Core Competency Implementation During Patient Encounters.

PubMed

Cavallario, Julie M; Van Lunen, Bonnie L; Hoch, Johanna M; Hoch, Matthew; Manspeaker, Sarah A; Pribesh, Shana L

2018-03-01

  Health care research evidence suggests that early patient encounters (PEs), as well as the purposeful implementation of professional core competencies (CCs), for athletic training students (ATSs) may be beneficial to their ability to provide care. However, no investigators have related facets of the clinical education experience with CC implementation as a form of summative assessment of the clinical experience.   To determine the relationship between the frequency and length of PEs, as well as the student's role and clinical site during PEs, and the students' perceived CC implementation during these encounters.   Cross-sectional study.   Professional athletic training program, National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I institution.   We purposefully recruited 1 athletic training program that used E*Value software; 40 participants (31 females, 9 males) enrolled in the professional phase (12 first year, 14 second year, 14 third year) participated.   Participants viewed a 20-minute recorded CC educational module followed by educational handouts, which were also posted online for reference throughout the semester. The E*Value software was used to track PEs, including the type of encounter (ie, actual patient, practice encounter, didactic practice scenario), the type of site where the encounter occurred (university, high school), and the participant's role (observed, assisted, performed), as well as responses to an added block of questions indicating which, if any, of the CCs were implemented during the PE.   Variables per patient were PE length (minutes), participant role, site at which the encounter occurred, and whether any of the 6 CCs were implemented ( yes/ no). Variables per participant were average encounter length (minutes), encounter frequency, modal role, clinical site assignment, and the number of times each CC was implemented. Separate 1-way analyses of variance were used to examine the relationships between role or clinical site

Quantifying the Effects of Gas-Rich Flyby Encounters on Galaxy Evolution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dumas, Julie; Holley-Bockelmann, Kelly; Lang, Meagan

2017-01-01

Recent work has shown that flyby encounters may be a common event in a galaxy's lifetime. Galaxy flybys are a one-time encounter when two halos interpenetrate, but unlike a galaxy merger, the two halos later detach. Relatively little work has been done to assess how flybys affect galaxy evolution. We present preliminary results of a suite of high-resolution hydrodynamical + N-body simulations of gas-rich flyby encounters, concentrating on Milky Way-like primaries. We track the bulk changes in structure, star formation history, kinematics, and morphology over a broad span of flyby encounters.

Students Encountering Race and Negotiating Friendships, Sexuality and Language on Campus

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bhana, Deevia

2016-01-01

By drawing on a theoretical framing based on the geography of encounters, this article examines how students give meaning to racialised encounters on campus. These encounters are mediated by long established notions of difference based on power inequalities where race remains a powerful source of difference. However, race is not simply enacted but…

The perceptual learning of time-compressed speech: A comparison of training protocols with different levels of difficulty

PubMed Central

Gabay, Yafit; Karni, Avi; Banai, Karen

2017-01-01

Speech perception can improve substantially with practice (perceptual learning) even in adults. Here we compared the effects of four training protocols that differed in whether and how task difficulty was changed during a training session, in terms of the gains attained and the ability to apply (transfer) these gains to previously un-encountered items (tokens) and to different talkers. Participants trained in judging the semantic plausibility of sentences presented as time-compressed speech and were tested on their ability to reproduce, in writing, the target sentences; trail-by-trial feedback was afforded in all training conditions. In two conditions task difficulty (low or high compression) was kept constant throughout the training session, whereas in the other two conditions task difficulty was changed in an adaptive manner (incrementally from easy to difficult, or using a staircase procedure). Compared to a control group (no training), all four protocols resulted in significant post-training improvement in the ability to reproduce the trained sentences accurately. However, training in the constant-high-compression protocol elicited the smallest gains in deciphering and reproducing trained items and in reproducing novel, untrained, items after training. Overall, these results suggest that training procedures that start off with relatively little signal distortion (“easy” items, not far removed from standard speech) may be advantageous compared to conditions wherein severe distortions are presented to participants from the very beginning of the training session. PMID:28545039

Motherhood, Medicine, and Morality: Scenes from a Medical Encounter.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Heritage, John; Lindstrom, Anna

1998-01-01

Examines moments in the course of informal medical encounters between English health visitors and mothers in which motherhood and medicine collide. Within the conversations, motherhood, medicine, and morality are yoked to the interaction order that is inflected and influenced by the medical context of the encounters. The paper discusses motherhood…

Technical errors in planar bone scanning.

PubMed

Naddaf, Sleiman Y; Collier, B David; Elgazzar, Abdelhamid H; Khalil, Magdy M

2004-09-01

Optimal technique for planar bone scanning improves image quality, which in turn improves diagnostic efficacy. Because planar bone scanning is one of the most frequently performed nuclear medicine examinations, maintaining high standards for this examination is a daily concern for most nuclear medicine departments. Although some problems such as patient motion are frequently encountered, the degraded images produced by many other deviations from optimal technique are rarely seen in clinical practice and therefore may be difficult to recognize. The objectives of this article are to list optimal techniques for 3-phase and whole-body bone scanning, to describe and illustrate a selection of deviations from these optimal techniques for planar bone scanning, and to explain how to minimize or avoid such technical errors.

Outcomes of planetary close encounters - A systematic comparison of methodologies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Greenberg, Richard; Carusi, Andrea; Valsecchi, G. B.

1988-01-01

Several methods for estimating the outcomes of close planetary encounters are compared on the basis of the numerical integration of a range of encounter types. An attempt is made to lay the foundation for the development of predictive rules concerning the encounter outcomes applicable to the refinement of the statistical mechanics that apply to planet-formation and similar problems concerning planetary swarms. Attention is given to Oepik's (1976) formulation of the two-body approximation, whose predicted motion differs from the correct three-body behavior.

Flora of the Fraser Experimental Forest, Colorado. Forest Service general technical report (Final)

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

Popovich, S.J.; Shepperd, W.D.; Reichert, D.W.

1993-08-01

The report lists 441 vascular plant taxa in 228 genera and 63 families encountered on the 9,300-ha Fraser Experimental Forest in central Colorado. Synonyms appearing in previous publications and other works pertaining to the Fraser Experimental Forest, as well as appropriate Colorado floras and less-technical field guides, are included. Plant communities and habitats are discussed, and a list of 54 lichens is also presented. A glossary of related terms is included.

Encounter Models for the Littoral Regions of the National Airspace System

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-09-15

Jeff Richardson, Steven Schimmelpfennig, Richard Whitlock, Lt. Han Saydam, Lt. Tanuxay Keooudom, James Evans, TSgt. Christopher Cosper, Lt. Luke Marron...24 17 Correlated geometric feature comparison. 25 A- l Aircraft vertical rate in uncorrelated encounters. 31 A-2 Uncorrelated continuous feature...in correlated encounters. 35 B- l Approach angle (/3) and bearing (x) definition. 39 C- l Horizontal plane encounter initialization. 42 C-2

A Lakatosian Encounter with Probability

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chick, Helen

2010-01-01

There is much to be learned and pondered by reading "Proofs and Refutations" by Imre Lakatos (Lakatos, 1976). It highlights the importance of mathematical definitions, and how definitions evolve to capture the essence of the object they are defining. It also provides an exhilarating encounter with the ups and downs of the mathematical reasoning…

University Students with Reading Difficulties: Do Perceived Supports and Comorbid Difficulties Predict Well-being and GPA?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stack-Cutler, Holly L.; Parrila, Rauno K.; Torppa, Minna

2016-01-01

We examined the impact of the number of comorbid difficulties, social support, and community support on life satisfaction and academic achievement among 120 university students or recent graduates with self-reported reading difficulties. Participants completed a questionnaire assessing perceived social support, perceived community support, the…

The Development of the easyCBM CCSS Reading Assessments: Grade 3. Technical Report #1221

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alonzo, Julie; Park, Bitnara Jasmine; Tindal, Gerald

2012-01-01

In this technical report, we document the development and piloting of easyCBM reading measures aligned to the Common Core State Standards, designed for use in screening students at risk for reading difficulty and monitoring their progress as they develop reading skills. The measures, which assess students' ability to respond to…

Technical writing versus technical writing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dillingham, J. W.

1981-01-01

Two terms, two job categories, 'technical writer' and 'technical author' are discussed in terms of industrial and business requirements and standards. A distinction between 'technical writing' and technical 'writing' is made. The term 'technical editor' is also considered. Problems inherent in the design of programs to prepare and train students for these jobs are discussed. A closer alliance between industry and academia is suggested as a means of preparing students with competent technical communication skills (especially writing and editing skills) and good technical skills.

[Home hemodialysis: the technical overview. A 2010 survey].

PubMed

Ponson, Laurent; Arkouche, Walid; Laville, Maurice

2012-04-01

Compared to the daily work in dialysis units, home haemodialysis represents a particular task for the technical services of healthcare facilities. This survey concerns this modality of treatment of end-stage chronic renal failure, and was led to three objectives: to make a snapshot of the practices done by the technical staff, to point out significant differences, and to identify common issues. This is also an opportunity to discuss about the future of this treatment. Numbers of registries show a continuous decline of home haemodialysis during past decades. This could be explained by many factors, but on the other hand several points tend to forecast a renewed interest for this method of treatment. A questionnaire was sent to every technical service of health organizations dispensing dialysis in France. Seventeen health facilities providing home haemodialysis have sent back their information, representing 238 patients, that to say almost the totality of the patients of the country. These data were analysed, relevant indicators were sorted out, so that initial objectives could be completed. The results are explained as follows: site activities, procedures before and during patient installation, equipment, preventive visits, and corrective maintenance. In lack of a precise regulation on the technical support of these patients, significant differences of operations were noted and are detailed, as well as several common difficulties. All these elements can be used as a basis for the development of a practical guide intended to technical services. This work is voluntarily centered on the technical aspects, but other levers exist to revitalize this method. Copyright © 2012 Association Société de néphrologie. Published by Elsevier SAS. All rights reserved.

Mathematics Difficulty with and without Reading Difficulty: Findings and Implications from a Four-Year Longitudinal Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vukovic, Rose K.

2012-01-01

An overarching question guided this study:What is mathematics difficulty (MD) independent of reading difficulty (RD)? The sample included 203 children whom the researchers followed from kindergarten to third grade. The researchers used latent growth modeling to investigate the relationship between MD and measures of working memory, short-term…

Implantation of Right Kidneys: Is the Risk of Technical Graft Loss Real?

PubMed

Khan, Taqi T; Ahmad, Nadeem; Siddique, Kashif; Fourtounas, Konstantinos

2018-05-01

The left kidney (LK) is preferred by transplant surgeons, because its vein is always of good length and has a thick wall that enables safe suturing. On the other hand, the right renal vein is generally shorter and thinner walled, and well known for its technical difficulty during venous anastomosis, and can result in graft loss. We examined our living (LD) and deceased donor (DD) recipient data and compared the incidence of technical graft loss and early graft function in right and left kidneys. A cohort of 58 adult and pediatric recipients received an LD or DD kidney between January 2015 and December 2016. The donor and recipient data were retrieved and retrospectively analyzed. Technical graft loss was defined as graft thrombosis within the 7 days after transplant. Right kidneys (RKs) were not a risk factor for technical graft loss, and no graft was lost for technical reasons in either LD or DD transplants. Early graft function in LK and RKs was also comparable in the LD cohort, and there were no LKs in the DD cohort. Based on our data, the use of RKs was not a risk factor for technical graft loss and early graft function was comparable to LKs.

Association of volume of patient encounters with residents' in-training examination performance.

PubMed

McCoy, Christopher P; Stenerson, Matthew B; Halvorsen, Andrew J; Homme, Jason H; McDonald, Furman S

2013-08-01

Patient care and medical knowledge are Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) core competencies. The correlation between amount of patient contact and knowledge acquisition is not known. To determine if a correlation exists between the number of patient encounters and in-training exam (ITE) scores in internal medicine (IM) and pediatric residents at a large academic medical center. Retrospective cohort study Resident physicians at Mayo Clinic from July 2006 to June 2010 in IM (318 resident-years) and pediatrics (66 resident-years). We tabulated patient encounters through review of clinical notes in an electronic medical record during post graduate year (PGY)-1 and PGY-2. Using linear regression models, we investigated associations between ITE score and number of notes during the previous PGY, adjusted for previous ITE score, gender, medical school origin, and conference attendance. For IM, PGY-2 admission and consult encounters in the hospital and specialty clinics had a positive linear association with ITE-3 % score (β = 0.02; p = 0.004). For IM, PGY-1 conference attendance is positively associated with PGY-2 ITE performance. We did not detect a correlation between PGY-1 patient encounters and subsequent ITE scores for IM or pediatric residents. No association was found between IM PGY-2 ITE score and inpatient, outpatient, or total encounters in the first year of training. Resident continuity clinic and total encounters were not associated with change in PGY-3 ITE score. We identified a positive association between hospital and subspecialty encounters during the second year of IM training and subsequent ITE score, such that each additional 50 encounters were associated with an increase of 1 % correct in PGY-3 ITE score after controlling for previous ITE performance and continuity clinic encounters. We did not find a correlation for volume of encounters and medical knowledge for IM PGY-1 residents or the pediatric cohort.

Voyager 2 to make closest encounter with Saturn in August

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1981-01-01

The planned Voyager 2 Saturn mission is described. Information about Saturn obtained from the Voyager 1 encounter is summarized. Data on the satellites and rings of Saturn are tabulated. The video programming schedule for the Voyager 2 Saturn encounter is given. The Voyager science team is listed.

Very massive runaway stars from three-body encounters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gvaramadze, Vasilii V.; Gualandris, Alessia

2011-01-01

Very massive stars preferentially reside in the cores of their parent clusters and form binary or multiple systems. We study the role of tight very massive binaries in the origin of the field population of very massive stars. We performed numerical simulations of dynamical encounters between single (massive) stars and a very massive binary with parameters similar to those of the most massive known Galactic binaries, WR 20a and NGC 3603-A1. We found that these three-body encounters could be responsible for the origin of high peculiar velocities (≥70 km s-1) observed for some very massive (≥60-70 M⊙) runaway stars in the Milky Way and the Large Magellanic Cloud (e.g. λ Cep, BD+43°3654, Sk -67°22, BI 237, 30 Dor 016), which can hardly be explained within the framework of the binary-supernova scenario. The production of high-velocity massive stars via three-body encounters is accompanied by the recoil of the binary in the opposite direction to the ejected star. We show that the relative position of the very massive binary R145 and the runaway early B-type star Sk-69°206 on the sky is consistent with the possibility that both objects were ejected from the central cluster, R136, of the star-forming region 30 Doradus via the same dynamical event - a three-body encounter.

Therapists' Perceptions of Their Encounter With Sex Offenders.

PubMed

Elias, Haneen; Haj-Yahia, Muhammad M

2017-08-01

Despite the increasing interest in therapists' responses to their encounter with sex offenders, there is a lack of research on their subjective perceptions of this encounter and on their experience working with this client population. The study presented in this article is part of a larger qualitative research project conducted among 19 social workers (12 were women and 7 were men; their ages ranged from 30 to 66 years; 15 of them were Jewish and 4 were Arab). In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted to examine their attitudes toward and perceptions of their encounter with sex offenders. The questions related to the therapists' perceptions regarding motives for committing sex offenses, therapists' perceptions of sex offenders, therapists' perceptions of the victims of sex offenders, and therapists' perceptions of the nature of their professional role. In this article, emphasis is placed on the development and changes of the therapists' perceptions following that encounter. The following five major domains of perceptions were revealed in the study: Therapists' perceptions of the offenders' personal motives for committing sex offenses, therapists' perceptions of sex offenders, therapists' perceptions of the experience of victimization, the process of changing perceptions, and the nature of the therapists' role. The results are discussed in light of Ajzen's conceptualization of the process of acquiring beliefs. The limitations of the study as well as its implications for future research and for shaping the perceptions of therapists toward sex offenders are discussed.

[Multilocus genotyping of polymorphous STR-loci of chromosomal DNA in individual cells: technical difficulties].

PubMed

Ivanov, P L; Leonov, S N; Zemskova, E Iu; Kobylianskiĭ, A G; Dziubenko, E V

2013-01-01

This study was designed to estimate the effectiveness of special technical procedures for the enhancement of sensitivity of multiplex analysis of DNA, such as the use of low-plexity PCR systems and the whole genome preamplification technology, and the possibility of their application for the purpose of forensic medical genotyping of polymorphous STR-loci of chromosomal DNA in individual cells. The authors refused to use the imitation model (equivalent DNA dilutions) for the sake of obtaining the maximally informative data and chose to work with real preparations of solitary buccal epithelial cells isolated by the laser microdissection technique. It was shown that neither the use of the low-plexity multilocus PCR systems nor the whole genome pre-amplification technology makes possible reliable genotyping of STR-loci of chromosomal DNA in individual cells. The proposed techniques allow for DNA genotyping in preparations consisting of 10 diploid cells whereas the methods for reliable genotyping of STR-loci of chromosomal DNA in individual cells remains to be developed.

Performance of three-way data types during Voyager's encounter with Neptune

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Roth, D. C.; Taylor, T. H.; Jacobson, R. A.; Lewis, G. D.

1990-01-01

Voyager's flyby of Neptune in August of 1989 was the most distant planetary encounter ever achieved. Round trip light travel time was more than eight hours, exceeding view periods at two of the three tracking station sites. Consequently, the majority of radiometric tracking was accomplished by transmitting the uplink from one station, and receiving the downlink at a different station. This procedure defines three-way data. Dependence on three-way data for orbit determination is one distinguishing element of Voyager's successful encounter with Neptune. This paper addresses the performance of three-way range and Doppler data supporting pre-encounter orbit determination and post-encounter orbit reconstruction. Also, calibrations which reduce systematic errors inherent to three-way data are described and analyzed.

Connection between encounter volume and diffusivity in geophysical flows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rypina, Irina I.; Smith, Stefan G. Llewellyn; Pratt, Larry J.

2018-04-01

Trajectory encounter volume - the volume of fluid that passes close to a reference fluid parcel over some time interval - has been recently introduced as a measure of mixing potential of a flow. Diffusivity is the most commonly used characteristic of turbulent diffusion. We derive the analytical relationship between the encounter volume and diffusivity under the assumption of an isotropic random walk, i.e., diffusive motion, in one and two dimensions. We apply the derived formulas to produce maps of encounter volume and the corresponding diffusivity in the Gulf Stream region of the North Atlantic based on satellite altimetry, and discuss the mixing properties of Gulf Stream rings. Advantages offered by the derived formula for estimating diffusivity from oceanographic data are discussed, as well as applications to other disciplines.

Educational Potentials of Encounters with Nature: Reflections from a Swedish Outdoor Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sandell, Klas; Ohman, Johan

2010-01-01

Direct encounters with the natural environment have a long tradition in environmental education. Given that the role and character of these encounters are shaped by the approach taken to environmental or sustainability education, there is a risk that a shift towards pluralistic and political approaches will lead to a neglect of nature encounters.…

Proposal for extension of ORSA to include phasing in to prove successive encounters of an asteroid between Earth and Mars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jolitz, Benjamin

Ben Jolitz 2/6/10 Proposal for extension of ORSA to include phasing in to prove successive encounters of an asteroid between Earth and Mars Phasing is the act of changing the phase angle between two sinusoidal functions. In the case of orbits, which are ellipses drawn by sinusoidal functions, phasing is the act of matching one orbit to another. Finding the phasing parameters of a captured asteroid, a non-Keplarian object, in a resonant bi-elliptic orbit and simulation thereof is rather difficult without specialized and esoteric applications. However, open source in the last ten years has made incredible advance-ments, and some projects originally designed for orbital reconstruction have been released to the public on an AS IS basis; one such project is ORSA -Orbital Reconstruction, Simulation, Analysis. ORSA, however, does not have methods for evaluating the relative changes to a phase angle of a bi-elliptic orbit in a recursive manner for successive encounters. For years, space shuttles and other celestial transport vessels have been faced with the difficulty of docking with the International Space Station, a task which involves matching the craft to the unique elliptical orbit of the ISS such that the shuttle will meet the ISS with the appropriate orbital parameters. However, calculation of such requires consideration of only the Earth and it's effect on rather small, man-made objects. In electrical engineering, the concept of a phase lock loop is used to match the frequency and phase of a controlled oscillator with a given set of input signals. In our test case, we wish compute the successive bi-elliptic half orbits of a captured asteroid that traverses between Earth and Mars using gravitational interactions with the intent of computing the relative phase angle between the desired half orbit and current orbit such that a timed encounter with Earth or Mars is possible. The goal of this proposal is to extend ORSA to maintain relative phase angle between bi

Improving Collaborative Learning by Supporting Casual Encounters in Distance Learning.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Contreras, Juan; Llamas, Rafael; Vizcaino, Aurora; Vavela, Jesus

Casual encounters in a learning environment are very useful in reinforcing previous knowledge and acquiring new knowledge. Such encounters are very common in traditional learning environments and can be used successfully in social environments in which students can discover and construct knowledge through a process of dialogue, negotiation, or…

Technical considerations in continuous jugular venous oxygen saturation measurement.

PubMed

Dearden, N M; Midgley, S

1993-01-01

Fibreoptic reflection oximetry allows continuous in-vivo estimation of jugular venous oxygen saturation. In combination with pulse oximetry the oxygen extraction ratio SaO2-SjO2/SaO2 can be derived enabling identification of states of global luxury perfusion, normal coupling of global cerebral blood flow with global cerebral metabolism, global cerebral hypoperfusion and global cerebral ischemia. Several technical difficulties may arise affecting the accuracy of SjO2 recordings which must be recognised by the clinician before medical intervention is contemplated.

Difficulty recalling people's names.

PubMed

Fisher, C M

1997-02-01

Difficulty recalling people's names is common in the adult population, especially in the elderly. The subject is scarcely mentioned in the literature. An 82-year-old patient gave the history that for 33 years he had made prospective observations on his own difficulty with people's names. Documentation and analysis of the patient's personal observations in which his ability to recall the names of friends, acquaintances, colleagues, public figures, movie stars and athletes is compared with that of his spouse. A suitable test-battery for the names of famous North American persons was not available. The patient's capability in recalling people's names was clearly inferior to that of his spouse. The patient's intellect was otherwise intact and the impairment seemed to be isolated to the category of proper-naming. Doubts were raised about the patient's own conclusion that the deficit was progressive. A parallel may be drawn between benign difficulty recalling people's names and the acquired categorical deficit for proper naming reported in the literature in recent years. Based on Damasio's concept of anatomically compartmentalized sensory subsystems, it is hypothesized that our patient's symptom represents an innate limited capacity for proper naming.

Solar technical assistance provided to Forest City military communities in Hawaii for incorporation of 20-30 MW of solar energy generation to power family housing for US Navy personnel.

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

Dominick, Jeff; Merrigan, Tim; Boudra, Will

2010-06-01

In May 2007, Forest City Military Communities won a US Department of Energy Solar America Showcase Award. As part of this award, executives and staff from Forest City Military Communities worked side-by-side with a DOE technical assistance team to overcome technical obstacles encountered by this large-scale real estate developer and manager. This paper describes the solar technical assistance that was provided and the key solar experiences acquired by Forest City Military Communities over an 18 month period.

Viral video: Live imaging of virus-host encounters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Son, Kwangmin; Guasto, Jeffrey S.; Cubillos-Ruiz, Andres; Chisholm, Sallie W.; Sullivan, Matthew B.; Stocker, Roman

2014-11-01

Viruses are non-motile infectious agents that rely on Brownian motion to encounter and subsequently adsorb to their hosts. Paradoxically, the viral adsorption rate is often reported to be larger than the theoretical limit imposed by the virus-host encounter rate, highlighting a major gap in the experimental quantification of virus-host interactions. Here we present the first direct quantification of the viral adsorption rate, obtained using live imaging of individual host cells and viruses for thousands of encounter events. The host-virus pair consisted of Prochlorococcus MED4, a 800 nm small non-motile bacterium that dominates photosynthesis in the oceans, and its virus PHM-2, a myovirus that has a 80 nm icosahedral capsid and a 200 nm long rigid tail. We simultaneously imaged hosts and viruses moving by Brownian motion using two-channel epifluorescent microscopy in a microfluidic device. This detailed quantification of viral transport yielded a 20-fold smaller adsorption efficiency than previously reported, indicating the need for a major revision in infection models for marine and likely other ecosystems.

Genetics - Are There Inherent Learning Difficulties?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Longden, Bernard

1982-01-01

Sources of misconceptions and learning difficulties were identified by interviewing academically sound A-level students (N=10) who were having difficulties with genetics. Indicates misconceptions were related to nature of concepts used in genetics, such as frequent representation of meiosis by fixed inanimate stage diagrams and to instructional…

Mental Verbs and Pragmatic Language Difficulties

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Spanoudis, George; Natsopoulos, Demetrios; Panayiotou, Georgia

2007-01-01

Background: Pragmatic language impairment has recently been the subject of a number of studies that attempted to illuminate classification and diagnostic issues, and identify the profile of children with pragmatic language difficulties. Although much progress has been made, the nature of pragmatic difficulties remains unclear. Aims: To contrast…

Textual Encounters in the DALN/"Composition Forum" on the DALN

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Soliday, Mary

2017-01-01

In this article, Mary Soliday discusses her observation that within the Digital Archive of Literacy Narratives (DALN), the narrators frequently attribute their desire to read and write in the present with specific textual encounters they had had in the past. In these encounters, the text (often a literary text) helped narrators to mediate…

Do Values Change in an Encounter Group? An Empirical Investigation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Annis, Lawrence V.

Encounter groups represent an attempt to apply group methods for the enhancement of personal awareness and the acceleration of personal growth among "normal" people. The extent to which an individual's moral values are modified by disclosure and discussion of these values in an encounter group setting was investigated with a group of nine…

An autoethnographic exploration of the use of goal oriented feedback to enhance brief clinical teaching encounters.

PubMed

Farrell, Laura; Bourgeois-Law, Gisele; Ajjawi, Rola; Regehr, Glenn

2017-03-01

Supervision in the outpatient context is increasingly in the form of single day interactions between students and preceptors. This creates difficulties for effective feedback, which often depends on a strong relationship of trust between preceptor and student. Building on feedback theories focusing on the relational and dialogic aspects of feedback, this study explored the use of goal-oriented feedback in brief encounters with learners. This study used autoethnography to explore one preceptor's feedback interactions over an eight-month period both in the ambulatory setting and on the wards. Data included written narrative reflections on feedback interactions with twenty-three learners informed by discussions with colleagues and repeated reading of feedback literature. Thematic and narrative analyses of data were performed iteratively. Data analysis emphasized four recurrent themes. (1) Goal discussions were most effective when initiated early and integrated throughout the learning experience. (2) Both learner and preceptor goals were multiple and varied, and feedback needed to reflect this complexity. (3) Negotiation or co-construction of goals was important when considering the focus of feedback discussions in order to create safer, more effective interactions. (4) Goal oriented interactions offer potential benefits to the learner and preceptor. Goal oriented feedback promotes dialogue as it requires both preceptor and learner to acknowledge and negotiate learning goals throughout their interaction. In doing so, feedback becomes an explicit component of the preceptor-learner relationship. This enhances feedback interactions even in relatively brief encounters, and may begin an early educational alliance that can be elaborated with longer interactions.

Social competence and learning difficulties: Teacher perceptions.

PubMed

Wight, Megan; Chapparo, Christine

2008-12-01

Social competence has been linked to children's classroom performance with three out of four children with learning difficulties reported to have problems with social skills. Social participation remains a predominant childhood occupation and a key indicator of school performance. Occupational therapists work with teachers to accurately assess the social performance of children in context and to provide targeted intervention. There is limited research about what teachers perceive are the specific nature of social difficulties experienced by children with learning difficulties in the classroom. This study investigated teacher perceptions of the social competence of a small sample of Australian boys with learning difficulties within the classroom context. The Teacher Skillstreaming Checklist was used to investigate teacher perceptions of the social abilities of 21 primary school aged boys with learning difficulties compared to a control group. A correlational analysis was used to examine the relationship. The study identified that the boys with learning difficulties were perceived by their teachers as having poorer social performance across multiple domains when compared to their typically developing peers. Implications of these findings are that children's social performance may negatively impact learning and classroom participation and that for some children, social competence should be a focus of occupational therapy assessment and treatment.

Demanding Patient or Demanding Encounter?: A Case Study of a Cancer Clinic

PubMed Central

Stacey, Clare Louise; Henderson, Stuart; MacArthur, Kelly R; Dohan, Daniel

2009-01-01

This paper explores the sociological relevance of demanding encounters between doctors and patients. Borrowing from Potter and McKinlay's (2005) reconceptualization of the doctor-patient relationship, we suggest an analytic shift away from `demanding patients' toward `demanding encounters'. Such a shift places provider-patient conflict within a broader sociocultural context, emphasizing constraints facing both doctor and patient as they interact in a clinical setting. Specifically, through an ethnographic study of doctor-patient interactions at the oncology clinic of a US University Hospital, we examine the respective influences of new information technologies and patient consumerism in the production of demanding encounters in oncology. Findings suggest that these interconnected socio-cultural realities, in tandem with patient tendencies to challenge physician judgment or expertise, play a role in demanding encounters. We conclude by considering the implications of demanding encounters for doctors, patients and healthcare organizations. PMID:19619924

Technical flaws in multiple-choice questions in the access exam to medical specialties ("examen MIR") in Spain (2009-2013).

PubMed

Rodríguez-Díez, María Cristina; Alegre, Manuel; Díez, Nieves; Arbea, Leire; Ferrer, Marta

2016-02-03

The main factor that determines the selection of a medical specialty in Spain after obtaining a medical degree is the MIR ("médico interno residente", internal medical resident) exam. This exam consists of 235 multiple-choice questions with five options, some of which include images provided in a separate booklet. The aim of this study was to analyze the technical quality of the multiple-choice questions included in the MIR exam over the last five years. All the questions included in the exams from 2009 to 2013 were analyzed. We studied the proportion of questions including clinical vignettes, the number of items related to an image and the presence of technical flaws in the questions. For the analysis of technical flaws, we adapted the National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME) guidelines. We looked for 18 different issues included in the manual, grouped into two categories: issues related to testwiseness and issues related to irrelevant difficulties. The final number of questions analyzed was 1,143. The percentage of items based on clinical vignettes increased from 50% in 2009 to 56-58% in the following years (2010-2013). The percentage of items based on an image increased progressively from 10% in 2009 to 15% in 2012 and 2013. The percentage of items with at least one technical flaw varied between 68 and 72%. We observed a decrease in the percentage of items with flaws related to testwiseness, from 30% in 2009 to 20% in 2012 and 2013. While most of these issues decreased dramatically or even disappeared (such as the imbalance in the correct option numbers), the presence of non-plausible options remained frequent. With regard to technical flaws related to irrelevant difficulties, no improvement was observed; this is especially true with respect to negative stem questions and "hinged" questions. The formal quality of the MIR exam items has improved over the last five years with regard to testwiseness. A more detailed revision of the items submitted, checking

A Systematic Review of Longitudinal Studies of Mathematics Difficulty.

PubMed

Nelson, Gena; Powell, Sarah R

2017-06-01

Some students may be diagnosed with a learning disability in mathematics or dyscalculia, whereas other students may demonstrate below-grade-level mathematics performance without a disability diagnosis. In the literature, researchers often identify students in both groups as experiencing math difficulty. To understand the performance of students with math difficulty, we examined 35 studies that reported longitudinal results of mathematics achievement (i.e., mathematics performance measured across at least a 12-month span). Our primary goal was to conduct a systematic review of these studies and to understand whether the growth of students with math difficulty was comparable or stagnant when compared with that of students without math difficulty. We also analyzed whether identification of math difficulty was predictive of mathematics achievement in later grades and whether a diagnosis of math difficulty was stable across grade levels. Results indicate that students with math difficulty demonstrate growth on mathematics measures, but this growth still leads to lower performance than that of students without math difficulty. Identification of math difficulty is strongly related to math performance in subsequent grades, and this diagnosis is often stable. Collectively, this literature indicates that students with math difficulty continue to struggle with mathematics in later grades.

Envisioning invertebrates and other aquatic encounters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hayward, Eva

2007-12-01

To "envision" animals is to visualize, to experience, to figure, to image, kinds of species, discourses, representations, institutions, histories, epistemologies; and, to "imagine possible" a set of material and ethical relationships between species. This dissertation explores the "envisioning of animals" that takes place through/across/between the interfaces of seawater/visuality/experience/biology/technology/phyla---as illustrated in the documentary works of Jean Painleve (scientist and filmmaker), Genevieve Hamon (filmmaker and set-designer), Leni Riefenstahl (filmmaker and photographer), and David Powell (scientist and aquarist). In each case, aesthetic conceptions of beauty and/or ambiguity coupled with biological epistemology and phenomenology of the organisms themselves compete over "what gets to count as culture and nature," and in doing so, construct a host of hybridized and enmeshed "encounters." In the process the following questions are raised: What is the role of the ocean---it's ecosystems and semiotics---in the production of "envisioning"? How are animals used---and in turn shape and reshape the users---to construct tropes of encounter? What theories can be used to understand the phenomenological, semiotic, material, and rhetorical use/miss-use of animals in the articulation of history, economy, biology, narrativity, and representation? How does this motley crew of documentarians answer differently "the animal question," and challenge and/or reinforce anthropocentrism? Divided into two parts, the dissertation first develops a set of methodological questions derived from critical appraisal of "envisioning," encountering, and embodying through science studies, as well as an account of the use and misuse of animals as only "stand ins" for human intentionality; secondly, the dissertation analyses the work of the documentarians in question. Jean Painleve and Genevieve Hamon are shown to critique traditions of representation in nature/science films

Preliminary science results of Voyager 1 Saturn encounter

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bane, D.

1981-01-01

Preliminary science results of the Voyager 1 encounter of the planet Saturn are reported. On August 22, 1980, the spacecraft was 109 million km (68 million mi) from Saturn. Closest approach to Saturn took place on November 12, at 3:46 p.m. (PDT), when the spacecraft passed 126,000 km (78,000 mi) from the cloud tops. Measurements of the atmosphere, wind speed, radiation, six surrounding rings, and the planet's old and newly found satellites were recorded. The encounter ended December 15, 1980. The spacecraft took more than 17,500 photographs of Saturn and its satellites.

Small launchers (current and future projects in the world)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Naumann, W. G.

1993-01-01

Small satellites need launching services using small launchers capable of injecting 100 to 1000 kg into a polar orbit at an altitude of 1000 km. Operational small launchers are reviewed as well as developing and planned ones. Launcher characteristics, constraints, performance, and status are detailed. Few technical problems are encountered, as most launcher projects call for existing components and well known technologies. Most of the difficulties have come from launch site availability and from financial considerations.

Drug-related police encounters across the globe: How do they compare?

PubMed

Hughes, Caitlin E; Barratt, Monica J; Ferris, Jason A; Maier, Larissa J; Winstock, Adam R

2018-06-01

Drug law enforcement subsumes the majority of drug policy expenditure across the globe. Fuelled by knowledge that much of this investment is ineffective or counter-productive there have been increasing calls for cross-national comparisons to identify where policing approaches differ and what types of approaches may be more effective. Yet, to date cross-national comparison of drug law enforcement has proven a methodologically hazardous affair. Using a new drug policing module added to the 2017 Global Drug Survey, this study seeks to provide the first cross-national comparison of the incidence, nature and intensity of illicit drug-related police encounters amongst people who use drugs. The Global Drug Survey was administered in late 2016. Across 26 countries including Australia, Germany, Italy, Mexico, Switzerland, the UK and the USA a total of 45,942 people who had recently used drugs completed the drug policing module. Key variables assessed included the incidence and frequency of drug-related police encounters in the last 12 months that involved: a) being stopped and searched; b) encountering a drug detection dog; c) being given a caution or warning; d) being charged and arrested; and e) paying a bribe. Multi-level models were used to control for pre-existing national differences in drug use prevalence and non-drug specific policing (including the total number of police personnel in each country). Drug-related police encounters were most commonly reported in Italy and Scotland. Conversely, police encounters were most likely to lead to arrest in Norway, Finland and Sweden. The type and locations of encounters further differed across countries, with for example stop and search most reported in Greece and Colombia, and encounters with drug detection dogs most reported in Scotland, Italy, UK and Australia. Multi-level models showed that the incidence of reported policing encounters continued to differ significantly across countries after controlling for pre

SU-E-CAMPUS-J-04: Image Guided Radiation Therapy (IGRT): Review of Technical Standards and Credentialing in Radiotherapy Clinical Trials

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

Giaddui, T; Chen, W; Yu, J

2014-06-15

Purpose: To review IGRT credentialing experience and unexpected technical issues encountered in connection with advanced radiotherapy technologies as implemented in RTOG clinical trials. To update IGRT credentialing procedures with the aim of improving the quality of the process, and to increase the proportion of IGRT credentialing compliance. To develop a living disease site-specific IGRT encyclopedia. Methods: Numerous technical issues were encountered during the IGRT credentialing process. The criteria used for credentialing review were based on: image quality; anatomy included in fused data sets and shift results. Credentialing requirements have been updated according to the AAPM task group reports for IGRTmore » to ensure that all required technical items are included in the quality review process. Implementation instructions have been updated and expanded for recent protocols. Results: Technical issues observed during the credentialing review process include, but are not limited to: poor quality images; inadequate image acquisition region; poor data quality; shifts larger than acceptable; no soft tissue surrogate. The updated IGRT credentialing process will address these issues and will also include the technical items required from AAPM: TG 104; TG 142 and TG 179 reports. An instruction manual has been developed describing a remote credentialing method for reviewers. Submission requirements are updated, including images/documents as well as facility questionnaire. The review report now includes summary of the review process and the parameters that reviewers check. We have reached consensus on the minimum IGRT technical requirement for a number of disease sites. RTOG 1311(NRG-BR002A Phase 1 Study of Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy (SBRT) for the Treatment of Multiple Metastases) is an example, here; the protocol specified the minimum requirement for each anatomical sites (with/without fiducials). Conclusion: Technical issues are identified and reported. IGRT

How E-Gov in Greece Affects Life-Long Learning for Public Servants, Working on Technical Field

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goulas, Dimitrios; Valkanos, Efthymios; Droulia, Kassiani

2016-01-01

Engineers that work as civil servants cover a wide range of competences, administrative and scientific, which implies that they deal with many difficulties in the exercise of their duties as executives. Electronic government (e-gov), through the use of new Technologies of Information and Communications (ICT) at public technical services, has…

Correlated Encounter Model for Cooperative Aircraft in the National Airspace System; Version 2.0

DTIC Science & Technology

2018-05-08

Lincoln Laboratory MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY LEXINGTON, MASSACHUSETTS Project Report ATC-440 Correlated Encounter Model for...specifically authorized by the U.S. Government may violate any copyrights that exist in this work. Correlated Encounter Model for Cooperative Aircraft...2008 Correlated Encounter Model for Cooperative Aircraft (CEM) subsequently referred to as the Extended Correlated Encounter Model (ECEM). This model

Measuring and Predicting Graded Reader Difficulty

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Holster, Trevor A.; Lake, J. W.; Pellowe, William R.

2017-01-01

This study used many-faceted Rasch measurement to investigate the difficulty of graded readers using a 3-item survey. Book difficulty was compared with Kyoto Level, Yomiyasusa Level, Lexile Level, book length, mean sentence length, and mean word frequency. Word frequency and Kyoto Level were found to be ineffective in predicting students'…

Encountering Pedagogy through Relational Art Practices

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Irwin, Rita L.; O'Donoghue, Donal

2012-01-01

Two artists involved in "socially engaged art" practice were invited to work with art education teacher candidates and instructors in an effort to rethink notions of teaching, learning and art. We initiated this residency, which we called "The Summerhill Residency", to examine how learning encounters might create environments…

Dependability of technical items: Problems of standardization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fedotova, G. A.; Voropai, N. I.; Kovalev, G. F.

2016-12-01

This paper is concerned with problems blown up in the development of a new version of the Interstate Standard GOST 27.002 "Industrial product dependability. Terms and definitions". This Standard covers a wide range of technical items and is used in numerous regulations, specifications, standard and technical documentation. A currently available State Standard GOST 27.002-89 was introduced in 1990. Its development involved a participation of scientists and experts from different technical areas, its draft was debated in different audiences and constantly refined, so it was a high quality document. However, after 25 years of its application it's become necessary to develop a new version of the Standard that would reflect the current understanding of industrial dependability, accounting for the changes taking place in Russia in the production, management and development of various technical systems and facilities. The development of a new version of the Standard makes it possible to generalize on a terminological level the knowledge and experience in the area of reliability of technical items, accumulated over a quarter of the century in different industries and reliability research schools, to account for domestic and foreign experience of standardization. Working on the new version of the Standard, we have faced a number of issues and problems on harmonization with the International Standard IEC 60500-192, caused first of all by different approaches to the use of terms and differences in the mentalities of experts from different countries. The paper focuses on the problems related to the chapter "Maintenance, restoration and repair", which caused difficulties for the developers to harmonize term definitions both with experts and the International Standard, which is mainly related to differences between the Russian concept and practice of maintenance and repair and foreign ones.

Encounter Group Effects of Soccer Team Performance.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Magen, Zipora

1980-01-01

Suggests that a positive relationship exists between encounter group experience and the soccer team performance--a conclusion worthy of consideration in further research in the fields of psychology and sociology of sports. (Author)

Radio science ground data system for the Voyager-Neptune encounter, part 1

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kursinski, E. R.; Asmar, S. W.

1991-01-01

The Voyager radio science experiments at Neptune required the creation of a ground data system array that includes a Deep Space Network complex, the Parkes Radio Observatory, and the Usuda deep space tracking station. The performance requirements were based on experience with the previous Voyager encounters, as well as the scientific goals at Neptune. The requirements were stricter than those of the Uranus encounter because of the need to avoid the phase-stability problems experienced during that encounter and because the spacecraft flyby was faster and closer to the planet than previous encounters. The primary requirement on the instrument was to recover the phase and amplitude of the S- and X-band (2.3 and 8.4 GHz) signals under the dynamic conditions encountered during the occultations. The primary receiver type for the measurements was open loop with high phase-noise and frequency stability performance. The receiver filter bandwidth was predetermined based on the spacecraft's trajectory and frequency uncertainties.

Modelling Question Difficulty in an A Level Physics Examination

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Crisp, Victoria; Grayson, Rebecca

2013-01-01

"Item difficulty modelling" is a technique used for a number of purposes such as to support future item development, to explore validity in relation to the constructs that influence difficulty and to predict the difficulty of items. This research attempted to explore the factors influencing question difficulty in a general qualification…

Students’ difficulties in solving linear equation problems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wati, S.; Fitriana, L.; Mardiyana

2018-03-01

A linear equation is an algebra material that exists in junior high school to university. It is a very important material for students in order to learn more advanced mathematics topics. Therefore, linear equation material is essential to be mastered. However, the result of 2016 national examination in Indonesia showed that students’ achievement in solving linear equation problem was low. This fact became a background to investigate students’ difficulties in solving linear equation problems. This study used qualitative descriptive method. An individual written test on linear equation tasks was administered, followed by interviews. Twenty-one sample students of grade VIII of SMPIT Insan Kamil Karanganyar did the written test, and 6 of them were interviewed afterward. The result showed that students with high mathematics achievement donot have difficulties, students with medium mathematics achievement have factual difficulties, and students with low mathematics achievement have factual, conceptual, operational, and principle difficulties. Based on the result there is a need of meaningfulness teaching strategy to help students to overcome difficulties in solving linear equation problems.

What Do Romanian Teachers Know about Learning Difficulties

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pop, Cristina Florina; Ciascai, Liliana

2013-01-01

There is a growing concern for students with learning difficulties and teachers are responsible for identifying and helping these students. The present study aims to explore the teachers' knowledge of manifestations, causes and types of learning difficulties, necessary to diagnose, prevent or remedy learning difficulties. The participants involved…

Predicting the Earth encounters of (99942) Apophis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Giorgini, Jon D.; Benner, Lance A. M.; Ostro, Steven J.; Nolan, Michael C.; Busch, Michael W.

2007-01-01

Arecibo delay-Doppler measurements of (99942) Apophis in 2005 and 2006 resulted in a five standard-deviation trajectory correction to the optically predicted close approach distance to Earth in 2029. The radar measurements reduced the volume of the statistical uncertainty region entering the encounter to 7.3% of the pre-radar solution, but increased the trajectory uncertainty growth rate across the encounter by 800% due to the closer predicted approach to the Earth. A small estimated Earth impact probability remained for 2036. With standard-deviation plane-of-sky position uncertainties for 2007-2010 already less than 0.2 arcsec, the best near-term ground-based optical astrometry can only weakly affect the trajectory estimate. While the potential for impact in 2036 will likely be excluded in 2013 (if not 2011) using ground-based optical measurements, approximations within the Standard Dynamical Model (SDM) used to estimate and predict the trajectory from the current era are sufficient to obscure the difference between a predicted impact and a miss in 2036 by altering the dynamics leading into the 2029 encounter. Normal impact probability assessments based on the SDM become problematic without knowledge of the object's physical properties; impact could be excluded while the actual dynamics still permit it. Calibrated position uncertainty intervals are developed to compensate for this by characterizing the minimum and maximum effect of physical parameters on the trajectory. Uncertainty in accelerations related to solar radiation can cause between 82 and 4720 Earth-radii of trajectory change relative to the SDM by 2036. If an actionable hazard exists, alteration by 2-10% of Apophis' total absorption of solar radiation in 2018 could be sufficient to produce a six standard-deviation trajectory change by 2036 given physical characterization; even a 0.5% change could produce a trajectory shift of one Earth-radius by 2036 for all possible spin-poles and likely masses

Screening for Anger and Sleep Difficulties.

PubMed

Steele, Nicole M; Fogarty, Gerard J

2017-03-01

Mental health screens are designed to detect individuals at risk of psychological disorders. In the military setting of this study, these disorders were post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and alcohol use. This study extends the literature on deployment-related mental health screening by including measures of sleep difficulties and anger as predictors of postdeployment PTSD and alcohol abuse. Evidence that measures of anger and sleep difficulties contribute incremental validity to the prediction of postdeployment mental health problems, including substance abuse, would be helpful in designing interventions to assist the rehabilitation of returning personnel. A test battery containing the PTSD Checklist-Civilian (PCL-C) to screen for PTSD, the Kessler 10 to screen for psychological distress, a Sleep Difficulties scale, an exposure to trauma scale, and an anger scale was administered to 212 personnel nearing completion of a deployment to the Middle East. A second battery containing the PCL-C, the Kessler 10, and a measure of alcohol consumption (Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test [AUDIT]) was administered to the same personnel 3 to 6 months after return to Australia. Hierarchical regression analyses assessed the predictive validity of measures of psychological distress (anxiety and depression), PTSD symptomatology, sleep disturbance, and anger in relation to postdeployment measures of PTSD symptomatology and alcohol use. Time 1 measures predicted 24.4% of the variance in postdeployment PCL-C scores and 13.1% of the variance in AUDIT scores, with the Sleep Difficulties scale contributing to the prediction of the PCL-C score and the anger scale helping to predict AUDIT scores. On the basis of these findings, we recommend the inclusion of improved measures of both anger and sleep difficulties in end-of-deployment mental health screens. A less behaviorally specific and more wide-ranging anger scale is recommended for future studies that aim to evaluate the role

Adolescents' strengths and difficulties: approach to attachment styles.

PubMed

Keskin, G; Cam, O

2010-06-01

This research is a descriptive field study conducted in order to investigate the relationship between adolescent difficulties and the attachment style. The study aims to investigate the relationship between adolescent attachment style and strength and difficulties in Turkey. Children attachment style and difficulties pattern in the group of adolescents aged 11-16 years old were compared with each other. Several different questionnaires, including The Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire, The Relationship Scale Questionnaire were applied to 384 (mean age 12.10 +/- 1.4 years) adolescents. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation coefficients, anova, t-test, Kruskall Wallis and effect sizes. The adolescent secure attachment style was associated with increased levels of prosocial behaviour, decreased levels of emotional symptoms, hyperactivity/inattention, peer relationship problems, conduct problems, total difficulties scores. The adolescent fearful attachment style was associated with increased levels of emotional symptoms, and total difficulties scores. The adolescent dismissing attachment style was significantly associated with higher levels of emotional symptoms, hyperactivity/inattention, total difficulties scores and lower levels of prosocial behaviour. Adolescent strengths and difficulties are associated with their attachment style. Insecure attachment styles of dismissing and fearful were associated with increased mental symptom reporting. It is suggested that further studies may illuminate the clinical value of the attachment disorder and quantify parental contribution to psychopathology. Giving the therapeutic, structured mental support programme to adolescents that have attachment problems could be beneficial in improving mental status of these individuals.

Low encounter speed comet COMA sample return missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tsou, P.; Yen, C. W.; Albee, A. L.

1994-01-01

Comets, being considered the most primitive bodies in the solar system, command the highest priority among solar-system objects for studying solar nebula evolution and the evolution of life through biogenic elements and compounds. The study of comets, and more especially, of material from them, provides an understanding of the physical, chemical, and mineralogical processes operative in the formation and earliest development of the solar systems. These return samples will provide valuable information on comets and serve as a rosetta stone for the analytical studies conducted on interplanetary dust particles over the past two decades, and will provide much needed extraterrestrial samples for the planetary materials community since the Apollo program. Lander sample return missions require rather complex spacecraft, intricate operations, and costly propulsion systems. By contrast, it is possible to take a highly simplified approach for sample capture and return in the case of a comet. In the past, we have considered Earth free-return trajectory to the comet, in which passive collectors intercept dust and volatiles from the cometary coma. However, standard short period cometary free-return trajectories results in the comet to the spacecraft encounter speeds in the range of 10 km/s. At these speeds the kinetic energy of the capture process can render significant modification of dust structure, change of solid phase as well as the lost of volatiles components. This paper presents a class of new missions with trajectories with significant reduction of encounter speeds by incorporating gravity assists and deep space maneuvering. Low encounter speed cometary flyby sample return will enable a marked increase in the value of the return science. Acquiring thousands of samples from a known comet and thousands of images of a comet nucleus would be space firsts. Applying new approach in flight mechanics to generate a new class of low encounter speed cometary sample return

Hotspots on Io During the Ganymede 2 Encounter

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1996-01-01

The Near Infrared Mapping Spectrometer (NIMS) on the Galileo spacecraft imaged Io at high spectral resolution at a range of 439,000 km (275,000 miles) during the G2 encounter on 6 September 1996. This image shows, on the right, Io as seen by NIMS, centered on 150 W longitude. The image on the left shows the same view point from Voyager data (from the encounters in 1979 and 1980). The NIMS image can be compared to the NIMS hotspot image from the G1 orbit (June 1996) to monitor changes on Io. The most dramatic feature of the G2 image is the hotspot at Malik Patera. Preliminary analysis of the data yields a temperature of at least 1000 K (727 C) for this hotspot, an increase of more than 300 K from the G1 encounter. In the overlap area of the G1 and G2 images all the hotspots seen during the G1 encounter are also seen in the G2 image. Other hotspots were seen, including one at the Pele plume origin site. This image is at the 4 micron band to best view the Malik hotspot. Most of the other hotspots are best seen at longer wavelengths. NIMS is continuing to observe Io to monitor volcanic activity throughout the Galileo mission.

The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA manages the mission for NASA's Office of Space Science, Washington, DC.

This image and other images and data received from Galileo are posted on the World Wide Web, on the Galileo mission home page at URL http://galileo.jpl.nasa.gov.

The phenomenology of shame in the clinical encounter.

PubMed

Dolezal, Luna

2015-11-01

This article examines the phenomenology of body shame in the context of the clinical encounter, using the television program 'Embarrassing Bodies' as illustrative. I will expand on the insights of Aaron Lazare's 1987 article 'Shame and Humiliation in the Medical Encounter' where it is argued that patients often see their diseases and ailments as defects, inadequacies or personal shortcomings and that visits to doctors and medical professionals involve potentially humiliating physical and psychological exposure. I will start by outlining a phenomenology of shame in order to understand more clearly the effect shame about the body can have in terms of one's personal experience and, furthermore, one's interpersonal dynamics. I will then examine shame in the clinical encounter, linking body shame to the cultural stigma attached to illness, dysfunction and bodily frailty. I will furthermore explore how shame can be exacerbated or even incited by physicians through judgment and as a result of the power imbalance inherent to the physician-patient dynamic, compounded by the contemporary tendency to moralise about 'lifestyle' illnesses. Lastly, I will provide some reflections for how health care workers might approach patient shame in clinical practice.

Trust and Its Role in the Medical Encounter.

PubMed

Holland, Stephen; Stocks, David

2017-09-01

This paper addresses two research questions. The first is theoretical: What is trust? In the first half of this paper we present a distinctive tripartite analysis. We describe three attitudes, here called reliance, specific trust and general trust, each of which is characterised and illustrated. We argue that these attitudes are related, but not reducible, to one another. We suggest that the current impasse in the analysis of trust is in part due to the fact that some writers allude to these distinctions, but unclearly so, whilst others elide them altogether. The second research question focuses on doctor-patient interaction. Trust is often said to be central in medical encounters but this strikes us as too vague. The success of doctor-patient relations in part depends on adopting the most appropriate of the three attitudes we delineate. We argue that reliance is the appropriate attitude for most medical encounters. When circumstances do require trust, the distinction between specific trust and general trust is crucial. We describe medical encounters requiring specific trust. General trust is less often required in medicine; but it is appropriate in some cases and, when called for, it is called for strongly.

The problems inherent in teaching technical writing and report writing to native Americans

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zukowski/faust, J.

1981-01-01

Teaching technical writing to Native Americans contending with a second language and culture is addressed. Learning difficulties arising from differences between native and acquired language and cultural systems are examined. Compartmentalized teaching, which presents the ideals of technical writing in minimal units, and skills development are considered. Rhetorical problems treated include logic of arrangement, selection of support and scope of detail, and time and space. Specific problems selected include the concept of promptness, the contextualization of purpose, interpersonal relationships, wordiness, mixture of registers, and the problem of abstracting. Four inductive procedures for students having writing and perception problems are included. Four sample exercises and a bibliography of 13 references are also included.

Academic Difficulty and Vision Symptoms Children with Concussion

PubMed Central

Swanson, Mark W.; Weise, Katherine K.; Dreer, Laura E.; Johnston, James; Davis, Richard D.; Ferguson, Drew; Hale, M. Heath; Gould, Sara J.; Christy, Jennifer; Busettini, Claudio; Lee, Sarah D.; Swanson, Erin

2016-01-01

Purpose Academic difficulty is reported in children with prolonged post-concussive symptoms. Despite growing evidence that vestibular-ocular and vision-specific dysfunction are common in children following concussion, vision is rarely mentioned in return-to-learn protocols. The purpose of this project was to evaluate a cohort of children with prolonged post-concussive symptoms to determine if vision symptoms are associated with those reporting academic difficulty. Methods Data was obtained from the Children’s of Alabama Concussion Clinic REDCap dataset from the period January 2007 to October 2013. From this dataset of 1,033 concussion events, a cohort of 276 children aged 5–18 years with three or more concussion-related symptoms present for 10 days or more was identified. A cross-sectional cohort study was undertaken to evaluate the association of concussion symptoms, SCAT2 scores, demographic and concussion severity markers to reported educational difficulty among children with prolonged post-concussive symptoms. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression techniques were used to model the association of reported educational difficulty to self-reported vision abnormalities. Results Mean age was 13.8 years. Median time since the concussive event was 21 days, with 33% (95/276) reporting their concussion more than thirty days prior to data collection. Academic difficulty was reported by 29% (79/270) and vision abnormalities in 46% (128/274). After model reduction, vision symptoms (OR 2.17, 95% CI 1.02, 4.62), hearing disturbance (OR 2.39, 95% CI 1.06, 5.36) and concentration difficulty (OR 21.62, 95% CI 9.50, 44.47) remained associated with academic difficulty. For those with symptoms 30 days or more after concussion, only vision (OR 3.15, 95% CI 1.06, 9.38) and concentration difficulty (OR 15.33, 95% CI 4.99, 47.05) remained statistically significant. Conclusions Vision problems were commonly reported in children with concussions and were independently

Web-based versus face-to-face interprofessional team encounters with standardized patients.

PubMed

Lempicki, Kelly A; Holland, Christine S

2018-03-01

Challenges exist in developing interprofessional education (IPE) activities including coordinating schedules and obtaining appropriate space for teams to work. Virtual worlds have been explored as a means to overcome some of these challenges. We sought to develop a web-based interprofessional team interaction with a standardized patient (SP), as compared to a face-to-face SP interaction, focusing on the competency area of interprofessional communication. Interprofessional teams of students were randomized to complete a web-based or face-to-face SP encounter. The web-based encounter was conducted via video conference that students accessed using their own electronic device. Interprofessional communication was evaluated by faculty observers and the SPs. Participants of the web-based encounter also completed a perceptions questionnaire. Interprofessional communication was rated as average/above average by the authors and SPs. Perceptions of the web-based encounter were mixed with not all students willing to complete such an encounter again despite finding it enjoyable and a positive learning experience. The need for adequate preparation was identified, including the opportunity to review the patient case before the encounter. The web-based SP encounter afforded students the opportunity to utilize communication technology to provide patient-centered care while collaborating as an interprofessional team. Video conferencing presents an opportunity to bypass some logistical challenges in scheduling IPE experiences and can be implemented as a co-curricular activity, avoiding course revisions. Additional studies are needed to further explore student and patient perspectives and clarify when, and with what level of trainees, the experiences are most valuable. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Moral Relations in Encounters with Nature

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Andersson, Karin; Öhman, Johan

2015-01-01

The overall aim of this article is to develop in-depth knowledge about the connection between outdoor experiences and moral attitudes towards nature. The study focuses on processes in which moral relations are at stake in encounters between students and nature. The purpose is to identify such events, describe their specific circumstances and…

Israeli Adolescents and Military Service: Encounters.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Levy, Amihay; And Others

1987-01-01

Asserts that inadequate attention has been paid to the problems of the young soldier entering army life in Israel. Delineates some areas of friction and vulnerability between the worlds of the youth and the military. Describes the systematization of these encounters into groups, creating the "Binary Model," which helps in locating and…

Households encountering with catastrophic health expenditures in Ferdows, Iran.

PubMed

Ghoddoosinejad, Javad; Jannati, Ali; Gholipour, Kamal; Baghban Baghestan, Elham

2014-08-01

Out-of-pocket payments are the main sources of healthcare financing in most developing countries. Healthcare services can impose a massive cost burden on households, especially in developing countries. The purpose of this study was to calculate households encountered with catastrophic healthcare expenditures in Ferdows, Iran. The sample included 100 households representing 20% of all households in Ferdows, Iran. The data were collected using self-administered questionnaire. The ability to pay of households was calculated, and then if costs of household health were at least 40% of their ability to pay, it was considered as catastrophic expenditures. Rate of households encountered to catastrophic health expenditures was estimated to be 24%, of which dentistry services had the highest part in catastrophic health expenditures. Low ability to pay of households should be supported against these expenditures. More equitable health system would solve the problem, although more financial aid should be provided for households encountered to catastrophic costs.

Voyager 2 Saturn encounter attitude and articulation control experience

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hill, M.

1982-01-01

A description is given of the Voyager Attitude and Articulation Control System (AACS). The complex series of maneuvers required for Voyager 2 during the near encounter period to obtain fields and particle data, track the limb of Saturn during the earth occultation period, and reflect the RF beam off the Saturnian ring system are discussed. It is noted that some of these maneuvers involved rotating the spacecraft simultaneously about multiple axes while maintaining accurate pointing of the scan platform, a first for interplanetary missions. Also described are two anomalies experienced by the AACS during the near encounter period. The first was the significant roll attitude error that occurred shortly after all axis inertial control and that continued to grow until celestial reacquisition. The second was that the scan platform slewing in the azimuth axis stopped midway through the near encounter. These anomalies are analyzed, and their effect on future missions is assessed.

DNA probes for monitoring dynamic and transient molecular encounters on live cell membranes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

You, Mingxu; Lyu, Yifan; Han, Da; Qiu, Liping; Liu, Qiaoling; Chen, Tao; Sam Wu, Cuichen; Peng, Lu; Zhang, Liqin; Bao, Gang; Tan, Weihong

2017-05-01

Cells interact with the extracellular environment through molecules expressed on the membrane. Disruption of these membrane-bound interactions (or encounters) can result in disease progression. Advances in super-resolution microscopy have allowed membrane encounters to be examined, however, these methods cannot image entire membranes and cannot provide information on the dynamic interactions between membrane-bound molecules. Here, we show a novel DNA probe that can transduce transient membrane encounter events into readable cumulative fluorescence signals. The probe, which translocates from one anchor site to another, mimicking motor proteins, is realized through a toehold-mediated DNA strand displacement reaction. Using this probe, we successfully monitored rapid encounter events of membrane lipid domains using flow cytometry and fluorescence microscopy. Our results show a preference for encounters within the same lipid domains.

DNA probe for monitoring dynamic and transient molecular encounters on live cell membranes

PubMed Central

You, Mingxu; Lyu, Yifan; Han, Da; Qiu, Liping; Liu, Qiaoling; Chen, Tao; Wu, Cuichen Sam; Peng, Lu; Zhang, Liqin; Bao, Gang; Tan, Weihong

2017-01-01

Cells interact with the extracellular environment through molecules expressed on the membrane. Disruption of these membrane-bound interactions (or encounters) can result in disease progression. Advances in super-resolution microscopy have allowed membrane encounters to be examined, however, these methods cannot image entire membranes and cannot provide information on the dynamic interactions between membrane-bound molecules. Here, we show a novel DNA probe that can transduce transient membrane encounter events into readable cumulative fluorescence signals. The probe, which translocates from one anchor site to another, such as motor proteins, is realized through a toehold-mediated DNA strand displacement reaction. Using this probe, we successfully monitored rapid encounter events of membrane lipid domains using flow cytometry and fluorescence microscopy. Our results show a preference for encounters within different lipid domains. PMID:28319616

The supervisory encounter and the senior GP trainee: managing for, through and with.

PubMed

Brown, James; Nestel, Debra; Clement, Tim; Goldszmidt, Mark

2018-02-01

Help-seeking supervisory encounters provide important learning experiences for trainees preparing for independent practice. Although there is a body of expert opinion and theories on how supervisor encounters should happen, supporting empirical data are limited. This is particularly true for the senior general practice (GP) trainee. Without knowing what happens during these encounters, we cannot know how to maximise their educational potential. This study aimed to understand what happens when senior GP trainees call on their supervisor when caring for patients and how learning can be enhanced when this occurs. This is an analysis of data from a multi-case study of five GP supervisory pairs, each with a GP registrar and their supervisor. The data are recordings of 45 supervisory encounters, 78 post-encounter reflections and six interviews. We used Wenger's communities of practice theory and rhetorical genre theory as analytical lenses. The supervisory encounters followed a consistent format, which fitted the form of a genre. Within this genre, three dominant interactional patterns were identified, which we labelled 'managing for', 'managing through' and 'managing with'. Each pattern presented different opportunities and drew on different skills. The primary agenda was always developing a plan for the patient. Education agendas included acquiring knowledge, developing skills and achieving independence. Other agendas were issues of control, credibility and relationship building. Both supervisor and trainee could be purposeful in their supervisory engagement. For supervisors and trainees to achieve the educational potential of their supervisory encounters they require flexibility. This depends on understanding the genre of the supervisory encounter, the agendas at play, the options they have in engaging and having the skills to utilise these options. Educators can facilitate supervisors and trainees in acquiring this understanding and these skills. We recommend further

Syntactical and Punctuation Errors: An Analysis of Technical Writing of University Students Science College, Taif University, KSA

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alamin, Abdulamir; Ahmed, Sawsan

2012-01-01

Analyzing errors committed by second language learners during their first year of study at the University of Taif, can offer insights and knowledge of the learners' difficulties in acquiring technical English communication. With reference to the errors analyzed, the researcher found that the learners' failure to understand basic English grammar…

Protoplanetary disc response to distant tidal encounters in stellar clusters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Winter, A. J.; Clarke, C. J.; Rosotti, G.; Booth, R. A.

2018-04-01

The majority of stars form in a clustered environment. This has an impact on the evolution of surrounding protoplanetary discs (PPDs) due to either photoevaporation or tidal truncation. Consequently, the development of planets depends on formation environment. Here, we present the first thorough investigation of tidally induced angular momentum loss in PPDs in the distant regime, partly motivated by claims in the literature for the importance of distant encounters in disc evolution. We employ both theoretical predictions and dynamical/hydrodynamical simulations in 2D and 3D. Our theoretical analysis is based on that of Ostriker (1994) and leads us to conclude that in the limit that the closest approach distance xmin ≫ r, the radius of a particle ring, the fractional change in angular momentum scales as (xmin/r)-5. This asymptotic limit ensures that the cumulative effect of distant encounters is minor in terms of its influence on disc evolution. The angular momentum transfer is dominated by the m = 2 Lindblad resonance for closer encounters and by the m = 1, ω = 0 Lindblad resonance at large xmin/r. We contextualize these results by comparing expected angular momentum loss for the outer edge of a PPD due to distant and close encounters. Contrary to the suggestions of previous works, we do not find that distant encounters contribute significantly to angular momentum loss in PPDs. We define an upper limit for closest approach distance where interactions are significant as a function of arbitrary host to perturber mass ratio M2/M1.

Validation of an Electronic System for Recording Medical Student Patient Encounters

PubMed Central

Nkoy, Flory L.; Petersen, Sarah; Matheny Antommaria, Armand H.; Maloney, Christopher G.

2008-01-01

The Liaison Committee for Medical Education requires monitoring of the students’ clinical experiences. Student logs, typically used for this purpose, have a number of limitations. We used an electronic system called Patient Tracker to passively generate student encounter data. The data contained in Patient Tracker was compared to the information reported on student logs and data abstracted from the patients’ charts. Patient Tracker identified 30% more encounters than the student logs. Compared to the student logs, Patient Tracker contained a higher average number of diagnoses per encounter (2.28 vs. 1.03, p<0.01). The diagnostic data contained in Patient Tracker was also more accurate under 4 different definitions of accuracy. Only 1.3% (9/677) of diagnoses in Patient Tracker vs. 16.9% (102/601) diagnoses in the logs could not be validated in patients’ charts (p<0.01). Patient Tracker is a more effective and accurate tool for documenting student clinical encounters than the conventional student logs. PMID:18999155

Domestic Violence Encountered among Kurdish Women

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ali, Sirwan Kamil

2015-01-01

Background and objective; There is growing recognition that violence against women has a large public health impact, in addition to being a gross violation of women's human rights. The study's aims were: To show the types of domestic abuse encountered by Kurdish women, and study the relationship between them. Methods; The study conducted in the…

The Role of Sensorimotor Difficulties in Autism Spectrum Conditions

PubMed Central

Hannant, Penelope; Tavassoli, Teresa; Cassidy, Sarah

2016-01-01

In addition to difficulties in social communication, current diagnostic criteria for autism spectrum conditions (ASC) also incorporate sensorimotor difficulties, repetitive motor movements, and atypical reactivity to sensory input (1). This paper explores whether sensorimotor difficulties are associated with the development and maintenance of symptoms in ASC. First, studies have shown difficulties coordinating sensory input into planning and executing movement effectively in ASC. Second, studies have shown associations between sensory reactivity and motor coordination with core ASC symptoms, suggesting these areas each strongly influence the development of social and communication skills. Third, studies have begun to demonstrate that sensorimotor difficulties in ASC could account for reduced social attention early in development, with a cascading effect on later social, communicative and emotional development. These results suggest that sensorimotor difficulties not only contribute to non-social difficulties such as narrow circumscribed interests, but also to the development of social behaviors such as effectively coordinating eye contact with speech and gesture, interpreting others’ behavior, and responding appropriately. Further research is needed to explore the link between sensory and motor difficulties in ASC and their contribution to the development and maintenance of ASC. PMID:27559329

Index of NACA Technical Publications, 1949 - May, 1951

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1952-01-01

The Preface to the Index of NACA Technical Publications, 1915-1949, mentioned that regular supplements would be issued in the future. This is the first such Supplement and covers those documents issued through May of 1951. Similar arrangement is used in both Indexes. First, there is a classified listing of the subject categories; second, a chronological listing of NACA publications under each subject category; third, an alphabetical index to the subject categories; and finally, an author index. The latter feature was not included in the basic 1915-1949 Index but has been issued separately and is available upon request. Immediately following this Preface is an Explanatory Chart of NACA Publications Series Designations which may be of use in identifying references to NACA documents encountered in the literature.

Technical Challenges of Enterprise Imaging: HIMSS-SIIM Collaborative White Paper.

PubMed

Clunie, David A; Dennison, Don K; Cram, Dawn; Persons, Kenneth R; Bronkalla, Mark D; Primo, Henri Rik

2016-10-01

This white paper explores the technical challenges and solutions for acquiring (capturing) and managing enterprise images, particularly those involving visible light applications. The types of acquisition devices used for various general-purpose photography and specialized applications including dermatology, endoscopy, and anatomic pathology are reviewed. The formats and standards used, and the associated metadata requirements and communication protocols for transfer and workflow are considered. Particular emphasis is placed on the importance of metadata capture in both order- and encounter-based workflow. The benefits of using DICOM to provide a standard means of recording and accessing both metadata and image and video data are considered, as is the role of IHE and FHIR.

Identifying technical aliases in SELDI mass spectra of complex mixtures of proteins

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Biomarker discovery datasets created using mass spectrum protein profiling of complex mixtures of proteins contain many peaks that represent the same protein with different charge states. Correlated variables such as these can confound the statistical analyses of proteomic data. Previously we developed an algorithm that clustered mass spectrum peaks that were biologically or technically correlated. Here we demonstrate an algorithm that clusters correlated technical aliases only. Results In this paper, we propose a preprocessing algorithm that can be used for grouping technical aliases in mass spectrometry protein profiling data. The stringency of the variance allowed for clustering is customizable, thereby affecting the number of peaks that are clustered. Subsequent analysis of the clusters, instead of individual peaks, helps reduce difficulties associated with technically-correlated data, and can aid more efficient biomarker identification. Conclusions This software can be used to pre-process and thereby decrease the complexity of protein profiling proteomics data, thus simplifying the subsequent analysis of biomarkers by decreasing the number of tests. The software is also a practical tool for identifying which features to investigate further by purification, identification and confirmation. PMID:24010718

Numerical difficulties and computational procedures for thermo-hydro-mechanical coupled problems of saturated porous media

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Simoni, L.; Secchi, S.; Schrefler, B. A.

2008-12-01

This paper analyses the numerical difficulties commonly encountered in solving fully coupled numerical models and proposes a numerical strategy apt to overcome them. The proposed procedure is based on space refinement and time adaptivity. The latter, which in mainly studied here, is based on the use of a finite element approach in the space domain and a Discontinuous Galerkin approximation within each time span. Error measures are defined for the jump of the solution at each time station. These constitute the parameters allowing for the time adaptivity. Some care is however, needed for a useful definition of the jump measures. Numerical tests are presented firstly to demonstrate the advantages and shortcomings of the method over the more traditional use of finite differences in time, then to assess the efficiency of the proposed procedure for adapting the time step. The proposed method reveals its efficiency and simplicity to adapt the time step in the solution of coupled field problems.

Problems Encountered by Novice Pair Programmers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hanks, Brian

2008-01-01

In a study of the types of problems encountered by students that led them to seek assistance, Robins et al. [2006] found that the most common problems were related to trivial mechanics. The students in this study worked by themselves on their programming exercises. This article discusses a replication of the Robins et al. study in which the…

General Aviation Weather Encounter Case Studies

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-09-01

METARs),.terminal.aerodrome.forecasts. ( TAFs ),.airmen’s.meteorological.information.(AIRMETs),. significant.meteorological.information/advisories.(SIG...and. TAFs . were. collected.for.the.departure,.destination,.and.encounter/ diversion.times.and.locations.in.each.case ..The.AIRMETs,. SIGMETs...These.data.included.the.METARs,. TAFs ,. AIR/SIGMETs,. NEXRAD. echoes,. and. pilot. reports. (PIREPs).of.the.hazard ..The.following.analysis.outlines

Voyager 1: Encounter with Saturn

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Panagakos, N.

1980-01-01

The history of the Voyager Project is reviewed as well as known facts about Saturn and its satellites. Important results of encounters with Jupiter are summarized. Scientific objectives of the flyby of Saturn involve the planet's atmosphere, rings, and magnetic field interactions with the solar wind and satellites. The search for additional satellites, and various aspects of Titan, Rhea, Dione, Mimas, Iapetus, Hyperion, and Enceladas are also of interest. The instruments developed to obtain these goals are described.

Men with Learning Difficulties Doing Research: Challenging Views of Learning Difficulties

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Inglis, Pamela A.; Swain, John

2012-01-01

This paper explores the views of men with learning difficulties living in a secure environment. Reflecting findings from a doctoral thesis based upon a research project where the participants looked at the processes and concepts of research, the dialogues within the study were analysed using critical discourse analysis. Thesis aims relevant here…

Tinnitus and Sleep Difficulties After Cochlear Implantation.

PubMed

Pierzycki, Robert H; Edmondson-Jones, Mark; Dawes, Piers; Munro, Kevin J; Moore, David R; Kitterick, Pádraig T

To estimate and compare the prevalence of and associations between tinnitus and sleep difficulties in a sample of UK adult cochlear implant users and those identified as potential candidates for cochlear implantation. The study was conducted using the UK Biobank resource, a population-based cohort of 40- to 69-year olds. Self-report data on hearing, tinnitus, sleep difficulties, and demographic variables were collected from cochlear implant users (n = 194) and individuals identified as potential candidates for cochlear implantation (n = 211). These "candidates" were selected based on (i) impaired hearing sensitivity, inferred from self-reported hearing aid use and (ii) impaired hearing function, inferred from an inability to report words accurately at negative signal to noise ratios on an unaided closed-set test of speech perception. Data on tinnitus (presence, persistence, and related distress) and on sleep difficulties were analyzed using logistic regression models controlling for gender, age, deprivation, and neuroticism. The prevalence of tinnitus was similar among implant users (50%) and candidates (52%; p = 0.39). However, implant users were less likely to report that their tinnitus was distressing at its worst (41%) compared with candidates (63%; p = 0.02). The logistic regression model suggested that this difference between the two groups could be explained by the fact that tinnitus was less persistent in implant users (46%) compared with candidates (72%; p < 0.001). Self-reported difficulties with sleep were similar among implant users (75%) and candidates (82%; p = 0.28), but participants with tinnitus were more likely to report sleep difficulties than those without (p < 0.001). The prevalence of sleep difficulties was not related to tinnitus persistence (p = 0.28) or the extent to which tinnitus was distressing (p = 0.55). The lack of association between tinnitus persistence and sleep difficulties is compatible with the notion that tinnitus is suppressed

Determining Which Introductory Physics Topics Pre-Service Physics Teachers Have Difficulty Understanding and What Accounts for These Difficulties

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sahin, Esin; Yagbasan, Rahmi

2012-01-01

This study aims at diagnosing which subjects pre-service physics teachers have difficulty understanding in introductory physics courses and what accounts for these difficulties. A questionnaire consisting of two qualitative questions was used to collect data for this study. The questionnaire was administered to 101 pre-service physics teachers who…

BodyHeat Encounter: Performing Technology in Pedagogical Spaces of Surveillance/Intimacy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fels, Lynn; Ricketts, Kathryn

2015-01-01

What occurs when videographer and performer encounter each other through the lens of a camera? This collaborative performative inquiry focuses on embodiment and emergent narrative as realized through an encounter between technology and the visceral body--a relational body that smells, touches, sees, hears and feels the emergent world through…

Urination - difficulty with flow

MedlinePlus

... page: //medlineplus.gov/ency/article/003143.htm Urination - difficulty with flow To use the sharing features on ... Duplication for commercial use must be authorized in writing by ADAM Health Solutions. About MedlinePlus Site Map ...

[White House Conference on Aging, 1981. Research in Aging. Report and Executive Summary of the Technical Committee.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Birren, James E.; And Others

This Technical Committee Report provides an overview and historical sketch of research in aging and proposes a need for new knowledge. An examination of key issues notes the difficulty in assigning priority to research topics, and identifies emerging issues of public concern including: (1) physical health (alcohol and drugs, falls and accidents,…

Students' conceptual difficulties in hydrodynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Suarez, Alvaro; Kahan, Sandra; Zavala, Genaro; Marti, Arturo C.

2017-12-01

We describe a study on the conceptual difficulties faced by college students in understanding hydrodynamics of ideal fluids. This study was based on responses obtained in hundreds of written exams complemented with several oral interviews, which were held with first-year engineering and science university students. Their responses allowed us to identify a series of misconceptions unreported in the literature so far. The study findings demonstrate that the most critical difficulties arise from the students' inability to establish a link between the kinematics and dynamics of moving fluids, and from a lack of understanding regarding how different regions of a system interact.

Exploring communication difficulties in pediatric hematology: oncology nurses.

PubMed

Citak, Ebru Akgun; Toruner, Ebru Kilicarslan; Gunes, Nebahat Bora

2013-01-01

Communication plays an important role for the well being of patients, families and also health care professionals in cancer care. Conversely, ineffective communication may cause depression, increased anxiety, hopelessness and decreased of quality life for patients, families and also nurses. This study aimed to explore communication difficulties of pediatric hematology/oncology nurses with patients and their families, as well as their suggestions about communication difficulties. It was conducted in a pediatric hematology/oncology hospital in Ankara, Turkey. Qualitative data were collected by focus groups, with 21 pediatric hematology/oncology nursing staff from three groups. Content analysis was used for data analysis. Findings were grouped in three main categories. The first category concerned communication difficulties, assessing problems in responding to questions, ineffective communication and conflicts with the patient's families. The second was about the effects of communication difficulties on nurses and the last main category involved suggestions for empowering nurses with communication difficulties, the theme being related to institutional issues. Nurses experience communication difficulties with children and their families during long hospital stays. Communication difficulties particularly increase during crisis periods, like at the time of first diagnosis, relapse, the terminal stage or on days with special meaning such as holidays. The results obtained indicate that pediatric nurses and the child/family need to be supported, especially during crisis periods. Feeling of empowerment in communication will improve the quality of care by reducing the feelings of exhaustion and incompetence in nurses.

Identification of commonly encountered Pratylenchus in Oregon

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Pratylenchus species are commonly encountered in soil samples collected from a diversity of economically important crops in Oregon, including potato and small fruits. Proper identification is critical to the selection of an appropriate management strategy since, in many cases, populations are an as...

Acquisition of an Underway CTD System for the Flow Encountering Abrupt Topography DRI

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-09-30

Acquisition of an Underway CTD System for the Flow Encountering Abrupt Topography DRI T. M. Shaun Johnston Scripps Institution of Oceanography...westward flow in the North Equatorial Current (NEC) encounters tall, steep, submarine topography and islands. During the Flow Encountering Abrupt... Topography (FLEAT) DRI, investigators will determine: • Whether appreciable energy/momentum is lost from the large-scale NEC flow to smaller scales and

Freud and film: encounters in the Weltgeist.

PubMed

Sklarew, B

1999-01-01

Freud's antipathy toward film is striking, since film and dreams are formed by similar mechanisms. Nevertheless, Freud occasionally and unavoidably encountered film. This paper details some of these encounters. Ten years after viewing time-lapse photography, a fore-runner of moving pictures, at the Salpêtrière, he was conceptualizing a model of the mind and of the formation of dreams that in some ways parallels the film apparatus invented by the Lumière brothers in December 1895. On his visit to America in 1905, Freud saw movies in New York City. In 1925, he refused a lucrative offer to consult on a film, and he discouraged Karl Abraham and Hanns Sachs from consulting on the first psychoanalytic film, Pabst's Secrets of a Soul (1926). He was, however, once sighted viewing an American double feature in Vienna. The paper closes with a critique of his acting in home movies.

Mobbing behaviors encountered by nurse teaching staff.

PubMed

Yildirim, Dilek; Yildirim, Aytolan; Timucin, Arzu

2007-07-01

The term 'mobbing' is defined as antagonistic behaviors with unethical communication directed systematically at one individual by one or more individuals in the workplace. This cross-sectional and descriptive study was conducted for the purpose of determining the mobbing behaviors encountered by nursing school teaching staff in Turkey, its effect on them, and their responses to them. A large percentage (91%) of the nursing school employees who participated in this study reported that they had encountered mobbing behaviors in the institution where they work and 17% that they had been directly exposed to mobbing in the workplace. The academic staff who had been exposed to mobbing behaviors experienced various physiological, emotional and social reactions. They frequently 'worked harder and [were] more organized and worked very carefully to avoid criticism' to escape from mobbing. In addition, 9% of the participants stated that they 'thought about suicide occasionally'.

A stellar audit: the computation of encounter rates for 47 Tucanae and omega Centauri

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Davies, Melvyn B.; Benz, Willy

1995-10-01

Using King-Mitchie models, we compute encounter rates between the various stellar species in the globular clusters omega Cen and 47 Tuc. We also compute event rates for encounters between single stars and a population of primordial binaries. Using these rates, and what we have learnt from hydrodynamical simulations of encounters performed earlier, we compute the production rates of objects such as low-mass X-ray binaries (LMXBs), smothered neutron stars and blue stragglers (massive main-sequence stars). If 10 per cent of the stars are contained in primordial binaries, the production rate of interesting objects from encounters involving these binaries is as large as that from encounters between single stars. For example, encounters involving binaries produce a significant number of blue stragglers in both globular cluster models. The number of smothered neutron stars may exceed the number of LMXBs by a factor of 5-20, which may help to explain why millisecond pulsars are observed to outnumber LMXBs in globular clusters.

Stellar encounters involving neutron stars in globular cluster cores

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Davies, M. B.; Benz, W.; Hills, J. G.

1992-01-01

Encounters between a 1.4 solar mass neutron star and a 0.8 solar mass red giant (RG) and between a 1.4 solar mass neutron star (NS) and an 0.8 solar mass main-sequence (MS) star have been successfully simulated. In the case of encounters involving an RG, bound systems are produced when the separation at periastron passage R(MIN) is less than about 2.5 R(RG). At least 70 percent of these bound systems are composed of the RG core and NS forming a binary engulfed in a common envelope of what remains of the former RG envelope. Once the envelope is ejected, a tight white dwarf-NS binary remains. For MS stars, encounters with NSs will produce bound systems when R(MIN) is less than about 3.5 R(MS). Some 50 percent of these systems will be single objects with the NS engulfed in a thick disk of gas almost as massive as the original MS star. The ultimate fate of such systems is unclear.

Effects of Soundscapes on Perceived Crowding and Encounter Norms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Sang-Oh; Shelby, Bo

2011-07-01

Soundscapes in recreation settings are becoming an important issue, but there are few studies of the effects of sounds on recreation experiences, especially crowding perceptions and encounter norms. This study compared effects of six types of sounds (an airplane, a truck engine, children playing, birds, water, and a control) on perceived crowding (PC) and encounter norms for hikers. Data were collected from 47 college students through lab experiments using simulated images, with moving hikers inserted in the original photo taken in the Jungmeori area of Mudeungsan Provincial Park in Korea. Overall, the motor-made sounds of the airplane and truck engine increased PC and decreased acceptability ratings, and the natural sounds of birds and water decreased PC and increased acceptability ratings. Ratings of the sound of children playing were similar to those in the control (i.e., no sound). In addition, as numbers of hikers increased, the overall effects of sounds decreased, and there were few significant differences in PC or acceptability ratings at the highest encounter levels. Theoretical and methodological implications are discussed.

Effects of soundscapes on perceived crowding and encounter norms.

PubMed

Kim, Sang-Oh; Shelby, Bo

2011-07-01

Soundscapes in recreation settings are becoming an important issue, but there are few studies of the effects of sounds on recreation experiences, especially crowding perceptions and encounter norms. This study compared effects of six types of sounds (an airplane, a truck engine, children playing, birds, water, and a control) on perceived crowding (PC) and encounter norms for hikers. Data were collected from 47 college students through lab experiments using simulated images, with moving hikers inserted in the original photo taken in the Jungmeori area of Mudeungsan Provincial Park in Korea. Overall, the motor-made sounds of the airplane and truck engine increased PC and decreased acceptability ratings, and the natural sounds of birds and water decreased PC and increased acceptability ratings. Ratings of the sound of children playing were similar to those in the control (i.e., no sound). In addition, as numbers of hikers increased, the overall effects of sounds decreased, and there were few significant differences in PC or acceptability ratings at the highest encounter levels. Theoretical and methodological implications are discussed.

Estimating migratory connectivity of birds when re-encounter probabilities are heterogeneous

PubMed Central

Cohen, Emily B; Hostetler, Jeffrey A; Royle, J Andrew; Marra, Peter P

2014-01-01

Understanding the biology and conducting effective conservation of migratory species requires an understanding of migratory connectivity – the geographic linkages of populations between stages of the annual cycle. Unfortunately, for most species, we are lacking such information. The North American Bird Banding Laboratory (BBL) houses an extensive database of marking, recaptures and recoveries, and such data could provide migratory connectivity information for many species. To date, however, few species have been analyzed for migratory connectivity largely because heterogeneous re-encounter probabilities make interpretation problematic. We accounted for regional variation in re-encounter probabilities by borrowing information across species and by using effort covariates on recapture and recovery probabilities in a multistate capture–recapture and recovery model. The effort covariates were derived from recaptures and recoveries of species within the same regions. We estimated the migratory connectivity for three tern species breeding in North America and over-wintering in the tropics, common (Sterna hirundo), roseate (Sterna dougallii), and Caspian terns (Hydroprogne caspia). For western breeding terns, model-derived estimates of migratory connectivity differed considerably from those derived directly from the proportions of re-encounters. Conversely, for eastern breeding terns, estimates were merely refined by the inclusion of re-encounter probabilities. In general, eastern breeding terns were strongly connected to eastern South America, and western breeding terns were strongly linked to the more western parts of the nonbreeding range under both models. Through simulation, we found this approach is likely useful for many species in the BBL database, although precision improved with higher re-encounter probabilities and stronger migratory connectivity. We describe an approach to deal with the inherent biases in BBL banding and re-encounter data to demonstrate

Estimating migratory connectivity of birds when re-encounter probabilities are heterogeneous

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cohen, Emily B.; Hostelter, Jeffrey A.; Royle, J. Andrew; Marra, Peter P.

2014-01-01

Understanding the biology and conducting effective conservation of migratory species requires an understanding of migratory connectivity – the geographic linkages of populations between stages of the annual cycle. Unfortunately, for most species, we are lacking such information. The North American Bird Banding Laboratory (BBL) houses an extensive database of marking, recaptures and recoveries, and such data could provide migratory connectivity information for many species. To date, however, few species have been analyzed for migratory connectivity largely because heterogeneous re-encounter probabilities make interpretation problematic. We accounted for regional variation in re-encounter probabilities by borrowing information across species and by using effort covariates on recapture and recovery probabilities in a multistate capture–recapture and recovery model. The effort covariates were derived from recaptures and recoveries of species within the same regions. We estimated the migratory connectivity for three tern species breeding in North America and over-wintering in the tropics, common (Sterna hirundo), roseate (Sterna dougallii), and Caspian terns (Hydroprogne caspia). For western breeding terns, model-derived estimates of migratory connectivity differed considerably from those derived directly from the proportions of re-encounters. Conversely, for eastern breeding terns, estimates were merely refined by the inclusion of re-encounter probabilities. In general, eastern breeding terns were strongly connected to eastern South America, and western breeding terns were strongly linked to the more western parts of the nonbreeding range under both models. Through simulation, we found this approach is likely useful for many species in the BBL database, although precision improved with higher re-encounter probabilities and stronger migratory connectivity. We describe an approach to deal with the inherent biases in BBL banding and re-encounter data to demonstrate

Task difficulty moderates the revelation effect.

PubMed

Aßfalg, André; Currie, Devon; Bernstein, Daniel M

2017-05-01

Tasks that precede a recognition probe induce a more liberal response criterion than do probes without tasks-the "revelation effect." For example, participants are more likely to claim that a stimulus is familiar directly after solving an anagram, relative to a condition without an anagram. Revelation effect hypotheses disagree whether hard preceding tasks should produce a larger revelation effect than easy preceding tasks. Although some studies have shown that hard tasks increase the revelation effect as compared to easy tasks, these studies suffered from a confound of task difficulty and task presence. Conversely, other studies have shown that the revelation effect is independent of task difficulty. In the present study, we used new task difficulty manipulations to test whether hard tasks produce larger revelation effects than easy tasks. Participants (N = 464) completed hard or easy preceding tasks, including anagrams (Exps. 1 and 2) and the typing of specific arrow key sequences (Exps. 3-6). With sample sizes typical of revelation effect experiments, the effect sizes of task difficulty on the revelation effect varied considerably across experiments. Despite this variability, a consistent data pattern emerged: Hard tasks produced larger revelation effects than easy tasks. Although the present study falsifies certain revelation effect hypotheses, the general vagueness of revelation effect hypotheses remains.

Complaints with encounters in healthcare - men's experiences.

PubMed

Skär, Lisa; Söderberg, Siv

2012-06-01

Good encounters within healthcare are important for the manner in which ill people facilitate their health and their perception of quality of care. Research about quality of care are important, but point out that dissatisfaction with healthcare may in the future be even more common regarding the demands for a more effective healthcare. The aim of this study was therefore to describe experiences of dissatisfaction with encounters in healthcare among men who personally filed a complaint to the Patients' Advisory Committee in the county council. Qualitative data were collected in semi-structured interviews with a purposive sample of nine men who have filed a complaint to the Patients' Advisory Committee. The analysis resulted in two categories: being met with a disrespectful manner and not receiving a personal apology. The results in the first category describe that the men were treated with disrespect and suspicions by healthcare professionals. This was related to lack of communication which made the men sensitive to negative attitudes on the part of professionals. The results in the second category show that the men expected amends to be made in form of a personal apology about the dissatisfaction. The men were given no opportunities to influence the encounters and the professionals were unconscious of their behaviour in form of bad treatment. In conclusion, the results indicate the importance of meeting patients and their relatives with respect and dignity, listening to their experiences and proceeding with the treatment without insulting anyone as a person. © 2011 The Authors. Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences © 2011 Nordic College of Caring Science.

Reading difficulties in Albanian.

PubMed

Avdyli, Rrezarta; Cuetos, Fernando

2012-10-01

Albanian is an Indo-European language with a shallow orthography, in which there is an absolute correspondence between graphemes and phonemes. We aimed to know reading strategies used by Albanian disabled children during word and pseudoword reading. A pool of 114 Kosovar reading disabled children matched with 150 normal readers aged 6 to 11 years old were tested. They had to read 120 stimuli varied in lexicality, frequency, and length. The results in terms of reading accuracy as well as in reading times show that both groups were affected by lexicality and length effects. In both groups, length and lexicality effects were significantly modulated by school year being greater in early grades and later diminish in length and just the opposite in lexicality. However, the reading difficulties group was less accurate and slower than the control group across all school grades. Analyses of the error patterns showed that phonological errors, when the letter replacement leading to new nonwords, are the most common error type in both groups, although as grade rises, visual errors and lexicalizations increased more in the control group than the reading difficulties group. These findings suggest that Albanian normal children use both routes (lexical and sublexical) from the beginning of reading despite of the complete regularity of Albanian, while children with reading difficulties start using sublexical reading and the lexical reading takes more time to acquire, but finally both routes are functional.

Learning as Encounter between Self and Other

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Valk, John

2017-01-01

In this article, the author John Volk, professor of Worldview Studies at Renaissance College, University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada, looks forward toward the November 2017 Religious Education Association Conference, which is entitled "Learning in Encounter: Crossroads, Connections, Collaborations", and says that…

Perceived financial difficulties and maladjustment outcomes in adolescence.

PubMed

Fröjd, Sari; Marttunen, Mauri; Pelkonen, Mirjami; von der Pahlen, Bettina; Kaltiala-Heino, Riittakerttu

2006-10-01

Studies using traditional SES indicators in strictly adolescent populations have usually failed to find class differences in adolescent mental health. The present study aimed to find out whether there is an association between adolescent perceived financial difficulties of the family and adolescent maladjustment, and to explore the possible sex differences in this association. School-based survey on 3278 ninth grade students (15-16 years old) in two economically well developed Finnish cities. One-fifth of the adolescents reported that their family had financial difficulties in the previous 12 months. Perceiving financial difficulties was significantly more common among girls than boys. Perceived financial difficulties were associated with known risk factors of poverty and with depression and harmful drinking patterns in both sexes. Adjusting for parental educational levels, parental unemployment and family structure did not change the significant association with maladjustment outcomes. Additional adjustment with comorbidity, however, levelled out the significance of the association of perceived financial difficulties and harmful drinking patterns in boys. While adolescent perception of financial difficulties is probably associated with the objective financial situation of the family it may also be an indicator of the psychological meaning attached to the situation and should thus be considered a possible risk factor for adolescent maladjustment in clinical practice.

Stereotype threat and racial differences in citizens' experiences of police encounters.

PubMed

Najdowski, Cynthia J; Bottoms, Bette L; Goff, Phillip Atiba

2015-10-01

We conducted 2 studies to investigate how cultural stereotypes that depict Blacks as criminals affect the way Blacks experience encounters with police officers, expecting that such encounters induce Blacks to feel stereotype threat (i.e., concern about being judged and treated unfairly by police because of the stereotype). In Study 1, we asked Black and White participants to report how they feel when interacting with police officers in general. As predicted, Blacks, but not Whites, reported concern that police officers stereotype them as criminals simply because of their race. In addition, this effect was found for Black men but not Black women. In Study 2, we asked Black and White men to imagine a specific police encounter and assessed potential downstream consequences of stereotype threat. Consistent with Study 1, Black but not White men anticipated feeling stereotype threat in the hypothetical police encounter. Further, racial differences in anticipated threat translated into racial differences in anticipated anxiety, self-regulatory efforts, and behavior that is commonly perceived as suspicious by police officers. By demonstrating that Blacks might expect to be judged and treated unfairly by police because of the negative stereotype of Black criminality, this research extends stereotype threat theory to the new domain of criminal justice encounters. It also has practical implications for understanding how the stereotype could ironically contribute to bias-based policing and racial disparities in the justice system. (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

The Construction of Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jones, Raya A.

2003-01-01

This paper presents a critique of the educational model of emotional and behavioural difficulties in British education. In the wake of strong criticisms of the so-called medical model of maladjustment (pre-1980s), educational policies have defined the "disturbing" pupil as having emotional and behavioural difficulties, and have more…

Defining Grammatical Difficulty: A Student Teacher Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Graus, Johan; Coppen, Peter-Arno

2015-01-01

Numerous second language acquisition (SLA) researchers have tried to define grammatical difficulty in second and foreign language acquisition--often as part of an attempt to relate the efficacy of different types of instruction to the degree of difficulty of grammatical structures. The resulting proliferation of definitions and the lack of a…

ScienceCast 210: Close Encounters with Jupiter

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-03-04

On March 8th, 2016 Earth and Jupiter will have a close encounter. The giant planet will be "up all night," soaring almost overhead at midnight and not setting until sunrise on March 9th. In July, the Juno mission will give us an even closer look.

Aesthetic Encounters and Learning in the Museum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bell, David Raymond

2017-01-01

This article discusses how museum settings can provide opportunities for sensory and aesthetic encounters and learning. It draws on research into museum education programmes that included examinations of curatorial construction and display, observations of teaching and open-ended interviews with museum educators. The examples selected here focus…

Difficulties in initial algebra learning in Indonesia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jupri, Al; Drijvers, Paul; van den Heuvel-Panhuizen, Marja

2014-12-01

Within mathematics curricula, algebra has been widely recognized as one of the most difficult topics, which leads to learning difficulties worldwide. In Indonesia, algebra performance is an important issue. In the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) 2007, Indonesian students' achievement in the algebra domain was significantly below the average student performance in other Southeast Asian countries such as Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore. This fact gave rise to this study which aims to investigate Indonesian students' difficulties in algebra. In order to do so, a literature study was carried out on students' difficulties in initial algebra. Next, an individual written test on algebra tasks was administered, followed by interviews. A sample of 51 grade VII Indonesian students worked the written test, and 37 of them were interviewed afterwards. Data analysis revealed that mathematization, i.e., the ability to translate back and forth between the world of the problem situation and the world of mathematics and to reorganize the mathematical system itself, constituted the most frequently observed difficulty in both the written test and the interview data. Other observed difficulties concerned understanding algebraic expressions, applying arithmetic operations in numerical and algebraic expressions, understanding the different meanings of the equal sign, and understanding variables. The consequences of these findings on both task design and further research in algebra education are discussed.

Implementation of the Clinical Encounters Tracking system at the Indiana University School of Medicine.

PubMed

Hatfield, Amy J; Bangert, Michael P

2005-01-01

The Indiana University School of Medicine (IUSM) Office of Medical Education &Student Services directed the IUSM Educational Technology Unit to develop a Clinical Encounters Tracking system in response to the Liaison Committee on Medical Education's (LCME) updated accreditation standards. A personal digital assistant (PDA) and centralized database server solution was implemented. Third-year medical students are required to carry a PDA on which they record clinical encounter experiences during all clerkship clinical rotations. Clinical encounters data collected on the PDAs are routinely uploaded to the central server via the PDA HotSyncing process. Real-time clinical encounter summary reports are accessed in the school's online curriculum management system: ANGEL. The resulting IUSM Clinical Encounters Tracking program addresses the LCME accreditation standard which mandates the tracking of medical students' required clinical curriculum experiences.

Difficulties in emotion regulation and risky driving among Lithuanian drivers.

PubMed

Šeibokaitė, Laura; Endriulaitienė, Auksė; Sullman, Mark J M; Markšaitytė, Rasa; Žardeckaitė-Matulaitienė, Kristina

2017-10-03

Risky driving is a common cause of traffic accidents and injuries. However, there is no clear evidence of how difficulties in emotion regulation contribute to risky driving behavior, particularly in small post-Soviet countries. The present study aimed to investigate the relationship between difficulties in emotion regulation and self-reported risky driving behavior in a sample of Lithuanian drivers. A total of 246 nonprofessional Lithuanian drivers participated in a cross-sectional survey. Difficulties in emotion regulation were assessed using the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS; Gratz and Roemer 2004), and risky driving behavior was assessed using the Manchester Driver Behaviour Questionnaire (DBQ; Lajunen et al. 2004). Males scored higher than females in aggressive violations and ordinary violations. Females scored higher for the nonacceptance of emotional responses, whereas males had more difficulties with emotional awareness than females. More difficulties in emotion regulation were positively correlated with driving errors, lapses, aggressive violations, and ordinary violations for both males and females. Structural equation modeling showed that difficulties in emotion regulation explained aggressive and ordinary violations more clearly than lapses and errors. When controlling for interactions among the distinct regulation difficulties, difficulties with impulse control and difficulties engaging in goal-directed behavior predicted risky driving. Furthermore, nonacceptance of emotional responses and limited access to emotion regulation strategies were related to less violations and more driving errors. Emotion regulation difficulties were associated with the self-reported risky driving behaviors of Lithuanian drivers. This provides useful hints for improving driver training programs in order to prevent traffic injuries.

Patients' comprehension of their emergency department encounter: a pilot study using physician observers.

PubMed

Musso, Mandi W; Perret, J Nelson; Sanders, Taylor; Daray, Ross; Anderson, Kyle; Lancaster, Melissa; Lim, David; Jones, Glenn N

2015-02-01

The current study examines patients' comprehension of their emergency department (ED) encounter, using physician observers to document both physician communication and details of the encounter. Eighty-nine patients were recruited from a convenience sample in an urban ED. To be included in this study, patients had to have low triage levels (4 and 5) and be discharged from the ED. Physician observers were present throughout the encounter, documenting physician communication and procedures performed. Patients were then interviewed by physician observers about their communication with physicians, accuracy in recalling facts about the encounter, and understanding of information provided during the encounter. The majority of patients were black and had a high school education. Physicians typically engaged in behaviors related to building rapport and diagnosing patients. However, physicians informed patients about test results and diagnoses less frequently. In terms of patients' accuracy and understanding of the visit, patients were generally aware of basic facts in regard to their ED encounter (ie, whether they had blood drawn), but 65.9% of patients demonstrated less than "good" understanding in at least 1 area assessed. The findings of the current study indicate physicians could improve communication with patients, particularly in regard to care received in the ED. This study also indicates that a large percentage of patients fail to understand information about their ED encounter even when physicians provide it. A primary limitation of the current study is the relatively homogenous physician sample. Copyright © 2014 American College of Emergency Physicians. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Mental health difficulties in children with developmental coordination disorder.

PubMed

Lingam, Raghu; Jongmans, Marian J; Ellis, Matthew; Hunt, Linda P; Golding, Jean; Emond, Alan

2012-04-01

To explore the associations between probable developmental coordination disorder (DCD) defined at age 7 years and mental health difficulties at age 9 to 10 years. We analyzed of prospectively collected data (N = 6902) from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children. "Probable" DCD was defined by using Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, Text Revision criteria as those children below the 15th centile of the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children Coordination Test, with functional limitations in activities of daily living or handwriting, excluding children with neurologic difficulties or an IQ <70. Mental health was measured by using the child-reported Short Moods and Feelings Questionnaire and the parent-reported Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. Multiple logistic regression models, with the use of multiple imputation to account for missing data, assessed the associations between probable DCD and mental health difficulties. Adjustments were made for environmental confounding factors, and potential mediating factors such as verbal IQ, associated developmental traits, bullying, self-esteem, and friendships. Children with probable DCD (N = 346) had an increased odds of self-reported depression, odds ratio: 2.08 (95% confidence interval: 1.36-3.19) and parent-reported mental health difficulties odds ratio: 4.23 (95% confidence interval: 3.10-5.77). The odds of mental health difficulties significantly decreased after accounting for verbal IQ, social communication, bullying, and self-esteem. Children with probable DCD had an increased risk of mental health difficulties that, in part, were mediated through associated developmental difficulties, low verbal IQ, poor self-esteem, and bullying. Prevention and treatment of mental health difficulties should be a key element of intervention for children with DCD.

Individual differences in hemispheric preference and emotion regulation difficulties

PubMed Central

Gupta, Garima; Dubey, Akanksha; Saxena, Prachi; Pandey, Rakesh

2011-01-01

Background: Hemisphericity or individual difference in the preference to use the left or the right hemispheric mode of information processing has been associated with various emotion-related differences. For example, the right hemisphericity has been linked with inhibition of emotional expression, feeling of tension, greater impulsivity etc. These observations suggest that right hemisphericity may be associated with greater difficulties in regulating emotions. However, direct empirical tests of such theoretical proposition are very thin. Aim: In view of this, the present study aims to investigate how and to what extent individual difference in hemispheric preference relate to emotion regulation. Materials and Methods: Thirty-two right-handed male subjects in the age range 18 to 20 years were assessed on self-report measures of hemispheric preference and emotion regulation difficulties. The correlation between dimensions of hemispheric preference and difficulties in regulating emotions was computed. A series of stepwise multiple regression analyses were also done to explore the relative significance of various dimensions of hemispheric preference in predicting emotion regulation difficulties. Results: The findings revealed that in general a preference for the right hemispheric mode of information processing was associated with greater emotion regulation difficulties. The correlation analysis indicated that while impulse control difficulties and difficulties in engaging goal directed behavior was associated with preference for almost all the right hemispheric mode of information processing, the nonacceptance of emotional responses and limited access to emotion regulation was related to preference for only global/synthetic (a right hemispheric) mode of information processing. Similarly, the lack of emotional clarity facet of emotion regulation difficulties correlated significantly with a preference for the emotional mode of information processing (again a right

[Producing technical drawings using the feet--a special work site for a thalidomide-damaged technical draftswoman].

PubMed

Fischbach, F

1989-05-01

Persons with upper limb deficiency do not find it easy to lead a somewhat "normal" private, occupational and social life. True, society offers many kinds of assistance and support; it nevertheless is very much a matter of how the individual concerned reacts to the positive and negative influences and imponderabilities encountered. The present report sets out the efforts of a thalidomide-affected young woman who, in the face of numerous obstacles, left nothing untried to create a life basis of her own by obtaining a good vocational qualification as a technical draftswoman, regardless of her congenital upper limb amputation. Her success is proof enough that she chose the right course. This example, in more general terms, should perhaps be considered a prompting for society, on the one hand, to undertake the endeavour of providing quality assistance even in extreme situations and, on the other, to be prepared to have confidence even in those with very severe physical disablement to be able to accomplish goals which at the first glance may appear "nonsensical", such as a desire to be trained as a technical draftswoman even though one's hands are missing. The account not least shows the positive impact help and self-help may have in the rehabilitation of very severely disabled persons. The disabled person's reward primarily lies in the sense of independence achieved and in financial self-reliance, which in turn generate a sense of feeling free inwardly and outwardly.

The Chiropractic Care of Infants with Breastfeeding Difficulties.

PubMed

Alcantara, Joel; Alcantara, Joey D; Alcantara, Junjoe

2015-01-01

Chiropractors have long advocated on the benefits of breastfeeding and given the realized and potential role of chiropractors in the care of infants with breastfeeding difficulties, we performed this review of the literature on the subject to inform clinical practice. For this article, we searched Pubmed [1966-2013], Manual, Alternative and Natural Therapy Index System (MANTIS) [1964-2013] and Index to Chiropractic Literature [1984-2013] for the relevant literature. The search terms utilized "breastfeeding", "breast feeding", "breastfeeding difficulties", "breastfeeding difficulty", "TMJ dysfunction", "temporomandibular joint", "birth trauma" and "infants", in the appropriate Boolean combinations. We also examined non-peer-reviewed articles as revealed by Index to Chiropractic Literature and secondary analysis of references. Inclusion criteria for review included breastfeeding difficulties regardless of peer-review and written in the English language. A total of 24 articles met our inclusion criteria. These consisted of 8 case reports, 2 case series, and 3 cohort studies. We were also able to identify 6 manuscripts (5 case reports and a case series) that involved breastfeeding difficulties as a secondary complaint. Our findings reveal a theoretical and clinical framework based on the detection of spinal and extraspinal subluxations involving the cervico-cranio-mandibular complex and assessment of the infant while breastfeeding. Chiropractors care of infants with breastfeeding difficulties by addressing spinal and extraspinal subluxations involving the cervico-cranio-mandibular complex. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

"It's as If…" Preschoolers Encountering Contemporary Photography

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rissanen, Mari-Jatta

2017-01-01

This article reports a study on an encounter between preschoolers and contemporary photography. The article has two aims: first, it elucidates preschoolers' meaning-making when viewing photographs, and second, it investigates the possible benefits of using contemporary photography as a forum for prompting children's aesthetic agency in early…

Internal and External Difficulties in Moral Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dan, Jau Wei

2012-01-01

Certain difficulties pervade the course of moral education and in this essay a broad picture of these shall be sketched. Moral educators need to understand the problems they will face if they intend to enhance their performance; this includes knowing the limits of moral education, and not going beyond their capacities. These difficulties may be…

Reading comprehension difficulties in children with rolandic epilepsy.

PubMed

Currie, Nicola K; Lew, Adina R; Palmer, Tom M; Basu, Helen; De Goede, Christian; Iyer, Anand; Cain, Kate

2018-03-01

Difficulties in reading comprehension can arise from either word reading or listening comprehension difficulties, or a combination of the two. We sought to determine whether children with rolandic epilepsy had poor reading comprehension relative to typically developing comparison children, and whether such difficulties were associated with word reading and/or general language comprehension difficulties. In this cross-sectional study, children with rolandic epilepsy (n=25; 16 males, 9 females; mean age 9y 1mo, SD 1y 7mo) and a comparison group (n=39; 25 males, 14 females; mean age 9y 1mo, SD 1y 3mo) completed assessments of reading comprehension, listening comprehension, word/non-word reading, speech articulation, and Non-verbal IQ. Reading comprehension and word reading were worse in children with rolandic epilepsy (F 1,61 =6.89, p=0.011, ηp2=0.10 and F 1,61 =6.84, p=0.011, ηp2=0.10 respectively), with listening comprehension being marginal (F 1,61 =3.81, p=0.055, ηp2=0.06). Word reading and listening comprehension made large and independent contributions to reading comprehension, explaining 70% of the variance. Children with rolandic epilepsy may be at risk of reading comprehension difficulties. Thorough assessment of individual children is required to ascertain whether the difficulties lie with decoding text, or with general comprehension skills, or both. Children with rolandic epilepsy may be at risk of poor reading comprehension. This was related to poor word reading, poor listening comprehension, or both. Reading comprehension interventions should be tailored to the profile of difficulties. © 2017 Mac Keith Press.

Luteal phase deficiency and infertility: difficulties encountered in diagnosis and treatment.

PubMed

Annos, T; Thompson, I E; Taymor, M L

1980-06-01

Uncertainty concerning the importance of luteal phase defects as a cause of female infertility is closely related to problems of diagnosis. A study was undertaken of the consistency of the parameters used in daignosing luteal phase deficiency in 14 patients; results of randomized treatment regimens were also compared. Specific diagnostic criteria utilizing the basal body temperature (BBT) chart, endometrial biopsy, and progesterone levels were used. Prolactin and luteinizing hormone levels were measured at the time of progesterone determinations. Of the 29 cycles studied, only one third showed consistent abnormalities in BBT chart, endometrial biopsy, and progesterone levels. Discrepancy between the endometrial biopsy and the progesterone level occurred in at least 50% of all cycles studied. Prolactin levels were elevated in only 1 patient, suggesting a minor role for altered prolactin metabolism in luteal phase deficiency. Randomized treatment with progesterone vaginal suppositories, clomiphene citrate, and no treatment resulted in pregnancy in 5 of 14 patients (36%).

Symplectic test particle encounters: a comparison of methods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wisdom, Jack

2017-01-01

A new symplectic method for handling encounters of test particles with massive bodies is presented. The new method is compared with several popular methods (RMVS3, SYMBA, and MERCURY). The new method compares favourably.

Mariner Venus-Mercury 1973 Project. Volume 1: Venus and Mercury 1 Encounters

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1976-01-01

The primary mission report includes the Venus encounter and the first Mercury encounter. Plans and activities undertaken to successfully achieve the mission objectives are described. Operational activities are identified by mission operation system functions, providing a brief summary of each discipline. Spacecraft performance is summarized by subsystems.

Researching Learning Difficulties: A Guide for Practitioners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Porter, Jill; Lacey, Penny

2005-01-01

The aim of this book is to provide a source for teachers and other professionals working with children and adults with learning difficulties and disabilities that will enable them to: (1) access selected recent and relevant research in the field of learning difficulties, drawn from a range of disciplines and groups of people; (2) reflect on…

Difficulties that Students Face with Two-Dimensional Motion

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mihas, P.; Gemousakakis, T.

2007-01-01

Some difficulties that students face with two-dimensional motion are addressed. The difficulties addressed are the vectorial representation of velocity, acceleration and force, the force-energy theorem and the understanding of the radius of curvature.

Lifetime of binary asteroids versus gravitational encounters and collisions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chauvineau, Bertrand; Farinella, Paolo; Mignard, F.

1992-01-01

We investigate the effect on the dynamics of a binary asteroid in the case of a near encounter with a third body. The dynamics of the binary is modeled as a two-body problem perturbed by an approaching body in the following ways: near encounters and collisions with a component of the system. In each case, the typical value of the two-body energy variation is estimated, and a random walk for the cumulative effect is assumed. Results are applied to some binary asteroid candidates. The main conclusion is that the collisional disruption is the dominant effect, giving lifetimes comparable to or larger than the age of the solar system.

Value Encounters - Modeling and Analyzing Co-creation of Value

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weigand, Hans

Recent marketing and management literature has introduced the concept of co-creation of value. Current value modeling approaches such as e3-value focus on the exchange of value rather than co-creation. In this paper, an extension to e3-value is proposed in the form of a “value encounter”. Value encounters are defined as interaction spaces where a group of actors meet and derive value by each one bringing in some of its own resources. They can be analyzed from multiple strategic perspectives, including knowledge management, social network management and operational management. Value encounter modeling can be instrumental in the context of service analysis and design.

Storyboard GALILEO CRUISE SCIENCE OPPORTUNITIES describes asteroid encounters

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1989-01-01

Storyboard with mosaicked image of an asteroid and entitled GALILEO CRUISE SCIENCE OPPORTUNITIES describes asteroid objectives. These objectives include: first asteroid encounter; surface geology, composition size, shape, mass; and relation of primitive bodies to meteorites.

Geological Mapping of the Encounter Hemisphere on Pluto

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

White, O. L.; Moore, J. M.; Stern, S. A.; Weaver, H. A.; Olkin, C. B.; Ennico, K.; Young, L. A.; Cheng, A. F.; New Horizons GGI Theme Team

2016-06-01

We present mapping of Pluto's encounter hemisphere performed to date (focusing on Sputnik Planum and the immediately surrounding area) and offer preliminary descriptions of terrains further afield that will be the subject of future mapping.

Addressing Problems Encountered in Case-Based Teaching

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Turgeon, A. J.

2007-01-01

TURF 436 (Case Studies in Turfgrass Management) is the capstone course for turfgrass science majors at the Pennsylvania State University. Students are introduced to problems and complex problematic situations encountered in the management of golf and sports turf and in professional lawn-care operations. Following completion of the orientation case…

Encounter: A Picture Book for Any Classroom.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hazler, Kitty Y.

2002-01-01

Describes the content of the picture book, "Encounter," written by Jane Yolen and illustrated by David Shannon. States that it focuses on the arrival of Christopher Columbus to San Salvador (El Salvador) from a boy's perspective. Includes questions for use when discussing the messages and content of the book. (CMK)

Quality as Critique: Promoting Critical Reflection among Youth in Structured Encounter Programs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ross, Karen

2015-01-01

In this manuscript, I interrogate the concept of "quality" encounter programs for youth in conflict zones. I focus on two Israeli organizations implementing encounters for Jewish and Palestinian citizens, and draw upon narratives of former participants as articulated during life history narratives to illustrate divergent emphases in each…

Nature and frequency of exchanges on medications during primary care encounters.

PubMed

Richard, Claude; Lussier, Marie-Thérèse

2006-12-01

To describe the exchanges, related to discussion of all medications during primary care medical consultations. Descriptive study of audio recordings of 422 medical encounters. Coding was done with MEDICODE, a validated instrument developed to analyse verbal exchanges on medications. The unit of analysis is the medication. An average of 3.9 medications (S.D.=2.8; range 1-21) are discussed per interview and 4.2 themes are broached for each drug (S.D.=2.6; range 1-17). "Active Discussed", "Represcribed" and "Newly Prescribed" drugs account for 43.1, 16.3 and 10.6%, respectively of all medications discussed. Themes most often discussed are Name, Instructions, Observed Main Effect, Class, Reasons for Taking the Drug, General Use of the Medication, Expected Effect on Symptoms, Form of the Medication, Indications Another Consultation Needed, and Alternative Medication. The least often discussed themes include clinically significant ones such as Possible Adverse Effects, Observed Adverse Effects, Expression of Attitudes and Emotions with regard to the medication, Compliance and Warnings. The average number of themes discussed differed between medications that were prescribed during the encounter, either New prescriptions or Represcribed drugs, compared to medications that were only discussed during the encounter. Our results show that medication discussions are heterogeneous and vary with the status of the medication and the theme. Also, the nature and extent of the discussions about medications do not support the shared-decision making model. Though it is too soon to make specific recommendations about discussions on medications, it seems clear that information-sharing about medications during medical encounters is a process that extends beyond any single encounter. Although communication skills are now part of most medical curriculums, there is an obvious need to put forth the concept of patient medication knowledge-building over multiple physician-patient encounters and

Integrating HCI Specialists into Open Source Software Development Projects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hedberg, Henrik; Iivari, Netta

Typical open source software (OSS) development projects are organized around technically talented developers, whose communication is based on technical aspects and source code. Decision-making power is gained through proven competence and activity in the project, and non-technical end-user opinions are too many times neglected. In addition, also human-computer interaction (HCI) specialists have encountered difficulties in trying to participate in OSS projects, because there seems to be no clear authority and responsibility for them. In this paper, based on HCI and OSS literature, we introduce an extended OSS development project organization model that adds a new level of communication and roles for attending human aspects of software. The proposed model makes the existence of HCI specialists visible in the projects, and promotes interaction between developers and the HCI specialists in the course of a project.

Impact of educational messages on patient acceptance of male medical students in OB-GYN encounters.

PubMed

Buck, Katherine; Littleton, Heather

2016-09-01

Although training in obstetrics and gynecology is a key part of medical education, male students receive less extensive experience, due in part to patient refusals. However, there is limited work seeking to reduce patient refusal rates of male students. The current study examined the efficacy of two messages at increasing male medical student acceptance into a well-woman visit. A total of 656 college women participated in a simulation study where they viewed a video of a nurse asking for permission to have a male medical student participate in their well-woman visit. The 30.5% of women who refused student participation (n = 181) were randomly assigned to view a video of the nurse either describing students' medical knowledge and technical skills training (e.g. training in performing pelvic exams) or empathic skills training (e.g. training in communication about sensitive issues). They were again asked if they would be willing to have the student participate. Both messages similarly increased student acceptance with 44.8% of those receiving the empathic skills training message and 48.9% of those who received the medical/technical skills training message accepting student participation, χ(2) (1, N = 181) = 0.3, p = 0.58. Educational messages about medical student training delivered in an engaging fashion by a credible source are a potentially effective tool to increase male student acceptance into sensitive patient encounters. Future work should test these messages in real-world settings as part of a focus on patient education to increase comfort with student participation.

Changes in Sleep Difficulties During the Transition to Statutory Retirement.

PubMed

Myllyntausta, Saana; Salo, Paula; Kronholm, Erkki; Pentti, Jaana; Kivimäki, Mika; Vahtera, Jussi; Stenholm, Sari

2018-01-01

This study examined changes in sleep during the transition from full-time work to statutory retirement. Both the prevalence of any sleep difficulty and the prevalence of specific sleep difficulties, such as difficulties falling asleep, difficulties maintaining sleep, waking up too early in the morning, and nonrestorative sleep, were examined. Data from the Finnish Public Sector study were used. The study population consisted of 5,807 Finnish public sector employees who retired on statutory basis between 2000 and 2011. The participants responded on the Jenkins Sleep Problem Scale Questionnaire before and after retirement in surveys conducted every 4 years. At the last study wave before retirement, 30% of the participants had sleep difficulties. Prevalence of any sleep difficulty decreased during the retirement transition: the risk ratio (RR) for having sleep difficulties in the first study wave following retirement compared with the last study wave preceding retirement was 0.89 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.85-0.94). During the retirement transition, both waking up too early in the morning (RR = 0.76, 95% CI 0.69-0.82) and nonrestorative sleep (RR = 0.47, 95% CI 0.42-0.53) decreased, whereas there was no change in difficulties falling asleep or difficulties maintaining sleep. The decreases in sleep difficulties occurred primarily among those with psychological distress, suboptimal self-rated health, short sleep duration, and job strain before retirement. These longitudinal data suggest that transition to statutory retirement is associated with a decrease in sleep difficulties, especially waking up too early in the morning and nonrestorative sleep. © Sleep Research Society 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Sleep Research Society. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail journals.permissions@oup.com.

Evasive mimicry: when (if ever) could mimicry based on difficulty of capture evolve?

PubMed

Ruxton, G D; Speed, M; Sherratt, T N

2004-10-22

We elucidate the conditions under which an easy-to-catch edible prey species may evolve to resemble another edible species that is much more difficult to capture ('evasive Batesian mimicry'), and the conditions under which two or more edible but hard-to-catch species evolve a common resemblance ('evasive Mullerian mimicry'). Using two complementary mathematical models, we argue that both phenomena are logically possible but that several factors will limit the prevalence of these forms of mimicry in nature. Evasive Batesian mimicry is most likely to arise when it is costly in time or energy for the predator species to pursue evasive prey, when mimics are encountered less frequently than evasive models and where there are abundant alternative prey. Evasive Mullerian mimicry, by contrast, is most likely to arise when evasive prey species differ in abundance, predators are slow to learn to avoid evasive prey and evading capture is costly to the prey. Unequivocal evidence for evasive Batesian or Mullerian mimicry has not yet been demonstrated in the field, and we argue that more empirical work is needed to test whether putative examples are indeed a result of selection to signal difficulty of capture.

Multiple Codes, Multiple Impressions: An Analysis of Doctor-Client Encounters in Nigeria

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Odebunmi, Akin

2013-01-01

Existing studies on doctor-client interactions have largely focused on monolingual encounters and the interactional effects and functions of the languages used in the communication between doctors and their clients. They have neither, to a large extent, examined the several codes employed in single encounters and their pragmatic roles nor given…

Entering a Crack: An Encounter with Gossip

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Henderson, Linda

2014-01-01

In this paper, I enter a crack to think otherwise about the concept "gossip". Drawing on previous scholarship engaging with Deleuzian concepts to inform research methodologies, this paper builds on this body of work. Following Deleuze and Guattari, the paper undertakes a mapping of gossip, subsequent to an encounter with a crack.…

Effect of Esophagus Position on Surgical Difficulty and Postoperative Morbidities After Thoracoscopic Esophagectomy.

PubMed

Yoshida, Naoya; Baba, Yoshifumi; Shigaki, Hironobu; Shiraishi, Shinya; Harada, Kazuto; Watanabe, Masayuki; Iwatsuki, Masaaki; Kurashige, Junji; Sakamoto, Yasuo; Miyamoto, Yuji; Ishimoto, Takatsugu; Kosumi, Keisuke; Tokunaga, Ryuma; Yamashita, Yasuyuki; Baba, Hideo

2016-01-01

The objective include thoracoscopic esophagectomy for the deep-seated (left-sided) esophagus has several technical difficulties, which may affects the intraoperative or postoperative outcomes. However, no previous studies have focused on the correlation between the position of the esophagus and short-term outcome after thoracoscopic esophagectomy. Of 470 esophagectomies between April 2005 and April 2015 in Kumamoto University Hospital, 112 patients who underwent thoracoscopic esophagectomy for esophageal cancer were examined. The position of the esophagus was divided into 2 types: deep-seated esophagus or another type based on computed tomographic images in the supine position. In results, the deep-seated esophagus was associated with a longer operation time in the thorax and high incidence of severe morbidity of Clavien-Dindo classification ≥IIIb, pneumonia, and any pulmonary morbidity. The deep-seated esophagus was also an independent risk factor for severe morbidity (hazard ratio [HR] = 5.37, 95% CI: 1.307-22.03; P = 0.020), pneumonia (HR = 9.23, 95% CI: 2.150-39.60; P = 0.003), and any pulmonary morbidity (HR = 10.3, 95% CI: 2.714-38.78; P < 0.001). In conclusion, the position of the esophagus had a strong influence on the difficulty of thoracoscopic esophagectomy and the incidence of postoperative morbidities. Surgeons would be well advised to keep a careful watch perioperatively for patients with a deep-seated esophagus. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Pharmacy users' expectations of pharmacy encounters: a Q-methodological study.

PubMed

Renberg, Tobias; Wichman Törnqvist, Kristina; Kälvemark Sporrong, Sofia; Kettis Lindblad, Asa; Tully, Mary P

2011-12-01

Pharmacy practice is evolving according to general health-care trends such as increased patient involvement and public health initiatives. In addition, pharmacists strive to find new professional roles. Clients' expectations of service encounters at pharmacies is an under-explored topic but crucial to understanding how pharmacy practice can evolve efficiently. To identify and describe different normative expectations of the pharmacy encounter among pharmacy clients. Q methodology, an approach to systematically explore subjectivity that retains complete patterns of responses and organizes these into factors of operant subjectivity. Eighty-five regular prescription medication users recruited at Swedish community pharmacies and by snowballing. Seven factors of operant subjectivity were identified, and organized into two groups. Factors that emphasized the physical drug product as the central object of the pharmacy encounter were labelled as independent drug shopping; logistics of drug distribution; and supply of individual's own drugs. Factors that emphasized personal support as desirable were labelled competence as individual support; individualist professional relations, just take care of me; and practical health-care and lifestyle support. The systematic Q-methodological approach yielded valuable insights into how pharmacy clients construct their expectations for service encounters. They hold differentiating normative expectations for pharmacy services. Understanding these varying viewpoints may be important for developing and prioritizing among efficient pharmacy services. Clients' expectations do not correspond with trends that guide current pharmacy practice development. This might be a challenge for promoting or implementing services based on such trends. © 2010 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Avoiding humiliations in the clinical encounter.

PubMed

Malterud, Kirsti; Hollnagel, Hanne

2007-06-01

To explore potentials for avoiding humiliations in clinical encounters, especially those that are unintended and unrecognized by the doctor. Furthermore, to examine theoretical foundations of degrading behaviour and identify some concepts that can be used to understand such behaviour in the cultural context of medicine. Finally, these concepts are used to build a model for the clinician in order to prevent humiliation of the patient. Empirical studies document experiences of humiliation among patients when they see their doctor. Philosophical and sociological analysis can be used to explain the dynamics of unintended degrading behaviour between human beings. Skjervheim, Vetlesen, and Bauman have identified the role of objectivism, distantiation, and indifference in the dynamics of evil acts, pointing to the rules of the cultural system, rather than accusing the individual of bad behaviour. Examining the professional role of the doctor, parallel traits embedded in the medical culture are demonstrated. According to Vetlesen, emotional awareness is necessary for moral perception, which again is necessary for moral performance. A better balance between emotions and rationality is needed to avoid humiliations in the clinical encounter. The Awareness Model is presented as a strategy for clinical practice and education, emphasizing the role of the doctor's own emotions. Potentials and pitfalls are discussed.

Avoiding humiliations in the clinical encounter

PubMed Central

Malterud, Kirsti; Hollnagel, Hanne

2007-01-01

Objectives To explore potentials for avoiding humiliations in clinical encounters, especially those that are unintended and unrecognized by the doctor. Furthermore, to examine theoretical foundations of degrading behaviour and identify some concepts that can be used to understand such behaviour in the cultural context of medicine. Finally, these concepts are used to build a model for the clinician in order to prevent humiliation of the patient. Theoretical frame of reference Empirical studies document experiences of humiliation among patients when they see their doctor. Philosophical and sociological analysis can be used to explain the dynamics of unintended degrading behaviour between human beings. Skjervheim, Vetlesen, and Bauman have identified the role of objectivism, distantiation, and indifference in the dynamics of evil acts, pointing to the rules of the cultural system, rather than accusing the individual of bad behaviour. Examining the professional role of the doctor, parallel traits embedded in the medical culture are demonstrated. According to Vetlesen, emotional awareness is necessary for moral perception, which again is necessary for moral performance. Conclusion A better balance between emotions and rationality is needed to avoid humiliations in the clinical encounter. The Awareness Model is presented as a strategy for clinical practice and education, emphasizing the role of the doctor's own emotions. Potentials and pitfalls are discussed. PMID:17497482

New Horizons Encountering 2014 MU69 (Artist's Impression)

NASA Image and Video Library

2018-01-04

Artist's impression of NASA's New Horizons spacecraft encountering 2014 MU69, a Kuiper Belt object that orbits one billion miles (1.6 billion kilometers) beyond Pluto, on Jan. 1, 2019. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA22190

Estimating the encounter rate variance in distance sampling

USGS Publications Warehouse

Fewster, R.M.; Buckland, S.T.; Burnham, K.P.; Borchers, D.L.; Jupp, P.E.; Laake, J.L.; Thomas, L.

2009-01-01

The dominant source of variance in line transect sampling is usually the encounter rate variance. Systematic survey designs are often used to reduce the true variability among different realizations of the design, but estimating the variance is difficult and estimators typically approximate the variance by treating the design as a simple random sample of lines. We explore the properties of different encounter rate variance estimators under random and systematic designs. We show that a design-based variance estimator improves upon the model-based estimator of Buckland et al. (2001, Introduction to Distance Sampling. Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. 79) when transects are positioned at random. However, if populations exhibit strong spatial trends, both estimators can have substantial positive bias under systematic designs. We show that poststratification is effective in reducing this bias. ?? 2008, The International Biometric Society.

Resource-driven encounters among consumers and implications for the spread of infectious disease

PubMed Central

Flynn, Jason M.

2017-01-01

Animals share a variety of common resources, which can be a major driver of conspecific encounter rates. In this work, we implement a spatially explicit mathematical model for resource visitation behaviour in order to examine how changes in resource availability can influence the rate of encounters among consumers. Using simulations and asymptotic analysis, we demonstrate that, under a reasonable set of assumptions, the relationship between resource availability and consumer conspecific encounters is not monotonic. We characterize how the maximum encounter rate and associated critical resource density depend on system parameters like consumer density and the maximum distance from which consumers can detect and respond to resources. The assumptions underlying our theoretical model and analysis are motivated by observations of large aggregations of black-backed jackals at carcasses generated by seasonal outbreaks of anthrax among herbivores in Etosha National Park, Namibia. As non-obligate scavengers, black-backed jackals use carcasses as a supplemental food resource when they are available. While jackals do not appear to acquire disease from ingesting anthrax carcasses, changes in their movement patterns in response to changes in carcass abundance do alter jackals' conspecific encounter rate in ways that may affect the transmission dynamics of other diseases, such as rabies. Our theoretical results provide a method to quantify and analyse the hypothesis that the outbreak of a fatal disease among herbivores can potentially facilitate outbreaks of an entirely different disease among jackals. By analysing carcass visitation data, we find support for our model's prediction that the number of conspecific encounters at resource sites decreases with additional increases in resource availability. Whether or not this site-dependent effect translates to an overall decrease in encounters depends, unexpectedly, on the relationship between the maximum distance of detection and

Sensitivity Training and Group Encounter, an Introduction.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Siroka, Robert W., Ed.; And Others

"Sensitivity Training and Group Encounter" attempts to explore group interaction on many levels--verbal, sensory, and physical. It can be utilized as a model for dealing with various forms of interpersonal relations, from ongoing social issues to the isolation, alienation, and distrust felt by the members of a group. Presented as a guide to this…

Children's Encounters with Things: Schooling the Body

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jones, Liz

2013-01-01

This article draws on work around matter and the material in order to examine how (extra)ordinary "things" are used to (re)produce formulaic and predictable performances within the context of an early years classroom. Using ethnographic data I focus on a series of encounters where oscillations between (in)animate objects and the child…

Simulator study of vortex encounters by a twin-engine, commercial, jet transport airplane

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hastings, E. C., Jr.; Keyser, G. L., Jr.

1982-01-01

A simulator study of vortex encounters was conducted for a twin-engine, commercial, jet transport airplane encountering the vortex flow field of a heavy, four-engine, commercial, jet transport airplane in the final-approach configuration. The encounters were conducted with fixed controls and with a pilot using a state-of-the-art, manual-control system. Piloted encounters with the base-line vortex flow field out of ground effect (unattenuated) resulted in initial bank-angle excursions greater than 40 deg, coupled with initial sideslip-angle excursions greater than 10 deg. The severity of these initial upsets was significantly reduced when the vortex center was moved laterally or vertically away from the flight path of the encountering airplane. Smaller reductions occurred when the flow field was attenuated by the flight spoilers on the generating airplane. The largest reduction in the severity of the initial upsets, however, was from aging in ground effect. The severity of the initial upsets of the following airplane was relatively unaffected by the approach speed. Increasing the lift coefficient of the generating airplane resulted in an increase in the severity of the initial upsets.

Intercrater Plains and Heavily Cratered Terrain - First Encounter

NASA Image and Video Library

2000-01-18

Intercrater plains and heavily cratered terrain typical of much of Mercury outside the area affected by the formation of the Caloris basin are shown in this image taken during the NASA Mariner 10 first encounter with Mercury in 1974.

Use, misuse and extensions of "ideal gas" models of animal encounter.

PubMed

Hutchinson, John M C; Waser, Peter M

2007-08-01

Biologists have repeatedly rediscovered classical models from physics predicting collision rates in an ideal gas. These models, and their two-dimensional analogues, have been used to predict rates and durations of encounters among animals or social groups that move randomly and independently, given population density, velocity, and distance at which an encounter occurs. They have helped to separate cases of mixed-species association based on behavioural attraction from those that simply reflect high population densities, and to detect cases of attraction or avoidance among conspecifics. They have been used to estimate the impact of population density, speeds of movement and size on rates of encounter between members of the opposite sex, between gametes, between predators and prey, and between observers and the individuals that they are counting. One limitation of published models has been that they predict rates of encounter, but give no means of determining whether observations differ significantly from predictions. Another uncertainty is the robustness of the predictions when animal movements deviate from the model's assumptions in specific, biologically relevant ways. Here, we review applications of the ideal gas model, derive extensions of the model to cover some more realistic movement patterns, correct several errors that have arisen in the literature, and show how to generate confidence limits for expected rates of encounter among independently moving individuals. We illustrate these results using data from mangabey monkeys originally used along with the ideal gas model to argue that groups avoid each other. Although agent-based simulations provide a more flexible alternative approach, the ideal gas model remains both a valuable null model and a useful, less onerous, approximation to biological reality.

Clinical encounters between nurses and First Nations women in a Western Canadian hospital.

PubMed

Browne, Annette J

2007-05-01

Based on findings from an ethnographic study, this paper explores the sociopolitical context of nurses' encounters with First Nations women in a Western Canadian hospital. Data were collected using in-depth interviews and participant observation of clinical encounters involving nurses and First Nations women who were in-patients in the hospital. Four themes in the data are discussed: relating across presumed "cultural differences"; constructing the Other; assumptions influencing clinical practice; and responding to routine patient requests. The findings illustrate how discourses and assumptions about Aboriginal people, culture, and presumed differences can become interwoven into routine clinical encounters. These results highlight the importance of analyzing health-care encounters in light of the wider sociopolitical and historical forces that give rise to racialization, culturalism and Othering, and underscore the need for critical awareness of these issues among nurses and other heath-care providers.

Electrostatically Accelerated Encounter and Folding for Facile Recognition of Intrinsically Disordered Proteins

PubMed Central

Ganguly, Debabani; Zhang, Weihong; Chen, Jianhan

2013-01-01

Achieving facile specific recognition is essential for intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) that are involved in cellular signaling and regulation. Consideration of the physical time scales of protein folding and diffusion-limited protein-protein encounter has suggested that the frequent requirement of protein folding for specific IDP recognition could lead to kinetic bottlenecks. How IDPs overcome such potential kinetic bottlenecks to viably function in signaling and regulation in general is poorly understood. Our recent computational and experimental study of cell-cycle regulator p27 (Ganguly et al., J. Mol. Biol. (2012)) demonstrated that long-range electrostatic forces exerted on enriched charges of IDPs could accelerate protein-protein encounter via “electrostatic steering” and at the same time promote “folding-competent” encounter topologies to enhance the efficiency of IDP folding upon encounter. Here, we further investigated the coupled binding and folding mechanisms and the roles of electrostatic forces in the formation of three IDP complexes with more complex folded topologies. The surface electrostatic potentials of these complexes lack prominent features like those observed for the p27/Cdk2/cyclin A complex to directly suggest the ability of electrostatic forces to facilitate folding upon encounter. Nonetheless, similar electrostatically accelerated encounter and folding mechanisms were consistently predicted for all three complexes using topology-based coarse-grained simulations. Together with our previous analysis of charge distributions in known IDP complexes, our results support a prevalent role of electrostatic interactions in promoting efficient coupled binding and folding for facile specific recognition. These results also suggest that there is likely a co-evolution of IDP folded topology, charge characteristics, and coupled binding and folding mechanisms, driven at least partially by the need to achieve fast association kinetics for

The Behavior of Regular Satellites during the Nice Model's Planetary Close Encounters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nogueira, E. C.; Gomes, R. S.; Brasser, R.

2014-10-01

In order to explain the behavior of the regular satellites of the ice planets during the instability phase of the Nice model, we used numerical simulations to investigate the evolution of the satellite systems when these two planets experienced encounters with the gas giants. For the initial conditions we placed an ice planet in between Jupiter and Saturn, according to the evolution of Nice model simulations in a jumping Jupiter scenario (Brasser et al. 2009). We used the MERCURY integrator (Chambers 1999) and we obtained 101 successful runs which kept all planets, of which 24 were jumping Jupiter cases. Subsequently we performed additional numerical integrations in which the ice giant that encountered a gas giant was started on the same orbit but with its regular satellites included. This is done as follows: For each of the 101 basic runs, we save the orbital elements of all objects in the integration at all close encounter events. Then we performed a backward integration to start the system 100 years before the encounter and re-enacted the forward integration with the regular satellites around the ice giant. The final orbital elements of the satellites with respect to the ice planet were used to restart the integration for the next planetary encounter. If we assume that Uranus is the ice planet that had encounters with a gas giant, we considered the satellites Miranda, Ariel, Umbriel, Titania and Oberon with their present orbits. For Neptune we introduced Triton with an orbit with a 15% larger than the actual semi-major axis to account for the tidal decay from the LHB to present time. We also assume that Triton was captured through binary disruption (Agnor and Hamilton 2006, Nogueira et al. 2011) and its orbit was circularized by tides during the 500 million years before the LHB.

Special problems encountering surgical management of large retroperitoneal schwannomas.

PubMed

Theodosopoulos, Theodosios; Stafyla, Vaia K; Tsiantoula, Paraskevi; Yiallourou, Anneza; Marinis, Athanasios; Kondi-Pafitis, Agathi; Chatziioannou, Achilleas; Boviatsis, Efstathios; Voros, Dionysios

2008-10-03

Retroperitoneal schwannomas are rare, usually benign tumors that originate in the neural sheath and account for only a small percentage of retroperitoneal tumors. The aim of this clinical study is to present our experience in managing retroperitoneal schwannomas with a review of the current literature and to point out the surgical technical difficulties we faced, due to the tumor's strange behavior that eroded the vertebra in two cases without causing malignant invasion. We reviewed the medical files of 69 patients treated in our department for retroperitoneal tumors from January 1991 until December 2006. Five patients had retroperitoneal schwannomas according to pathology report. There were two male and three female patients, with a mean age of 56 years (range 44-67 years). All patients were asymptomatic and none suffered from von Recklinghausen disease. Imaging workup included ultrasonography, computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging. One patient, after having a non-diagnostic computed tomography fine needle aspiration (CT-FNA), underwent exploratory laparotomy and incisional biopsy that established the diagnosis of schwannoma. After complete excision of the tumors, postoperative course was uneventful in all patients. Tumors' maximum diameter was 12.7 cm (range 7-20 cm). No recurrences were detected during the follow up period (6-75 months). Preoperative establishment of diagnosis is difficult in case of retroperitoneal schwannomas, however close relationship of retroperitoneal tumors with adjacent neural structures in imaging studies should raise a suspicion. Complete surgical resection is the treatment of choice. Histology and Immunohistochemistry confirms the diagnosis.

Mathematical Difficulties and ADHD

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lucangeli, Daniela; Cabrele, Silvia

2006-01-01

Most of the research on academics and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has focused on reading disorders in children with ADHD rather than difficulties in mathematics. In this article, we provide a comprehensive review of studies focusing on students with attention deficit disorders with or without hyperactivity and 1 area of…

Describing knowledge encounters in healthcare: a mixed studies systematic review and development of a classification.

PubMed

Hurst, Dominic; Mickan, Sharon

2017-03-14

Implementation science seeks to promote the uptake of research and other evidence-based findings into practice, but for healthcare professionals, this is complex as practice draws on, in addition to scientific principles, rules of thumb and a store of practical wisdom acquired from a range of informational and experiential sources. The aims of this review were to identify sources of information and professional experiences encountered by healthcare workers and from this to build a classification system, for use in future observational studies, that describes influences on how healthcare professionals acquire and use information in their clinical practice. This was a mixed studies systematic review of observational studies. OVID MEDLINE and Embase and Google Scholar were searched using terms around information, knowledge or evidence and sharing, searching and utilisation combined with terms relating to healthcare groups. Studies were eligible if one of the intentions was to identify information or experiential encounters by healthcare workers. Data was extracted by one author after piloting with another. Studies were assessed using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT). The primary outcome extracted was the information source or professional experience encounter. Similar encounters were grouped together as single constructs. Our synthesis involved a mixed approach using the top-down logic of the Bliss Bibliographic Classification System (BC2) to generate classification categories and a bottom-up approach to develop descriptive codes (or "facets") for each category, from the data. The generic terms of BC2 were customised by an iterative process of thematic content analysis. Facets were developed by using available theory and keeping in mind the pragmatic end use of the classification. Eighty studies were included from which 178 discreet knowledge encounters were extracted. Six classification categories were developed: what information or experience was encountered

Workplace bullying and sleep difficulties: a 2-year follow-up study.

PubMed

Hansen, Ase Marie; Hogh, Annie; Garde, Anne Helene; Persson, Roger

2014-04-01

The aims of the present study were to investigate whether being subjected to bullying and witnessing bullying at the workplace was associated with concurrent sleep difficulties, whether frequently bullied/witnesses have more sleep difficulties than occasionally bullied/witnesses, and whether there were associations between being subjected to bullying or witnessing bullying at the workplace and subsequent sleep difficulties. A total of 3,382 respondents (67 % women and 33 % men) completed a baseline questionnaire about their psychosocial work environment and health. The overall response rate was 46 %. At follow-up 2 years later, 1671 of those responded to a second questionnaire (49 % of the 3,382 respondents at baseline). Sleep difficulties were measured in terms of disturbed sleep, awakening problems, and poor quality of sleep. Bullied persons and witnesses reported more sleep difficulties than those who were neither bullied nor witnesses to bullying at baseline. Frequently bullied/witnesses reported more sleep difficulties than respondents who were occasionally bullied or witnessing bullying at baseline. Further, odds ratios for subsequent sleep difficulties were increased among the occasionally bullied, but not among witnesses. However, the associations weakened when adjusting for sleep difficulties at baseline. Being subjected to occasional bullying at baseline was predictive of subsequent sleep difficulties. Witnessing bullying at baseline did not predict sleep difficulties at follow-up.

78 FR 23623 - Culturally Significant Objects Imported for Exhibition Determinations: “American Encounters...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-04-19

... DEPARTMENT OF STATE [Public Notice 8286] Culturally Significant Objects Imported for Exhibition Determinations: ``American Encounters: Genre Painting and Everyday Life'' SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given of the... exhibition ``American Encounters: Genre Painting and Everyday Life,'' imported from abroad for temporary...

77 FR 26067 - Culturally Significant Objects Imported for Exhibition Determinations: “American Encounters...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-05-02

... DEPARTMENT OF STATE [Public Notice 7866] Culturally Significant Objects Imported for Exhibition Determinations: ``American Encounters: Thomas Cole and the American Landscape'' SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given... objects to be included in the exhibition ``American Encounters: Thomas Cole and the American Landscape...

Hypnosis and Encounter Group Volunteers: A Validation Study of the Sensation-Seeking Scale

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stanton, H. E.

1976-01-01

Individual differences in optimal level of stimulation as operationalized by the Sensation Seeking Scale significantly differentiated volunteers for hypnosis and encounter groups from non-volunteers. This confirmed predictions and extended the findings of previous work regarding encounter group volunteers. (NG)

How do the Polytechnic Students Cope with the Difficulties in Composing Abstracts for Their Final Projects?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Niswatin, C.; Latief, M. A.; Suharyadi, S.

2018-02-01

This research aims to uncover the fact about engineering students in dealing with composing abstracts for their final projects. The research applies a descriptive qualitative quantitative design. The data were collected through questioners involving 104 engineering students, including the alumni at Politeknik Kota Malang, Indonesia. Furthermore, interviews were carried out to explain the details where necessary to support the primary data. It is found that the common problems faced by engineering students include 1) combining words into sentences, 2) identifying the most appropriate technical terms in engineering, and 3) applying grammar in context. To cope with those difficulties they demanded translation application machines, supported by peer-proofreaders. In addition, they considerably engaged personal tutoring with the lectures more than three times.

Patient-provider interaction during medication encounters: A study in outpatient pharmacies in the Netherlands.

PubMed

Koster, Ellen S; van Meeteren, Marijke M; van Dijk, Marloes; van de Bemt, Bart J F; Ensing, Hendrikus T; Bouvy, Marcel L; Blom, Lyda; van Dijk, Liset

2015-07-01

To describe communication between pharmacy staff and patients at the counter in outpatient pharmacies. Both content and communication style were investigated. Pharmaceutical encounters in three outpatient pharmacies in the Netherlands were video-recorded. Videos were analyzed based on an observation protocol for the following information: content of encounter, initiator of a theme and pharmacy staff's communication style. In total, 119 encounters were recorded which concerned 42 first prescriptions, 16 first refill prescriptions and 61 follow-up refill prescriptions. During all encounters, discussion was mostly initiated by pharmacy staff (85%). In first prescription encounters topics most frequently discussed included instructions for use (83%) and dosage instructions (95%). In first refill encounters, patient experiences such as adverse effects (44%) and beneficial effects (38%) were regularly discussed in contrast to follow-up refills (7% and 5%). Patients' opinion on medication was hardly discussed. Pharmacy staff in outpatient pharmacies generally provide practical information, less frequently they discuss patients' experiences and seldom discuss patients' perceptions and preferences about prescribed medication. This study shows there is room for improvement, as communication is still not according to professional guidelines. To implement professional guidelines successfully, it is necessary to identify underlying reasons for not following the guidelines. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Stardust Comet Wild 2 Encounter (Artist's Concept)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2005-01-01

Artist's rendering of the Stardust spacecraft. The spacecraft was launched on February 7, 1999, from Cape Canaveral Air Station, Florida, aboard a Delta II rocket. The primary goal of Stardust is to collect dust and carbon-based samples during its closest encounter with Comet Wild 2 -- pronounced 'Vilt 2' after the name of its Swiss discoverer.

Reading and Spelling Difficulties in the ELT Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gerlach, David

2017-01-01

Learners with reading and/or spelling difficulties (RSD) generally also show severe problems in learning EFL. Taking into consideration several observational and interventional studies, this article illustrates some practical and pragmatic means of identifying RSD, and provides possible solutions when addressing these difficulties in ELT…

Patient difficulty using tablet computers to screen in primary care.

PubMed

Hess, Rachel; Santucci, Aimee; McTigue, Kathleen; Fischer, Gary; Kapoor, Wishwa

2008-04-01

Patient-administered computerized questionnaires represent a novel tool to assist primary care physicians in the delivery of preventive health care. The aim of this study was to assess patient-reported ease of use with a self-administered tablet computer-based questionnaire in routine clinical care. All patients seen in a university-based primary care practice were asked to provide routine screening information using a touch-screen tablet computer-based questionnaire. Patients reported difficulty using the tablet computer after completion of their first questionnaire. Ten thousand nine hundred ninety-nine patients completed the questionnaire between January 2004 and January 2006. We calculated rates of reporting difficulty (no difficulty, some difficulty, or a lot of difficulty) using the tablet computers based on patient age, sex, race, educational attainment, marital status, and number of comorbid medical conditions. We constructed multivariable ordered logistic models to identify predictors of increased self-reported difficulty using the computer. The majority of patients (84%) reported no difficulty using the tablet computers to complete the questionnaire, with only 3% reporting a lot of difficulty. Significant predictors of reporting more difficulty included increasing age [odds ratio (OR) 1.05, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.05-1.05)]; Asian race (OR 2.3, 95% CI 1.8-2.9); African American race (OR 1.4, 95% CI 1.2-1.6); less than a high school education (OR 3.0, 95% CI 2.6-3.4); and the presence of comorbid medical conditions (1-2: OR 1.3, 95% CI 1.2-1.5; > or =3: OR 1.7 95% CI 1.5-2.1). The majority of primary care patients reported no difficulty using a self-administered tablet computer-based questionnaire. While computerized questionnaires present opportunities to collect routine screening information from patients, attention must be paid to vulnerable groups.

Art Therapy with a Child Experiencing Sensory Integration Difficulty. Brief Report

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kearns, Diane

2004-01-01

An increasing number of students diagnosed with difficulties such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and Asperger?s syndrome are being seen in schools. Sensory integration difficulties may be part of the symptomatology of these disorders. These difficulties may result in difficulties with both classroom behaviors and academic performance.…

Impact of sleep difficulty on single and repeated injuries in adolescents.

PubMed

Chau, Kénora

2015-08-01

Injuries are frequent and may be caused by sleep difficulty in youth. This study assessed the impact of sleep difficulty on single and repeated school and out-of-school injuries and the confounding role of socioeconomic factors and school, behaviour and health-related difficulties among adolescents. The study population included 1559 middle-school adolescents from north-eastern France (mean age 13.5, SD 1.3) who completed at the end of school year a self-administered questionnaire to gather school and out-of-school injuries during the school year, and to assess sleep difficulty and previous injury risk factors which were socioeconomic factors (family structure, parents' education, father's occupation, and family income), school performance, obesity, alcohol/tobacco/cannabis/hard drugs use, health status, psychological health, and involvement-in-violence. For sleep difficulty and behaviour and health-related difficulties their first occurring over adolescent's life course was gathered. Multinomial logistic regression models were used retaining only sleep difficulty and other risk factors which had started before the school year (thus before the injuries studied). School and out-of-school injuries and sleep difficulty were frequent. The adolescents with sleep difficulty without medical treatment had a higher risk of single school and out-of-school injuries (gender-age-adjusted odds ratio gaOR 1.86 and 1.76, respectively) and a much higher risk of repeated school and out-of-school injuries (≥2 injuries; gaOR 2.43 and 3.73, respectively). The adolescents with persistent sleep difficulty despite a medical treatment also had a higher risk of single school and out-of-school injury (gaOR 2.31 and 1.78, respectively), and a much higher risk of repeated school and out-of-school injuries (gaOR 4.92 and 4.36, respectively). Socioeconomic factors had a moderate contribution (<27%) while school, behaviour and health-related difficulties had a high contribution (reaching 71

Cultural diversity, democracy and the prospects of cosmopolitanism: a theory of cultural encounters.

PubMed

Delanty, Gerard

2011-12-01

The most appropriate way of theorizing cultural diversity is to situate it in the context of a broader relational theory of culture in which the key dynamic is cultural encounters. The relational conception of culture places the emphasis on the relations between social actors and the processes by which some of these relations generate enduring cultural regularities and forms. This has important implications for political community and in particular for cosmopolitanism. It is in relationships that cultural phenomena are generated and become the basis of different kinds of political community. The paper outlines a typology of six kinds of cultural encounters and discusses four major cultural trends that variously emerge from these encounters. This approach with its emphasis on cultural encounters is the broad sociological context in which questions about cultural change and the prospects of cosmopolitanism should be discussed. © London School of Economics and Political Science 2011.

The difficulties experienced by nurses and healthcare staff involved in the process of breaking bad news.

PubMed

Warnock, Clare; Buchanan, Jean; Tod, Angela Mary

2017-07-01

The aim of this study was to explore the difficulties experienced by nurses and healthcare professionals when engaging in the process of breaking bad news. The challenges faced by staff when breaking bad news have previously been researched in relation to particular settings or participants. This study involved staff from diverse settings and roles to develop broader insights into the range of difficulties experienced in clinical practice. The study used a descriptive survey design involving self-reported written accounts and framework analysis. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire containing a free text section that asked participants to describe a difficult experience they had encountered when involved in the process of breaking bad news. Data were collected from healthcare staff from hospital, community, hospice and care home settings attending training days on breaking bad news between April 2011 and April 2014. Multiple inter-related factors presented challenges to staff engaging in activities associated with breaking bad news. Traditional subjects such as diagnostic and treatment information were described but additional topics were identified such as the impact of illness and care at the end of life. A descriptive framework was developed that summarizes the factors that contribute to creating difficult experiences for staff when breaking bad news. The framework provides insights into the scope of the challenges faced by staff when they engage in the process of breaking bad news. This provides the foundation for developing interventions to support staff that more closely matches their experiences in clinical practice. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Pharmacy users’ expectations of pharmacy encounters: a Q‐methodological study

PubMed Central

Renberg, Tobias; Wichman Törnqvist, Kristina; Kälvemark Sporrong, Sofia; Kettis Lindblad, Åsa; Tully, Mary P.

2010-01-01

Abstract Background  Pharmacy practice is evolving according to general health‐care trends such as increased patient involvement and public health initiatives. In addition, pharmacists strive to find new professional roles. Clients’ expectations of service encounters at pharmacies is an under‐explored topic but crucial to understanding how pharmacy practice can evolve efficiently. Objective  To identify and describe different normative expectations of the pharmacy encounter among pharmacy clients. Methods  Q methodology, an approach to systematically explore subjectivity that retains complete patterns of responses and organizes these into factors of operant subjectivity. Setting and participants  Eighty‐five regular prescription medication users recruited at Swedish community pharmacies and by snowballing. Results  Seven factors of operant subjectivity were identified, and organized into two groups. Factors that emphasized the physical drug product as the central object of the pharmacy encounter were labelled as independent drug shopping; logistics of drug distribution; and supply of individual’s own drugs. Factors that emphasized personal support as desirable were labelled competence as individual support; individualist professional relations, just take care of me; and practical health‐care and lifestyle support. Discussion and conclusions  The systematic Q‐methodological approach yielded valuable insights into how pharmacy clients construct their expectations for service encounters. They hold differentiating normative expectations for pharmacy services. Understanding these varying viewpoints may be important for developing and prioritizing among efficient pharmacy services. Clients’ expectations do not correspond with trends that guide current pharmacy practice development. This might be a challenge for promoting or implementing services based on such trends. PMID:21199199

How Do Providers Assess Antihypertensive Medication Adherence in Medical Encounters?

PubMed Central

Bokhour, Barbara G; Berlowitz, Dan R; Long, Judith A; Kressin, Nancy R

2006-01-01

BACKGROUND Poor adherence to antihypertensives has been shown to be a significant factor in poor blood pressure (BP) control. Providers' communication with patients about their medication-taking behavior may be central to improving adherence. OBJECTIVE The goal of this study was to characterize the ways in which providers ask patients about medication taking. DESIGN Clinical encounters between primary care providers and hypertensive patients were audiotaped at 3 Department of Veterans' Affairs medical centers. PARTICIPANTS Primary care providers (n =9) and African-American and Caucasian patients (n =38) who were diagnosed with hypertension (HTN). APPROACH Transcribed audiotapes of clinical encounters were coded by 2 investigators using qualitative analysis based on sociolinguistic techniques to identify ways of asking about medication taking. Electronic medical records were reviewed after the visit to determine the BP measurement for the day of the taped encounter. RESULTS Four different aspects of asking about medication were identified: structure, temporality, style and content. Open-ended questions generated the most discussion, while closed-ended declarative statements led to the least discussion. Collaborative style and use of lay language were also seen to facilitate discussions. In 39% of encounters, providers did not ask about medication taking. Among patients with uncontrolled HTN, providers did not ask about medications 33% of the time. CONCLUSION Providers often do not ask about medication-taking behavior, and may not use the most effective communication strategies when they do. Focusing on the ways in which providers ask about patients' adherence to medications may improve BP control. PMID:16808739

Difficulty Swallowing After Stroke (Dysphagia)

MedlinePlus

... Stories Stroke Heroes Among Us Difficulty Swallowing After Stroke (Dysphagia) Updated:Nov 15,2016 Excerpted and adapted ... stiffness (spasticity), fatigue and more. Let's Talk About Stroke Fact Sheets Our stroke fact sheets cover treatments, ...

Testing accommodation or modification? The effects of integrated object representation on enhancing geometry performance in children with and without geometry difficulties.

PubMed

Zhang, Dake; Wang, Qiu; Ding, Yi; Liu, Jeremy Jian

2014-01-01

According to the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, geometry and spatial sense are fundamental components of mathematics learning. However, learning disabilities (LD) research has shown that many K-12 students encounter particular geometry difficulties (GD). This study examined the effect of an integrated object representation (IOR) accommodation on the test performance of students with GD compared to students without GD. Participants were 118 elementary students who took a researcher-developed geometry problem solving test under both a standard testing condition and an IOR accommodation condition. A total of 36 students who were classified with GD scored below 40% correct in the geometry problem solving test in the standard testing condition, and 82 students who were classified without GD scored equal to or above 40% correct in the same test and condition. All students were tested in both standard testing condition and IOR accommodation condition. The results from both ANOVA and regression discontinuity (RD) analyses suggested that students with GD benefited more than students without GD from the IOR accommodation. Implications of the study are discussed in terms of providing accommodations for students with mathematics learning difficulties and recommending RD design in LD research. © Hammill Institute on Disabilities 2013.

Medical encounters and exchange in early Canadian missions.

PubMed

Parsons, Chris

2008-01-01

The exchange of medical and pharmaceutical knowledge was an important facet of the encounter between native and newcomer in early Canada. Throughout New France Récollet and Jesuit missionaries were given privileged access both to indigenous peoples and indigenous plants. Curiously, however, when it came to describing medical treatments, it was people, rather than medicinal plants, that were targets of what might be called "the descriptive enterprise." Attempting to divide suspect shamanic remedies from those deemed natural, missionary observers carefully documented the context of medical treatments rather than simply the specific remedy applied for treatment. Using records left by early Canadian missionaries this paper will look at the peculiar character of medical exchange in the missions of seventeenth and eighteenth-century New France to look at the interpersonal encounters that formed a constitutive element of colonial botany and framed the way in which indigenous knowledge was represented to metropolitan audiences.

Index of Naca Technical Publications, June 1953 - May 1954

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1954-01-01

The Preface to the Index of NACA Technical Publications, 1915 - 1949, mentioned that regular supplements would be issued in the future. This is the third such Supplement and covers those documents issued from June 1953 through May 1954. Also included are certain documents dated prior to June 1953 which have been declassified during the period covered by this supplement. Similar arrangement is used in these Indexes. First, there is a classified listing of the subject categories; second, a chronological listing of NACA publications under each subject category; third, an alphabetical index to the subject categories; and finally, an author index. Immediately following this Preface is an Explanatory Chart of NACA Publications Series Designations which may be of use in identifying references to NACA research reports encountered in the literature.

Status of Muslim Immigrants' Children with Learning Difficulties in Vienna

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mohsin, M. Naeem; Shabbir, Muhammad; Saeed, Wizra; Mohsin, M. Saleem

2013-01-01

The study was conducted to know the status of Muslim immigrants' children with learning difficulties and importance of parents' involvement for the education whose children are with learning difficulties, and the factors responsible for the learning difficulties among immigrants' children. There were 81 immigrant children with learning…

Information Hang-Ups; Problems Encountered by Users of the Technical Information Services Offered by DDC and CFSTI, with Recommendations for the Future.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Committee of DDC Users in the Greater Washington, DC. Area, Washington, DC.

A change in policy of the Defense Documentation Center (DDC) with regard to supplying hard copy and/or microforms of reports caused problems to users of the DDC Technical Report Service. Discussions among users of the service, a questionnaire survey and committee reports summarized basic user concerns, provided selected statistics and a look at…

Learning Difficulty and Learner Identity: A Symbiotic Relationship

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hirano, Eliana

2009-01-01

This paper reports on a longitudinal case study of an adult EFL learner who perceived himself as having difficulty learning English. Both learning difficulty and learner identity are viewed as being constructed in discursive interactions throughout one's life and, hence, amenable to reconstruction. Data collected from classroom interactions,…

On stellar encounters and their effect on cometary orbits in the Oort cloud

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Serafin, R. A.; Grothues, H.-G.

2002-03-01

We systematically investigate the encounters between the Sun and neighbouring stars and their effects on cometary orbits in the Oort cloud, including the intrinsic one with the star Gl 710 (HIP 89 825), with some implications to stellar and cometary dynamics. Our approach is principally based on the combination of a Keplerian-rectilinear model of stellar passages and the Hipparcos Catalogue (ESA 1997). Beyond the parameters of encounter, we pay particular attention to the observational errors in parallaxes and stellar velocities, and their propagation in time. Moreover, as a special case of this problem, we consider the collision probability of a star passing very closely to the Sun, taking also into account the mutual gravitational attraction between the stars. In the part dealing with the influence of stellar encounters on the orbital elements of Oort cloud comets, we derive new simple formulae calculating the changes in the cometary orbital elements, expressed as functions of the Jeans impulse formula. These expressions are then applied to calculate numerical values of the element changes caused by close encounters of neighbouring stars with some model comets in the Oort cloud. Moreover, the general condition for an ejection of comets from the cloud effected by a single encounter is derived and discussed.

Working Memory in Students with Mathematical Difficulties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nur, I. R. D.; Herman, T.; Ningsih, S.

2018-04-01

Learning process is the activities that has important role because this process is one of the all factors that establish students success in learning. oftentimes we find so many students get the difficulties when they study mathematics. This condition is not only because of the outside factor but also it comes from the inside. The purpose of this research is to analyze and give the representation how students working memory happened in physical education students for basic statistics subjects which have mathematical difficulties. The subjects are 4 students which have a mathematical difficulties. The research method is case study and when the describe about students working memory are explanated deeply with naturalistic observation. Based on this research, it was founded that 4 students have a working memory deficit in three components. The components are phonological loop, visuospatial sketchpad, dan episodic buffer.

Numerical Magnitude Representation in Children with Mathematical Difficulties with or without Reading Difficulties

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tobia, Valentina; Fasola, Anna; Lupieri, Alice; Marzocchi, Gian Marco

2016-01-01

This study aimed to explore the spatial numerical association of response codes (SNARC), the flanker, and the numerical distance effects in children with mathematical difficulties. From a sample of 720 third, fourth, and fifth graders, 60 children were selected and divided into the following three groups: typically developing children (TD; n =…

Indicators of Late Emerging Reading-Accuracy Difficulties in Australian Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Galletly, Susan A.; Knight, Bruce Allen; Dekkers, John; Galletly, Tracey A.

2009-01-01

Late-emerging reading-accuracy difficulties are those found present in older students not showing reading-accuracy difficulties when tested in earlier years (Leach, Scarborough and Rescorla, 2003). This paper discusses the constructs of reading-accuracy and late-emerging reading-accuracy difficulties. It then discusses data from a cross-sectional…

Assessing College-Level Learning Difficulties and "At Riskness" for Learning Disabilities and ADHD: Development and Validation of the Learning Difficulties Assessment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kane, Steven T.; Walker, John H.; Schmidt, George R.

2011-01-01

This article describes the development and validation of the "Learning Difficulties Assessment" (LDA), a normed and web-based survey that assesses perceived difficulties with reading, writing, spelling, mathematics, listening, concentration, memory, organizational skills, sense of control, and anxiety in college students. The LDA is designed to…

Dyadic Interactions in Service Encounter: Bayesian SEM Approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sagan, Adam; Kowalska-Musiał, Magdalena

Dyadic interactions are an important aspects in service encounters. They may be observed in B2B distribution channels, professional services, buying centers, family decision making or WOM communications. The networks consist of dyadic bonds that form dense but weak ties among the actors.

In "the Event" That Art and Teaching Encounter

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Garoian, Charles R.

2014-01-01

In this writing, I explore the performative correspondences between the complex, disparate, and disjunctive encounters, alliances, and movements that characterize the making of art and the making of teaching that--according to philosophers Deleuze and Guattari--are constituted by the "plane of consistency," "zone of…

Do People With Psychosis Have Specific Difficulties Regulating Emotions?

PubMed

Lincoln, Tania M; Hartmann, Maike; Köther, Ulf; Moritz, Steffen

2015-01-01

Difficulties in emotion regulation (ER) are present in psychotic disorders, but their precise nature is not yet fully understood and it is unclear which difficulties are unique to psychosis compared with other disorders. This study investigated whether ER difficulties in psychosis are more prominent for the ability to modify emotions or for the ability to tolerate and accept them. Furthermore, it investigated whether ER difficulties occur for sadness, anxiety, anger and shame likewise. ER skills were assessed in participants with psychotic disorders (n = 37), participants with depression (n = 30) and healthy controls (n = 28) using the Emotion Regulation Skill Questionnaire that asks participants to rate the intensity of different emotions over the past week and the skills employed to handle each of them. Compared with healthy controls, participants with psychosis showed reduced skills related to awareness, understanding and acceptance of potentially distressing emotions, but not in the ability to modify them. These differences remained significant after controlling for depression. Participants with psychosis showed reduced ER skills in regard to all of the assessed emotions compared with the healthy controls, despite the fact that they only reported sadness as being significantly more intense. The participants with depression showed a similar pattern of ER skills to the psychosis sample, although with a tendency towards even more pronounced difficulties. It is concluded that psychosis is characterized by difficulties in using specific ER skills related to awareness, understanding and acceptance to regulate anger, shame, anxiety and sadness. These difficulties are not unique to psychosis but nevertheless present a promising treatment target. The participants with psychosis found it more difficult to be aware of their emotions, to understand them and to accept them than the healthy control group. However, they reported equal skills when it came to

Sources of Difficulty in L2 Scope Judgments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chung, Eun Seon

2013-01-01

Second language (L2) learners have been found to experience difficulty in tasks that require the integration of discourse-pragmatic properties with syntactic and semantic properties (Sorace and Serratrice, 2009; Tsimpli and Sorace, 2006; Valenzuela, 2006). The present article investigates the sources of L2 difficulty in a phenomenon where multiple…

Analyzing Problem's Difficulty Based on Neural Networks and Knowledge Map

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kuo, Rita; Lien, Wei-Peng; Chang, Maiga; Heh, Jia-Sheng

2004-01-01

This paper proposes a methodology to calculate both the difficulty of the basic problems and the difficulty of solving a problem. The method to calculate the difficulty of problem is according to the process of constructing a problem, including Concept Selection, Unknown Designation, and Proposition Construction. Some necessary measures observed…

Medical students’ perceptions and understanding of their specific learning difficulties

PubMed Central

Abbott, Stephen; Bevere, Grazia; Roberts, Christopher M.

2013-01-01

Objectives The purpose of this study is to explore how medical students with Specific Learning Difficulties perceive and understand their Specific Learning Difficulty and how it has impacted on their experience of medical training. Method A purposive sample of fifteen students from one medical school was interviewed. Framework Analysis was used to identify and organise themes emerging from the data. An interpretation of the data was made capturing the essence of what had been learned. The concept of ‘reframing’ was then used to re-analyse and organise the data. Results Students reported having found ways to cope with their Specific Leaning Difficulty in the past, some of which proved inadequate to deal with the pressures of medical school. Diagnosis was a mixed experience: many felt relieved to understand their difficulties better, but some feared discrimination. Practical support was available in university but not in placement. Students focused on the impact of their Specific Learning Difficulty on their ability to pass undergraduate exams. Most did not contemplate difficulties post-qualification. Conclusions The rigours of the undergraduate medical course may reveal undisclosed Specific Learning Difficulties. Students need help to cope with such challenges, psychologically and practically in both classroom and clinical practice. University services for students with Specific Learning Difficulties should become familiar with the challenges of clinical placements, and ensure that academic staff has access to information about the needs of these students and how these can be met.

The Effects of Alcohol, Relationship Power, and Partner Type on Perceived Difficulty Implementing Condom Use among African American Adults: An Experimental Study

PubMed Central

Woolf-King, Sarah E.; Maisto, Stephen A.

2014-01-01

African American adults are disproportionately affected by HIV in the United States, underscoring the need for additional research on barriers to condom use. Guided by the theory of gender and power, this experimental study used a series of vignettes to test causal hypotheses regarding the influence of event-level alcohol use (present and absent), partner type (serious and casual), and relationship power (low and equal) on perceived difficulty implementing condom use. A total of 299 (151 women and 148 men) heterosexual African American adults indicated how “difficult” it would be to use a condom after reading 8 hypothetical sexual encounters, presented in a random order. A 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 repeated measures analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) with one between subjects factor (gender) and one covariate (condom use self-efficacy) was used to estimate the effects of these variables on an index of perceived difficultly. The women in the study reported significantly higher ratings of difficulty implementing condom use in vignettes characterized by low relationship power (p < .001) and presence of alcohol use (p < .001); the manipulated independent variables did not produce any main effects for men. Both men and women’s ratings of perceived difficulty decreased as condom use self-efficacy increased (p < .001). This is the first study to use an experimental methodology to test hypotheses about barriers to condom use among a community-based sample of African American adults. These data can be used to enhance existing HIV prevention interventions. PMID:25277692

The way we encounter reading material influences how frequently we mind wander.

PubMed

Varao Sousa, Trish L; Carriere, Jonathan S A; Smilek, Daniel

2013-01-01

We examined whether different encounters of reading material influence the likelihood of mind wandering, memory for the material, and the ratings of interest in the material. In a within-subjects design participants experienced three different reading encounters: (1) reading a passage aloud, (2) listening to a passage being read to them, and (3) reading a passage silently. Throughout each reading encounter probes were given in order to identify mind wandering. After finishing the passage participants also rated how interesting it was and completed a content recognition test. Results showed that reading aloud led to the least amount of mind wandering, while listening to the passage led to the most mind wandering. Listening to the passage was also associated with the poorest memory performance and the least interest in the material. Finally, within the silent reading and listening encounters we observed negative relations between mind wandering and both memory performance and interest in the material, replicating previous findings. Taken together, the present findings improve our understanding of the nature of mind wandering while reading, and have potentially important implications for readers seeking to take advantage of the convenience of audiobooks and podcasts.

The way we encounter reading material influences how frequently we mind wander

PubMed Central

Varao Sousa, Trish L.; Carriere, Jonathan S. A.; Smilek, Daniel

2013-01-01

We examined whether different encounters of reading material influence the likelihood of mind wandering, memory for the material, and the ratings of interest in the material. In a within-subjects design participants experienced three different reading encounters: (1) reading a passage aloud, (2) listening to a passage being read to them, and (3) reading a passage silently. Throughout each reading encounter probes were given in order to identify mind wandering. After finishing the passage participants also rated how interesting it was and completed a content recognition test. Results showed that reading aloud led to the least amount of mind wandering, while listening to the passage led to the most mind wandering. Listening to the passage was also associated with the poorest memory performance and the least interest in the material. Finally, within the silent reading and listening encounters we observed negative relations between mind wandering and both memory performance and interest in the material, replicating previous findings. Taken together, the present findings improve our understanding of the nature of mind wandering while reading, and have potentially important implications for readers seeking to take advantage of the convenience of audiobooks and podcasts. PMID:24348444

GASP cloud- and particle-encounter statistics and their application to LFC aircraft studies. Volume 2: Appendixes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jasperson, W. H.; Nastron, G. D.; Davis, R. E.; Holdeman, J. D.

1984-01-01

Summary studies are presented for the entire cloud observation archive from the NASA Global Atmospheric Sampling Program (GASP). Studies are also presented for GASP particle-concentration data gathered concurrently with the cloud observations. Cloud encounters are shown on about 15 percent of the data samples overall, but the probability of cloud encounter is shown to vary significantly with altitude, latitude, and distance from the tropopause. Several meteorological circulation features are apparent in the latitudinal distribution of cloud cover, and the cloud-encounter statistics are shown to be consistent with the classical mid-latitude cyclone model. Observations of clouds spaced more closely than 90 minutes are shown to be statistically dependent. The statistics for cloud and particle encounter are utilized to estimate the frequency of cloud encounter on long-range airline routes, and to assess the probability and extent of laminaar flow loss due to cloud or particle encounter by aircraft utilizing laminar flow control (LFC). It is shown that the probability of extended cloud encounter is too low, of itself, to make LFC impractical. This report is presented in two volumes. Volume I contains the narrative, analysis, and conclusions. Volume II contains five supporting appendixes.

Performance monitoring in obsessive-compulsive undergraduates: Effects of task difficulty.

PubMed

Riesel, Anja; Richter, Anika; Kaufmann, Christian; Kathmann, Norbert; Endrass, Tanja

2015-08-01

Both obsessive-compulsive disorder and subclinical obsessive-compulsive (OC) symptoms seem to be associated with hyperactive error-related brain activity. The current study examined performance monitoring in subjects with subclinical OC symptoms using a new task with different levels of difficulty. Nineteen subjects with high and 18 subjects with low OC characteristics performed a random dot cinematogram (RDC) task with three levels of difficulty. The high and low OC groups did not differ in error-related negativity (ERN), correct-related negativity (CRN) and performance irrespective of task difficulty. The amplitude of the ERN decreased with increasing difficulty whereas the magnitude of CRN did not vary. ERN and CRN approached in size and topography with increasing difficulty, which suggests that errors and correct responses are processed more similarly. These results add to a growing number of studies that fail to replicate hyperactive performance monitoring in individuals with OC symptoms in task with higher difficulty or requiring learning. Together with these findings our results suggest that the relationship between OC symptoms and performance monitoring may be sensitive to type of task and task characteristics and cannot be observed in a RDC that differs from typically used tasks in difficulty and the amount of response-conflict. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A Comparison of Three Test Formats to Assess Word Difficulty

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Culligan, Brent

2015-01-01

This study compared three common vocabulary test formats, the Yes/No test, the Vocabulary Knowledge Scale (VKS), and the Vocabulary Levels Test (VLT), as measures of vocabulary difficulty. Vocabulary difficulty was defined as the item difficulty estimated through Item Response Theory (IRT) analysis. Three tests were given to 165 Japanese students,…

Statistical Approaches to the Study of Item Difficulty.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Olson, John F.; And Others

Traditionally, item difficulty has been defined in terms of the performance of examinees. For test development purposes, a more useful concept would be some kind of intrinsic item difficulty, defined in terms of the item's content, context, or characteristics and the task demands set by the item. In this investigation, the measurement literature…

A technical case report on use of tubular retractors for anterior cervical spine surgery.

PubMed

Kulkarni, Arvind G; Patel, Ankit; Ankith, N V

2017-12-19

The authors put-forth this technical report to establish the feasibility of performing an anterior cervical corpectomy and fusion (ACCF) and a two-level anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) using a minimally invasive approach with tubular retractors. First case: cervical spondylotic myelopathy secondary to a large postero-inferiorly migrated disc treated with corpectomy and reconstruction with a mesh cage and locking plate. Second case: cervical disc herniation with radiculopathy treated with a two-level ACDF. Both cases were operated with minimally invasive approach with tubular retractor using a single incision. Technical aspects and clinical outcomes have been reported. No intra or post-operative complications were encountered. Intra-operative blood loss was negligible. The patients had a cosmetic scar on healing. Standard procedure of placement of tubular retractors is sufficient for adequate surgical exposure with minimal invasiveness. Minimally invasive approach to anterior cervical spine with tubular retractors is feasible. This is the first report on use of minimally invasive approach for ACCF and two-level ACDF.

Line drawing of the Galileo spacecraft's encounters on its way to Jupiter

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1989-01-01

Line drawing charts the Galileo spacecraft's launch from low Earth orbit and its three planetary and two asteroid encounters in the course of its gravity-assisted flight to Jupiter. These encounters include Venus (February 1990), two Earth passes (December 1990 and December 1992), and the asteroids Gaspra and Ida in the asteroid belt. Galileo will release a probe and will arrive at Jupiter, 12-07-95.

Line drawing of the Galileo spacecraft's encounters on its way to Jupiter

NASA Image and Video Library

1989-09-11

Line drawing charts the Galileo spacecraft's launch from low Earth orbit and its three planetary and two asteroid encounters in the course of its gravity-assisted flight to Jupiter. These encounters include Venus (February 1990), two Earth passes (December 1990 and December 1992), and the asteroids Gaspra and Ida in the asteroid belt. Galileo will release a probe and will arrive at Jupiter, 12-07-95.

Early Identification of Reading Comprehension Difficulties.

PubMed

Catts, Hugh W; Nielsen, Diane Corcoran; Bridges, Mindy Sittner; Liu, Yi-Syuan

2016-09-01

Most research on early identification of reading disabilities has focused on word reading problems and little attention has been given to reading comprehension difficulties. In this study, we investigated whether measures of language ability and/or response to language intervention in kindergarten uniquely predicted reading comprehension difficulties in third grade. A total of 366 children were administered a battery of screening measures at the beginning of kindergarten and progress monitoring probes across the school year. A subset of children also received a 26-week Tier 2 language intervention. Participants' achievement in word reading was assessed at the end of second grade, and their performance in reading comprehension was measured as the end of third grade. Results showed that measures of language ability in kindergarten significantly added to the prediction of reading comprehension difficulties over and above kindergarten word reading predictors and direct measures of word reading in second grade. Response to language intervention also proved to be a unique predictor of reading comprehension outcomes. Findings are discussed in terms of their relevance for the early identification of reading disabilities. © Hammill Institute on Disabilities 2014.

Simulated spinal cerebrospinal fluid leak repair: an educational model with didactic and technical components.

PubMed

Ghobrial, George M; Anderson, Paul A; Chitale, Rohan; Campbell, Peter G; Lobel, Darlene A; Harrop, James

2013-10-01

In the era of surgical resident work hour restrictions, the traditional apprenticeship model may provide fewer hours for neurosurgical residents to hone technical skills. Spinal dura mater closure or repair is 1 skill that is infrequently encountered, and persistent cerebrospinal fluid leaks are a potential morbidity. To establish an educational curriculum to train residents in spinal dura mater closure with a novel durotomy repair model. The Congress of Neurological Surgeons has developed a simulation-based model for durotomy closure with the ongoing efforts of their simulation educational committee. The core curriculum consists of didactic training materials and a technical simulation model of dural repair for the lumbar spine. Didactic pretest scores ranged from 4/11 (36%) to 10/11 (91%). Posttest scores ranged from 8/11 (73%) to 11/11 (100%). Overall, didactic improvements were demonstrated by all participants, with a mean improvement between pre- and posttest scores of 1.17 (18.5%; P = .02). The technical component consisted of 11 durotomy closures by 6 participants, where 4 participants performed multiple durotomies. Mean time to closure of the durotomy ranged from 490 to 546 seconds in the first and second closures, respectively (P = .66), whereby the median leak rate improved from 14 to 7 (P = .34). There were also demonstrative technical improvements by all. Simulated spinal dura mater repair appears to be a potentially valuable tool in the education of neurosurgery residents. The combination of a didactic and technical assessment appears to be synergistic in terms of educational development.

Physician assistant program education on spirituality and religion in patient encounters.

PubMed

Berg, Gina M; Whitney, Melissa P; Wentling, Callie J; Hervey, Ashley M; Nyberg, Sue

2013-01-01

To describe educational practices of physician assistant (PA) programs regarding spirituality and religion discussions during patient encounters. Patients want their health care provider to be aware of their spiritual and religious beliefs. This topic is addressed in physician and nursing education but may not be included in PA programs. Data regarding curriculum were collected via electronic survey emailed to 143 PA programs across the United States. Thirty-eight programs responded for a response rate of 27%. Most (68.4%) program respondents reported students' desire to be trained to discuss spirituality and religion, yet 36.8% do not offer this training. Just over half (69.2%) would consider adding curriculum to teach students to discuss spirituality, but the majority (92.3%) would not add curriculum to discuss religion during patient encounters. PA programs offer training to discuss spirituality in patient encounters but not to discuss religiosity. Programs may want to consider adding some curriculum to increase PAs awareness of spirituality and religion needs of patients.

Inter-rater Agreement of End-of-shift Evaluations Based on a Single Encounter

PubMed Central

Warrington, Steven; Beeson, Michael; Bradford, Amber

2017-01-01

Introduction End-of-shift evaluation (ESE) forms, also known as daily encounter cards, represent a subset of encounter-based assessment forms. Encounter cards have become prevalent for formative evaluation, with some suggesting a potential for summative evaluation. Our objective was to evaluate the inter-rater agreement of ESE forms using a single scripted encounter at a conference of emergency medicine (EM) educators. Methods Following institutional review board exemption, we created a scripted video simulating an encounter between an intern and a patient with an ankle injury. That video was shown during a lecture at the Council of EM Residency Director’s Academic Assembly with attendees asked to evaluate the “resident” using one of eight possible ESE forms randomly distributed. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the results with Fleiss’ kappa to evaluate inter-rater agreement. Results Most of the 324 respondents were leadership in residency programs (66%), with a range of 29–47 responses per evaluation form. Few individuals (5%) felt they were experts in assessing residents based on EM milestones. Fleiss’ kappa ranged from 0.157 – 0.308 and did not perform much better in two post-hoc subgroup analyses. Conclusion The kappa ranges found show only slight to fair inter-rater agreement and raise concerns about the use of ESE forms in assessment of EM residents. Despite limitations present in this study, these results and a lack of other studies on inter-rater agreement of encounter cards should prompt further studies of such methods of assessment. Additionally, EM educators should focus research on methods to improve inter-rater agreement of ESE forms or other evaluating other methods of assessment of EM residents. PMID:28435505

Beyond cultural competency: Bourdieu, patients and clinical encounters.

PubMed

Lo, Ming-Cheng M; Stacey, Clare L

2008-07-01

In response to widely documented racial and ethnic disparities in health, clinicians and public health advocates have taken great strides to implement 'culturally competent' care. While laudable, this important policy and intellectual endeavour has suffered from a lack of conceptual clarity and rigour. This paper develops a more careful conceptual model for understanding the role of culture in the clinical encounter, paying particular attention to the relationship between culture, contexts and social structures. Linking Bourdieu's (1977) notion of 'habitus' and William Sewell's (1992) axioms of multiple and intersecting structures, we theorise patient culture in terms of 'hybrid habitus'. This conceptualisation of patient culture highlights three analytical dimensions: the multiplicity of schemas and resources available to patients, their specific patterns of integration and application in specific contexts, and the constitutive role of clinical encounters. The paper concludes with a discussion of directions for future research as well as reforms of cultural competency training courses.

Voyager Saturn encounter attitude and articulation control experience

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Carlisle, G.; Hill, M.

1981-01-01

The Voyager attitude and articulation control system is designed for a three-axis stabilized spacecraft; it uses a biasable sun sensor and a Canopus Star Tracker (CST) for celestial control, as well as a dry inertial reference unit, comprised of three dual-axis dry gryos, for inertial control. A series of complex maneuvers was required during the first of two Voyager spacecraft encounters with Saturn (November 13, 1980); these maneuvers involved rotating the spacecraft simultaneously about two or three axes while maintaining accurate pointing of the scan platform. Titan and Saturn earth occulation experiments and a ring scattering experiment are described. Target motion compensation and the effects of celestial sensor interference are also considered. Failure of the CST, which required an extensive reevaluation of the star reference and attitude control mode strategy, is discussed. Results analyzed thus far show that the system performed with high accuracy, gathering data deeper into Saturn's atmosphere than on any previous planetary encounter.

STELLAR ENCOUNTER RATE IN GALACTIC GLOBULAR CLUSTERS

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

Bahramian, Arash; Heinke, Craig O.; Sivakoff, Gregory R.

2013-04-01

The high stellar densities in the cores of globular clusters cause significant stellar interactions. These stellar interactions can produce close binary mass-transferring systems involving compact objects and their progeny, such as X-ray binaries and radio millisecond pulsars. Comparing the numbers of these systems and interaction rates in different clusters drives our understanding of how cluster parameters affect the production of close binaries. In this paper we estimate stellar encounter rates ({Gamma}) for 124 Galactic globular clusters based on observational data as opposed to the methods previously employed, which assumed 'King-model' profiles for all clusters. By deprojecting cluster surface brightness profilesmore » to estimate luminosity density profiles, we treat 'King-model' and 'core-collapsed' clusters in the same way. In addition, we use Monte Carlo simulations to investigate the effects of uncertainties in various observational parameters (distance, reddening, surface brightness) on {Gamma}, producing the first catalog of globular cluster stellar encounter rates with estimated errors. Comparing our results with published observations of likely products of stellar interactions (numbers of X-ray binaries, numbers of radio millisecond pulsars, and {gamma}-ray luminosity) we find both clear correlations and some differences with published results.« less

Application of Close Encounters in Determining the Masses of Asteroids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tang, H. J.; Li, F.; Fu, Y. N.

2017-11-01

Asteroids are important part of the solar system. So far, the number of known asteroids is more than seven hundred thousand, and the total number is probably more than one million. Among many events of encounters among asteroids, those very close ones can be used to improve the precision of the masses of asteroids. To achieve this, it's necessary to search for the latter events in advance by making an accurate assessment of the effectiveness of an encounter in the mass determination. In this context, the previous dynamical models and assessing indicators are not precise enough. By using a more realistic dynamical model and introducing a properly defined Signal-to-Noise ratio, we are able to estimate the precision of the mass determination based on observations made from the Earth. Moreover, the best observation time span can be quantitatively given, which is useful in collecting observational data and planning further observations. We search systematically for the useful asteroid encounters involving one of the 773 massive asteroids with equivalent diameter larger than 50 km, for which the searched time span is from the year 2000 to 2030.

ACES M and S: Unmitigated Factorial Encounter Study on DAA/TCAS Interoperability

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Thipphavong, David; Cone, Andrew; Park, Chunki; Lee, Seung Man; Santiago, Confesor

2016-01-01

Realization of the expected proliferation of Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) operations in the National Airspace System (NAS) depends on the development and validation of standards for UAS Detect and Avoid (DAA) Systems. The RTCA Special Committee 228 is charged with leading the development of draft Minimum Operational Performance Standards (MOPS) for UAS DAA Systems. NASA, as a participating member of RTCA SC-228 is committed to supporting the development and validation of draft requirements for DAA alerting and guidance systems. This presentation contains the results of two combinatorial encounter analysis studies using NASA's SAA Control fast-time simulation capability for this purpose. In these studies, encounters between two aircraft were simulated one at a time for the full factorial combination of encounter geometries (e.g., encounter angle, CPA offset) and aircraft performance (e.g., ownership and intruder ground speeds and vertical rates). The first study analyzes the relationships (e.g., timeline) between the different alerting-safety regions in the SC-228 MOPS (in order of increasing severity): 1) DAA warning alert, 2) well clear recovery (WCR) guidance, 3) DAA-Collision Avoidance (CA), and 4) TCAS RA. This study will focus primarily on encounter situations in which TCAS RA occurs prior to any of the other alerting-safety boundaries. In particular, this study will investigate whether using vertical distance or vertical distance at closest point of approach (i.e., vertical miss distance or VMD) is more appropriate for the definition of the DAA-CA region. In addition, cases where transitions between different regions skip an intermediate region will be analyzed. The second study in this presentation explores a proposal to use an altitude rate error threshold to determine if vertical maneuvers are acceptable for DAA WCR guidance against non-cooperative intruders. This study incorporates the radar from the Honeywell sensor model and examines a series of

VizieR Online Data Catalog: Stellar encounters with long-period comets (Feng+, 2015)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Feng, F.; Bailer-Jones, C. A. L.

2016-07-01

We have conducted simulations of the perturbation of the Oort cloud in order to estimate the significance of known encounters in generating long-period comets. We collected the data of stellar encounters from three sources: (Bailer-Jones, 2015, Cat. J/A+A/575/A35, hereafter BJ15), Dybczynski & Berski (2015MNRAS.449.2459D), and Mamajek et al. (2015ApJ...800L..17M). Following BJ15, we use the term 'object' to refer to each encountering star in our catalogue. A specific star may appear more than once but with different data, thus leading to a different object. (1 data file).

Impact of Psychosocial Environment on Young Children's Emotional and Behavioral Difficulties.

PubMed

Grazuleviciene, Regina; Andrusaityte, Sandra; Petraviciene, Inga; Balseviciene, Birute

2017-10-24

Objective: The impact of maternal psychosocial stress on young children's mental difficulties is unclear. This study investigated the joint effects of the socioeconomic status and parent-child relationships on emotional and behavioral difficulties in preschool children. Methods: The case-control study included 1416 mothers and their 4-6 year-old children pairs, living in Kaunas city, Lithuania. The parent-child relationships were measured using the Parent-Child Dysfunctional Interaction subscale. Children's mental health difficulties were assessed by the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. We used logistic regression models to indicate the strength of the associations. Results: Lower socioeconomic status women more often than higher ones reported pathological mother-child relations. Low education level was associated with statistically significant increase adjusted odds ratios for emotional symptoms and total behavioral difficulties. With reference to the group of better-educated mothers and normal mother-child relations, low education and pathological mother-child relations statistically significantly increased the risk of total difficulties in 4-6 year-old children; the adjusted odds ratios were 2.45; 95% CI 1.51-3.99. Conclusions: Pathological mother-child relations strengthened the effect of lower education on the increased risk of emotional and behavioral difficulties in preschool-age children. Measures oriented towards health behavior and psychosocial difficulties management may decrease children's emotional and behavioral difficulties.

Emotional Intelligence, Personality Traits and Career Decision Difficulties

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Di Fabio, Annamaria; Palazzeschi, Letizia

2009-01-01

This study aims to take an in-depth look at the role of emotional intelligence and personality traits in relation to career decision difficulties. The Italian version of the Career Decision Difficulties Questionnaire (CDDQ), the Bar-On Emotional Quotient Inventory: Short (Bar-On EQ-i: S), and the Big Five Questionnaire (BFQ) were administered to…

Predator-prey Encounter Rates in Turbulent Environments: Consequences of Inertia Effects and Finite Sizes

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

Pecseli, H. L.; Trulsen, J.

2009-10-08

Experimental as well as theoretical studies have demonstrated that turbulence can play an important role for the biosphere in marine environments, in particular also by affecting prey-predator encounter rates. Reference models for the encounter rates rely on simplifying assumptions of predators and prey being described as point particles moving passively with the local flow velocity. Based on simple arguments that can be tested experimentally we propose corrections for the standard expression for the encounter rates, where now finite sizes and Stokes drag effects are included.

Chariklo vs Chiron: the stability of the rings due to planetary close encounters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sfair, Rafael; Araujo, Rosana; Cabo Winter, Othon

2017-10-01

The surprising discovery of a two well defined rings around the Centaur Chariklo was the first finding of such structures around a small body (Braga Ribas et al., 2014). Since it is known that the centaurs have a short lifetime (up to ten million years) and they experience a large number of encounters with the giant planets, one raises the question whether the rings would survive along the orbital evolution of Chariklo. In a previous work we analyzed through numerical simulations the effects of the close encounters with the giant planets experienced by an ensemble of 729 Chariklo-like objects (Araujo, Sfair & Winter, 2016). Even when considering the most extreme encounters, the most likely result (>90%) is the survival of the ring system without any significant orbital change. Here we intend to broaden our analysis to 2060 Chiron, another Centaur with a presumed ring system (Ortiz et al., 2015). Applying the same method of Araujo, Sfair & Winter (2016), initially we recorded the encounters with the giant planets performed by the clones of Chiron. We first notice Chiron's lifetime is shorter, and the number of encounters it experienced is significantly larger than by Chariklo. As a consequence, the rings of Chiron would be more susceptible to be disrupted by the close approaches with the giant planets. We attribute this dichotomy to the difference of orbital and physical parameters of the two centaurs.

Atmospheric Impacts of a Close Cometary Encounter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aylett, Tasha; Chipperfield, Martyn; Diego Carrillo Sánchez, Juan; Feng, Wuhu; Forster, Piers; Plane, John

2017-04-01

Although a close encounter with a comet is extremely unlikely, a significant perturbation to the flux of Earth-bound dust from a comet's close passage could have huge implications for both the chemistry of the atmosphere and climate. For example, following the close passage of Comet Halley to Earth in A.D. 536, dark skies, reduced day lengths and a protracted global cooling were reported [1], for which an extraterrestrial disturbance is likely to be at least partly responsible. Indeed, the recent encounter of Comet Siding Spring with Mars provided evidence that the risks posed by such an event are significant [2]. We have run sensitivity simulations using the Whole Atmosphere Community Climate Model (WACCM) with an elevated Meteoric Input Function (MIF) to investigate such an encounter - specifically, Comet Halley in A.D. 536. The simple analytical model developed by Moorhead et al. [3] has been incorporated into an atmospheric chemical ablation model to provide the MIF of several meteoric species (Na, Fe, Si, Mg and S) in the mesosphere and lower thermosphere (70-120 km) for input into WACCM. Key effects of this additional input on the chemistry of the upper atmosphere and the metal layers have been explored in the simulations and effects on mesospheric and stratospheric ozone chemistry have been assessed. In addition to any effects on atmospheric chemistry, WACCM will also be used to provide insight into the impacts of a high dust flux on the Earth's climate. References [1] Stothers, R. B. (1984), Mystery Cloud of Ad-536, Nature, 307(5949), 344-345. [2] Schneider, N. M., et al. (2015), MAVEN IUVS observations of the aftermath of the Comet Siding Spring meteor shower on Mars, Geophys Res Lett, 42(12), 4755-4761. [3] Moorhead, A. V., P. A. Wiegert, and W. J. Cooke (2014), The meteoroid fluence at Mars due to Comet C/2013 A1 (Siding Spring), Icarus, 231, 13-21.

Incidence of Norovirus-Associated Medical Encounters among Active Duty United States Military Personnel and Their Dependents.

PubMed

Rha, Brian; Lopman, Benjamin A; Alcala, Ashley N; Riddle, Mark S; Porter, Chad K

2016-01-01

Norovirus is a leading cause of gastroenteritis episodes and outbreaks in US military deployments, but estimates of endemic disease burden among military personnel in garrison are lacking. Diagnostic codes from gastroenteritis-associated medical encounters of active duty military personnel and their beneficiaries from July 1998-June 2011 were obtained from the Armed Forces Health Surveillance Center. Using time-series regression models, cause-unspecified encounters were modeled as a function of encounters for specific enteropathogens. Model residuals (representing unexplained encounters) were used to estimate norovirus-attributable medical encounters. Incidence rates were calculated using population data for both active duty and beneficiary populations. The estimated annual mean rate of norovirus-associated medically-attended visits among active duty personnel and their beneficiaries was 292 (95% CI: 258 to 326) and 93 (95% CI: 80 to 105) encounters per 10,000 persons, respectively. Rates were highest among beneficiaries <5 years of age with a median annual rate of 435 (range: 318 to 646) encounters per 10,000 children. Norovirus was estimated to cause 31% and 27% of all-cause gastroenteritis encounters in the active duty and beneficiary populations, respectively, with over 60% occurring between November and April. There was no evidence of any lag effect where norovirus disease occurred in one population before the other, or in one beneficiary age group before the others. Norovirus is a major cause of medically-attended gastroenteritis among non-deployed US military active duty members as well as in their beneficiaries.

Encounters of aircraft with volcanic ash clouds; A compilation of known incidents, 1953-2009

USGS Publications Warehouse

Guffanti, Marianne; Casadevall, Thomas J.; Budding, Karin

2010-01-01

Information about reported encounters of aircraft with volcanic ash clouds from 1953 through 2009 has been compiled to document the nature and scope of risks to aviation from volcanic activity. The information, gleaned from a variety of published and other sources, is presented in database and spreadsheet formats; the compilation will be updated as additional encounters occur and as new data and corrections come to light. The effects observed by flight crews and extent of aircraft damage vary greatly among incidents, and each incident in the compilation is rated according to a severity index. Of the 129 reported incidents, 94 incidents are confirmed ash encounters, with 79 of those having various degrees of airframe or engine damage; 20 are low-severity events that involve suspected ash or gas clouds; and 15 have data that are insufficient to assess severity. Twenty-six of the damaging encounters involved significant to very severe damage to engines and (or) airframes, including nine encounters with engine shutdown during flight. The average annual rate of damaging encounters since 1976, when reporting picked up, has been approximately 2 per year. Most of the damaging encounters occurred within 24 hours of the onset of ash production or at distances less than 1,000 kilometers from the source volcanoes. The compilation covers only events of relatively short duration for which aircraft were checked for damage soon thereafter; documenting instances of long-term repeated exposure to ash (or sulfate aerosols) will require further investigation. Of 38 source volcanoes, 8 have caused 5 or more encounters, of which the majority were damaging: Augustine (United States), Chaiten (Chile), Mount St. Helens (United States), Pacaya (Guatemala), Pinatubo (Philippines), Redoubt (United States), Sakura-jima (Japan), and Soufriere Hills (Montserrat, Lesser Antilles, United Kingdom). Aircraft have been damaged by eruptions ranging from small, recurring episodes to very large

Visual difficulty and employment status in the world.

PubMed

Harrabi, Hanen; Aubin, Marie-Josee; Zunzunegui, Maria Victoria; Haddad, Slim; Freeman, Ellen E

2014-01-01

Using a world-wide, population-based dataset, we sought to examine the relationship between visual difficulty and employment status. The World Health Survey was conducted in 70 countries throughout the world in 2003 using a random, multi-stage, stratified, cluster sampling design. Far vision was assessed by asking about the level of difficulty in seeing and recognizing a person you know across the road (i.e. from a distance of about 20 meters). Responses included none, mild, moderate, severe, or extreme/unable. Participants were asked about their current job, and if they were not working, the reason why (unable to find job, ill health, homemaker, studies, unpaid work, other). The occupation in the last 12 months was obtained. Multinomial regression was used accounting for the complex survey design. Of those who wanted to work, 79% of those with severe visual difficulty and 64% of those with extreme visual difficulty were actually working. People who had moderate, severe, or extreme visual difficulty had a higher odds of not working due to an inability to find a job and of not working due to ill health after adjusting for demographic and health factors (P<0.05). As the major causes of visual impairment in the world are uncorrected refractive error and cataract, countries are losing a great deal of labor productivity by failing to provide for the vision health needs of their citizens and failing to help them integrate into the workforce.

INDOT Technical Training Plan : [Technical Summary

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2012-01-01

A wide range of job classifications, increasing technical : performance expectations, licensing and certification requirements, : budget restrictions and frequent department : reorganization has made technical training of employees : more difficult, ...

Grassroots Leadership: Encounters with Power Dynamics and Oppression

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kezar, Adrianna

2011-01-01

This article focuses on the nature of power dynamics that faculty and staff grassroots leaders encounter as they attempt to create change. I identified five distinctive types of power dynamics--"oppression," "silencing," "controlling," "inertia," and "micro-aggressions" from the most overt to more subtle and covert forms. Staff experience multiple…

Encounter risk analysis of rainfall and reference crop evapotranspiration in the irrigation district

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Jinping; Lin, Xiaomin; Zhao, Yong; Hong, Yang

2017-09-01

Rainfall and reference crop evapotranspiration are random but mutually affected variables in the irrigation district, and their encounter situation can determine water shortage risks under the contexts of natural water supply and demand. However, in reality, the rainfall and reference crop evapotranspiration may have different marginal distributions and their relations are nonlinear. In this study, based on the annual rainfall and reference crop evapotranspiration data series from 1970 to 2013 in the Luhun irrigation district of China, the joint probability distribution of rainfall and reference crop evapotranspiration are developed with the Frank copula function. Using the joint probability distribution, the synchronous-asynchronous encounter risk, conditional joint probability, and conditional return period of different combinations of rainfall and reference crop evapotranspiration are analyzed. The results show that the copula-based joint probability distributions of rainfall and reference crop evapotranspiration are reasonable. The asynchronous encounter probability of rainfall and reference crop evapotranspiration is greater than their synchronous encounter probability, and the water shortage risk associated with meteorological drought (i.e. rainfall variability) is more prone to appear. Compared with other states, there are higher conditional joint probability and lower conditional return period in either low rainfall or high reference crop evapotranspiration. For a specifically high reference crop evapotranspiration with a certain frequency, the encounter risk of low rainfall and high reference crop evapotranspiration is increased with the decrease in frequency. For a specifically low rainfall with a certain frequency, the encounter risk of low rainfall and high reference crop evapotranspiration is decreased with the decrease in frequency. When either the high reference crop evapotranspiration exceeds a certain frequency or low rainfall does not exceed a

Pedagogical encounters between nurses and patients in a medical ward--a field study.

PubMed

Friberg, F; Andersson, E Pilhammar; Bengtsson, J

2007-05-01

Patient teaching is regarded as an important aspect of nursing care as well as an essential part of the nursing profession. In nursing practice, a distinction can be made between formal (planned) and informal (spontaneous) patient teaching. The major part of patient teaching research is within the area of formal teaching. In spite of the fact that spontaneous teaching occurs in everyday nursing practice, there is a lack of knowledge in this area. The aim was to illuminate pedagogical dimensions in nursing situations and informal teaching. The study is a fieldwork study within the frames of a life-world phenomenological tradition. Fifteen registered nurses in a general medical ward of a university hospital in Sweden were followed in their daily work with patients. Twelve patients suffering from various chronic diseases were interviewed. The observations comprised a total of 173 h on 34 separate occasions. Informal dialogues with nurses were carried through. Further, formal interviews were conducted with 12 of the observed patients. The data were analysed by means of a life-world phenomenological approach. Two different pedagogical encounters are presented: "Players in different field pedagogical encounters", in which there is a breakdown in the pedagogical dialogue, and "Players in same field pedagogical encounters", in which the pedagogical dialogue develops. Patients' experiences of seeking and acquiring knowledge within these two types of encounter are characterised as "worry" versus "preparedness". Patients' dignity is either threatened or supported, depending on the type of encounter. Health care organisations have to create a pedagogical climate where "Same field pedagogical encounters" can be created. The nurse has to view the patient as a learning person in order to help the patient to achieve "preparedness". "Preparedness" is described as a cognitive-emotive-existential state and emphasised as an important goal of patient teaching.

Mariner 10 Venus encounter. [scientific objectives and instruments for flyby observations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dunne, J. A.

1974-01-01

Review of the scientific objectives of the Mariner 10 mission with regard to observations of Venus during a flyby, and description of the equipment installed on the spacecraft to fulfill these objectives. A detailed description is given of the hardware modifications made to the payload specifically for the Venus sequence. In discussing the encounter operations, two spacecraft problems which significantly affected the Venus encounter sequence are cited - namely, a failure of the television optic heaters to come on shortly after launch, and the occurrence of a roll gyro oscillation.

Bringing it all back home: Understanding the medical difficulties encountered by newly released prisoners in New Orleans, Louisiana - a qualitative study.

PubMed

Vail, William Lee; Niyogi, Anjali; Henderson, Norris; Wennerstrom, Ashley

2017-07-01

Formerly incarcerated persons (FIPs) face a disproportionate risk of death and serious illness in the immediate post-release period. Therefore, it is a critical time to initiate community-based care for chronic illnesses and behavioural disorders. Little is known about the unique transitional health and social support needs of FIPs in Louisiana, which has the highest incarceration rate in the world. As the average age of prisoners in the United States rises, the release of older prisoners with chronic conditions will become increasingly common. The aim of this study was to explore the healthcare experiences of FIPs in Louisiana in order to inform delivery of services tailored to this population. This research was done in partnership with a community organisation that advocates for restoration of voting rights to FIPs and helps newly released individuals transition back into society. This organisation identified FIPs in the Greater New Orleans area, and from January to May 2015, we conducted 24 semi-structured, in-person, audio-recorded interviews at the community organisation's transitional living facility. The interviews assessed FIPs' experiences with and barriers to receiving healthcare during and after incarceration. These discussions also explored FIPs' desires for services and attitudes towards health and healthcare. Interviews were transcribed and independently coded by two researchers. Interviewees reported negative experiences with healthcare during incarceration, and limited health guidance during the pre-release process. Post-release concerns included lack of insurance, difficulty accessing care and medication, and interest in learning about healthy lifestyles. Results suggest a need for a formalised system of transitional healthcare for FIPs. Findings are being used to inform a pilot transitional care clinic in New Orleans, Louisiana. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Social Workers' Reflections on the Therapeutic Encounter With Elder Abuse and Neglect.

PubMed

Goldblatt, Hadass; Band-Winterstein, Tova; Alon, Sara

2016-02-24

The aim of this qualitative study was to explore social workers' reflections on their experience of the therapeutic encounter with victims and perpetrators of elder abuse and neglect. The research questions were as follows: How do social workers tune themselves toward the therapeutic encounter with elder abuse? How do they position themselves vis-à-vis the clients? How do social workers describe the meaning of the intervention both for the clients and for themselves? What is the added value of the therapeutic encounter in this field for the social workers? Participants were 17 experienced women social workers, who worked with abusers and with abused and neglected older adults in Israel. Data were collected via in-depth semi-structured interviews, which were later transcribed and content analyzed. Two main themes emerged from the findings, emphasizing two key aspects of the social workers' reflective process experienced during the therapeutic encounter: (a) focus on the client: "This is the journey of their lives"-reflection on the therapeutic "journey"; (b) focus on the social worker's inner and professional world: "'There is nothing to be done' is no longer in my vocabulary"-a personal and professional maturation process. The social workers expressed a positive attitude toward their elder clients. A unique dialogue developed in the therapeutic encounter, whereby the social workers considered any change as valuable if it allowed the elders a sense of control and self-worth, whereas the social workers were enriched by the elders' life experience, and matured both personally and professionally. Thus, both sides benefited from this reciprocal relationship. Implications for further research and practice are discussed. © The Author(s) 2016.

Technical assessment of high energy astronomy Observatory-B (HEAO-B) Attitude Control and and Determination Subsystem (ACDS)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1976-01-01

The HEAO-B ACDS Review Team completed its four month assessment of the technical adequacy of the HEAO-B ACDS. As a result of its detailed analysis of the ACDS, the team found no reason why the ACDS will not perform its specified functions adequately. However, 23 concerns that point to potential difficulties were found and delineated; 18 of these are in the form of review item discrepancies.

Effect of first-encounter pretest on pass/fail rates of a clinical skills medical licensure examination.

PubMed

Roberts, William L; McKinley, Danette W; Boulet, John R

2010-05-01

Due to the high-stakes nature of medical exams it is prudent for test agencies to critically evaluate test data and control for potential threats to validity. For the typical multiple station performance assessments used in medicine, it may take time for examinees to become comfortable with the test format and administrative protocol. Since each examinee in the rotational sequence starts with a different task (e.g., simulated clinical encounter), those who are administered non-scored pretest material on their first station may have an advantage compared to those who are not. The purpose of this study is to investigate whether pass/fail rates are different across the sequence of pretest encounters administered during the testing day. First-time takers were grouped by the sequential order in which they were administered the pretest encounter. No statistically significant difference in fail rates was found between examinees who started with the pretest encounter and those who encountered the pretest encounter later in the sequence. Results indicate that current examination administration protocols do not present a threat to the validity of test score interpretations.

[Difficulties and concerns identified by Puerto Rican youth with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM): their relationship with metabolic control, hopelessness, social support, and depressive symptoms].

PubMed

Rosselló, Jeannette; Maysonet Guzmán, Marielisa

2006-12-01

Insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) is a chronic health condition that affects 18 of every 100,000 Puerto Rican youth. Few research studies have been performed on the problems that youth with diabetes encounter and how they are related to adherence to treatment and adequate metabolic control. Adequate metabolic control is associated with fewer short and long-term medical complications, as well as better quality of life. Adapting to the demands and stressors associated with IDDM and its treatment is a task that can prove to be difficult for youth with diabetes due to having to make adjustments, alterations, and following a prescribed regimen in their daily activities. The main purpose of this investigation was to explore difficulties and worries identified by Puerto Rican youth with IDDM. This study examined whether there is a relationship between difficulties and worries, and adequate metabolic control, hopelessness, social support and depressive symptomatology. One hundred and one youth with IDDM between the ages of 8 and 17 (45 male, 56 female) were evaluated. Analysis of frequencies, correlations, and comparison tests were performed by group (gender, age, diabetes duration, and metabolic control. Results reveal that some of the difficulties identified by Puerto Rican youth with IDDM were: not eating candy and/or cake, self-monitoring blood glucose at school, doing things on time, and waking up early. Among the worries they reported were: insulin reactions and thinking that they might have to go to the hospital.

Using data from an encounter sampler to model fish dispersal

USGS Publications Warehouse

Obaza, A.; DeAngelis, D.L.; Trexler, J.C.

2011-01-01

A method to estimate speed of free-ranging fishes using a passive sampling device is described and illustrated with data from the Everglades, U.S.A. Catch per unit effort (CPUE) from minnow traps embedded in drift fences was treated as an encounter rate and used to estimate speed, when combined with an independent estimate of density obtained by use of throw traps that enclose 1 m2 of marsh habitat. Underwater video was used to evaluate capture efficiency and species-specific bias of minnow traps and two sampling studies were used to estimate trap saturation and diel-movement patterns; these results were used to optimize sampling and derive correction factors to adjust species-specific encounter rates for bias and capture efficiency. Sailfin mollies Poecilia latipinna displayed a high frequency of escape from traps, whereas eastern mosquitofish Gambusia holbrooki were most likely to avoid a trap once they encountered it; dollar sunfish Lepomis marginatus were least likely to avoid the trap once they encountered it or to escape once they were captured. Length of sampling and time of day affected CPUE; fishes generally had a very low retention rate over a 24 h sample time and only the Everglades pygmy sunfish Elassoma evergladei were commonly captured at night. Dispersal speed of fishes in the Florida Everglades, U.S.A., was shown to vary seasonally and among species, ranging from 0.05 to 0.15 m s-1 for small poeciliids and fundulids to 0.1 to 1.8 m s-1 for L. marginatus. Speed was generally highest late in the wet season and lowest in the dry season, possibly tied to dispersal behaviours linked to finding and remaining in dry-season refuges. These speed estimates can be used to estimate the diffusive movement rate, which is commonly employed in spatial ecological models.

Incidence of Norovirus-Associated Medical Encounters among Active Duty United States Military Personnel and Their Dependents

PubMed Central

Rha, Brian; Lopman, Benjamin A.; Alcala, Ashley N.; Riddle, Mark S.; Porter, Chad K.

2016-01-01

Background Norovirus is a leading cause of gastroenteritis episodes and outbreaks in US military deployments, but estimates of endemic disease burden among military personnel in garrison are lacking. Methods Diagnostic codes from gastroenteritis-associated medical encounters of active duty military personnel and their beneficiaries from July 1998–June 2011 were obtained from the Armed Forces Health Surveillance Center. Using time-series regression models, cause-unspecified encounters were modeled as a function of encounters for specific enteropathogens. Model residuals (representing unexplained encounters) were used to estimate norovirus-attributable medical encounters. Incidence rates were calculated using population data for both active duty and beneficiary populations. Results The estimated annual mean rate of norovirus-associated medically-attended visits among active duty personnel and their beneficiaries was 292 (95% CI: 258 to 326) and 93 (95% CI: 80 to 105) encounters per 10,000 persons, respectively. Rates were highest among beneficiaries <5 years of age with a median annual rate of 435 (range: 318 to 646) encounters per 10,000 children. Norovirus was estimated to cause 31% and 27% of all-cause gastroenteritis encounters in the active duty and beneficiary populations, respectively, with over 60% occurring between November and April. There was no evidence of any lag effect where norovirus disease occurred in one population before the other, or in one beneficiary age group before the others. Conclusions Norovirus is a major cause of medically-attended gastroenteritis among non-deployed US military active duty members as well as in their beneficiaries. PMID:27115602

Teacher Diagnosis of Educational Difficulties.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Robert M., Ed.

Seven contributors treat teacher diagnosis of educational difficulties. Robert Smith and John Neisworth review the fundamentals of informal educational assessment; Neisworth describes the educational irrelevance of intelligence; and Smith discusses perceptual motor skills. Also included are James Lister on personal-social-emotional skills, G.…

Beyond Dramatic Truth: Theatre within the Therapeutic Encounter

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pendle, Andy; Rowe, Nick

2010-01-01

Recorded footage of counselling sessions with real clients can be a valuable educational resource that gives training counsellors the opportunity to analyse the theories and practices they encounter in their education. However, the use of such material raises complex ethical issues: what are the safeguards against the misuse of the material? Can…

Engineering Encounters: A House for Chase the Dog

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marrero, Meghan E.; Gunning, Amanda M.; Buonamano, Christina

2016-01-01

From a young age, children encounter different materials and learn color, hardness, texture, and shape. Focusing on observable properties is an engaging way to introduce young children to matter. In this investigation, students use observations and engineering design to decide which material would make the best roof for a doghouse. The authors…

Encountering Education in the Rural: Migrant Women's Perspectives

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mayes, Robyn; McAreavey, Ruth

2017-01-01

This paper explores migrant women's encounters with formal and informal education in what can be termed new immigration rural destinations. We ask to what extent educational opportunities are realized in these new destinations. We show that education aspirations may be jeopardized because of the desire to achieve economic goals and thus require…

[One-hundred fifty English words and expressions in dermatology that present difficulties or pitfalls for translation into Spanish].

PubMed

Navarro, F A

2008-06-01

Every year, thousands of technical neologisms are coined in English and must be rapidly imported into the Spanish language with the utmost precision, clarity, rigor, and linguistic correctness for Spanish to remain useful as a language of culture and learning that allows us to express the medicine of today. In 1999, the author published an extensive Glossary of Doubts in English-Spanish Translation of Dermatology that contained more than 500 words and expressions in dermatology that present difficulties in translation. Nine years later, the original glossary has been extended to include new English words and expressions that were not covered at that time. The author compiles and discusses 150 dermatological neologisms and technical terms in English that present problems for translation into Spanish or generate doubts regarding their use in that language, and offers reasoned proposals for their translation. The proposed translations are well founded and reflect the necessity for accuracy and clarity that should characterize all scientific language. In most cases, they are accompanied by detailed comments on normal usage among physicians, orthographic rules in Spanish, and official guidelines based on standardized nomenclature and the recommendations of the main international organizations.

Self-reported learning difficulties and dietary intake in Norwegian adolescents.

PubMed

Øverby, Nina Cecilie; Lüdemann, Eva; Høigaard, Rune

2013-11-01

The academic performance of children impacts future educational attainment which may increase socioeconomic status which again influences their health. One of several factors that might affect academic performance is the diet. The aim of this study was to investigate the cross sectional relation between diet and self-reported reading-, writing-, and mathematical difficulties in Norwegian adolescents. In total, 475 ninth- and tenth-grade students out of 625 eligible ones from four different secondary schools in three different municipalities in Vest-Agder County, Norway, participated, giving a participation rate of 77%. The students filled in a questionnaire with food frequency questions of selected healthy and unhealthy food items, questions of meal frequency and different learning difficulties. Regular breakfast was significantly associated with decreased odds of both writing and reading difficulties (OR: 0.44 (0.2-0.8), p = 0.01) and mathematical difficulties (OR: 0.33 (0.2-0.6), p ≤ 0.001). In addition, having lunch, dinner and supper regularly were associated with decreased odds of mathematical difficulties. Further, a high intake of foods representing a poor diet (sugar-sweetened soft drinks, sweets, chocolate, savory snacks, pizza and hot dogs) was significantly associated with increased odds of mathematical difficulties. Having a less-frequent intake of unhealthy foods and not skipping meals are associated with decreased odds of self-reported learning difficulties in Norwegian adolescents in this study. The results of this study support the need for a larger study with a more representative sample.

Penguin head movement detected using small accelerometers: a proxy of prey encounter rate.

PubMed

Kokubun, Nobuo; Kim, Jeong-Hoon; Shin, Hyoung-Chul; Naito, Yasuhiko; Takahashi, Akinori

2011-11-15

Determining temporal and spatial variation in feeding rates is essential for understanding the relationship between habitat features and the foraging behavior of top predators. In this study we examined the utility of head movement as a proxy of prey encounter rates in medium-sized Antarctic penguins, under the presumption that the birds should move their heads actively when they encounter and peck prey. A field study of free-ranging chinstrap and gentoo penguins was conducted at King George Island, Antarctica. Head movement was recorded using small accelerometers attached to the head, with simultaneous monitoring for prey encounter or body angle. The main prey was Antarctic krill (>99% in wet mass) for both species. Penguin head movement coincided with a slow change in body angle during dives. Active head movements were extracted using a high-pass filter (5 Hz acceleration signals) and the remaining acceleration peaks (higher than a threshold acceleration of 1.0 g) were counted. The timing of head movements coincided well with images of prey taken from the back-mounted cameras: head movement was recorded within ±2.5 s of a prey image on 89.1±16.1% (N=7 trips) of images. The number of head movements varied largely among dive bouts, suggesting large temporal variations in prey encounter rates. Our results show that head movement is an effective proxy of prey encounter, and we suggest that the method will be widely applicable for a variety of predators.

Percutaneous Coronary Revascularization for Chronic Total Occlusions: A Novel Predictive Score of Technical Failure Using Advanced Technologies.

PubMed

Galassi, Alfredo R; Boukhris, Marouane; Azzarelli, Salvatore; Castaing, Marine; Marzà, Francesco; Tomasello, Salvatore D

2016-05-09

The aims of this study were to describe the 10-year experience of a single operator dedicated to chronic total occlusion (CTO) and to establish a model for predicting technical failure. During the last decade, the interest in percutaneous coronary interventions (PCIs) of chronic total occlusions (CTOs) has increased, allowing the improvement of success rate. One thousand nineteen patients with CTO underwent 1,073 CTO procedures performed by a single CTO-dedicated operator. The study population was subdivided into 2 groups by time period: period 1 (January 2005 to December 2009, n = 378) and period 2 (January 2010 to December 2014, n = 641). Observations were randomly assigned to a derivation set and a validation set (in a 2:1 ratio). A prediction score was established by assigning points for each independent predictor of technical failure in the derivation set according to the beta coefficient and summing all points accrued. Lesions attempted in period 2 were more complex in comparison with those in period 1. Compared with period 1, both technical and clinical success rates significantly improved (from 87.8% to 94.4% [p = 0.001] and from 77.6% to 89.9% [p < 0.001], respectively). A prediction score for technical failure including age ≥75 years (1 point), ostial location (1 point), and collateral filling Rentrop grade <2 (2 points) was established, stratifying procedures into 4 difficulty groups: easy (0), intermediate (1), difficult (2), and very difficult (3 or 4), with decreasing technical success rates. In derivation and validation sets, areas under the curve were comparable (0.728 and 0.772, respectively). With growing expertise, the success rate has increased despite increasing complexity of attempted lesions. The established model predicted the probability of technical failure and thus might be applied to grading the difficulty of CTO procedures. Copyright © 2016 American College of Cardiology Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights

Descriptive study of older adults encountered by crisis intervention team (CIT) law enforcement officers.

PubMed

Tyuse, Sabrina W; Cooper-Sadlo, Shannon; Underwood, Sarah E

2017-01-01

Increasingly, older adults who experience a mental health crisis come to the attention of crisis intervention team (CIT) law enforcement officers. These encounters are due largely to a lack of local mental health care resources. With few options available, individuals call 911 for assistance when an older adult exhibits alarming behavior. This article provides a profile of older adults encountered by CIT officers, identifies the reasons for the 911 call for assistance, and finds what predictors are associated with outcomes of those encounters. We found that these older adults were mostly female, Caucasian, diagnosed with depression, and attempting or threatening suicide.

Measuring verbal communication in initial physical therapy encounters.

PubMed

Roberts, Lisa C; Whittle, Christopher T; Cleland, Jennifer; Wald, Mike

2013-04-01

Communication in clinical encounters is vital in ensuring a positive experience and outcome for both patient and clinician. The purpose of this study was to measure verbal communication between physical therapists and patients with back pain during their initial consultation and trial management of the data using a novel, Web-based application. A cross-sectional study was conducted. Nine musculoskeletal physical therapists and 27 patients with back pain participated in this study. Twenty-five initial consultations were observed, audio recorded, and categorized using the Medical Communications Behavior System. Data were managed using Synote, a freely available application enabling synchronization of audio recordings with transcripts and coded notes. In this sample, physical therapists spoke for 49.5% of the encounter and patients for 33.1%. Providers and patients spent little time overtly discussing emotions (1.4% and 0.9%, respectively). More-experienced clinicians used more "history/background probes," more "advice/suggestion," and less "restatement" than less-experienced staff, although they demonstrated a greater prevalence of talking concurrently and interrupting patients (7.6% compared with 2.6%). Although studies measuring actual behavior are considered to be the gold standard, audio recordings do not enable nonverbal behaviors to be recorded. This study investigated a method for measuring the verbal content of clinical encounters in a physical therapy outpatient setting. The study has directly contributed to developing a research-friendly version of the application (i.e., Synote Researcher). Given the pivotal role of communication in ensuring a positive experience and outcome for both patient and provider, investing time in further developing communication skills should be an on-going priority for providers. Further work is needed to explore affective behaviors and the prevalence of interrupting patients, considering differences in sex and provider

Sleep Difficulty and Disease in a Cohort of Very Old Women.

PubMed

Leigh, Lucy; Hudson, Irene L; Byles, Julie E

2016-09-01

The objective of this study was to investigate the association between chronic diseases and sleep difficulty in older women. A total of 10,721 women from The Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health, aged 70 to 75 years at baseline (1996), who answered sleep questionnaire data over 15 years follow-up, were surveyed. Longitudinal sleep difficulty class was regressed on baseline diseases. Arthritis and heart disease were the strongest predictors of sleep difficulty; odds ratios for belonging to the greatest sleep difficulty class were 2.27 (95% confidence interval [CI] = [1.98, 2.61]) and 1.8 (95% CI [1.5, 2.16], respectively. Bronchitis/emphysema, osteoporosis, asthma, diabetes, and hypertension also predicted greater sleep difficulty. Older women diagnosed with the aforementioned significant diseases may also be at greater risk of sleep difficulty. These women may need counseling or treatment for their sleep difficulty, to prevent depression, cognitive function decline, falls, frailty, and increased mortality, as well as greater risk of nursing home placement, well known to be reinforced by sleep trouble, and the associated health care costs and societal impacts poor sleep quality has for older adults. © The Author(s) 2016.

To regain participation in occupations through human encounters--narratives from women with spinal cord injury.

PubMed

Isaksson, Gunilla; Josephsson, Staffan; Lexell, Jan; Skär, Lisa

2007-11-30

To gain an understanding of how women with spinal cord injury (SCI) experienced human encounters in occupations and how these influenced their participation. The data were collected through two or three in-depth interviews with 13 women (age 25-61 years) with SCI. Data analysis was carried out by using a paradigmatic analysis of narrative data, followed by an interpretation based on a narrative theory. The results showed a complexity where the women's experiences and acting in human encounters changed over time. In these human encounters the women struggled with conflicts, supported other persons that were insecure and revaluated their apprehension about persons in their social network. These multidimensional human encounters thereby enabled them to regain participation in occupations. This shows that human encounters are important for persons with disabilities so they can restructure their occupational identity and their needs for participation in occupations. The study also showed that the use of narratives as a tool within rehabilitation could lead to an increased understanding of the subjective changes that occur over time for a person with a disability.

One-to-One Encounters: Facilitators, Participants, and Friendship

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Higgins, Lee

2012-01-01

In this article, I explore the claim that one-to-one encounters between community music facilitators and music participants can be described as friendships. By exploring the relational structure through the call and the welcome, I make some general comments on friendship before finally tackling the question lying at the heart of this article: How…

Exploring Festival Performance as a State of Encounter

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

O’Grady, Alice; Kill, Rebekka

2013-01-01

This article outlines the activities of the research network "Festival Performance as a State of Encounter", which was funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council as part of the Beyond Text strategic programme. The network was formulated in 2008, and a range of different events were organized over the course of two years to…