Science of Human Measures Workshop: Summary and Conclusions

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-10-01

to human aptitudes, attitudes, knowledge, and skills, but not to mental or physical health. The Army uses human measures to support multiple...activity, and physical health, only 28% of young adults (ages 17–24) are eligible to enlist. When the Armed Forces Qualification Test (AFQT) criteria are...incentives would be effective. In closing, if the Army is going to find ways to access, attract , and retain individuals who are currently ineligible to

Looking Through a Social Lens: Conceptualising Social Aspects of Knowledge Management for Global Health Practitioners.

PubMed

Limaye, Rupali J; Sullivan, Tara M; Dalessandro, Scott; Jenkins, Ann Hendrix

2017-04-13

Knowledge management plays a critical role in global health. Global health practitioners require knowledge in every aspect of their jobs, and in resource-scarce contexts, practitioners must be able to rely on a knowledge management system to access the latest research and practice to ensure the highest quality of care. However, we suggest that there is a gap in the way knowledge management is primarily utilized in global health, namely, the systematic incorporation of human and social factors. In this paper, we briefly outline the evolution of knowledge management and then propose a conceptualization of knowledge management that incorporates human and social factors for use within a global health context. Our conceptualization of social knowledge management recognizes the importance of social capital, social learning, social software and platforms, and social networks , all within the context of a larger social system and driven by social benefit . We then outline the limitations and discuss future directions of our conceptualization, and suggest how this new conceptualization is essential for any global health practitioner in the business of managing knowledge.

45 CFR 150.445 - Evidence.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES REQUIREMENTS RELATING TO HEALTH CARE ACCESS CMS ENFORCEMENT IN GROUP AND INDIVIDUAL INSURANCE MARKETS Administrative Hearings § 150.445 Evidence. (a) The ALJ will... record of compliance, or to show motive, opportunity, intent, knowledge, preparation, identity, or lack...

45 CFR 150.445 - Evidence.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES REQUIREMENTS RELATING TO HEALTH CARE ACCESS CMS ENFORCEMENT IN GROUP AND INDIVIDUAL INSURANCE MARKETS Administrative Hearings § 150.445 Evidence. (a) The ALJ will... record of compliance, or to show motive, opportunity, intent, knowledge, preparation, identity, or lack...

45 CFR 150.445 - Evidence.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES REQUIREMENTS RELATING TO HEALTH CARE ACCESS CMS ENFORCEMENT IN GROUP AND INDIVIDUAL INSURANCE MARKETS Administrative Hearings § 150.445 Evidence. (a) The ALJ will... record of compliance, or to show motive, opportunity, intent, knowledge, preparation, identity, or lack...

45 CFR 150.445 - Evidence.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... Department of Health and Human Services REQUIREMENTS RELATING TO HEALTH CARE ACCESS CMS ENFORCEMENT IN GROUP AND INDIVIDUAL INSURANCE MARKETS Administrative Hearings § 150.445 Evidence. (a) The ALJ will... record of compliance, or to show motive, opportunity, intent, knowledge, preparation, identity, or lack...

45 CFR 150.445 - Evidence.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES REQUIREMENTS RELATING TO HEALTH CARE ACCESS CMS ENFORCEMENT IN GROUP AND INDIVIDUAL INSURANCE MARKETS Administrative Hearings § 150.445 Evidence. (a) The ALJ will... record of compliance, or to show motive, opportunity, intent, knowledge, preparation, identity, or lack...

Knowledge-based load leveling and task allocation in human-machine systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chignell, M. H.; Hancock, P. A.

1986-01-01

Conventional human-machine systems use task allocation policies which are based on the premise of a flexible human operator. This individual is most often required to compensate for and augment the capabilities of the machine. The development of artificial intelligence and improved technologies have allowed for a wider range of task allocation strategies. In response to these issues a Knowledge Based Adaptive Mechanism (KBAM) is proposed for assigning tasks to human and machine in real time, using a load leveling policy. This mechanism employs an online workload assessment and compensation system which is responsive to variations in load through an intelligent interface. This interface consists of a loading strategy reasoner which has access to information about the current status of the human-machine system as well as a database of admissible human/machine loading strategies. Difficulties standing in the way of successful implementation of the load leveling strategy are examined.

Genomics Portals: integrative web-platform for mining genomics data.

PubMed

Shinde, Kaustubh; Phatak, Mukta; Johannes, Freudenberg M; Chen, Jing; Li, Qian; Vineet, Joshi K; Hu, Zhen; Ghosh, Krishnendu; Meller, Jaroslaw; Medvedovic, Mario

2010-01-13

A large amount of experimental data generated by modern high-throughput technologies is available through various public repositories. Our knowledge about molecular interaction networks, functional biological pathways and transcriptional regulatory modules is rapidly expanding, and is being organized in lists of functionally related genes. Jointly, these two sources of information hold a tremendous potential for gaining new insights into functioning of living systems. Genomics Portals platform integrates access to an extensive knowledge base and a large database of human, mouse, and rat genomics data with basic analytical visualization tools. It provides the context for analyzing and interpreting new experimental data and the tool for effective mining of a large number of publicly available genomics datasets stored in the back-end databases. The uniqueness of this platform lies in the volume and the diversity of genomics data that can be accessed and analyzed (gene expression, ChIP-chip, ChIP-seq, epigenomics, computationally predicted binding sites, etc), and the integration with an extensive knowledge base that can be used in such analysis. The integrated access to primary genomics data, functional knowledge and analytical tools makes Genomics Portals platform a unique tool for interpreting results of new genomics experiments and for mining the vast amount of data stored in the Genomics Portals backend databases. Genomics Portals can be accessed and used freely at http://GenomicsPortals.org.

Genomics Portals: integrative web-platform for mining genomics data

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background A large amount of experimental data generated by modern high-throughput technologies is available through various public repositories. Our knowledge about molecular interaction networks, functional biological pathways and transcriptional regulatory modules is rapidly expanding, and is being organized in lists of functionally related genes. Jointly, these two sources of information hold a tremendous potential for gaining new insights into functioning of living systems. Results Genomics Portals platform integrates access to an extensive knowledge base and a large database of human, mouse, and rat genomics data with basic analytical visualization tools. It provides the context for analyzing and interpreting new experimental data and the tool for effective mining of a large number of publicly available genomics datasets stored in the back-end databases. The uniqueness of this platform lies in the volume and the diversity of genomics data that can be accessed and analyzed (gene expression, ChIP-chip, ChIP-seq, epigenomics, computationally predicted binding sites, etc), and the integration with an extensive knowledge base that can be used in such analysis. Conclusion The integrated access to primary genomics data, functional knowledge and analytical tools makes Genomics Portals platform a unique tool for interpreting results of new genomics experiments and for mining the vast amount of data stored in the Genomics Portals backend databases. Genomics Portals can be accessed and used freely at http://GenomicsPortals.org. PMID:20070909

Rise of Human Intelligence: Comments on Howard (1999).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gobet, Fernand; Campitelli, Guillermo; Waters, Andrew J.

2002-01-01

Finds several difficulties with the theory advanced by R. Howard and shows that alternative explanations relating to changes in the chess environment, including increased access to chess knowledge, offer better explanations for the increased presence of young players at top-level chess. (SLD)

Psychology of knowledge representation.

PubMed

Grimm, Lisa R

2014-05-01

Every cognitive enterprise involves some form of knowledge representation. Humans represent information about the external world and internal mental states, like beliefs and desires, and use this information to meet goals (e.g., classification or problem solving). Unfortunately, researchers do not have direct access to mental representations. Instead, cognitive scientists design experiments and implement computational models to develop theories about the mental representations present during task performance. There are several main types of mental representation and corresponding processes that have been posited: spatial, feature, network, and structured. Each type has a particular structure and a set of processes that are capable of accessing and manipulating information within the representation. The structure and processes determine what information can be used during task performance and what information has not been represented at all. As such, the different types of representation are likely used to solve different kinds of tasks. For example, structured representations are more complex and computationally demanding, but are good at representing relational information. Researchers interested in human psychology would benefit from considering how knowledge is represented in their domain of inquiry. For further resources related to this article, please visit the WIREs website. The author has declared no conflicts of interest for this article. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Knowledge Discovery in our World Information Society: Opportunities for the International Polar Year 2007-08

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Berkman, P. A.

2005-12-01

The World Data Center system emerged in 1957-58 with the International Geophysical Year (which was renamed from the 3rd International Polar Year) to preserve and provide access to scientific data collected from observational programs throughout the Earth system. Fast forward a half century ... access to diverse digital information has become effectively infinite and instantaneous with nearly 20,000 petabytes of information produced and stored on print, optical and magnetic media each year; microprocessor speeds that have increased 5 orders of magnitude since 1972; existence of the Internet; increasing global capacity to collect and transmit information via satellites; availability of powerful search engines; and proliferation of data warehouses like the World Data Centers. The problem is that we already have reached the threshold in our world information society when accessing more information does not equate with generating more knowledge. In 2007-08, the International Council of Science and World Meteorological Organization will convene the next International Polar Year to accelerate our understanding of how the polar regions respond to, amplify and drive changes elsewhere in the Earth system (http://www.ipy.org). Beyond Earth system science, strategies and tools for integrating digital information to discover meaningful relationships among the disparate data would have societal benefits from boardrooms to classrooms. In the same sense that human-launched satellites became a strategic focus that justified national investments in the International Geophysical Year, developing the next generation of knowledge discovery tools is an opportunity for the International Polar Year 2007-08 and its affiliated programs to contribute in an area that is critical to the future of our global community. Knowledge is the common wealth of humanity. H.E. Mr. Adama Samassekou President, World Summit on the Information Society

Featured Article: Genotation: Actionable knowledge for the scientific reader

PubMed Central

Willis, Ethan; Sakauye, Mark; Jose, Rony; Chen, Hao; Davis, Robert L

2016-01-01

We present an article viewer application that allows a scientific reader to easily discover and share knowledge by linking genomics-related concepts to knowledge of disparate biomedical databases. High-throughput data streams generated by technical advancements have contributed to scientific knowledge discovery at an unprecedented rate. Biomedical Informaticists have created a diverse set of databases to store and retrieve the discovered knowledge. The diversity and abundance of such resources present biomedical researchers a challenge with knowledge discovery. These challenges highlight a need for a better informatics solution. We use a text mining algorithm, Genomine, to identify gene symbols from the text of a journal article. The identified symbols are supplemented with information from the GenoDB knowledgebase. Self-updating GenoDB contains information from NCBI Gene, Clinvar, Medgen, dbSNP, KEGG, PharmGKB, Uniprot, and Hugo Gene databases. The journal viewer is a web application accessible via a web browser. The features described herein are accessible on www.genotation.org. The Genomine algorithm identifies gene symbols with an accuracy shown by .65 F-Score. GenoDB currently contains information regarding 59,905 gene symbols, 5633 drug–gene relationships, 5981 gene–disease relationships, and 713 pathways. This application provides scientific readers with actionable knowledge related to concepts of a manuscript. The reader will be able to save and share supplements to be visualized in a graphical manner. This provides convenient access to details of complex biological phenomena, enabling biomedical researchers to generate novel hypothesis to further our knowledge in human health. This manuscript presents a novel application that integrates genomic, proteomic, and pharmacogenomic information to supplement content of a biomedical manuscript and enable readers to automatically discover actionable knowledge. PMID:26900164

Featured Article: Genotation: Actionable knowledge for the scientific reader.

PubMed

Nagahawatte, Panduka; Willis, Ethan; Sakauye, Mark; Jose, Rony; Chen, Hao; Davis, Robert L

2016-06-01

We present an article viewer application that allows a scientific reader to easily discover and share knowledge by linking genomics-related concepts to knowledge of disparate biomedical databases. High-throughput data streams generated by technical advancements have contributed to scientific knowledge discovery at an unprecedented rate. Biomedical Informaticists have created a diverse set of databases to store and retrieve the discovered knowledge. The diversity and abundance of such resources present biomedical researchers a challenge with knowledge discovery. These challenges highlight a need for a better informatics solution. We use a text mining algorithm, Genomine, to identify gene symbols from the text of a journal article. The identified symbols are supplemented with information from the GenoDB knowledgebase. Self-updating GenoDB contains information from NCBI Gene, Clinvar, Medgen, dbSNP, KEGG, PharmGKB, Uniprot, and Hugo Gene databases. The journal viewer is a web application accessible via a web browser. The features described herein are accessible on www.genotation.org The Genomine algorithm identifies gene symbols with an accuracy shown by .65 F-Score. GenoDB currently contains information regarding 59,905 gene symbols, 5633 drug-gene relationships, 5981 gene-disease relationships, and 713 pathways. This application provides scientific readers with actionable knowledge related to concepts of a manuscript. The reader will be able to save and share supplements to be visualized in a graphical manner. This provides convenient access to details of complex biological phenomena, enabling biomedical researchers to generate novel hypothesis to further our knowledge in human health. This manuscript presents a novel application that integrates genomic, proteomic, and pharmacogenomic information to supplement content of a biomedical manuscript and enable readers to automatically discover actionable knowledge. © 2016 by the Society for Experimental Biology and Medicine.

Impacts of Permafrost on Infrastructure and Ecosystem Services

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Trochim, E.; Schuur, E.; Schaedel, C.; Kelly, B. P.

2017-12-01

The Study of Environmental Arctic Change (SEARCH) program developed knowledge pyramids as a tool for advancing scientific understanding and making this information accessible for decision makers. Knowledge pyramids are being used to synthesize, curate and disseminate knowledge of changing land ice, sea ice, and permafrost in the Arctic. Each pyramid consists of a one-two page summary brief in broadly accessible language and literature organized by levels of detail including synthesizes and scientific building blocks. Three knowledge pyramids have been produced related to permafrost on carbon, infrastructure, and ecosystem services. Each brief answers key questions with high societal relevance framed in policy-relevant terms. The knowledge pyramids concerning infrastructure and ecosystem services were developed in collaboration with researchers specializing in the specific topic areas in order to identify the most pertinent issues and accurately communicate information for integration into policy and planning. For infrastructure, the main issue was the need to build consensus in the engineering and science communities for developing improved methods for incorporating data applicable to building infrastructure on permafrost. In ecosystem services, permafrost provides critical landscape properties which affect basic human needs including fuel and drinking water availability, access to hunting and harvest, and fish and wildlife habitat. Translating these broad and complex topics necessitated a systematic and iterative approach to identifying key issues and relating them succinctly to the best state of the art research. The development of the knowledge pyramids provoked collaboration and synthesis across distinct research and engineering communities. The knowledge pyramids also provide a solid basis for policy development and the format allows the content to be regularly updated as the research community advances.

A workplace intervention program and the increase in HIV knowledge, perceived accessibility and use of condoms among young factory workers in Thailand.

PubMed

Chamratrithirong, Aphichat; Ford, Kathleen; Punpuing, Sureeporn; Prasartkul, Pramote

2017-12-01

Vulnerability to Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection among factory workers is a global problem. This study investigated the effectiveness of an intervention to increase AIDS knowledge, perceived accessibility to condoms and condom use among young factory workers in Thailand. The intervention was a workplace program designed to engage the private sector in HIV prevention. A cross-sectional survey conducted in 2008 to measure program outcomes in factories in Thailand was used in this study. The workplace intervention included the development of policies for management of HIV-positive employees, training sessions for managers and workers, and distribution of educational materials and condoms. A multi-level analysis was used to investigate the effect of HIV/AIDS prevention program components at the workplace on HIV/AIDS knowledge, perceived accessibility to condoms and condom use with regular sexual partners among 699 young factory workers (aged 18-24 years), controlling for their individual socio-demographic characteristics. Interventions related to the management and services component including workplace AIDS policy formulation, condom services programs and behavioral change campaigns were found to be significantly related to increased AIDS knowledge, perceived accessibility to condoms and condom use with regular partners. The effect of the HIV/AIDS training for managers, peer leaders and workers was positive but not statistically significant. With some revision of program components, scaling up of workplace interventions and the engagement of the private sector in HIV prevention should be seriously considered.

What Remains on Your Mind After You Are Done?: Flexible Regulation of Knowledge Accessibility

PubMed Central

Hedberg, Per H.; Higgins, E. Tory

2011-01-01

The accessibility of stored knowledge has been found to decline over time after activation without further stimulation. A special case is goal pursuit; goal-related knowledge remains accessible until goal completion, and then its accessibility declines rapidly. We hypothesized that after goal completion the decline in accessibility of goal-related knowledge would be especially rapid for strong promotion-focused individuals because their motivation to eagerly advance beyond the status quo would make accessibility of this knowledge an irrelevant detriment. We hypothesized an opposite effect for strongly prevention-predominant individuals because their motivation to vigilantly maintain a satisfactory state would make accessibility of this knowledge continually relevant. The results of two studies supported both these predicted moderators of accessibility change. Indeed, we found that for strongly prevention-predominant participants, knowledge accessibility actually increased over time after goal completion. We discuss how even basic cognitive mechanisms, like changes in accessibility, can be affected by general motivational concerns. PMID:21765541

45 CFR 158.162 - Reporting of Federal and State taxes.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... designed to cover the costs of providing indigent care or other access to health care throughout the State... health priorities such as advancing health care knowledge through education or research that benefits the... Section 158.162 Public Welfare DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES REQUIREMENTS RELATING TO HEALTH...

45 CFR 158.162 - Reporting of Federal and State taxes.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... designed to cover the costs of providing indigent care or other access to health care throughout the State...) Address Federal, State or local public health priorities such as advancing health care knowledge through... Section 158.162 Public Welfare DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES REQUIREMENTS RELATING TO HEALTH...

Education Technology Success Stories

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

West, Darrell M.; Bleiberg, Joshua

2013-01-01

Advances in technology are enabling dramatic changes in education content, delivery, and accessibility. Throughout history, new technologies have facilitated the exponential growth of human knowledge. In the early twentieth century, the focus was on the use of radios in education. But since then, innovators have seen technology as a way to improve…

Automation in the graphic arts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Truszkowski, Walt

1995-04-01

The CHIMES (Computer-Human Interaction Models) tool was designed to help solve a simply-stated but important problem, i.e., the problem of generating a user interface to a system that complies with established human factors standards and guidelines. Though designed for use in a fairly restricted user domain, i.e., spacecraft mission operations, the CHIMES system is essentially domain independent and applicable wherever graphical user interfaces of displays are to be encountered. The CHIMES philosophy and operating strategy are quite simple. Instead of requiring a human designer to actively maintain in his or her head the now encyclopedic knowledge that human factors and user interface specialists have evolved, CHIMES incorporates this information in its knowledge bases. When directed to evaluated a design, CHIMES determines and accesses the appropriate knowledge, performs an evaluation of the design against that information, determines whether the design is compliant with the selected guidelines and suggests corrective actions if deviations from guidelines are discovered. This paper will provide an overview of the capabilities of the current CHIMES tool and discuss the potential integration of CHIMES-like technology in automated graphic arts systems.

High Altitude Long Endurance (HALE) Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS): Pilot Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2005-01-01

This report summarizes the initial work accomplished by the ACCESS 5 Human System Integration (HSI) team to identify Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) Pilot Knowledge, Skill and Ability (KSA), Training and Medical requirements. To derive this information the following tasks were accomplished: a) Mission and Function analyses were performed; b) Applicable FARs and FAA Advisory Circulars (ACs) were reviewed; c) Meetings were conducted with NASA and FAA Human Factors personnel; d) Surveys were completed by ACCESS 5 HSI Working group UA Pilots; e) Coordination meetings were conducted with the ACCESS 5 Policy IPT. The results of these efforts were used to develop a summary of the current qualifications. for an individual to function as a Pilot In Command (PIC) for UAs currently flown by UNITE companies, to develop preliminary Pilot KSAs for each phase of flight, and to delineate preliminary Pilot Training and Medical requirements. These results are to be provided to the Policy IPT to support their development of recommendations for UA Pilot Rating Criteria, training and medical qualifications. It is expected that the initially an instrument rated pilot will be required to serve as the PIC. However, as operational experience is gained, and automation is applied to accomplish various system functions, it is expected that pilot rating criteria could be lessened.

The morally uncomfortable global drug gap.

PubMed

Cohen-Kohler, J C

2007-11-01

Pharmaceuticals are one of the cornerstones of human development as their rational consumption can reduce morbidity and mortality rates and enhance the quality of life. Pharmaceuticals have curative and therapeutic qualities, so they cannot be considered as ordinary products. In line with this, ensuring public policy fosters access to medicines demands thoughtful and careful consideration, as it is often about whether a patient lives or dies. Despite the flow of international aid for pharmaceuticals, particularly used for the treatment of HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria, there is a morally concerning drug gap globally; the World Health Organization (WHO) notes that one-third of the global population lacks regular access to essential medicines and that in some parts of Asia and Africa these figures are even more severe.(1) But what is troubling is that, despite the knowledge that we live in a world with inequitable access to medicines, we have not examined how we need to put in place policies that not only support drug access but also do not undermine it, which will be addressed later. What is promising, is that slowly, a paradigm shift is taking place. Access to essential medicines is increasingly viewed as a fundamental human right, with international human rights laws placing attendant obligations on states to ensure access.(2, 3) But governments also have to ensure that the policy environment is supportive of access to medicines. And this includes making sure that social policy is not undercut by economic interests.

Near-Earth Asteroids: Destinations for Human Exploration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Barbee, Brent W.

2014-01-01

The Near-Earth Object Human Space Flight Accessible Targets Study (NHATS) is a system that monitors the near-Earth asteroid (NEA) population to identify NEAs whose orbital characteristics may make them potential destinations for future round-trip human space flight missions. To accomplish this monitoring, Brent Barbee (GSFC) developed and automated a system that applies specialized trajectory processing to the orbits of newly discovered NEAs, and those for which we have updated orbit knowledge, obtained from the JPL Small Bodies Database (SBDB). This automated process executes daily and the results are distributed to the general public and the astronomy community. This aids in prioritizing telescope radar time allocations for obtaining crucial follow-up observations of highly accessible NEAs during the critical, because it is often fleeting, time period surrounding the time at which the NEAs are initially discovered.

Simulated Patient Studies: An Ethical Analysis

PubMed Central

Rhodes, Karin V; Miller, Franklin G

2012-01-01

Context In connection with health care reform, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services commissioned a “mystery shopper,” or simulated patient study, to measure access to primary care. But the study was shelved because of public controversy over “government spying” on doctors. Opponents of the study also raised ethical concerns about the use of deception with human subjects without soliciting their informed consent. Methods We undertook an ethical analysis of the use of simulated patient techniques in health services research, with a particular focus on research measuring access to care. Using a case study, we explored relevant methodological considerations and ethical principles relating to deceptive research without informed consent, as well as U.S. federal regulations permitting exceptions to consent. Findings Several relevant considerations both favor and oppose soliciting consent for simulated patient studies. Making research participation conditional on informed consent protects the autonomy of research subjects and shields them from unreasonable exposure to research risks. However, scientific validity is also an important ethical principle of human subjects research, as the net risks to subjects must be justified by the value to society of the knowledge to be gained. The use of simulated patients to monitor access is a naturalistic and scientifically sound experimental design that can answer important policy-relevant questions, with minimal risks to human subjects. As interaction between researchers and subjects increases, however, so does the need for consent. Conclusions As long as adequate protections of confidentiality of research data are in place, minimally intrusive simulated patient research that gathers policy-relevant data on the health system without the consent of individuals working in that system can be ethically justified when the risks and burdens to research subjects are minimal and the research has the potential to generate socially valuable knowledge. PMID:23216428

Digital Libraries: Universal Access to Human Knowledge. Report to the President.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Coordination Office for Information Technology Research and Development, Arlington, VA.

This report to the President and Congress provides an overview of digital libraries. The following related findings are discussed: the full potential of today's digital libraries to support the national challenge transformations has not yet been realized; the federal government can and should do much more to further the science, technology, and…

A University-Community Partnership to Advance Research in Practice Settings: The HUB Research Model

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dulmus, Catherine N.; Cristalli, Maria E.

2012-01-01

Human service organizations are uniquely positioned, given their scope of practice and access to consumers with the widest range of needs to significantly increase the national capacity for research if they were effectively equipped with the knowledge, skills, and funding to integrate research and development into their ongoing organizational…

Facilitation of Function and Manipulation Knowledge of Tools Using Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS).

PubMed

Ishibashi, Ryo; Mima, Tatsuya; Fukuyama, Hidenao; Pobric, Gorana

2017-01-01

Using a variety of tools is a common and essential component of modern human life. Patients with brain damage or neurological disorders frequently have cognitive deficits in their recognition and manipulation of tools. In this study, we focused on improving tool-related cognition using transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS). Converging evidence from neuropsychology, neuroimaging and non- invasive brain stimulation has identified the anterior temporal lobe (ATL) and inferior parietal lobule (IPL) as brain regions supporting action semantics. We observed enhanced performance in tool cognition with anodal tDCS over ATL and IPL in two cognitive tasks that require rapid access to semantic knowledge about the function or manipulation of common tools. ATL stimulation improved access to both function and manipulation knowledge of tools. The effect of IPL stimulation showed a trend toward better manipulation judgments. Our findings support previous studies of tool semantics and provide a novel approach for manipulation of underlying circuits.

Matrix frequency analysis and its applications to language classification of textual data for English and Hebrew

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Uchill, Joseph H.; Assadi, Amir H.

2003-01-01

The advent of the internet has opened a host of new and exciting questions in the science and mathematics of information organization and data mining. In particular, a highly ambitious promise of the internet is to bring the bulk of human knowledge to everyone with access to a computer network, providing a democratic medium for sharing and communicating knowledge regardless of the language of the communication. The development of sharing and communication of knowledge via transfer of digital files is the first crucial achievement in this direction. Nonetheless, available solutions to numerous ancillary problems remain far from satisfactory. Among such outstanding problems are the first few fundamental questions that have been responsible for the emergence and rapid growth of the new field of Knowledge Engineering, namely, classification of forms of data, their effective organization, and extraction of knowledge from massive distributed data sets, and the design of fast effective search engines. The precision of machine learning algorithms in classification and recognition of image data (e.g. those scanned from books and other printed documents) are still far from human performance and speed in similar tasks. Discriminating the many forms of ASCII data from each other is not as difficult in view of the emerging universal standards for file-format. Nonetheless, most of the past and relatively recent human knowledge is yet to be transformed and saved in such machine readable formats. In particular, an outstanding problem in knowledge engineering is the problem of organization and management--with precision comparable to human performance--of knowledge in the form of images of documents that broadly belong to either text, image or a blend of both. It was shown in that the effectiveness of OCR was intertwined with the success of language and font recognition.

A Reporting System to Protect the Human Rights of People Living with HIV and Key Populations.

PubMed

Williamson, R Taylor; Fiscian, Vivian; Olson, Ryan Ubuntu; Poku, Fred Nana; Whittal, Joseph

2017-12-01

People living with HIV and key populations face human rights violations that affect their access to health services, relationships in their communities, housing options, and employment. To address these violations, government and civil society organizations in Ghana developed a discrimination reporting system managed by the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice that links people living with HIV and key populations to legal services. This article presents findings on how Ghanaian stakeholders built this reporting system and discusses preliminary data on its impact. To organize our analysis, we used a conceptual framework that outlines the legal frameworks that protect human rights, the institutions that promote access to justice, and the mechanisms that link people living with HIV and key populations to legal services. Using in-depth interviews, we show that targeted technical assistance increased stakeholders' knowledge of issues that affect people living with HIV and key populations, strengthened these stakeholders' commitment to address discrimination, streamlined case management systems, and improved relationships between civil society and the government. Through case review, we find that most discrimination happens when accessing government services, inside communities and families, and in the workplace. Finally, we describe implications for other human rights commissions that are considering using a reporting system to protect human rights, including using legal frameworks, developing case management systems, and working with civil society.

Lynx: a database and knowledge extraction engine for integrative medicine.

PubMed

Sulakhe, Dinanath; Balasubramanian, Sandhya; Xie, Bingqing; Feng, Bo; Taylor, Andrew; Wang, Sheng; Berrocal, Eduardo; Dave, Utpal; Xu, Jinbo; Börnigen, Daniela; Gilliam, T Conrad; Maltsev, Natalia

2014-01-01

We have developed Lynx (http://lynx.ci.uchicago.edu)--a web-based database and a knowledge extraction engine, supporting annotation and analysis of experimental data and generation of weighted hypotheses on molecular mechanisms contributing to human phenotypes and disorders of interest. Its underlying knowledge base (LynxKB) integrates various classes of information from >35 public databases and private collections, as well as manually curated data from our group and collaborators. Lynx provides advanced search capabilities and a variety of algorithms for enrichment analysis and network-based gene prioritization to assist the user in extracting meaningful knowledge from LynxKB and experimental data, whereas its service-oriented architecture provides public access to LynxKB and its analytical tools via user-friendly web services and interfaces.

Disabled persons' knowledge of HIV prevention and access to health care prevention services in South Africa.

PubMed

Eide, Arne Henning; Schür, Clare; Ranchod, Chitra; Rohleder, Poul; Swartz, Leslie; Schneider, Marguerite

2011-12-01

The main research question in this article is how access to information about HIV/AIDS and level of HIV/AIDS prevention related knowledge are distributed among disabled people, and whether level of knowledge predicts access to HIV/AIDS related services. A survey was carried out among a sample of 285 disabled people from three provinces in South Africa. Analyses of the data revealed that gender and level of education, together with geographical differences, are key predictors for access to information and knowledge about HIV/AIDS among disabled people. For male respondents number of information sources predicts access to voluntary counselling and testing services and HIV testing, while knowledge about prevention predicts access to Voluntary Counselling and Testing centres. Significant gender differences with regards to information, knowledge and access to services highlight the need for gender specific prevention strategies among disabled people.

Knowledge-Based Object Detection in Laser Scanning Point Clouds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boochs, F.; Karmacharya, A.; Marbs, A.

2012-07-01

Object identification and object processing in 3D point clouds have always posed challenges in terms of effectiveness and efficiency. In practice, this process is highly dependent on human interpretation of the scene represented by the point cloud data, as well as the set of modeling tools available for use. Such modeling algorithms are data-driven and concentrate on specific features of the objects, being accessible to numerical models. We present an approach that brings the human expert knowledge about the scene, the objects inside, and their representation by the data and the behavior of algorithms to the machine. This "understanding" enables the machine to assist human interpretation of the scene inside the point cloud. Furthermore, it allows the machine to understand possibilities and limitations of algorithms and to take this into account within the processing chain. This not only assists the researchers in defining optimal processing steps, but also provides suggestions when certain changes or new details emerge from the point cloud. Our approach benefits from the advancement in knowledge technologies within the Semantic Web framework. This advancement has provided a strong base for applications based on knowledge management. In the article we will present and describe the knowledge technologies used for our approach such as Web Ontology Language (OWL), used for formulating the knowledge base and the Semantic Web Rule Language (SWRL) with 3D processing and topologic built-ins, aiming to combine geometrical analysis of 3D point clouds, and specialists' knowledge of the scene and algorithmic processing.

CELLPEDIA: a repository for human cell information for cell studies and differentiation analyses.

PubMed

Hatano, Akiko; Chiba, Hirokazu; Moesa, Harry Amri; Taniguchi, Takeaki; Nagaie, Satoshi; Yamanegi, Koji; Takai-Igarashi, Takako; Tanaka, Hiroshi; Fujibuchi, Wataru

2011-01-01

CELLPEDIA is a repository database for current knowledge about human cells. It contains various types of information, such as cell morphologies, gene expression and literature references. The major role of CELLPEDIA is to provide a digital dictionary of human cells for the biomedical field, including support for the characterization of artificially generated cells in regenerative medicine. CELLPEDIA features (i) its own cell classification scheme, in which whole human cells are classified by their physical locations in addition to conventional taxonomy; and (ii) cell differentiation pathways compiled from biomedical textbooks and journal papers. Currently, human differentiated cells and stem cells are classified into 2260 and 66 cell taxonomy keys, respectively, from which 934 parent-child relationships reported in cell differentiation or transdifferentiation pathways are retrievable. As far as we know, this is the first attempt to develop a digital cell bank to function as a public resource for the accumulation of current knowledge about human cells. The CELLPEDIA homepage is freely accessible except for the data submission pages that require authentication (please send a password request to cell-info@cbrc.jp). Database URL: http://cellpedia.cbrc.jp/

Higher Learning and the Labour Market in a Changing World: Environmental Scan for British Columbia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ministry of Advanced Education, 2008

2008-01-01

In a knowledge-based economy, economic and social well-being depend on the development of human resources, and those with access to education benefit from higher lifetime earnings, lower rates of unemployment and poverty, a greater sense of engagement at work and society, and healthier lifestyles. This environmental scan considers the major…

Collaboration The Key To: Defining Entry Level Competencies for Public Child Welfare Workers Serving Indian Communities.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gonzalez-Santin, Edwin; And Others

The rural environment in which most Indian tribal human service personnel work impedes the access of paraprofessional staff to professional education programs that will enable them to expand their theoretical knowledge, enhance their practical skills, and advance their careers. Each day, child welfare workers encounter complex tasks that require…

Arsenic bio-accessibility and bioaccumulation in aged pesticide contaminated soils: A multiline investigation to understand environmental risk.

PubMed

Rahman, M S; Reichelt-Brushet, A J; Clark, M W; Farzana, T; Yee, L H

2017-03-01

Bio-accessibility and bioavailability of arsenic (As) in historically As-contaminated soils (cattle tick pesticide), and pristine soils were assessed using 3 different approaches. These approaches included human bio-accessibility using an extraction test replicating gastric conditions (in vitro physiologically-based extraction test); an operationally defined bioaccessibility extraction test - 1.0M HCl extraction; and a live organism bioaccumulation test using earthworms. A sequential extraction procedure revealed the soil As-pool that controls bio-accessibility and bioaccumulation of As. Findings show that As is strongly bound to historically contaminated soil with a lower degree of As bio-accessibility (<15%) and bioaccumulation (<9%) compared with freshly contaminated soil. Key to these lower degrees of bio-accessibility and bioaccumulation is the greater fraction of As associated with crystalline Fe/Al oxy-hydroxide and residual phases. The high bio-accessibility and bioaccumulation of freshly sorbed As in pristine soils were from the exchangeable and specifically sorbed As fractions. Arsenic bioaccumulation in earthworms correlates strongly with both the human bio-accessible, and the operationally defined bioavailable fractions. Hence, results suggest that indirect As bioavailability measures, such as accumulation by earthworm, can be used as complementary lines of evidence to reinforce site-wide trends in the bio-accessibility using in vitro physiologically-based extractions and/or operationally defined extraction test. Such detailed knowledge is useful for successful reclamation and management of the As contaminated soils. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Knowledge-based personalized search engine for the Web-based Human Musculoskeletal System Resources (HMSR) in biomechanics.

PubMed

Dao, Tien Tuan; Hoang, Tuan Nha; Ta, Xuan Hien; Tho, Marie Christine Ho Ba

2013-02-01

Human musculoskeletal system resources of the human body are valuable for the learning and medical purposes. Internet-based information from conventional search engines such as Google or Yahoo cannot response to the need of useful, accurate, reliable and good-quality human musculoskeletal resources related to medical processes, pathological knowledge and practical expertise. In this present work, an advanced knowledge-based personalized search engine was developed. Our search engine was based on a client-server multi-layer multi-agent architecture and the principle of semantic web services to acquire dynamically accurate and reliable HMSR information by a semantic processing and visualization approach. A security-enhanced mechanism was applied to protect the medical information. A multi-agent crawler was implemented to develop a content-based database of HMSR information. A new semantic-based PageRank score with related mathematical formulas were also defined and implemented. As the results, semantic web service descriptions were presented in OWL, WSDL and OWL-S formats. Operational scenarios with related web-based interfaces for personal computers and mobile devices were presented and analyzed. Functional comparison between our knowledge-based search engine, a conventional search engine and a semantic search engine showed the originality and the robustness of our knowledge-based personalized search engine. In fact, our knowledge-based personalized search engine allows different users such as orthopedic patient and experts or healthcare system managers or medical students to access remotely into useful, accurate, reliable and good-quality HMSR information for their learning and medical purposes. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A Theory of the Measurement of Knowledge Content, Access, and Learning.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pirolli, Peter; Wilson, Mark

1998-01-01

An approach to the measurement of knowledge content, knowledge access, and knowledge learning is developed. First a theoretical view of cognition is described, and then a class of measurement models, based on Rasch modeling, is presented. Knowledge access and content are viewed as determining the observable actions selected by an agent to achieve…

GENOME-WIDE GENETIC INTERACTION ANALYSIS OF GLAUCOMA USING EXPERT KNOWLEDGE DERIVED FROM HUMAN PHENOTYPE NETWORKS

PubMed Central

HU, TING; DARABOS, CHRISTIAN; CRICCO, MARIA E.; KONG, EMILY; MOORE, JASON H.

2014-01-01

The large volume of GWAS data poses great computational challenges for analyzing genetic interactions associated with common human diseases. We propose a computational framework for characterizing epistatic interactions among large sets of genetic attributes in GWAS data. We build the human phenotype network (HPN) and focus around a disease of interest. In this study, we use the GLAUGEN glaucoma GWAS dataset and apply the HPN as a biological knowledge-based filter to prioritize genetic variants. Then, we use the statistical epistasis network (SEN) to identify a significant connected network of pairwise epistatic interactions among the prioritized SNPs. These clearly highlight the complex genetic basis of glaucoma. Furthermore, we identify key SNPs by quantifying structural network characteristics. Through functional annotation of these key SNPs using Biofilter, a software accessing multiple publicly available human genetic data sources, we find supporting biomedical evidences linking glaucoma to an array of genetic diseases, proving our concept. We conclude by suggesting hypotheses for a better understanding of the disease. PMID:25592582

[Adolescents' knowledge and behavior on sexuality, infectious transmitted diseases, and human papillomavirus vaccination: results of a survey in a French high school].

PubMed

Grondin, C; Duron, S; Robin, F; Verret, C; Imbert, P

2013-08-01

Teenager sexuality is a public health issue. In teenagers attending a high school, we assessed their knowledge and behavior on sexuality, infectious transmitted diseases, human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccination, and cervical cancer. Then in girls, we estimated the anti-HPV vaccination coverage and focused on factors associated with poor knowledge of these topics. This was a knowledge, attitudes, and practices cross-sectional study conducted at the beginning of the 2010-2011 school year in the Saint-Cyr military high school, using an anonymous self-administered questionnaire. Among 669 adolescents (M/F sex-ratio, 2.3; mean age, 17 years [IC 95%, 15-20]), 40% had already had sex and 92% had used contraception. Boys and girls had a poor level of knowledge on infectious transmitted diseases. Regarding knowledge on HPV and cervical cancer, a better level was significantly associated with female gender (P=10(-4)). In multivariate analysis, male gender, age under 18 years, lack of dialogue with parents on these subjects, low socioeconomic status of parents, and absence of health education were significantly associated with poor knowledge on these topics. These data should help healthcare providers better target access and content of sexual health education training. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

From Gutenberg to Open Science: An Unfulfilled Odyssey.

PubMed

Triggle, Chris R; Triggle, David J

2017-02-01

Preclinical Research With the almost global availability of the Internet comes the expectation of universal accessibility to knowledge, including scientific knowledge-particularly that generated by public funding. Currently this is not the case. In this Commentary we discuss access to this knowledge, the politics that govern peer review and publication, and the role of this knowledge as a public good in medicine.  Gutenberg's invention of the printing press in 1440 opened an avenue for the distribution of scholarly information to the entire world. The scientific literature first appeared in 1665 with Le Journal des Sçavans followed in the same year by Philosophical Transactions. Today there are more than 5000 scientific publishing companies, 25,000 journals and 1.5 million articles published/year generating revenue of $25 billion USD.  The European Union and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development have argued for open access (OA) to scientific data for all publicly funded research by 2020 with a similar initiative in the USA via the Fair Access to Science and Technology Research Act (FASTR). However, OA to published science is but one step in this odyssey. If the products of science are not openly available then it can be argued that the norms of science as defined by Merton including "universalism" and "communalism" have yet to be accomplished. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the delivery of medicines to the poor and for rare diseases, the attempts to privatize human genetic information and, not least, dealing with the challenges of antibiotic resistance and new disease pandemics exacerbated by climate change. Drug Dev Res 78 : 3-23, 2017.   © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 The Authors Drug Development Research Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Multiple-choice tests stabilize access to marginal knowledge.

PubMed

Cantor, Allison D; Eslick, Andrea N; Marsh, Elizabeth J; Bjork, Robert A; Bjork, Elizabeth Ligon

2015-02-01

Marginal knowledge refers to knowledge that is stored in memory, but is not accessible at a given moment. For example, one might struggle to remember who wrote The Call of the Wild, even if that knowledge is stored in memory. Knowing how best to stabilize access to marginal knowledge is important, given that new learning often requires accessing and building on prior knowledge. While even a single opportunity to restudy marginal knowledge boosts its later accessibility (Berger, Hall, & Bahrick, 1999), in many situations explicit relearning opportunities are not available. Our question is whether multiple-choice tests (which by definition expose the learner to the correct answers) can also serve this function and, if so, how testing compares to restudying given that tests can be particularly powerful learning devices (Roediger & Karpicke, 2006). In four experiments, we found that multiple-choice testing had the power to stabilize access to marginal knowledge, and to do so for at least up to a week. Importantly, such tests did not need to be paired with feedback, although testing was no more powerful than studying. Overall, the results support the idea that one's knowledge base is unstable, with individual pieces of information coming in and out of reach. The present findings have implications for a key educational challenge: ensuring that students have continuing access to information they have learned.

An evidential approach to problem solving when a large number of knowledge systems is available

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dekorvin, Andre

1989-01-01

Some recent problems are no longer formulated in terms of imprecise facts, missing data or inadequate measuring devices. Instead, questions pertaining to knowledge and information itself arise and can be phrased independently of any particular area of knowledge. The problem considered in the present work is how to model a problem solver that is trying to find the answer to some query. The problem solver has access to a large number of knowledge systems that specialize in diverse features. In this context, feature means an indicator of what the possibilities for the answer are. The knowledge systems should not be accessed more than once, in order to have truly independent sources of information. Moreover, these systems are allowed to run in parallel. Since access might be expensive, it is necessary to construct a management policy for accessing these knowledge systems. To help in the access policy, some control knowledge systems are available. Control knowledge systems have knowledge about the performance parameters status of the knowledge systems. In order to carry out the double goal of estimating what units to access and to answer the given query, diverse pieces of evidence must be fused. The Dempster-Shafer Theory of Evidence is used to pool the knowledge bases.

The first steps towards a de minimus, affordable NEA exploration architecture

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Landis, Rob R.; Abell, Paul A.; Adamo, Daniel R.; Barbee, Brent W.; Johnson, Lindley N.

2013-03-01

The impetus for asteroid exploration is scientific, political, and pragmatic. The notion of sending human explorers to asteroids is not new. Piloted missions to these primitive bodies were first discussed in the 1960s, pairing Saturn V rockets with enhanced Apollo spacecraft to explore what were then called "Earth-approaching asteroids." Two decades ago, NASA's Space Exploration Initiative (SEI) also briefly examined the possibility of visiting these small celestial bodies. Most recently, the US Human Space Flight Review Committee (the second Augustine Commission) suggested that near-Earth objects (NEOs) represent a target-rich environment for exploration via the "Flexible Path" option. However, prior to seriously considering human missions to NEOs, it has become clear that we currently lack a robust catalog of human-accessible targets. The majority of the known NEOs identified by a study team across several NASA centers as "human-accessible" are probably too small and have orbits that are too uncertain to consider mounting piloted expeditions to these small worlds. The first step in developing a comprehensive catalog is, therefore, to complete a space-based NEO survey. The resulting catalog of candidate NEOs would then be transformed into a matrix of opportunities for robotic and human missions for the next several decades and shared with the international community. This initial step of a space-based NEO survey is therefore the linchpin to laying the foundation of a low-risk architecture to venture out and explore these primitive bodies. We suggest such a minimalist framework architecture from (1) extensive ground-based and precursor spacecraft investigations (while applying operational knowledge from science-driven robotic missions), (2) astronaut servicing of spacecraft operating at geosynchronous Earth orbit to retain essential skills and experience, and (3) applying the sum of these skills, knowledge and experience to piloted missions to NEOs.

A Low Risk Strategy for the Exploration of Near-Earth Objects

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Landis, Rob R.

2011-01-01

The impetus for asteroid exploration is scientific, political, and pragmatic. The notion of sending human explorers to asteroids is not new. Piloted missions to these primitive bodies were first discussed in the 1960s, pairing Saturn V rockets with enhanced Apollo spacecraft to explore what were then called "Earth-approaching asteroids." Two decades ago, NASA's Space Exploration Initiative (SEI) also briefly examined the possibility of visiting these small celestial bodies. Most recently, the U.S. Human Space Flight Review Committee (the second Augustine Commission) suggested that near-Earth objects (NEOs) represent a target-rich environment for exploration via the "Flexible Path" option. However, prior to seriously considering human missions to NEOs, it has become clear that we currently lack a robust catalog of human accessible targets. The majority of the NEOs identified by a study team across several NASA centers as "human-accessible" are probably too small and have orbits that are too uncertain to consider mounting piloted expeditions to these small worlds. The first step in developing such a catalog is, therefore, to complete a space-based NEO survey. The resulting catalog of candidate NEOs would then be transformed into a matrix of opportunities for robotic and human missions for the next several decades. This initial step of a space-based NEO survey first is the linchpin to laying the foundation of a low-risk architecture to venture out and explore these primitive bodies. We suggest such a minimalist framework architecture from 1) extensive ground-based and precursor spacecraft investigations (while applying operational knowledge from science-driven robotic missions), 2) astronaut servicing of spacecraft operating at geosynchronous Earth orbit to retain essential skills and experience, and 3) applying the sum of these skills, knowledge and experience to piloted missions to NEOs.

Lynx: a database and knowledge extraction engine for integrative medicine

PubMed Central

Sulakhe, Dinanath; Balasubramanian, Sandhya; Xie, Bingqing; Feng, Bo; Taylor, Andrew; Wang, Sheng; Berrocal, Eduardo; Dave, Utpal; Xu, Jinbo; Börnigen, Daniela; Gilliam, T. Conrad; Maltsev, Natalia

2014-01-01

We have developed Lynx (http://lynx.ci.uchicago.edu)—a web-based database and a knowledge extraction engine, supporting annotation and analysis of experimental data and generation of weighted hypotheses on molecular mechanisms contributing to human phenotypes and disorders of interest. Its underlying knowledge base (LynxKB) integrates various classes of information from >35 public databases and private collections, as well as manually curated data from our group and collaborators. Lynx provides advanced search capabilities and a variety of algorithms for enrichment analysis and network-based gene prioritization to assist the user in extracting meaningful knowledge from LynxKB and experimental data, whereas its service-oriented architecture provides public access to LynxKB and its analytical tools via user-friendly web services and interfaces. PMID:24270788

Language and Content "Integration": The Affordances of Additional Languages as a Tool within a Single Curriculum Space

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cross, Russell

2016-01-01

"Language across the curriculum" has been pivotal in establishing a knowledge base on the role of language for accessing opportunities afforded by the curriculum. Yet, the ubiquity of language "within" all facets of human activity--not least of all the more abstract domains of thinking and relating with others--can easily…

Employing Virtual Humans for Education and Training in X3D/VRML Worlds

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ieronutti, Lucio; Chittaro, Luca

2007-01-01

Web-based education and training provides a new paradigm for imparting knowledge; students can access the learning material anytime by operating remotely from any location. Web3D open standards, such as X3D and VRML, support Web-based delivery of Educational Virtual Environments (EVEs). EVEs have a great potential for learning and training…

2002 Industry Studies: Education

DTIC Science & Technology

2002-01-01

1 EDUCATION ABSTRACT United States schools are better than ever, but they are not assuring competitive advantage . Unequal access to quality...competitive advantage , and promote national security. • Demand for education continues to grow as the US transitions from an industrial to a knowledge... international assessments, pose challenges. With human capital constituting our most critical national resource, a world-class education system is vital to

Creation of an NCI comparative brain tumor consortium: informing the translation of new knowledge from canine to human brain tumor patients

PubMed Central

Mazcko, Christina; Brown, Diane E.; Koehler, Jennifer W.; Miller, Andrew D.; Miller, C. Ryan; Bentley, R. Timothy; Packer, Rebecca A.; Breen, Matthew; Boudreau, C. Elizabeth; Levine, Jonathan M.; Simpson, R. Mark; Halsey, Charles; Kisseberth, William; Rossmeisl, John H.; Dickinson, Peter J.; Fan, Timothy M.; Corps, Kara; Aldape, Kenneth; Puduvalli, Vinay; Pluhar, G. Elizabeth; Gilbert, Mark R.

2016-01-01

On September 14–15, 2015, a meeting of clinicians and investigators in the fields of veterinary and human neuro-oncology, clinical trials, neuropathology, and drug development was convened at the National Institutes of Health campus in Bethesda, Maryland. This meeting served as the inaugural event launching a new consortium focused on improving the knowledge, development of, and access to naturally occurring canine brain cancer, specifically glioma, as a model for human disease. Within the meeting, a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) assessment was undertaken to critically evaluate the role that naturally occurring canine brain tumors could have in advancing this aspect of comparative oncology aimed at improving outcomes for dogs and human beings. A summary of this meeting and subsequent discussion are provided to inform the scientific and clinical community of the potential for this initiative. Canine and human comparisons represent an unprecedented opportunity to complement conventional brain tumor research paradigms, addressing a devastating disease for which innovative diagnostic and treatment strategies are clearly needed. PMID:27179361

Effects of changing sea ice on marine mammals and subsistence hunters in northern Alaska from traditional knowledge interviews.

PubMed

Huntington, Henry P; Quakenbush, Lori T; Nelson, Mark

2016-08-01

Marine mammals are important sources of food for indigenous residents of northern Alaska. Changing sea ice patterns affect the animals themselves as well as access to them by hunters. Documenting the traditional knowledge of Iñupiaq and Yupik hunters concerning marine mammals and sea ice makes accessible a wide range of information relevant to understanding the ecosystem to which humans belong. We interviewed hunters in 11 coastal villages from the northern Bering Sea to the Beaufort Sea. Hunters reported extensive changes in sea ice and weather that have affected the timing of marine mammal migrations, their distribution and behaviour and the efficacy of certain hunting methods. Amidst these changes, however, hunters cited offsetting technological benefits, such as more powerful and fuel-efficient outboard engines. Other concerns included potential impacts to subsistence hunting from industrial activity such as shipping and oil and gas development. While hunters have been able to adjust to some changes, continued environmental changes and increased disturbance from human activity may further challenge their ability to acquire food in the future. There are indications, however, that innovation and flexibility provide sources of resilience. © 2016 The Authors.

Integrating across Episodes: Investigating the Long-term Accessibility of Self-derived Knowledge in 4-Year-Old Children

PubMed Central

Varga, Nicole L.; Stewart, Rebekah A.; Bauer, Patricia J.

2016-01-01

Semantic memory, defined as our store of knowledge about the world, provides representational support for all of our higher order cognitive functions. As such, it is crucial that the contents of semantic memory remain accessible over time. Although memory for knowledge learned through direct observation has been previously investigated, we know very little about the retention of knowledge derived through integration of information acquired across separate learning episodes. The present research investigated cross-episode integration in 4-year-old children. Participants were presented with novel facts via distinct story episodes and tested for knowledge extension through cross-episode integration, as well as for retention of the information over a 1-week delay. In Experiment 1, children retained the self-derived knowledge over the delay, though performance was primarily evidenced in a forced-choice format. In Experiment 2, we sought to facilitate the accessibility and robustness of self-derived knowledge by providing a verbal reminder after the delay. The accessibility of self-derived knowledge increased, irrespective of whether participants successfully demonstrated knowledge of the integration facts during the first visit. The results suggest knowledge extended through integration remains accessible after delays, even in a population in which this learning process is less robust. The findings also demonstrate the facilitative effect of reminders on the accessibility and further extension of knowledge over extended time periods. PMID:26774259

Integration and Cooperation in the Next Golden Age of Human Space Flight Data Repositories: Tools for Retrospective Analysis and Future Planning

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Thomas, D.; Fitts, M.; Wear, M.; VanBaalen, M.

2011-01-01

As NASA transitions from the Space Shuttle era into the next phase of space exploration, the need to ensure the capture, analysis, and application of its research and medical data is of greater urgency than at any other previous time. In this era of limited resources and challenging schedules, the Human Research Program (HRP) based at NASA s Johnson Space Center (JSC) recognizes the need to extract the greatest possible amount of information from the data already captured, as well as focus current and future research funding on addressing the HRP goal to provide human health and performance countermeasures, knowledge, technologies, and tools to enable safe, reliable, and productive human space exploration. To this end, the Science Management Office and the Medical Informatics and Health Care Systems Branch within the HRP and the Space Medicine Division have been working to make both research data and clinical data more accessible to the user community. The Life Sciences Data Archive (LSDA), the research repository housing data and information regarding the physiologic effects of microgravity, and the Lifetime Surveillance of Astronaut Health Repository (LSAH-R), the clinical repository housing astronaut data, have joined forces to achieve this goal. The task of both repositories is to acquire, preserve, and distribute data and information both within the NASA community and to the science community at large. This is accomplished via the LSDA s public website (http://lsda.jsc.nasa.gov), which allows access to experiment descriptions including hardware, datasets, key personnel, mission descriptions and a mechanism for researchers to request additional data, research and clinical, that is not accessible from the public website. This will result in making the work of NASA and its partners available to the wider sciences community, both domestic and international. The desired outcome is the use of these data for knowledge discovery, retrospective analysis, and planning of future research studies.

Policy reform to shift the health and human rights environment for vulnerable groups: the case of Kyrgyzstan's Instruction 417.

PubMed

Beletsky, Leo; Thomas, Rachel; Smelyanskaya, Marina; Artamonova, Irina; Shumskaya, Natalya; Dooronbekova, Aijan; Mukambetov, Aibek; Doyle, Heather; Tolson, Rebecca

2012-12-15

Police activities shape behavior and health outcomes among drug users, sex workers, and other vulnerable groups. Interventions to change the policing of drug consumption and sex work in ways that facilitate public health programming and respect for human rights have included policy reforms, education, and litigation. In 2009, the Kyrgyz government promulgated "Instruction 417," prohibiting police interference with "harm reduction" programs, re-enforcing citizen rights, addressing police occupational safety concerns, and institutionalizing police-public health collaboration. Although ample evidence points to gaps between intended and actual impact of policy and other structural interventions, there is little research on the impact of initiatives designed to align policing, health, and human rights. We conducted a police officer survey to assess links between Instruction 417 knowledge and legal and public health knowledge, attitudes towards harm reduction programs, and intended practices targeting vulnerable groups. In a 319-officer sample, 79% understood key due process regulations, 71.1% correctly characterized law on sex work, 54.3% understood syringe possession law, while only 44.4% reported familiarity with Instruction 417. Most (72.9%) expressed positive attitudes toward condom distribution, while only 56% viewed syringe access favorably. Almost half (44%) agreed that police should refer vulnerable groups to disease prevention programs, but only 20% reported doing so. In multivariate analysis, knowledge of Instruction 417 was associated with significantly better knowledge about (aOR=1.84, 95%CI: 1.12-3.00) and attitudes towards harm reduction programs (aOR=3.81, 95%CI:1.35-10.75), and knowledge of due process for the detention of sex workers (aOR=2.53, 95%CI:1.33-4.80). Younger, junior officers and those in rural areas may not be well-informed about the policy. While reflecting positively on Instruction 417 as a structural approach to aligning policing and public health, this analysis highlights gaps in policy dissemination and calls for further research to assess street-level impact of interventions on the health and human rights environment for vulnerable groups. Copyright © 2012 Beletsky et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/), which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

Synthetic biology between technoscience and thing knowledge.

PubMed

Gelfert, Axel

2013-06-01

Synthetic biology presents a challenge to traditional accounts of biology: Whereas traditional biology emphasizes the evolvability, variability, and heterogeneity of living organisms, synthetic biology envisions a future of homogeneous, humanly engineered biological systems that may be combined in modular fashion. The present paper approaches this challenge from the perspective of the epistemology of technoscience. In particular, it is argued that synthetic-biological artifacts lend themselves to an analysis in terms of what has been called 'thing knowledge'. As such, they should neither be regarded as the simple outcome of applying theoretical knowledge and engineering principles to specific technological problems, nor should they be treated as mere sources of new evidence in the general pursuit of scientific understanding. Instead, synthetic-biological artifacts should be viewed as partly autonomous research objects which, qua their material-biological constitution, embody knowledge about the natural world-knowledge that, in turn, can be accessed via continuous experimental interrogation. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Knowledge of Concussion and Reporting Behaviors in High School Athletes With or Without Access to an Athletic Trainer

PubMed Central

Wallace, Jessica; Covassin, Tracey; Nogle, Sally; Gould, Daniel; Kovan, Jeffrey

2017-01-01

Context: Increased sport participation and sport-related concussion incidence has led to an emphasis on having an appropriate medical professional available to high school athletes. The medical professional best suited to provide medical care to high school athletes is a certified athletic trainer (AT). Access to an AT may influence the reporting of sport-related concussion in the high school athletic population; however, little is known about how the presence of an AT affects concussion knowledge, prevention, and recognition. Objective: To evaluate knowledge of concussion and reporting behaviors in high school athletes who did or did not have access to an AT. Design: Cross-sectional study. Setting: Survey. Patients or Other Participants: A total of 438 athletes with access to an AT and 277 without access to an AT. Intervention(s): A validated knowledge-of-concussion survey consisting of 83 items addressing concussion history, concussion knowledge, scenario questions, signs and symptoms of a concussion, and reasons why an athlete would not report a concussion. The independent variable was access to an AT. Main Outcome Measure(s): We examined the proportion of athletes who correctly identified knowledge of concussion, signs and symptoms of concussion, and reasons why high school student-athletes would not disclose a potential concussive injury by access to an AT. Frequency statistics, χ2 tests, independent t tests, and linear regression were conducted to analyze the data. Results: The underreporting of concussion among high school athletes was 55%. Athletes with access to an AT had more knowledge of concussion than did athletes without such access (P ≤ .001). Chi-square tests did not demonstrate a significant relationship between AT access and a higher percentage reporting concussions. Conclusions: High school athletes with access to an AT had more concussion knowledge, but they did not report suspected concussions to an authority figure more frequently than athletes without access to an AT. PMID:28387561

Advanced software development workstation project ACCESS user's guide

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1990-01-01

ACCESS is a knowledge based software information system designed to assist the user in modifying retrieved software to satisfy user specifications. A user's guide is presented for the knowledge engineer who wishes to create for ACCESS a knowledge base consisting of representations of objects in some software system. This knowledge is accessible to an end user who wishes to use the catalogued software objects to create a new application program or an input stream for an existing system. The application specific portion of an ACCESS knowledge base consists of a taxonomy of object classes, as well as instances of these classes. All objects in the knowledge base are stored in an associative memory. ACCESS provides a standard interface for the end user to browse and modify objects. In addition, the interface can be customized by the addition of application specific data entry forms and by specification of display order for the taxonomy and object attributes. These customization options are described.

Access to human, animal, and environmental journals is still limited for the One Health community*

PubMed Central

Vreeland, Carol E.; Alpi, Kristine M.; Pike, Caitlin A.; Whitman, Elisabeth E.; Kennedy-Stoskopf, Suzanne

2016-01-01

Objective “One Health” is an interdisciplinary approach to evaluating and managing the health and well-being of humans, animals, and the environments they share that relies on knowledge from the domains of human health, animal health, and the environmental sciences. The authors' objective was to evaluate the extent of open access (OA) to journal articles in a sample of literature from these domains. We hypothesized that OA to articles in human health or environmental journals was greater than access to animal health literature. Methods A One Health seminar series provided fifteen topics. One librarian translated each topic into a search strategy and searched four databases for articles from 2011 to 2012. Two independent investigators assigned each article to human health, the environment, animal health, all, other, or combined categories. Article and journal-level OA were determined. Each journal was also assigned a subject category and its indexing evaluated. Results Searches retrieved 2,651 unique articles from 1,138 journals; 1,919 (72%) articles came from 406 journals that contributed more than 1 article. Seventy-seven (7%) journals dealt with all 3 One Health domains; the remaining journals represented human health 487 (43%), environment 172 (15%), animal health 141 (12%), and other/combined categories 261 (23%). The proportion of OA journals in animal health (40%) differed significantly from journals categorized as human (28%), environment (28%), and more than 1 category (29%). The proportion of OA for articles by subject categories ranged from 25%–34%; only the difference between human (34%) and environment (25%) was significant. Conclusions OA to human health literature is more comparable to animal health than hypothesized. Environmental journals had less OA than anticipated. PMID:27076796

Access to human, animal, and environmental journals is still limited for the One Health community.

PubMed

Vreeland, Carol E; Alpi, Kristine M; Pike, Caitlin A; Whitman, Elisabeth E; Kennedy-Stoskopf, Suzanne

2016-04-01

"One Health" is an interdisciplinary approach to evaluating and managing the health and well-being of humans, animals, and the environments they share that relies on knowledge from the domains of human health, animal health, and the environmental sciences. The authors' objective was to evaluate the extent of open access (OA) to journal articles in a sample of literature from these domains. We hypothesized that OA to articles in human health or environmental journals was greater than access to animal health literature. A One Health seminar series provided fifteen topics. One librarian translated each topic into a search strategy and searched four databases for articles from 2011 to 2012. Two independent investigators assigned each article to human health, the environment, animal health, all, other, or combined categories. Article and journal-level OA were determined. Each journal was also assigned a subject category and its indexing evaluated. Searches retrieved 2,651 unique articles from 1,138 journals; 1,919 (72%) articles came from 406 journals that contributed more than 1 article. Seventy-seven (7%) journals dealt with all 3 One Health domains; the remaining journals represented human health 487 (43%), environment 172 (15%), animal health 141 (12%), and other/combined categories 261 (23%). The proportion of OA journals in animal health (40%) differed significantly from journals categorized as human (28%), environment (28%), and more than 1 category (29%). The proportion of OA for articles by subject categories ranged from 25%-34%; only the difference between human (34%) and environment (25%) was significant. OA to human health literature is more comparable to animal health than hypothesized. Environmental journals had less OA than anticipated.

Knowledge retrieval as one type of knowledge-based decision support in medicine: results of an evaluation study.

PubMed

Haux, R; Grothe, W; Runkel, M; Schackert, H K; Windeler, H J; Winter, A; Wirtz, R; Herfarth, C; Kunze, S

1996-04-01

We report on a prospective, prolective observational study, supplying information on how physicians and other health care professionals retrieve medical knowledge on-line within the Heidelberg University Hospital information system. Within this hospital information system, on-line access to medical knowledge has been realised by installing a medical knowledge server in the range of about 24 GB and by providing access to it by health care professional workstations in wards, physicians' rooms, etc. During the study, we observed about 96 accesses per working day. The main group of health care professionals retrieving medical knowledge were physicians and medical students. Primary reasons for its utilisation were identified as support for the users' scientific work (50%), own clinical cases (19%), general medical problems (14%) and current clinical problems (13%). Health care professionals had accesses to medical knowledge bases such as MEDLINE (79%), drug bases ('Rote Liste', 6%), and to electronic text books and knowledge base systems as well. Sixty-five percent of accesses to medical knowledge were judged to be successful. In our opinion, medical knowledge retrieval can serve as a first step towards knowledge processing in medicine. We point out the consequences for the management of hospital information systems in order to provide the prerequisites for such a type of knowledge retrieval.

Educational Consultancy in Small States: A Source Book. Educational Development in the Small States of the Commonwealth Series.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lloyd, Marie-Pierre; Packer, Steve

A problem for small states is how to access specialist knowledge when the national pool of human resources is small. This is a difficulty for ministries of education and educational institutions. The usual response is to draw on technical assistance, often as part of a wider aid package, from industrialized countries or international agencies. But…

Why the Current Insistence on Open Access to Scientific Data? Big Data, Knowledge Production, and the Political Economy of Contemporary Biology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Leonelli, Sabina

2013-01-01

The collection and dissemination of data on human and nonhuman organisms has become a central feature of 21st-century biology and has been endorsed by funding agencies in the United States and Europe as crucial to translating biological research into therapeutic and agricultural innovation. Large molecular data sets, often referred to as "big…

The Israeli Patient's Rights Law: evidence for deprofessionalization?

PubMed

Anson, O

1999-01-01

In this paper, the Israeli Patient's Rights Law of 1996 is discussed within the framework of Haug's predicted process of deprofessionalization. It is argued that the law reflects global processes such as the diffusion of knowledge, consumerism, and values that emphasize human rights and democracy. By guaranteeing patients' access to medical information, by submitting medical decisions to extra-professional regulation, the law erodes professional power.

Information and communication technology needs for distributed communication and coordination during expedition-class spaceflight.

PubMed

Caldwell, B S

2000-09-01

AO-lU. Expedition-class missions are distinct from historical human presence in space in ways that significantly affect information flow and information technology designs for such missions. The centrality of Mission Control in these missions is challenged by the distances, associated communication delays, and durations of expeditions, all of which require crews to have more local resources available to manage on-board situations. The author's current research investigates how ground controllers effectively allocate communications bandwidth, cognitive resources, and knowledge sharing skills during time critical routine and non-routine situations. The research focus is on team-based information and communication technology (ICT) use to provide recommendations for improvements to support adaptive bandwidth allocations and improved sharing of data and knowledge in Mission Control contexts. In order to further improve communication and coordination between controllers and crew, additional ICT support resources will be needed to provide shared context knowledge and dynamic assessment of costs and benefits for accessing local information vs. remote expertise. Crew members will have critical needs to understand the goals, intentions, and situational constraints associated with mission information resources in order to use them most effectively in conditions where ground-based expertise is insufficient or requires more time to access and coordinate than local task demands permit. Results of this research will serve to improve the design and implementation of ICT systems to improve human performance capabilities and system operating tolerances for exploration missions. (Specific research data were not available at the time of publication.)

Human-Computer Interaction with Medical Decisions Support Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Adolf, Jurine A.; Holden, Kritina L.

1994-01-01

Decision Support Systems (DSSs) have been available to medical diagnosticians for some time, yet their acceptance and use have not increased with advances in technology and availability of DSS tools. Medical DSSs will be necessary on future long duration space missions, because access to medical resources and personnel will be limited. Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) experts at NASA's Human Factors and Ergonomics Laboratory (HFEL) have been working toward understanding how humans use DSSs, with the goal of being able to identify and solve the problems associated with these systems. Work to date consists of identification of HCI research areas, development of a decision making model, and completion of two experiments dealing with 'anchoring'. Anchoring is a phenomenon in which the decision maker latches on to a starting point and does not make sufficient adjustments when new data are presented. HFEL personnel have replicated a well-known anchoring experiment and have investigated the effects of user level of knowledge. Future work includes further experimentation on level of knowledge, confidence in the source of information and sequential decision making.

Development of Korean Rare Disease Knowledge Base

PubMed Central

Seo, Heewon; Kim, Dokyoon; Chae, Jong-Hee; Kang, Hee Gyung; Lim, Byung Chan; Cheong, Hae Il

2012-01-01

Objectives Rare disease research requires a broad range of disease-related information for the discovery of causes of genetic disorders that are maladies caused by abnormalities in genes or chromosomes. A rarity in cases makes it difficult for researchers to elucidate definite inception. This knowledge base will be a major resource not only for clinicians, but also for the general public, who are unable to find consistent information on rare diseases in a single location. Methods We design a compact database schema for faster querying; its structure is optimized to store heterogeneous data sources. Then, clinicians at Seoul National University Hospital (SNUH) review and revise those resources. Additionally, we integrated other sources to capture genomic resources and clinical trials in detail on the Korean Rare Disease Knowledge base (KRDK). Results As a result, we have developed a Web-based knowledge base, KRDK, suitable for study of Mendelian diseases that commonly occur among Koreans. This knowledge base is comprised of disease summary and review, causal gene list, laboratory and clinic directory, patient registry, and so on. Furthermore, database for analyzing and giving access to human biological information and the clinical trial management system are integrated on KRDK. Conclusions We expect that KRDK, the first rare disease knowledge base in Korea, may contribute to collaborative research and be a reliable reference for application to clinical trials. Additionally, this knowledge base is ready for querying of drug information so that visitors can search a list of rare diseases that is relative to specific drugs. Visitors can have access to KRDK via http://www.snubi.org/software/raredisease/. PMID:23346478

Open Geosciences Knowledge: foster Information Preparedness in a Disaster Resilience Perspective

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rapisardi, Elena; Di Franco, Sabina

2014-05-01

Information in science communication is the ability and the capacity to transfer scientific knowledge to enable the understanding of communication content. Particularly, as stated in many documents and programs (e.g. UNISDR, a clear and correct information on hazards and emergency matters is crucial,either for practitioners or population,to cope with disaster and to allow collaboration to take the best decision. The Open Knowledge is defined as a set of criteria and conditions related to production, use and distribution, that include principles for better access to knowledge. However,knowledge is a pillar to understand the world in itself and to guide human actions and interactions with the environment. A free and open access to knowledge in a wider perspective includes also an ethical topic that is strictly connected to the acting in terms of interactions and responsibilities, in other words with the purpose of knowledge. Focusing on "data" as a technical issue, could displace ethics and responsibility as external issues, enhancing the technical value of data. In this perspective "opening" to an open knowledge perspective could not only solve problems related to the téchne, such as functionalities and efficiency, but it should foster sharing and collaboration expressed through ethics (praxis). The web era frees the information, hence the internet "information deluge" brings to the idea of "encyclopedia" (and of Wikipedia) as a tool to "organize, control and filter" knowledge, to allow communication, knowledge transfer, education, and sense-making. Social media and crowdsourcing have considerable promise for supporting collaborative and innovative ways that reshape the information production and distribution. However, the debate is now facing an important concern related to true/false issues, focusing on validation, and liability. Without any doubt the massive use of Social Media during recent major and minor disasters highlighted a huge need of clear, correct, free and trustworthy information. The challenge is to find models and tools to build an open and structured knowledge to sustain a common understanding in Disaster Resilience [DR] in order to cope with risks and reduce the impact of disaster: to observe natural phenomena, to understand natural hazards dynamics and local risks, to improve and facilitate the access to validated and reliable information.

Machine learning research 1989-90

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Porter, Bruce W.; Souther, Arthur

1990-01-01

Multifunctional knowledge bases offer a significant advance in artificial intelligence because they can support numerous expert tasks within a domain. As a result they amortize the costs of building a knowledge base over multiple expert systems and they reduce the brittleness of each system. Due to the inevitable size and complexity of multifunctional knowledge bases, their construction and maintenance require knowledge engineering and acquisition tools that can automatically identify interactions between new and existing knowledge. Furthermore, their use requires software for accessing those portions of the knowledge base that coherently answer questions. Considerable progress was made in developing software for building and accessing multifunctional knowledge bases. A language was developed for representing knowledge, along with software tools for editing and displaying knowledge, a machine learning program for integrating new information into existing knowledge, and a question answering system for accessing the knowledge base.

The molecular basis of α-thalassemia.

PubMed

Higgs, Douglas R

2013-01-01

The globin gene disorders including the thalassemias are among the most common human genetic diseases with more than 300,000 severely affected individuals born throughout the world every year. Because of the easy accessibility of purified, highly specialized, mature erythroid cells from peripheral blood, the hemoglobinopathies were among the first tractable human molecular diseases. From the 1970s onward, the analysis of the large repertoire of mutations underlying these conditions has elucidated many of the principles by which mutations occur and cause human genetic diseases. This work will summarize our current knowledge of the α-thalassemias, illustrating how detailed analysis of this group of diseases has contributed to our understanding of the general molecular mechanisms underlying many orphan and common diseases.

NEIBank: Genomics and bioinformatics resources for vision research

PubMed Central

Peterson, Katherine; Gao, James; Buchoff, Patee; Jaworski, Cynthia; Bowes-Rickman, Catherine; Ebright, Jessica N.; Hauser, Michael A.; Hoover, David

2008-01-01

NEIBank is an integrated resource for genomics and bioinformatics in vision research. It includes expressed sequence tag (EST) data and sequence-verified cDNA clones for multiple eye tissues of several species, web-based access to human eye-specific SAGE data through EyeSAGE, and comprehensive, annotated databases of known human eye disease genes and candidate disease gene loci. All expression- and disease-related data are integrated in EyeBrowse, an eye-centric genome browser. NEIBank provides a comprehensive overview of current knowledge of the transcriptional repertoires of eye tissues and their relation to pathology. PMID:18648525

Reproductive health information for young women in Kazakhstan: disparities in access by channel.

PubMed

Buckley, Cynthia; Barrett, Jennifer; Adkins, Kristen

2008-01-01

This study explores young women's reliance on reproductive and sexual health information channels, examining the relationship between information sources and reproductive health knowledge. Utilizing 1995 and 1999 Kazakhstan Demographic and Health Surveys, we investigate access to reproductive health knowledge among young women (ages 15-24) during a key period in the development of wide-scale reproductive health programs in Kazakhstan. Despite reproductive health campaigns throughout the 1990s, we find consistently high proportions of young women without family planning information access. Among young women with access to information, few received information from channels most strongly linked to knowledge and behavioral changes (family and medical professionals). Mass media sources and peer information networks remained the most often utilized channels. Urban residence, non-Kazakh ethnicity, older age (20-24), and higher education significantly increased the odds of accessing family planning information among young Kazakhstani women, and these same factors were especially important in terms of the relative odds of accessing medical and parental channels. While overall contraceptive knowledge and prevalence rose in Kazakhstan during the 1990s, we find knowledge varied by the information channel accessed. Findings also indicate that young women, regardless of marital status, possessed consistently low levels of reproductive health knowledge at the decade's end.

Maya medicine in the biological gaze: bioprospecting research as herbal fetishism.

PubMed

Nigh, Ronald

2002-06-01

The relationship of human societies to territory and natural resources is being drastically altered by a series of global agreements concerning trade, intellectual property, and the conservation and use of genetic resources. Through a characteristic style of collective appropriation of their tropical ecosystems, Maya societies have created local institutions for governing access to their common resources. However, new mechanisms of global governance require access to Maya biodiversity for world commercial interests. The Chiapas Highland Maya already face this prospect in the International Cooperative Biodiversity Group drug discovery project, which proposes to use Maya medical knowledge to screen plants for potential pharmaceuticals. The ethnobiological focus of the project emphasizes the naturalistic aspects of Maya medicine, primarily the use of herbal remedies. This biological gaze decontextualizes the situated knowledge of Maya healers, ignoring the cultural context in which they create and apply that knowledge. The search for raw materials for the production of universal medical technology results in symbolic violence to the cultural logic of Maya peoples. Only the full recognition of Maya peoples' collective rights to territory and respect for their local common-resource institutions will provide ultimate protection for their cultural and natural patrimony.

A Social History of Disease: Contextualizing the Rise and Fall of Social Inequalities in Cause-Specific Mortality.

PubMed

Clouston, Sean A P; Rubin, Marcie S; Phelan, Jo C; Link, Bruce G

2016-10-01

Fundamental cause theory posits that social inequalities in health arise because of unequal access to flexible resources, including knowledge, money, power, prestige, and beneficial social connections, which allow people to avoid risk factors and adopt protective factors relevant in a particular place. In this study, we posit that diseases should also be put into temporal context. We characterize diseases as transitioning through four stages at a given time: (1) natural mortality, characterized by no knowledge about risk factors, preventions, or treatments for a disease in a population; (2) producing inequalities, characterized by unequal diffusion of innovations; (3) reducing inequalities, characterized by increased access to health knowledge; and (4) reduced mortality/disease elimination, characterized by widely available prevention and effective treatment. For illustration, we pair an ideal-types analysis with mortality data to explore hypothesized incidence rates of diseases. Although social inequalities exist in incidence rates of many diseases, the cause, extent, and direction of inequalities change systematically in relation to human intervention. This article highlights opportunities for further development, specifically highlighting the role of stage duration in maintaining social inequalities in cause-specific mortality.

Access to justice: evaluating law, health and human rights programmes in Kenya

PubMed Central

Gruskin, Sofia; Safreed-Harmon, Kelly; Ezer, Tamar; Gathumbi, Anne; Cohen, Jonathan; Kameri-Mbote, Patricia

2013-01-01

Introduction In Kenya, human rights violations have a marked impact on the health of people living with HIV. Integrating legal literacy and legal services into healthcare appears to be an effective strategy to empower vulnerable groups and address underlying determinants of health. Methods We carried out an evaluation to collect evidence about the impact of legal empowerment programmes on health and human rights. The evaluation focused on Open Society Foundation-supported legal integration activities at four sites: the Academic Model of Providing Access to Healthcare (AMPATH) facility, where the Legal Aid Centre of Eldoret (LACE) operates, in Eldoret; Kenyatta National Hospital's Gender-based Violence Recovery Centre, which hosts the COVAW legal integration program; and Christian Health Association of Kenya (CHAK) facilities in Mombasa and Naivasha. In consultation with the organizations implementing the programs, we designed a conceptual logic model grounded in human rights principles, identified relevant indicators and then coded structure, process and outcome indicators for the rights-related principles they reflect. The evaluation included a resource assessment questionnaire, a review of program records and routine data, and semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions with clients and service providers. Data were collected in May–August 2010 and April–June 2011. Results Clients showed a notable increase in practical knowledge and awareness about how to access legal aid and claim their rights, as well as an enhanced ability to communicate with healthcare providers and to improve their access to healthcare and justice. In turn, providers became more adept at identifying human rights violations and other legal difficulties, which enabled them to give clients basic information about their rights, refer them to legal aid and assist them in accessing needed support. Methodological challenges in evaluating such activities point to the need to strengthen rights-oriented evaluation methods. Conclusions Legal empowerment programmes have the potential to promote accountability, reduce stigma and discrimination and contribute to altering unjust structures and systems. Given their apparent value as a health and human rights intervention, particularly for marginalized populations, further rigorous evaluations are called for to support the scale-up of such programmes. PMID:24242267

Access to justice: evaluating law, health and human rights programmes in Kenya.

PubMed

Gruskin, Sofia; Safreed-Harmon, Kelly; Ezer, Tamar; Gathumbi, Anne; Cohen, Jonathan; Kameri-Mbote, Patricia

2013-11-13

In Kenya, human rights violations have a marked impact on the health of people living with HIV. Integrating legal literacy and legal services into healthcare appears to be an effective strategy to empower vulnerable groups and address underlying determinants of health. We carried out an evaluation to collect evidence about the impact of legal empowerment programmes on health and human rights. The evaluation focused on Open Society Foundation-supported legal integration activities at four sites: the Academic Model of Providing Access to Healthcare (AMPATH) facility, where the Legal Aid Centre of Eldoret (LACE) operates, in Eldoret; Kenyatta National Hospital's Gender-based Violence Recovery Centre, which hosts the COVAW legal integration program; and Christian Health Association of Kenya (CHAK) facilities in Mombasa and Naivasha. In consultation with the organizations implementing the programs, we designed a conceptual logic model grounded in human rights principles, identified relevant indicators and then coded structure, process and outcome indicators for the rights-related principles they reflect. The evaluation included a resource assessment questionnaire, a review of program records and routine data, and semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions with clients and service providers. Data were collected in May-August 2010 and April-June 2011. Clients showed a notable increase in practical knowledge and awareness about how to access legal aid and claim their rights, as well as an enhanced ability to communicate with healthcare providers and to improve their access to healthcare and justice. In turn, providers became more adept at identifying human rights violations and other legal difficulties, which enabled them to give clients basic information about their rights, refer them to legal aid and assist them in accessing needed support. Methodological challenges in evaluating such activities point to the need to strengthen rights-oriented evaluation methods. Legal empowerment programmes have the potential to promote accountability, reduce stigma and discrimination and contribute to altering unjust structures and systems. Given their apparent value as a health and human rights intervention, particularly for marginalized populations, further rigorous evaluations are called for to support the scale-up of such programmes.

A Clinician's primer in human genetics: what nurses need to know.

PubMed

Lea, D H

2000-09-01

This article provides nurses with general information about the structure and function of genes, metabolic and chromosomal disorders, and the inheritance of genetic conditions in families. It serves as a foundation for the remainder of this issue, which addresses the clinical application of genetic principles, genetic counseling and evaluation, and emerging genetic technologies. Nurses are present in all health care settings and care for individuals and families throughout their patient's life span. Nurses must therefore have adequate knowledge of human genetics so that they can identify individuals who may have a genetic condition or predisposition, and ensure that those individuals have access to the most current genetic diagnostics, treatment, and management therapeutics. With this knowledge, nurses can collect appropriate family histories, provide current genetic information, and support patients, families, and communities as they integrate this new information and technology into their daily lives.

Apes have culture but may not know that they do

PubMed Central

Gruber, Thibaud; Zuberbühler, Klaus; Clément, Fabrice; van Schaik, Carel

2015-01-01

There is good evidence that some ape behaviors can be transmitted socially and that this can lead to group-specific traditions. However, many consider animal traditions, including those in great apes, to be fundamentally different from human cultures, largely because of lack of evidence for cumulative processes and normative conformity, but perhaps also because current research on ape culture is usually restricted to behavioral comparisons. Here, we propose to analyze ape culture not only at the surface behavioral level but also at the underlying cognitive level. To this end, we integrate empirical findings in apes with theoretical frameworks developed in developmental psychology regarding the representation of tools and the development of metarepresentational abilities, to characterize the differences between ape and human cultures at the cognitive level. Current data are consistent with the notion of apes possessing mental representations of tools that can be accessed through re-representations: apes may reorganize their knowledge of tools in the form of categories or functional schemes. However, we find no evidence for metarepresentations of cultural knowledge: apes may not understand that they or others hold beliefs about their cultures. The resulting Jourdain Hypothesis, based on Molière’s character, argues that apes express their cultures without knowing that they are cultural beings because of cognitive limitations in their ability to represent knowledge, a determining feature of modern human cultures, allowing representing and modifying the current norms of the group. Differences in metarepresentational processes may thus explain fundamental differences between human and other animals’ cultures, notably limitations in cumulative behavior and normative conformity. Future empirical work should focus on how animals mentally represent their cultural knowledge to conclusively determine the ways by which humans are unique in their cultural behavior. PMID:25705199

From Gutenberg to Open Science: An Unfulfilled Odyssey

PubMed Central

Triggle, David J.

2016-01-01

ABSTRACT Preclinical Research With the almost global availability of the Internet comes the expectation of universal accessibility to knowledge, including scientific knowledge‐particularly that generated by public funding. Currently this is not the case. In this Commentary we discuss access to this knowledge, the politics that govern peer review and publication, and the role of this knowledge as a public good in medicine.  Gutenberg's invention of the printing press in 1440 opened an avenue for the distribution of scholarly information to the entire world. The scientific literature first appeared in 1665 with Le Journal des Sçavans followed in the same year by Philosophical Transactions. Today there are more than 5000 scientific publishing companies, 25,000 journals and 1.5 million articles published/year generating revenue of $25 billion USD.  The European Union and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development have argued for open access (OA) to scientific data for all publicly funded research by 2020 with a similar initiative in the USA via the Fair Access to Science and Technology Research Act (FASTR). However, OA to published science is but one step in this odyssey. If the products of science are not openly available then it can be argued that the norms of science as defined by Merton including “universalism” and “communalism” have yet to be accomplished. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the delivery of medicines to the poor and for rare diseases, the attempts to privatize human genetic information and, not least, dealing with the challenges of antibiotic resistance and new disease pandemics exacerbated by climate change. Drug Dev Res 78 : 3–23, 2017.   © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. PMID:27767221

[Open access to academic scholarship as a public policy resource: a study of the Capes database on Brazilian theses and dissertations].

PubMed

da Silva Rosa, Teresa; Carneiro, Maria José

2010-12-01

Access to scientific knowledge is a valuable resource than can inform and validate positions taken in formulating public policy. But access to this knowledge can be challenging, given the diversity and breadth of available scholarship. Communication between the fields of science and of politics requires the dissemination of scholarship and access to it. We conducted a study using an open-access search tool in order to map existent knowledge on a specific topic: agricultural contributions to the preservation of biodiversity. The present article offers a critical view of access to the information available through the Capes database on Brazilian theses and dissertations.

The association between insured male expatriates' knowledge of health insurance benefits and lack of access to health care in Saudi Arabia.

PubMed

Alkhamis, Abdulwahab A

2018-03-15

Insufficient knowledge of health insurance benefits could be associated with lack of access to health care, particularly for minority populations. This study aims to assess the association between expatriates' knowledge of health insurance benefits and lack of access to health care. A cross-sectional study design was conducted from March 2015 to February 2016 among 3398 insured male expatriates in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The dependent variable was binary and expresses access or lack of access to health care. Independent variables included perceived and validated knowledge of health insurance benefits and other variables. Data were summarized by computing frequencies and percentage of all quantities of variables. To evaluate variations in knowledge, personal and job characteristics with lack of access to health care, the Chi square test was used. Odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were recorded for each independent variable. Multiple logistic regression and stepwise logistic regression were performed and adjusted ORs were extracted. Descriptive analysis showed that 15% of participants lacked access to health care. The majority of these were unskilled laborers, usually with no education (17.5%), who had been working for less than 3 years (28.1%) in Saudi Arabia. A total of 23.3% worked for companies with less than 50 employees and 16.5% earned less than 4500 Saudi Riyals monthly ($1200). Many (20.3%) were young (< 30 years old) or older (17.9% ≥ 56 years old) and had no formal education (24.7%). Nearly half had fair or poor health status (49.5%), were uncomfortable conversing in Arabic (29.7%) or English (16.7%) and lacked previous knowledge of health insurance (18%). For perceived knowledge of health insurance, 55.2% scored 1 or 0 from total of 3. For validated knowledge, 16.9% scored 1 or 0 from total score of 4. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that only perceived knowledge of health insurance had significant associations with lack of access to health care ((OR) = 0.393, (CI) = 0.335-0.461), but the result was insignificant for validated knowledge. Stepwise logistic regression gave similar findings. Our results confirmed that low perceived knowledge of health insurance in expatriates was associated with less access to health care.

Microbial Vertical Transmission during Human Pregnancy.

PubMed

Arora, Nitin; Sadovsky, Yoel; Dermody, Terence S; Coyne, Carolyn B

2017-05-10

Congenital infections with pathogens such as Zika virus, Toxoplasma gondii, Listeria monocytogenes, Treponema pallidium, parvovirus, HIV, varicella zoster virus, Rubella, Cytomegalovirus, and Herpesviruses are a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Despite the devastating impact of microbial infections on the developing fetus, relatively little is known about how pathogens associated with congenital disease breach the placental barrier to transit vertically during human pregnancy. In this Review, we focus on transplacental transmission of pathogens during human gestation. We introduce the structure of the human placenta and describe the innate mechanisms by which the placenta restricts microbial access to the intrauterine compartment. Based on current knowledge, we also discuss the potential pathways employed by microorganisms to overcome the placental barrier and prospects for the future. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Assessing Undergraduate University Students' Level of Knowledge, Attitudes and Behaviour Towards Biodiversity: A case study in Cyprus

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nisiforou, Olympia; Charalambides, Alexandros George

2012-05-01

Biodiversity is a key resource as it provides both goods and services to society. However, humans value these resources differently, especially when biodiversity is exploited for its economic potential; a destruction on a scale rarely seen before. In order to decrease the threats that biodiversity is facing due to human activity, globally (climate change) and locally (economic development), individuals must have fundamental knowledge and exhibit appropriate behaviour towards biodiversity and its values. Nevertheless, the effect of human's knowledge, policies and attitudes towards biodiversity's protection are often limited by insufficient education and public support. A balance between the use of resources and technology, reconciling economic development and the need to maintain biodiversity is a challenge. The current paper looks into the knowledge level, attitudes and behaviour of university students of the Department of Environmental Science and Technology at the Cyprus University of Technology towards biodiversity. The investigation was carried out using a closed format questionnaire on a sample of first- and second-year university students (n = 44), in order to access their perceptions and attitudes towards environmental issues regarding biodiversity. The questionnaire was derived from relevant literature. The test results showed that there are significant differences with regard to the level of knowledge about biodiversity between the two groups. However, no significant differences were found on attitudes and behaviour towards biodiversity. The results have also shown that all students have a positive attitude towards biodiversity, while on the other hand, they find themselves, most of the time, unwilling to engage in environmental behaviour.

Strategic Integration of Multiple Bioinformatics Resources for System Level Analysis of Biological Networks.

PubMed

D'Souza, Mark; Sulakhe, Dinanath; Wang, Sheng; Xie, Bing; Hashemifar, Somaye; Taylor, Andrew; Dubchak, Inna; Conrad Gilliam, T; Maltsev, Natalia

2017-01-01

Recent technological advances in genomics allow the production of biological data at unprecedented tera- and petabyte scales. Efficient mining of these vast and complex datasets for the needs of biomedical research critically depends on a seamless integration of the clinical, genomic, and experimental information with prior knowledge about genotype-phenotype relationships. Such experimental data accumulated in publicly available databases should be accessible to a variety of algorithms and analytical pipelines that drive computational analysis and data mining.We present an integrated computational platform Lynx (Sulakhe et al., Nucleic Acids Res 44:D882-D887, 2016) ( http://lynx.cri.uchicago.edu ), a web-based database and knowledge extraction engine. It provides advanced search capabilities and a variety of algorithms for enrichment analysis and network-based gene prioritization. It gives public access to the Lynx integrated knowledge base (LynxKB) and its analytical tools via user-friendly web services and interfaces. The Lynx service-oriented architecture supports annotation and analysis of high-throughput experimental data. Lynx tools assist the user in extracting meaningful knowledge from LynxKB and experimental data, and in the generation of weighted hypotheses regarding the genes and molecular mechanisms contributing to human phenotypes or conditions of interest. The goal of this integrated platform is to support the end-to-end analytical needs of various translational projects.

Exploratory survey of Florida pharmacists' experience, knowledge, and perception of HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis.

PubMed

Shaeer, Kristy M; Sherman, Elizabeth M; Shafiq, Sami; Hardigan, Patrick

2014-01-01

To assess Florida pharmacists' experience, knowledge, and perception of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and to identify areas for pharmacist training. Cross-sectional survey. Florida in March through July 2013. Florida pharmacists. In-person and online anonymous survey. Florida pharmacists' experience, knowledge, and perceptions of PrEP. 225 completed surveys were analyzed. Survey respondents were predominantly community pharmacists with mean age of 45.7 years and less than 20 years of experience. Only 22% of respondents reported dispensing PrEP to patients. Although 75% had completed HIV-related continuing education in the last 2 years, 63% were unaware of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention PrEP guidelines and 71% answered that they did not have sufficient knowledge to counsel patients with PrEP prescriptions. Importantly, 47% of respondents answered they were uncomfortable counseling patients about PrEP. By self-report, most pharmacists agreed PrEP leads to risky behavior (68%) and increased rates of sexually transmitted infections (65%), and is too costly to promote patient access (92%). Surveyed Florida pharmacists reported limited understanding of PrEP. As a widely accessible health care counseling resource, pharmacists are positioned to improve patient understanding, promote medication adherence, and enhance PrEP efficacy. Especially during PrEP implementation, when patients may receive PrEP prescriptions from non-HIV specialist prescribers, improving pharmacists' PrEP education presents a salient opportunity.

NASA Life Sciences Data Repositories: Tools for Retrospective Analysis and Future Planning

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Thomas, D.; Wear, M.; VanBaalen, M.; Lee, L.; Fitts, M.

2011-01-01

As NASA transitions from the Space Shuttle era into the next phase of space exploration, the need to ensure the capture, analysis, and application of its research and medical data is of greater urgency than at any other previous time. In this era of limited resources and challenging schedules, the Human Research Program (HRP) based at NASA s Johnson Space Center (JSC) recognizes the need to extract the greatest possible amount of information from the data already captured, as well as focus current and future research funding on addressing the HRP goal to provide human health and performance countermeasures, knowledge, technologies, and tools to enable safe, reliable, and productive human space exploration. To this end, the Science Management Office and the Medical Informatics and Health Care Systems Branch within the HRP and the Space Medicine Division have been working to make both research data and clinical data more accessible to the user community. The Life Sciences Data Archive (LSDA), the research repository housing data and information regarding the physiologic effects of microgravity, and the Lifetime Surveillance of Astronaut Health (LSAH-R), the clinical repository housing astronaut data, have joined forces to achieve this goal. The task of both repositories is to acquire, preserve, and distribute data and information both within the NASA community and to the science community at large. This is accomplished via the LSDA s public website (http://lsda.jsc.nasa.gov), which allows access to experiment descriptions including hardware, datasets, key personnel, mission descriptions and a mechanism for researchers to request additional data, research and clinical, that is not accessible from the public website. This will result in making the work of NASA and its partners available to the wider sciences community, both domestic and international. The desired outcome is the use of these data for knowledge discovery, retrospective analysis, and planning of future research studies.

Using More of Your Existing Knowledge to Make Better Strategic Decisions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brockmann, Erich N.

2008-01-01

We contend that managers make better decisions when they are better able to tap into their vast storehouses of knowledge than their peers can. More specifically, we contend that accessing their tacit knowledge has the most noticeable and positive impact on their decision quality. Furthermore, techniques for better accessing knowledge can be…

Workplace Learning: The Roles of Knowledge Accessibility and Management

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Li, Jessica; Brake, Gary; Champion, Angeline; Fuller, Tony; Gabel, Sandy; Hatcher-Busch, Lori

2009-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine how knowledge management systems have been used by the studied organizations to improve knowledge accessibility and knowledge sharing in order to increase workplace learning. Design/methodology/approach: The study relies on a qualitative multisite case study method. Data were obtained from five…

Electronic access to scientific nursing knowledge: the Virginia Henderson International Nursing Library.

PubMed

Graves, J R

2001-02-01

To inform oncology nurses about the electronic knowledge resources offered by the Sigma Theta Tau International Virginia Henderson International Nursing Library. Published articles and research studies. Clinical nursing research dissemination has been seriously affected by publication bias. The Virginia Henderson International Nursing Library has introduced both a new publishing paradigm for research and a new knowledge indexing strategy for improving electronic access to research knowledge (findings). The ability of oncology nursing to evolve, as an evidence-based practice, is largely dependent on access to research findings.

Passive Infrared (PIR)-Based Indoor Position Tracking for Smart Homes Using Accessibility Maps and A-Star Algorithm.

PubMed

Yang, Dan; Xu, Bin; Rao, Kaiyou; Sheng, Weihua

2018-01-24

Indoor occupants' positions are significant for smart home service systems, which usually consist of robot service(s), appliance control and other intelligent applications. In this paper, an innovative localization method is proposed for tracking humans' position in indoor environments based on passive infrared (PIR) sensors using an accessibility map and an A-star algorithm, aiming at providing intelligent services. First the accessibility map reflecting the visiting habits of the occupants is established through the integral training with indoor environments and other prior knowledge. Then the PIR sensors, which placement depends on the training results in the accessibility map, get the rough location information. For more precise positioning, the A-start algorithm is used to refine the localization, fused with the accessibility map and the PIR sensor data. Experiments were conducted in a mock apartment testbed. The ground truth data was obtained from an Opti-track system. The results demonstrate that the proposed method is able to track persons in a smart home environment and provide a solution for home robot localization.

Communication Capacity Research in the Majority World: Supporting the human right to communication specialist services.

PubMed

Hopf, Suzanne C

2018-02-01

Receipt of accessible and appropriate specialist services and resources by all people with communication and/or swallowing disability is a human right; however, it is a right rarely achieved in either Minority or Majority World contexts. This paper considers communication specialists' efforts to provide sustainable services for people with communication difficulties living in Majority World countries. The commentary draws on human rights literature, particularly Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Communication Capacity Research program that includes: (1) gathering knowledge from policy and literature; (2) gathering knowledge from the community; (3) understanding speech, language and literacy use and proficiency; and (4) developing culturally and linguistically appropriate resources and assessments. To inform the development of resources and assessments that could be used by speech-language pathologists as well as other communication specialists in Fiji, the Communication Capacity Research program involved collection and analysis of data from multiple sources including 144 community members, 75 school students and their families, and 25 teachers. The Communication Capacity Research program may be applicable for achieving the development of evidence-based, culturally and linguistically sustainable SLP services in similar contexts.

The utility of human sciences in nursing inquiry.

PubMed

Pratt, Maria

2012-01-01

This paper targets novice nurse researchers to highlight how the perspectives of human sciences are useful in understanding people's experiences. There is a need to address the utility of human sciences or the humanistic philosophy that values the understanding of subjective experiences in nursing, given that the mainstream development of nursing knowledge is still influenced by the positivist and post-positivist research paradigms. Discussion papers on Heideggerian hermeneutic phenomenology, human sciences, and qualitative research were accessed through the databases Cinahl and Medline over the past 30 years. Seminal works on phenomenology were addressed in this paper. Using Heideggerian hermeneutic phenomenology as a commonly referenced human philosophy and methodology, this paper discusses how Heidegger's (1962) perspective may be used in nursing practice and research. Van Manen's (1990) descriptions of phenomenological science are discussed to address the perspective's value in nursing inquiry and to reveal the biases associated with this humanistic approach. The limitations of human sciences should not deter nurse researchers from using this type of nursing inquiry as it can provide an important framework in nursing research, practice and knowledge development. The author's perspective as a graduate student highlights the importance of human sciences in exploring the experiences of people vital in the delivery of nursing practice. However, researchers wishing to undertake humanistic inquiry should learn the philosophical and methodological underpinnings of their chosen humanistic approach.

Access to healthcare and alternative health-seeking strategies among undocumented migrants in Denmark

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background As in many European countries, undocumented migrants in Denmark have restricted access to healthcare. The aim of this study is to describe and analyse undocumented migrants' experiences of access to healthcare, use of alternative health-seeking strategies; and ER nurses' experiences in encounters with undocumented migrants. Methods Qualitative design using semi-structured interviews and observations. The participants included ten undocumented South Asian migrants and eight ER nurses. Results Undocumented migrants reported difficulties accessing healthcare. The barriers to healthcare were: limited medical rights, arbitrariness in healthcare professionals' attitudes, fear of being reported to the police, poor language skills, lack of network with Danish citizens, lack of knowledge about the healthcare system and lack of knowledge about informal networks of healthcare professionals. These barriers induced alternative health-seeking strategies, such as self-medication, contacting doctors in home countries and borrowing health insurance cards from Danish citizens. ER nurses expressed willingness to treat all patients regardless of their migratory status, but also reported challenges in the encounters with undocumented migrants. The challenges for ER nurses were: language barriers, issues of false identification, insecurities about the correct standard procedures and not always being able to provide appropriate care. Conclusions Undocumented migrants face formal and informal barriers to the Danish healthcare system, which lead to alternative health-seeking strategies that may have adverse effects on their health. This study shows the need for policies and guidelines, which in accordance with international human rights law, ensure access to healthcare for undocumented migrants and give clarity to healthcare professionals. PMID:21752296

Putting program evaluation to work: a framework for creating actionable knowledge for suicide prevention practice.

PubMed

Wilkins, Natalie; Thigpen, Sally; Lockman, Jennifer; Mackin, Juliette; Madden, Mary; Perkins, Tamara; Schut, James; Van Regenmorter, Christina; Williams, Lygia; Donovan, John

2013-06-01

The economic and human cost of suicidal behavior to individuals, families, communities, and society makes suicide a serious public health concern, both in the US and around the world. As research and evaluation continue to identify strategies that have the potential to reduce or ultimately prevent suicidal behavior, the need for translating these findings into practice grows. The development of actionable knowledge is an emerging process for translating important research and evaluation findings into action to benefit practice settings. In an effort to apply evaluation findings to strengthen suicide prevention practice, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) supported the development of three actionable knowledge products that make key findings and lessons learned from youth suicide prevention program evaluations accessible and useable for action. This paper describes the actionable knowledge framework (adapted from the knowledge transfer literature), the three products that resulted, and recommendations for further research into this emerging method for translating research and evaluation findings and bridging the knowledge-action gap.

Influence of peer support on HIV/STI prevention and safety amongst international migrant sex workers: A qualitative study at the Mexico-Guatemala border

PubMed Central

Brouwer, Kimberly C.; Rocha-Jimenez, Teresita; Fernandez-Casanueva, Carmen; Morales-Miranda, Sonia; Goldenberg, Shira M.

2018-01-01

Background Migrant women engaged in precarious employment, such as sex work, frequently face pronounced social isolation alongside other barriers to health and human rights. Although peer support has been identified as a critical HIV and violence prevention intervention for sex workers, little is known about access to peer support or its role in shaping health and social outcomes for migrant sex workers. This article analyses the role of peer support in shaping vulnerability and resilience related to HIV/STI prevention and violence among international migrant sex workers at the Mexico-Guatemala border. Methods This qualitative study is based on 31 semi-structured interviews conducted with international migrant sex workers in the Mexico-Guatemala border communities of Tapachula, Mexico and Tecún Umán and Quetzaltenango, Guatemala. Results Peer support was found to be critical for reducing social isolation; improving access to HIV/STI knowledge, prevention and resources; and mitigating workplace violence, particularly at the initial stages of migration and sex work. Peer support was especially critical for countering social isolation, and peers represented a valuable source of HIV/STI prevention knowledge and resources (e.g., condoms), as well as essential safety supports in the workplace. However, challenges to accessing peer support were noted, including difficulties establishing long-lasting relationships and other forms of social participation due to frequent mobility, as well as tensions among peers within some work environments. Variations in access to peer support related to country of work, work environment, sex work and migration stage, and sex work experience were also identified. Conclusions Results indicate that peer-led and community empowerment interventions represent a promising strategy for promoting the health, safety and human rights of migrant sex workers. Tailored community empowerment interventions addressing the unique migration-related contexts and challenges faced by migrant sex workers should be a focus of future community-based research, alongside promotion of broader structural changes. PMID:29304164

Influence of peer support on HIV/STI prevention and safety amongst international migrant sex workers: A qualitative study at the Mexico-Guatemala border.

PubMed

Febres-Cordero, Belen; Brouwer, Kimberly C; Rocha-Jimenez, Teresita; Fernandez-Casanueva, Carmen; Morales-Miranda, Sonia; Goldenberg, Shira M

2018-01-01

Migrant women engaged in precarious employment, such as sex work, frequently face pronounced social isolation alongside other barriers to health and human rights. Although peer support has been identified as a critical HIV and violence prevention intervention for sex workers, little is known about access to peer support or its role in shaping health and social outcomes for migrant sex workers. This article analyses the role of peer support in shaping vulnerability and resilience related to HIV/STI prevention and violence among international migrant sex workers at the Mexico-Guatemala border. This qualitative study is based on 31 semi-structured interviews conducted with international migrant sex workers in the Mexico-Guatemala border communities of Tapachula, Mexico and Tecún Umán and Quetzaltenango, Guatemala. Peer support was found to be critical for reducing social isolation; improving access to HIV/STI knowledge, prevention and resources; and mitigating workplace violence, particularly at the initial stages of migration and sex work. Peer support was especially critical for countering social isolation, and peers represented a valuable source of HIV/STI prevention knowledge and resources (e.g., condoms), as well as essential safety supports in the workplace. However, challenges to accessing peer support were noted, including difficulties establishing long-lasting relationships and other forms of social participation due to frequent mobility, as well as tensions among peers within some work environments. Variations in access to peer support related to country of work, work environment, sex work and migration stage, and sex work experience were also identified. Results indicate that peer-led and community empowerment interventions represent a promising strategy for promoting the health, safety and human rights of migrant sex workers. Tailored community empowerment interventions addressing the unique migration-related contexts and challenges faced by migrant sex workers should be a focus of future community-based research, alongside promotion of broader structural changes.

Recent study, but not retrieval, of knowledge protects against learning errors.

PubMed

Mullet, Hillary G; Umanath, Sharda; Marsh, Elizabeth J

2014-11-01

Surprisingly, people incorporate errors into their knowledge bases even when they have the correct knowledge stored in memory (e.g., Fazio, Barber, Rajaram, Ornstein, & Marsh, 2013). We examined whether heightening the accessibility of correct knowledge would protect people from later reproducing misleading information that they encountered in fictional stories. In Experiment 1, participants studied a series of target general knowledge questions and their correct answers either a few minutes (high accessibility of knowledge) or 1 week (low accessibility of knowledge) before exposure to misleading story references. In Experiments 2a and 2b, participants instead retrieved the answers to the target general knowledge questions either a few minutes or 1 week before the rest of the experiment. Reading the relevant knowledge directly before the story-reading phase protected against reproduction of the misleading story answers on a later general knowledge test, but retrieving that same correct information did not. Retrieving stored knowledge from memory might actually enhance the encoding of relevant misinformation.

Accessible medical equipment for patients with disabilities in primary care clinics: why is it lacking?

PubMed

Pharr, Jennifer

2013-04-01

Previous research has identified inaccessible medical equipment as a barrier to health care services encountered by people with disabilities. However, no research has been conducted to understand why medical practices lack accessible equipment. The purpose of this study was to examine practice administrators' knowledge of accessible medical equipment and cost of accessible medical equipment to understand why medical practices lack such equipment. Hypotheses were: 1) Practice administrators lacked knowledge about accessible medical equipment and 2) The cost of accessible medical equipment was too great compared to standard equipment for the clinic. This study was a mixed methods survey of primary care practice administrators. The sixty-three participates were members of a medical management organization. Data were collected between December 20, 2011 and January 17, 2012. Proportions, Guttman scalogram, and Spearman's Rho correlation analyses were utilized. For this sample, less than half of the administrators knew that accessible equipment existed and a fourth knew what accessible equipment existed. There was a significant (p < 0.01), positive correlation between knowledge of accessible equipment and pieces of accessible equipment in the clinics. Because less than half of the administrators had ever considered purchasing accessible equipment, it was inconclusive if cost of accessible equipment was too great. Practice administrators' lack of knowledge of accessible medical equipment emphasizes the need not only for more education about the availability of accessible equipment but also about the importance of accessible equipment for their patients with disabilities and for physicians who provide them care. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Effects of Dimensions of Word Knowledge and Their Accessibility on Different Levels of Reading Comprehension in Adolescent EFL Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Choi, Yunjeong

2017-01-01

Researchers have investigated that different dimensions of word knowledge (breadth versus depth) may play distinct roles in second language (L2) reading comprehension. Yet, little research has addressed how learners' efficiency of accessing those dimensions of knowledge functions in their comprehension (i.e., the issue of knowledge availability…

Looking Through a Social Lens: Conceptualising Social Aspects of Knowledge Management for Global Health Practitioners

PubMed Central

Limaye, Rupali J.; Sullivan, Tara M.; Dalessandro, Scott; Jenkins, Ann Hendrix

2017-01-01

Knowledge management plays a critical role in global health. Global health practitioners require knowledge in every aspect of their jobs, and in resource-scarce contexts, practitioners must be able to rely on a knowledge management system to access the latest research and practice to ensure the highest quality of care. However, we suggest that there is a gap in the way knowledge management is primarily utilized in global health, namely, the systematic incorporation of human and social factors. In this paper, we briefly outline the evolution of knowledge management and then propose a conceptualization of knowledge management that incorporates human and social factors for use within a global health context. Our conceptualization of social knowledge management recognizes the importance of social capital, social learning, social software and platforms, and social networks, all within the context of a larger social system and driven by social benefit. We then outline the limitations and discuss future directions of our conceptualization, and suggest how this new conceptualization is essential for any global health practitioner in the business of managing knowledge. Significance for public health Managing knowledge is essential for improving population health outcomes. Global health practitioners at all levels of the health system are bombarded with information related to best practices and guideline changes, among other relevant information to provide the best quality of care. Knowledge management, or the act of effectively using knowledge, has yet to capitalize on the power of social connections within the context of global health. While social elements have been incorporated into knowledge management activities, we suggest that systematically integrating key concepts that leverage social connections, such as social systems, social capital, social learning, and social software, will yield greater benefit with regard to health outcomes. As such, we outline a new conceptualization of knowledge management, focusing on the social aspects of the practice, and posit that such an approach can further the impact of global health interventions and is crucial for global health practitioners. PMID:28480173

Open Access to Scientific Literature: An Assessment of Awareness Support and Usage among Academic Librarians at Historically Black Colleges and Universities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Evans, Marsha Ann Johnson

2012-01-01

Open Access (OA) to scholarly communications is a critical component in providing equitable admission to scholarly information and a key vehicle toward the achievement of global access to research in the knowledge building process. A standard and universally accepted process for guaranteeing OA permits complimentary access to knowledge, research…

Knowledge and attitudes of non-occupational HIV post-exposure prophylaxis amongst first- and second-year medical students at Stellenbosch University in South Africa

PubMed Central

Meintjes, Willem A.J.; Chola, Lumbwe

2014-01-01

Abstract Background Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection is a worldwide problem, with 68% of infected people residing in sub-Saharan Africa. Antiretroviral therapy is used as post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) to prevent infection in cases of occupational exposure, and use has recently been expanded to non-occupational exposure. Studies have demonstrated a lack of awareness of non-occupational PEP (NO-PEP) in the general population. Aim The aim of this study was to evaluate knowledge and attitudes towards availability of, access to and use of NO-PEP amongst first- and second-year medical students. Setting Participants were medical undergraduates of Stellenbosch University in the Western Cape of South Africa who were registered in 2013. Methods A descriptive cross-sectional study of 169 students was performed. Data were collected using self-administered questionnaires handed out in a classroom in August 2013. Self-reported knowledge and attitudes towards NO-PEP and barriers to access to and use of NO-PEP were analysed using frequency tables. Associations between self-reported and objective knowledge of NO-PEP were analysed by odds ratios. Results Over 90% of students had good knowledge on HIV transmission, and about 75% knew how it can be prevented. Twenty eight per cent (n = 47) of students reported knowledge of NO-PEP; 67% reported hearing about it from lecturers, whilst 1% reported hearing about it from their partner. Students who knew the correct procedure to take when a dose is forgotten were 2.4 times more likely to report knowledge of NO-PEP than those who did not know what to do when a dose is forgotten (p = 0.029). No other associations were statistically significant. Conclusion Students had positive attitudes towards the use of NO-PEP and also identified barriers to its use. Despite good knowledge of HIV prevention and transmission, knowledge on NO-PEP was poor. PMID:26245421

CRESST Human Performance Knowledge Mapping System

DTIC Science & Technology

2002-12-01

link subcategories. Semantica Evaluation copy unavailable Visual Mind M H No Cannot add relation labels. Smart Ideas H H No Easy to use. Linking in...Screen Users can access all top-level functions from the main screen shown in Figure 4. The design of the Web favored breadth over depth, which allows...based on whether their propositions match propositions in the expert map. LifeMap PC on the Web /Mac 0 http:/ /www2.ucsc.edu/-mlrg/mlrgtools.html This

Understanding the information needs of public health practitioners: a literature review to inform design of an interactive digital knowledge management system.

PubMed

Revere, Debra; Turner, Anne M; Madhavan, Ann; Rambo, Neil; Bugni, Paul F; Kimball, AnnMarie; Fuller, Sherrilynne S

2007-08-01

The need for rapid access to information to support critical decisions in public health cannot be disputed; however, development of such systems requires an understanding of the actual information needs of public health professionals. This paper reports the results of a literature review focused on the information needs of public health professionals. The authors reviewed the public health literature to answer the following questions: (1) What are the information needs of public health professionals? (2) In what ways are those needs being met? (3) What are the barriers to meeting those needs? (4) What is the role of the Internet in meeting information needs? The review was undertaken in order to develop system requirements to inform the design and development of an interactive digital knowledge management system. The goal of the system is to support the collection, management, and retrieval of public health documents, data, learning objects, and tools. The search method extended beyond traditional information resources, such as bibliographic databases, tables of contents (TOC), and bibliographies, to include information resources public health practitioners routinely use or have need to use--for example, grey literature, government reports, Internet-based publications, and meeting abstracts. Although few formal studies of information needs and information-seeking behaviors of public health professionals have been reported, the literature consistently indicated a critical need for comprehensive, coordinated, and accessible information to meet the needs of the public health workforce. Major barriers to information access include time, resource reliability, trustworthiness/credibility of information, and "information overload". Utilizing a novel search method that included the diversity of information resources public health practitioners use, has produced a richer and more useful picture of the information needs of the public health workforce than other literature reviews. There is a critical need for public health digital knowledge management systems designed to reflect the diversity of public health activities, to enable human communications, and to provide multiple access points to critical information resources. Public health librarians and other information specialists can serve a significant role in helping public health professionals meet their information needs through the development of evidence-based decision support systems, human-mediated expert searching and training in the use information retrieval systems.

Why Knowledge Matters in Curriculum: A Social Realist Argument. New Studies in Critical Realism and Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wheelahan, Leesa

2012-01-01

What should we teach in our schools and vocational education and higher education institutions? Is theoretical knowledge still important? This book argues that providing students with access to knowledge should be the raison d'etre of education. Its premise is that access to knowledge is an issue of social justice because society uses it to…

Differences in HIV knowledge and sexual practices of learners with intellectual disabilities and non-disabled learners in Nigeria

PubMed Central

Aderemi, Toyin J; Pillay, Basil J; Esterhuizen, Tonya M

2013-01-01

Introduction Individuals with intellectual disabilities are rarely targeted by the current human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) response, thereby reducing their access to HIV information and services. Currently, little is known about the HIV knowledge and sexual practices of young Nigerians with intellectual disabilities. Thus, this study sought to compare the HIV knowledge and sexual practices of learners with mild/moderate intellectual disabilities and non-disabled learners (NDL) in Nigeria. Findings could help in the development of HIV interventions that are accessible to Nigerian learners with intellectual impairments. Methods This cross-sectional, comparative study utilized a survey to investigate HIV knowledge and sexual practices among learners with mild/moderate intellectual disabilities and NDL in Nigeria. Learners with mild/moderate intellectual disabilities (n=300) and NDL (n=300) within the age range of 12 to 19 years drawn from schools across Oyo State, Nigeria, completed a structured questionnaire to assess their knowledge of HIV transmission and sexual practices. Results Significantly more learners with mild/moderate intellectual disabilities (62.2%) than NDL 48 (37.8%) reported having sexual experience (p=0.002). Of the sexually experienced female learners with mild/moderate intellectual disabilities, 28 (68.3%) reported history of rape compared with 9 (2.9%) of female NDL (p=0.053). Intellectual impairment was significantly associated with lower HIV transmission knowledge scores (p<0.001). Learners with mild/moderate intellectual disabilities were less likely than NDL (p<0.001) to have heard about HIV from most of the common sources of HIV information. In addition, when compared with non-disabled learners, learners with mild/moderate intellectual disabilities were significantly more likely to have reported inconsistent condom use with boyfriends/girlfriends (p<0.001), with casual sexual partners (p<0.001) and non-use of condom during last sexual activity (p<0.001). Conclusions Findings suggest that adolescents with intellectual impairments are at higher risk of HIV infection than their non-disabled peers. This gap could be addressed through interventions that target Nigerians with intellectual impairments with accessible HIV information and services. PMID:23394898

Cognitive and psychological science insights to improve climate change data visualization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harold, Jordan; Lorenzoni, Irene; Shipley, Thomas F.; Coventry, Kenny R.

2016-12-01

Visualization of climate data plays an integral role in the communication of climate change findings to both expert and non-expert audiences. The cognitive and psychological sciences can provide valuable insights into how to improve visualization of climate data based on knowledge of how the human brain processes visual and linguistic information. We review four key research areas to demonstrate their potential to make data more accessible to diverse audiences: directing visual attention, visual complexity, making inferences from visuals, and the mapping between visuals and language. We present evidence-informed guidelines to help climate scientists increase the accessibility of graphics to non-experts, and illustrate how the guidelines can work in practice in the context of Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change graphics.

Implementation and research priorities for FCTC Articles 13 and 16: tobacco advertising, promotion, and sponsorship and sales to and by minors.

PubMed

Nagler, Rebekah H; Viswanath, Kasisomayajula

2013-04-01

Article 13 of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) calls for a comprehensive ban on tobacco advertising, promotion, and sponsorship (TAPS), and Article 16 calls for prohibition of tobacco sales to and by minors. Although these mandates are based on sound science, many countries have found provision implementation to be rife with challenges. This paper reviews the history of tobacco marketing and minor access restrictions in high-, middle-, and low-income countries, identifying past challenges and successes. We consider current challenges to FCTC implementation, how these barriers can be addressed, and what research is necessary to support such efforts. Specifically, we identify implementation and research priorities for FCTC Articles 13 and 16. Although a solid evidence base underpins the FCTC's call for TAPS bans and minor access restrictions, we know substantially less about how best to implement these restrictions. Drawing on the regulatory experiences of high-, middle-, and low-income countries, we discern several implementation and research priorities, which are organized into 4 categories: policy enactment and enforcement, human capital expertise, the effects of FCTC marketing and youth access policies, and knowledge exchange and transfer among signatories. Future research should provide detailed case studies on implementation successes and failures, as well as insights into how knowledge of successful restrictions can be translated into tobacco control policy and practice and shared among different stakeholders. Tobacco marketing surveillance, sales-to-minors compliance checks, enforcement and evaluation of restriction policies, and capacity building and knowledge transfer are likely to prove central to effective implementation.

Reusable Software and Open Data Incorporate Ecological Understanding To Optimize Agriculture and Improveme Crops.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

LeBauer, D.

2015-12-01

Humans need a secure and sustainable food supply, and science can help. We have an opportunity to transform agriculture by combining knowledge of organisms and ecosystems to engineer ecosystems that sustainably produce food, fuel, and other services. The challenge is that the information we have. Measurements, theories, and laws found in publications, notebooks, measurements, software, and human brains are difficult to combine. We homogenize, encode, and automate the synthesis of data and mechanistic understanding in a way that links understanding at different scales and across domains. This allows extrapolation, prediction, and assessment. Reusable components allow automated construction of new knowledge that can be used to assess, predict, and optimize agro-ecosystems. Developing reusable software and open-access databases is hard, and examples will illustrate how we use the Predictive Ecosystem Analyzer (PEcAn, pecanproject.org), the Biofuel Ecophysiological Traits and Yields database (BETYdb, betydb.org), and ecophysiological crop models to predict crop yield, decide which crops to plant, and which traits can be selected for the next generation of data driven crop improvement. A next step is to automate the use of sensors mounted on robots, drones, and tractors to assess plants in the field. The TERRA Reference Phenotyping Platform (TERRA-Ref, terraref.github.io) will provide an open access database and computing platform on which researchers can use and develop tools that use sensor data to assess and manage agricultural and other terrestrial ecosystems. TERRA-Ref will adopt existing standards and develop modular software components and common interfaces, in collaboration with researchers from iPlant, NEON, AgMIP, USDA, rOpenSci, ARPA-E, many scientists and industry partners. Our goal is to advance science by enabling efficient use, reuse, exchange, and creation of knowledge.

CmapTools: A Software Environment for Knowledge Modeling and Sharing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Canas, Alberto J.

2004-01-01

In an ongoing collaborative effort between a group of NASA Ames scientists and researchers at the Institute for Human and Machine Cognition (IHMC) of the University of West Florida, a new version of CmapTools has been developed that enable scientists to construct knowledge models of their domain of expertise, share them with other scientists, make them available to anybody on the Internet with access to a Web browser, and peer-review other scientists models. These software tools have been successfully used at NASA to build a large-scale multimedia on Mars and in knowledge model on Habitability Assessment. The new version of the software places emphasis on greater usability for experts constructing their own knowledge models, and support for the creation of large knowledge models with large number of supporting resources in the forms of images, videos, web pages, and other media. Additionally, the software currently allows scientists to cooperate with each other in the construction, sharing and criticizing of knowledge models. Scientists collaborating from remote distances, for example researchers at the Astrobiology Institute, can concurrently manipulate the knowledge models they are viewing without having to do this at a special videoconferencing facility.

The Role of Social Media Tools: Accessible Tourism for Disabled Citizens

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Altinay, Zehra; Saner, Tulen; Bahçelerli, Nesrin M.; Altinay, Fahriye

2016-01-01

Knowledge sharing becomes important to accomplish digital citizenship. Social media tools become popular to share and diffuse the knowledge in the digitalization. This social media learning and knowledge sharing platforms provides accessibility to the services within societies especially for disabled citizens. This research study aims to evaluate…

The effect of an educational program for vascular access care on nurses' knowledge at dialysis centers in Khartoum State, Sudan.

PubMed

Yousif, Kalthoum Ibrahim; Abu-Aisha, Hasan; Abboud, Omar Ibrahim

2017-01-01

End-stage renal disease is a worldwide problem that requires highly skilled nursing care. Hemodialysis (HD) is a corner-stone procedure in the management of most patients who require renal replacement therapy. Adequate vascular access is essential for the successful use of HD. Appropriate knowledge in taking care of vascular access is essential for minimizing complications and accurately recognizing vascular access-related problems. This study was to evaluate the effect of an educational program for vascular access care on nurses' knowledge at nine dialysis centers in Khartoum State. This was a Quasi experimental study (pre-and post-test for the same group). Sixty-one nurses working in these HD centers were chosen by simple random sampling method. A structured face-to-face interview questionnaire based on the Kidney Dialysis Outcome Quality Initiative (K/DOQI) clinical practice guidelines for vascular access care was used. Instrument validity was determined through content validity by a panel of experts. Reliability of the instrument was tested by a pilot study to test the knowledge scores for 15 nurses. The Pearson correlation coefficient obtained was (r = 0.82). Data collection was taken before and after the educational intervention. A follow-up test was performed three month later, using the same data collection tools. Twenty-two individual variables assessing the knowledge levels in aspects related to the six K/DOQI guidelines showed improvement in all scores of the nurses' knowledge after the educational intervention; and the differences from the preeducational scores were statistically significant (P < 0.001). The study showed that a structured educational program based on the K/DOQI clinical practice guidelines had a significant impact on the dialysis nurses knowledge in caring for vascular access in HD patients. The knowledge level attained was maintained for at least three months after the educational intervention.

Deficits in Young Men's Knowledge about Accessing Sexual and Reproductive Health Services

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bersamin, Melina; Fisher, Deborah A.; Marcell, Arik V.; Finan, Laura J.

2017-01-01

Objective: The current study aimed to examine (1) gender differences in college students' knowledge of sexual and reproductive health care (K-SRHC) service access points, and (2) the relationship between demographic and psychosocial factors and college students' overall K-SRHC service access points. Methods and Participants: Self-report online…

Semantically enabling pharmacogenomic data for the realization of personalized medicine

PubMed Central

Samwald, Matthias; Coulet, Adrien; Huerga, Iker; Powers, Robert L; Luciano, Joanne S; Freimuth, Robert R; Whipple, Frederick; Pichler, Elgar; Prud’hommeaux, Eric; Dumontier, Michel; Marshall, M Scott

2014-01-01

Understanding how each individual’s genetics and physiology influences pharmaceutical response is crucial to the realization of personalized medicine and the discovery and validation of pharmacogenomic biomarkers is key to its success. However, integration of genotype and phenotype knowledge in medical information systems remains a critical challenge. The inability to easily and accurately integrate the results of biomolecular studies with patients’ medical records and clinical reports prevents us from realizing the full potential of pharmacogenomic knowledge for both drug development and clinical practice. Herein, we describe approaches using Semantic Web technologies, in which pharmacogenomic knowledge relevant to drug development and medical decision support is represented in such a way that it can be efficiently accessed both by software and human experts. We suggest that this approach increases the utility of data, and that such computational technologies will become an essential part of personalized medicine, alongside diagnostics and pharmaceutical products. PMID:22256869

Cancer's Margins: Trans* and Gender Nonconforming People's Access to Knowledge, Experiences of Cancer Health, and Decision-Making

PubMed Central

Bryson, Mary K.

2016-01-01

Abstract Purpose: Research in Canada and the United States indicates that minority gender and sexuality status are consistently associated with health disparities and poor health outcomes, including cancer health. This article investigates experiences of cancer health and care, and access to knowledge for trans* and gender nonconforming people diagnosed with and treated for breast and/or gynecologic cancer. Our study contributes new understandings about gender minority populations that will advance knowledge concerning the provision of culturally appropriate care. This is the first study we are aware of that focuses on trans* and gender nonconforming peoples' experiences of cancer care and treatment, support networks, and access to and mobilization of knowledge. Methods: This article analyzes trans* and gender nonconforming patient interviews from the Cancer's Margins project (www.lgbtcancer.ca): Canada's first nationally-funded project that investigates the complex intersections of sexual and/or gender marginality, cancer knowledge, treatment experiences, and modes of the organization of support networks. Results: Our analysis documents how different bodies of knowledge relative to cancer treatment and gendered embodiment are understood, accessed, and mobilized by trans* and gender nonconforming patients. Findings reported here suggest that one's knowledge of a felt sense of gender is closely interwoven with knowledge concerning cancer treatment practices; a dynamic which organizes knowledge mobilities in cancer treatment. Conclusions: The findings support the assertion that cisgender models concerning changes to the body that occur as a result of biomedical treatment for breast and/or gynecologic cancer are wholly inadequate in order to account for trans* and gender nonconforming peoples' experiences of cancer treatments, and access to and mobilization of related knowledge. PMID:26789402

Using human rights-based approaches to conceptualise lesbian and bisexual women's health inequalities.

PubMed

Fish, Julie; Bewley, Susan

2010-07-01

This article makes a contribution to current debates in human rights-based approaches to lesbian and bisexual (LB) women's health. With reference to concepts embodied in the Yogyakarta Principles, it is proposed that the right to health includes access to health information, participation, equity, equality and non-discrimination. Specifically, the article examines how LB women's health can be considered as a health inequality and discusses international developments to reduce disparities. Drawing on qualitative data collected in an online survey, the article reports on sexual minority women's experiences of health-care. Participants were recruited via a purposive sampling strategy; questionnaires were completed by 6490 respondents of whom 5909 met the study criteria of residence in the UK, sexual orientation and completing the survey once. Analysis revealed four broad themes: heteronormativity in health-care; improving attitudes among healthcare professionals; equality in access; raising awareness and informed communities. The accounts highlight the centrality of human rights principles: fairness, respect, equality, dignity and autonomy. The implications for healthcare policy and practice are discussed including ways to empower staff and service users with knowledge and skills and ensuring non-discrimination in health service delivery.

Students Designing Their Learning?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Long, Gareth

2011-01-01

Education today is not just about "learning knowledge"--knowledge is instantly accessible, anywhere simply at the click of a mouse button. Learning now has to be much more about developing a range of skills for life and work, thinking creatively, learning where to access knowledge, verify it and apply it to the particular tasks. Admittedly there…

A randomized controlled trial of the impact of a family planning mHealth service on knowledge and use of contraception.

PubMed

Johnson, Douglas; Juras, Randall; Riley, Pamela; Chatterji, Minki; Sloane, Phoebe; Choi, Soon Kyu; Johns, Ben

2017-01-01

mHealth, or the use of mobile phones for health, is a promising but largely untested method for increasing family planning knowledge in developing countries. This study estimates the effect of m4RH, an mHealth service in Kenya that provides family planning information via text message, on consumers' knowledge and use of contraception. We randomly assigned new consumers of the m4RH service to receive either full access or limited access to m4RH. We collected data on outcomes by sending questions directly to consumers via text message. Response rates to the text message surveys ranged from 51.8% to 13.5%. Despite relatively low response rates, response rates were very similar across the full-access and limited-access groups. We find that full access to m4RH increased consumers' scores on a test of contraceptive knowledge by 14% (95% confidence interval: 9.9%-18.2%) compared to a control group with limited access to m4RH. m4RH did not increase consumers' use of contraception, likelihood of discussing family planning with their partners, or likelihood of visiting a clinic to discuss family planning. Text messages may increase family planning knowledge but do not, by themselves, lead to behavior change. Text messages can be an effective method of increasing family planning knowledge but may be insufficient on their own to cause behavior change. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Police training to align law enforcement and HIV prevention: preliminary evidence from the field.

PubMed

Beletsky, Leo; Agrawal, Alpna; Moreau, Bruce; Kumar, Pratima; Weiss-Laxer, Nomi; Heimer, Robert

2011-11-01

Having identified gaps in implementation of Rhode Island's syringe access law and police occupational safety education, public health and police professionals developed police training to boost legal knowledge, improve syringe access attitudes, and address needlestick injuries. Baseline data (94 officers) confirmed anxiety about needlestick injuries, poor legal knowledge, and occupational risk overestimation. Before training, respondents believed that syringe access promotes drug use (51%), increases likelihood of police needlestick injuries (58%), and fails to reduce epidemics (38%). Pretraining to posttraining evaluation suggested significant shifts in legal and occupational safety knowledge; changes in attitudes toward syringe access were promising. Training that combines occupational safety with syringe access content can help align law enforcement with public health goals. Additional research is needed to assess street-level effect and to inform intervention tailoring.

Reproduction and fertility in human immunodeficiency virus type-1 infection.

PubMed

van Leeuwen, E; Prins, J M; Jurriaans, S; Boer, K; Reiss, P; Repping, S; van der Veen, F

2007-01-01

Human immunodeficiency virus type-1 (HIV-1) affects mostly men and women in their reproductive years. For those who have access to highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), the course of HIV-1 infection has shifted from a lethal to a chronic disease. As a result of this, many patients with HIV-1 consider having offspring, as do other patients of reproductive age with chronic illnesses. This article summarizes the current knowledge on the presence of HIV in the male and female genital tract, the effects of HIV-1 infection and HAART on male and female fertility and the results of various assisted reproduction techniques (ART) in HIV-1-infected men and women who wish to have offspring.

Evaluation of the Effect of a Promotora-led Educational Intervention on Cervical Cancer and Human Papillomavirus Knowledge Among Predominantly Hispanic Primary Care Patients on the US-Mexico Border.

PubMed

Molokwu, Jennifer; Penaranda, Eribeth; Flores, Silvia; Shokar, Navkiran K

2016-12-01

Despite declining cervical cancer rates, ethnic minorities continue to bear an unequal burden in morbidity and mortality. While access to screening is a major barrier, low levels of knowledge and cultural influences have been found to play a part in underutilization of preventive services. The aim of our study was to evaluate the effect of a promontora-led educational intervention on cervical cancer and human papillomavirus knowledge in mainly Hispanic females attending a primary care clinic. One hundred ten females were recruited from the waiting room of a busy primary care clinic and invited to attend individual or small group educational sessions. Participants completed knowledge surveys pre- and post-intervention. An overall evaluation of the educational session was also completed. Following the educational intervention, participants showed an improvement in knowledge scores from a mean score of 10.8 (SD 3.43) out of a possible score of 18 to a mean score of 16.0 (SD1.51) (p < 0.001). 94.5 % of participants rated as excellent, the presentation of information in a way that was easy to understand, most reported that it was a good use of their time and that it lowered their anxiety about testing for early detection of cervical cancer. An educational intervention delivered by well-trained Promotora/Lay health care worker significantly improves patient's cervical cancer and HPV knowledge and can be a useful tool in patient education in the clinical setting especially with high risk populations.

Mothers' knowledge of and attitudes toward human milk banking in South Australia: a qualitative study.

PubMed

Mackenzie, Catherine; Javanparast, Sara; Newman, Lareen

2013-05-01

The beneficial effects of breastfeeding for mothers and babies are well recognized. When maternal breast milk is not available in sufficient quantity, donor breast milk is recommended as an alternate source of nutrition, particularly in preterm and other high-risk infants. Australia lags behind the rest of the developed world in establishing and promoting human milk banks; there is no human milk bank in South Australia and little is known concerning mothers' perceptions of using human milk banks in that state. This study explored mothers' knowledge of and attitudes toward human milk banks, to inform the development of human milk banking policies and guidelines in South Australia should a milk bank be established. In-depth semistructured interviews were conducted with 12 mothers who were breastfeeding and/or had preterm or sick babies. In addition, 2 focus groups were conducted-1 with breastfeeding mothers as potential donors (n = 5) and the other with mothers of preterm or high-risk infants (n = 4)-to answer questions raised by early analysis of the individual interview data. Breastfeeding mothers, as potential donors, unanimously supported donating their breast milk to a human milk bank, provided it would be easy (especially if required to drop off milk) and not overly time consuming. Mothers of preterm or sick infants would use a human milk bank if they were assured the milk was safe and appropriate for their babies. Study participants would welcome having access to a human milk bank for both donating and receiving milk in South Australia.

Accessible microscopy workstation for students and scientists with mobility impairments.

PubMed

Duerstock, Bradley S

2006-01-01

An integrated accessible microscopy workstation was designed and developed to allow persons with mobility impairments to control all aspects of light microscopy with minimal human assistance. This system, named AccessScope, is capable of performing brightfield and fluorescence microscopy, image analysis, and tissue morphometry requisite for undergraduate science courses to graduate-level research. An accessible microscope is necessary for students and scientists with mobility impairments to be able to use a microscope independently to better understand microscopical imaging concepts and cell biology. This knowledge is not always apparent by simply viewing a catalog of histological images. The ability to operate a microscope independently eliminates the need to hire an assistant or rely on a classmate and permits one to take practical laboratory examinations by oneself. Independent microscope handling is also crucial for graduate students and scientists with disabilities to perform scientific research. By making a personal computer as the user interface for controlling AccessScope functions, different upper limb mobility impairments could be accommodated by using various computer input devices and assistive technology software. Participants with a range of upper limb mobility impairments evaluated the prototype microscopy workstation. They were able to control all microscopy functions including loading different slides without assistance.

The ethics of donor human milk banking.

PubMed

Arnold, Lois D W

2006-01-01

This case study of donor human milk banking and the ethics that govern interested parties is the first time the ethics of donor milk banking has been explored. Two different models of ethics and their direct impact on donor milk banking are examined: biomedical ethics and public health ethics. How these models and principles affect different aspects of donor human milk banking and the parties involved in the delivery of this service are elucidated. Interactions of parties with each other and how the quality and type of interaction affects the ethical delivery of donor milk banking services are described. Crystallization is at the heart of the qualitative methodology used. Writing as a method of inquiry, an integrative research review, and personal experience are the three methods involved in the crystallization process. Suggestions are made for improving access and knowledge of banked donor human milk, a valuable public health resource.

Safety lessons from aviation.

PubMed

Higton, Phil

2005-07-01

Thirty years ago the world of Commercial Aviation provided a challenging environment. In my early flying days, aircraft accidents were not unusual, flying was seen as a risky business and those who took part, either as a provider or passenger, appeared grudgingly willing to accept the hazards involved. A reduction in the level of risk was sought in technological advances, greater knowledge of physics and science, and access to higher levels of skill through simulation, practice and experience. While these measures did have an impact, the expected safety dividend was not realized. The most experienced, technically competent individuals with the best equipment featured far too regularly in the accident statistics. We had to look at the human element, the impact of flaws or characteristics of the human condition. We call this area Human Factors. My paper describes the concept of Human Factors, its establishment as a key safety tool in aviation and the impact of this on my working life.

Fulfilment of knowledge expectations among family members of patients undergoing arthroplasty: a European perspective.

PubMed

Sigurdardottir, Arun K; Leino-Kilpi, Helena; Charalambous, Andreas; Katajisto, Jouko; Stark, Åsa Johansson; Sourtzi, Panayota; Zabalegui, Adelaida; Valkeapää, Kirsi

2015-12-01

In the recovery process of arthroplasty patients, their family members play an important role due to short hospital stay and increased age of patients. Family members need to have knowledge to be able to support the patient. The aim of this study was to explore expected and received knowledge in family members of arthroplasty patients and describe the relationships between the differences in received and expected knowledge and background factors, country, information and control preferences and access to knowledge. The study was conducted in six European countries (Cyprus, Greece, Finland, Iceland, Spain and Sweden). The study design was cross-cultural, prospective and comparative with two measurement points: pre-operative and at discharge from hospital. Knowledge Expectations of significant other-scale and Krantz Health Opinion Survey were used before surgery and Received Knowledge of significant other-scale and Access to Knowledge at discharge. Patients undergoing elective hip or knee arthroplasty in seventeen hospitals were asked to identify one family member. The sample size was decided by power calculation. A total of 615 participants answered the questionnaires at both measurements. Family members perceived to receive less knowledge than they expected to have, most unfulfilled knowledge expectations were in the financial, social and experiential dimensions of knowledge. Seventy-four per cent of participants had unfulfilled knowledge expectations. Increased access to information from healthcare providers decreased the difference between received and expected knowledge. Compared to family members in southern Europe, those in the Nordic countries had more unfulfilled knowledge expectations and less access to information from healthcare providers. The evidence from this study highlights the need to involve the family members in the educational approach. © 2015 Nordic College of Caring Science.

KnowEnG: a knowledge engine for genomics.

PubMed

Sinha, Saurabh; Song, Jun; Weinshilboum, Richard; Jongeneel, Victor; Han, Jiawei

2015-11-01

We describe here the vision, motivations, and research plans of the National Institutes of Health Center for Excellence in Big Data Computing at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. The Center is organized around the construction of "Knowledge Engine for Genomics" (KnowEnG), an E-science framework for genomics where biomedical scientists will have access to powerful methods of data mining, network mining, and machine learning to extract knowledge out of genomics data. The scientist will come to KnowEnG with their own data sets in the form of spreadsheets and ask KnowEnG to analyze those data sets in the light of a massive knowledge base of community data sets called the "Knowledge Network" that will be at the heart of the system. The Center is undertaking discovery projects aimed at testing the utility of KnowEnG for transforming big data to knowledge. These projects span a broad range of biological enquiry, from pharmacogenomics (in collaboration with Mayo Clinic) to transcriptomics of human behavior. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the American Medical Informatics Association. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

HPVdb: a data mining system for knowledge discovery in human papillomavirus with applications in T cell immunology and vaccinology

PubMed Central

Zhang, Guang Lan; Riemer, Angelika B.; Keskin, Derin B.; Chitkushev, Lou; Reinherz, Ellis L.; Brusic, Vladimir

2014-01-01

High-risk human papillomaviruses (HPVs) are the causes of many cancers, including cervical, anal, vulvar, vaginal, penile and oropharyngeal. To facilitate diagnosis, prognosis and characterization of these cancers, it is necessary to make full use of the immunological data on HPV available through publications, technical reports and databases. These data vary in granularity, quality and complexity. The extraction of knowledge from the vast amount of immunological data using data mining techniques remains a challenging task. To support integration of data and knowledge in virology and vaccinology, we developed a framework called KB-builder to streamline the development and deployment of web-accessible immunological knowledge systems. The framework consists of seven major functional modules, each facilitating a specific aspect of the knowledgebase construction process. Using KB-builder, we constructed the Human Papillomavirus T cell Antigen Database (HPVdb). It contains 2781 curated antigen entries of antigenic proteins derived from 18 genotypes of high-risk HPV and 18 genotypes of low-risk HPV. The HPVdb also catalogs 191 verified T cell epitopes and 45 verified human leukocyte antigen (HLA) ligands. Primary amino acid sequences of HPV antigens were collected and annotated from the UniProtKB. T cell epitopes and HLA ligands were collected from data mining of scientific literature and databases. The data were subject to extensive quality control (redundancy elimination, error detection and vocabulary consolidation). A set of computational tools for an in-depth analysis, such as sequence comparison using BLAST search, multiple alignments of antigens, classification of HPV types based on cancer risk, T cell epitope/HLA ligand visualization, T cell epitope/HLA ligand conservation analysis and sequence variability analysis, has been integrated within the HPVdb. Predicted Class I and Class II HLA binding peptides for 15 common HLA alleles are included in this database as putative targets. HPVdb is a knowledge-based system that integrates curated data and information with tailored analysis tools to facilitate data mining for HPV vaccinology and immunology. To our best knowledge, HPVdb is a unique data source providing a comprehensive list of HPV antigens and peptides. Database URL: http://cvc.dfci.harvard.edu/hpv/ PMID:24705205

HPVdb: a data mining system for knowledge discovery in human papillomavirus with applications in T cell immunology and vaccinology.

PubMed

Zhang, Guang Lan; Riemer, Angelika B; Keskin, Derin B; Chitkushev, Lou; Reinherz, Ellis L; Brusic, Vladimir

2014-01-01

High-risk human papillomaviruses (HPVs) are the causes of many cancers, including cervical, anal, vulvar, vaginal, penile and oropharyngeal. To facilitate diagnosis, prognosis and characterization of these cancers, it is necessary to make full use of the immunological data on HPV available through publications, technical reports and databases. These data vary in granularity, quality and complexity. The extraction of knowledge from the vast amount of immunological data using data mining techniques remains a challenging task. To support integration of data and knowledge in virology and vaccinology, we developed a framework called KB-builder to streamline the development and deployment of web-accessible immunological knowledge systems. The framework consists of seven major functional modules, each facilitating a specific aspect of the knowledgebase construction process. Using KB-builder, we constructed the Human Papillomavirus T cell Antigen Database (HPVdb). It contains 2781 curated antigen entries of antigenic proteins derived from 18 genotypes of high-risk HPV and 18 genotypes of low-risk HPV. The HPVdb also catalogs 191 verified T cell epitopes and 45 verified human leukocyte antigen (HLA) ligands. Primary amino acid sequences of HPV antigens were collected and annotated from the UniProtKB. T cell epitopes and HLA ligands were collected from data mining of scientific literature and databases. The data were subject to extensive quality control (redundancy elimination, error detection and vocabulary consolidation). A set of computational tools for an in-depth analysis, such as sequence comparison using BLAST search, multiple alignments of antigens, classification of HPV types based on cancer risk, T cell epitope/HLA ligand visualization, T cell epitope/HLA ligand conservation analysis and sequence variability analysis, has been integrated within the HPVdb. Predicted Class I and Class II HLA binding peptides for 15 common HLA alleles are included in this database as putative targets. HPVdb is a knowledge-based system that integrates curated data and information with tailored analysis tools to facilitate data mining for HPV vaccinology and immunology. To our best knowledge, HPVdb is a unique data source providing a comprehensive list of HPV antigens and peptides. Database URL: http://cvc.dfci.harvard.edu/hpv/.

Producing More Actionable Science Isn't the Problem; It's Providing Decision-Makers with Access to Right Actionable Knowledge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Trexler, M.

2017-12-01

Policy-makers today have almost infinite climate-relevant scientific and other information available to them. The problem for climate change decision-making isn't missing science or inadequate knowledge of climate risks; the problem is that the "right" climate change actionable knowledge isn't getting to the right decision-maker, or is getting there too early or too late to effectively influence her decision-making. Actionable knowledge is not one-size-fit-all, and for a given decision-maker might involve scientific, economic, or risk-based information. Simply producing more and more information as we are today is not the solution, and actually makes it harder for individual decision-makers to access "their" actionable knowledge. The Climatographers began building the Climate Web five years ago to test the hypothesis that a knowledge management system could help navigate the gap between infinite information and individual actionable knowledge. Today the Climate Web's more than 1,500 index terms allow instant access to almost any climate change topic. It is a curated public-access knowledgebase of more than 1,000 books, 2,000 videos, 15,000 reports and articles, 25,000 news stories, and 3,000 websites. But it is also much more, linking together tens of thousands of individually extracted ideas and graphics, and providing Deep Dives into more than 100 key topics from changing probability distributions of extreme events to climate communications best practices to cognitive dissonance in climate change decision-making. The public-access Climate Web is uniquely able to support cross-silo learning, collaboration, and actionable knowledge dissemination. The presentation will use the Climate Web to demonstrate why knowledge management should be seen as a critical component of science and policy-making collaborations.

Conceptualising Knowledge for Access in the Sciences: Academic Development from a Social Realist Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ellery, Karen

2017-01-01

Whilst arguing from a social realist perspective that knowledge matters in academic development (AD) curricula, this paper addresses the question of what knowledge types and practices are necessary for enabling epistemological access. It presents a single, in-depth, qualitative case study in which the curriculum of a science AD course is…

Issues of Access in the New Information Age.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bergen, Dan

This paper suggests that library and information systems provide access to claims to knowledge rather than to knowledge or information and that such claims to knowledge are in fact claims to truth. The stated purpose of the paper is to explain why the library and information community should adhere to at least soft, if not hard, skepticism with…

When being a girl matters less: accessibility of gender-related self-knowledge in single-sex and coeducational classes and its impact on students' physics-related self-concept of ability.

PubMed

Kessels, Ursula; Hannover, Bettina

2008-06-01

Establishing or preserving single-sex schooling has been widely discussed as a way of bringing more girls into the natural sciences. We test the assumption that the beneficial effects of single-sex education on girls' self-concept of ability in masculine subjects such as physics are due to the lower accessibility of gender-related self-knowledge in single-sex classes. N=401 eighth-graders (mean age 14.0 years) from coeducational comprehensive schools. Random assignment of students to single-sex vs. coeducational physics classes throughout the eighth grade. At the end of the year, students' physics-related self-concept of ability was measured using a questionnaire. In a subsample of N=134 students, the accessibility of gender-related self-knowledge during physics classes was assessed by measuring latencies and endorsement of sex-typed trait adjectives. Girls from single-sex physics classes reported a better physics-related self-concept of ability than girls from coeducational classes, while boys' self-concept of ability did not vary according to class composition. For both boys and girls, gender-related self-knowledge was less accessible in single-sex classes than in mixed-sex classes. To the extent that girls' feminine self-knowledge was relatively less accessible than their masculine self-knowledge, their physics-related self-concept of ability improved at the end of the school year. By revealing the importance of the differential accessibility of gender-related self-knowledge in single- and mixed-sex settings, our study clarifies why single-sex schooling helps adolescents to gain a better self-concept of ability in school subjects that are considered inappropriate for their own sex.

U.S. Spacesuit Knowledge Capture Accomplishments in Fiscal Year 2015

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chullen, Cinda; Oliva, Vladenka R.

2016-01-01

The NASA U.S. Spacesuit Knowledge Capture (SKC) Program continues to capture, share, and archive significant spacesuit-related knowledge with engineers and other technical staff and invested entities. Since its 2007 inception, the SKC Program has hosted and recorded more than 75 events. By the end of Fiscal Year (FY) 2015, 40 of these were processed and uploaded to a publically accessible NASA Web site where viewers can expand their knowledge about the spacesuit's evolution, known capabilities and limitations, and lessons learned. Sharing this knowledge with entities beyond NASA can increase not only more people's understanding of the technical effort and importance involved in designing a spacesuit, it can also expand the interest and support in this valuable program that ensures significant knowledge is retained and accessible. This paper discusses the FY 2015 SKC events, the release and accessibility of the approved events, and the program's future plans.

U.S. Spacesuit Knowledge Capture Accomplishments in Fiscal Year 2015

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chullen, Cinda; Oliva, Vladenka R.

2016-01-01

The NASA U.S. Spacesuit Knowledge Capture (SKC) Program continues to capture, share, and archive significant spacesuit-related knowledge with engineers and other technical staff and invested entities. Since its 2007 inception, the SKC Program has hosted and recorded more than 65 events. By the end of Fiscal Year (FY) 2015, 40 of these were processed and uploaded to a publically accessible NASA Web site where viewers can expand their knowledge about the spacesuit's evolution, known capability and limitations, and lessons learned. Sharing this knowledge with entities beyond NASA can increase not only more people's understanding of the technical effort and importance involved in designing a spacesuit, it can also expand the interest and support in this valuable program that ensures significant knowledge is retained and accessible. This paper discusses the FY 2015 SKC events, the release and accessibility of the approved events, and the program's future plans.

The Eukaryotic Pathogen Databases: a functional genomic resource integrating data from human and veterinary parasites.

PubMed

Harb, Omar S; Roos, David S

2015-01-01

Over the past 20 years, advances in high-throughput biological techniques and the availability of computational resources including fast Internet access have resulted in an explosion of large genome-scale data sets "big data." While such data are readily available for download and personal use and analysis from a variety of repositories, often such analysis requires access to seldom-available computational skills. As a result a number of databases have emerged to provide scientists with online tools enabling the interrogation of data without the need for sophisticated computational skills beyond basic knowledge of Internet browser utility. This chapter focuses on the Eukaryotic Pathogen Databases (EuPathDB: http://eupathdb.org) Bioinformatic Resource Center (BRC) and illustrates some of the available tools and methods.

Over-the-Counter Medicines: What's Right for You?

MedlinePlus

... Contents: Advice for Americans about Self-Care: Access + Knowledge = Power OTC Know-How: It's on the Label Drug ... Tampering Advice for Americans about Self-Care: Access + Knowledge = Power American medicine cabinets contain a growing choice of ...

The relationships of information efficacy and media literacy skills to knowledge and self-efficacy for health-related decision making.

PubMed

Austin, Erica Weintraub; Pinkleton, Bruce E; Austin, Bruce W; Van de Vord, Rebecca

2012-01-01

To compare the extent to which information efficacy (confidence for acquiring useful information) and media literacy skills predict knowledge and self-efficacy for preventing or treating the health threat of influenza. A random-sample survey of 1,379 residential students enrolled at a northwestern public university was conducted in fall 2009. Students accessed an Internet survey through a link provided in an e-mail. Students who self-diagnosed correctly demonstrated higher levels of media literacy skills than those who self-diagnosed incorrectly. Among those who self-diagnosed incorrectly, the only predictor of knowledge was accessibility of information sources; low accessibility was associated with reduced knowledge. Information efficacy predicted self-efficacy for both groups. The results illustrate the limitations of information efficacy in the absence of media literacy skills. To decrease health risks, college health practitioners should promote media literacy while also ensuring easy access to high-quality information.

A Cognitive Agent for Spectrum Monitoring and Informed Spectrum Access

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-06-01

electromagnetic environments (EMEs) to understand what spectrum bands are accessed, when those bands are accessed, and how much energy is...recall. The cognitive agent in this report uses the second approach. The knowledge domain of the cognitive agent is the electromagnetic spectrum. The...Knowledge DTV digital television EME electromagnetic environments FM frequency modulated RF radio frequency VHF very high frequency

Police Training to Align Law Enforcement and HIV Prevention: Preliminary Evidence From the Field

PubMed Central

Agrawal, Alpna; Moreau, Bruce; Kumar, Pratima; Weiss-Laxer, Nomi; Heimer, Robert

2011-01-01

Having identified gaps in implementation of Rhode Island's syringe access law and police occupational safety education, public health and police professionals developed police training to boost legal knowledge, improve syringe access attitudes, and address needlestick injuries. Baseline data (94 officers) confirmed anxiety about needlestick injuries, poor legal knowledge, and occupational risk overestimation. Before training, respondents believed that syringe access promotes drug use (51%), increases likelihood of police needlestick injuries (58%), and fails to reduce epidemics (38%). Pretraining to posttraining evaluation suggested significant shifts in legal and occupational safety knowledge; changes in attitudes toward syringe access were promising. Training that combines occupational safety with syringe access content can help align law enforcement with public health goals. Additional research is needed to assess street-level effect and to inform intervention tailoring. PMID:21940924

Impact of an online medical internet site on knowledge and practice of health care providers: a mixed methods study of the Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation Evidence project.

PubMed

Eng, Janice J; Noonan, Vanessa K; Townson, Andrea F; Higgins, Caroline E; Rogers, Jess; Wolfe, Dalton L

2014-12-23

It is not known whether ongoing access to a broad-based Internet knowledge resource can influence the practice of health care providers. We undertook a study to evaluate the impact of a Web-based knowledge resource on increasing access to evidence and facilitating best practice of health care providers. The objective of this study was to evaluate (1) the impact of the Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation Evidence (SCIRE) project on access to information for health care providers and researchers and (2) how SCIRE influenced health care providers' management of clients. A 4-part mixed methods evaluation was undertaken: (1) monitoring website traffic and utilization using Google Analytics, (2) online survey of users who accessed the SCIRE website, (3) online survey of targeted end-users, that is, rehabilitation health care providers known to work with spinal cord injury (SCI) clients, as well as researchers, and (4) focus groups with health care providers who had previously accessed SCIRE. The online format allowed the content for a relatively specialized field to have far reach (eg, 26 countries and over 6500 users per month). The website survey and targeted end-user survey confirmed that health care providers, as well as researchers perceived that the website increased their access to SCI evidence. Access to SCIRE not only improved knowledge of SCI evidence but helped inform changes to the health providers' clinical practice and improved their confidence in treating SCI clients. The SCIRE information directly influenced the health providers' clinical decision making, in terms of choice of intervention, equipment needs, or assessment tool. A Web-based knowledge resource may be a relatively inexpensive method to increase access to evidence-based information, increase knowledge of the evidence, inform changes to the health providers' practice, and influence their clinical decision making.

Impact of an Online Medical Internet Site on Knowledge and Practice of Health Care Providers: A Mixed Methods Study of the Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation Evidence Project

PubMed Central

Noonan, Vanessa K; Townson, Andrea F; Higgins, Caroline E; Rogers, Jess; Wolfe, Dalton L

2014-01-01

Background It is not known whether ongoing access to a broad-based Internet knowledge resource can influence the practice of health care providers. We undertook a study to evaluate the impact of a Web-based knowledge resource on increasing access to evidence and facilitating best practice of health care providers. Objective The objective of this study was to evaluate (1) the impact of the Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation Evidence (SCIRE) project on access to information for health care providers and researchers and (2) how SCIRE influenced health care providers' management of clients. Methods A 4-part mixed methods evaluation was undertaken: (1) monitoring website traffic and utilization using Google Analytics, (2) online survey of users who accessed the SCIRE website, (3) online survey of targeted end-users, that is, rehabilitation health care providers known to work with spinal cord injury (SCI) clients, as well as researchers, and (4) focus groups with health care providers who had previously accessed SCIRE. Results The online format allowed the content for a relatively specialized field to have far reach (eg, 26 countries and over 6500 users per month). The website survey and targeted end-user survey confirmed that health care providers, as well as researchers perceived that the website increased their access to SCI evidence. Access to SCIRE not only improved knowledge of SCI evidence but helped inform changes to the health providers’ clinical practice and improved their confidence in treating SCI clients. The SCIRE information directly influenced the health providers’ clinical decision making, in terms of choice of intervention, equipment needs, or assessment tool. Conclusions A Web-based knowledge resource may be a relatively inexpensive method to increase access to evidence-based information, increase knowledge of the evidence, inform changes to the health providers’ practice, and influence their clinical decision making. PMID:25537167

The cancer precision medicine knowledge base for structured clinical-grade mutations and interpretations.

PubMed

Huang, Linda; Fernandes, Helen; Zia, Hamid; Tavassoli, Peyman; Rennert, Hanna; Pisapia, David; Imielinski, Marcin; Sboner, Andrea; Rubin, Mark A; Kluk, Michael; Elemento, Olivier

2017-05-01

This paper describes the Precision Medicine Knowledge Base (PMKB; https://pmkb.weill.cornell.edu ), an interactive online application for collaborative editing, maintenance, and sharing of structured clinical-grade cancer mutation interpretations. PMKB was built using the Ruby on Rails Web application framework. Leveraging existing standards such as the Human Genome Variation Society variant description format, we implemented a data model that links variants to tumor-specific and tissue-specific interpretations. Key features of PMKB include support for all major variant types, standardized authentication, distinct user roles including high-level approvers, and detailed activity history. A REpresentational State Transfer (REST) application-programming interface (API) was implemented to query the PMKB programmatically. At the time of writing, PMKB contains 457 variant descriptions with 281 clinical-grade interpretations. The EGFR, BRAF, KRAS, and KIT genes are associated with the largest numbers of interpretable variants. PMKB's interpretations have been used in over 1500 AmpliSeq tests and 750 whole-exome sequencing tests. The interpretations are accessed either directly via the Web interface or programmatically via the existing API. An accurate and up-to-date knowledge base of genomic alterations of clinical significance is critical to the success of precision medicine programs. The open-access, programmatically accessible PMKB represents an important attempt at creating such a resource in the field of oncology. The PMKB was designed to help collect and maintain clinical-grade mutation interpretations and facilitate reporting for clinical cancer genomic testing. The PMKB was also designed to enable the creation of clinical cancer genomics automated reporting pipelines via an API. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the American Medical Informatics Association.

Implementation and Research Priorities for FCTC Articles 13 and 16: Tobacco Advertising, Promotion, and Sponsorship and Sales to and by Minors

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Introduction: Article 13 of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) calls for a comprehensive ban on tobacco advertising, promotion, and sponsorship (TAPS), and Article 16 calls for prohibition of tobacco sales to and by minors. Although these mandates are based on sound science, many countries have found provision implementation to be rife with challenges. Objective: This paper reviews the history of tobacco marketing and minor access restrictions in high-, middle-, and low-income countries, identifying past challenges and successes. We consider current challenges to FCTC implementation, how these barriers can be addressed, and what research is necessary to support such efforts. Specifically, we identify implementation and research priorities for FCTC Articles 13 and 16. Discussion: Although a solid evidence base underpins the FCTC’s call for TAPS bans and minor access restrictions, we know substantially less about how best to implement these restrictions. Drawing on the regulatory experiences of high-, middle-, and low-income countries, we discern several implementation and research priorities, which are organized into 4 categories: policy enactment and enforcement, human capital expertise, the effects of FCTC marketing and youth access policies, and knowledge exchange and transfer among signatories. Future research should provide detailed case studies on implementation successes and failures, as well as insights into how knowledge of successful restrictions can be translated into tobacco control policy and practice and shared among different stakeholders. Conclusion: Tobacco marketing surveillance, sales-to-minors compliance checks, enforcement and evaluation of restriction policies, and capacity building and knowledge transfer are likely to prove central to effective implementation. PMID:23291641

The cancer precision medicine knowledge base for structured clinical-grade mutations and interpretations

PubMed Central

Huang, Linda; Fernandes, Helen; Zia, Hamid; Tavassoli, Peyman; Rennert, Hanna; Pisapia, David; Imielinski, Marcin; Sboner, Andrea; Rubin, Mark A; Kluk, Michael

2017-01-01

Objective: This paper describes the Precision Medicine Knowledge Base (PMKB; https://pmkb.weill.cornell.edu), an interactive online application for collaborative editing, maintenance, and sharing of structured clinical-grade cancer mutation interpretations. Materials and Methods: PMKB was built using the Ruby on Rails Web application framework. Leveraging existing standards such as the Human Genome Variation Society variant description format, we implemented a data model that links variants to tumor-specific and tissue-specific interpretations. Key features of PMKB include support for all major variant types, standardized authentication, distinct user roles including high-level approvers, and detailed activity history. A REpresentational State Transfer (REST) application-programming interface (API) was implemented to query the PMKB programmatically. Results: At the time of writing, PMKB contains 457 variant descriptions with 281 clinical-grade interpretations. The EGFR, BRAF, KRAS, and KIT genes are associated with the largest numbers of interpretable variants. PMKB’s interpretations have been used in over 1500 AmpliSeq tests and 750 whole-exome sequencing tests. The interpretations are accessed either directly via the Web interface or programmatically via the existing API. Discussion: An accurate and up-to-date knowledge base of genomic alterations of clinical significance is critical to the success of precision medicine programs. The open-access, programmatically accessible PMKB represents an important attempt at creating such a resource in the field of oncology. Conclusion: The PMKB was designed to help collect and maintain clinical-grade mutation interpretations and facilitate reporting for clinical cancer genomic testing. The PMKB was also designed to enable the creation of clinical cancer genomics automated reporting pipelines via an API. PMID:27789569

Knowledge, attitudes and practices with regard to the presence, transmission, impact, and control of cystic echinococcosis in Sidi Kacem Province, Morocco.

PubMed

El Berbri, Ikhlass; Ducrotoy, Marie J; Petavy, Anne-Françoise; Fassifihri, Ouaffa; Shaw, Alexandra P; Bouslikhane, Mohammed; Boue, Franck; Welburn, Susan C; Dakkak, Allal

2015-11-09

This study is a component of a large research project on five major neglected zoonotic diseases (NZDs) including cystic echinococcosis and was undertaken in the Province of Sidi Kacem over a period of four years (April 2009-March 2013). Questionnaires were administered at community level in a total of 27 communes and visits were made to all of the 10 abattoirs situated in the Province, to collect qualitative data on determinants of transmission for disease in humans and animals. More specifically, community knowledge, attitudes and practices related to cystic echinococcosis were assessed, as well as the extent to which local customs and behaviours may promote transmission. Abattoir infrastructure and practices, and their role in perpetuating disease transmission were also critically evaluated. The results show that only 50 % of people have heard of the disease, and of those, only 21 % are aware of the dog's role in disease transmission. Sixty-seven per cent of respondents stated that dogs are fed ruminant organs deemed unfit for human consumption. Owned dogs have access to the family home, including the kitchen, in 39 % of households. The extent of this close proximity between humans and animals is even more pertinent when one considers that dogs are omnipresent in the community, with an average of 1.8 dogs owned per household. The unrestricted access of dogs to abattoirs is a huge issue, which further promotes disease transmission. This study would suggest that the high prevalence of cystic echinococcosis in humans and animals in Morocco is largely due to three factors: 1) abundance of dogs 2) engagement in risky behaviour of the local population and 3) poor abattoir infrastructure and practices. This has serious implications in terms of the socio-economic impact of the disease, especially for rural poor communities.

Patient Perspectives on Gene Transfer Therapy for Sickle Cell Disease.

PubMed

Strong, Heather; Mitchell, Monica J; Goldstein-Leever, Alana; Shook, Lisa; Malik, Punam; Crosby, Lori E

2017-08-01

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a chronic genetic disease with high morbidity and early mortality; it affects nearly 100,000 individuals in the USA. Bone marrow transplantation, the only curative treatment, is available to less than 20% of patients because of a number of access barriers. Gene transfer therapy (GTT) has been shown to be curative in animal models and is approved for use in humans for early-phase studies at a few centers. GTT would offer a more accessible treatment option available to all patients. It is important to understand patient perspectives on GTT to help ensure human clinical trial success. Two focus groups were conducted with younger (18-30 years) and older (31 years and older) adults with SCD to obtain data on patient knowledge and beliefs about GTT. Data from these two focus groups was used to develop a GTT educational brochure. A third focus group was conducted to obtain participant feedback on acceptability and feasibility of education and the brochure. Most adults, especially young adults, had little knowledge about GTT and expressed fear and uncertainty about the side effects of chemotherapy (e.g., hair loss, infertility), use of a human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-derived viral vector, and potential for cancer risk. Participants wanted full transparency in educational materials, but advised researchers not to share the vector's relation to HIV because of cultural stigma and no HIV virus is used for the GTT vector. Older adults had more desire to participate in human clinical GTT trials than younger participants. When recruiting for trials, researchers should develop GTT educational materials that address participant lack of trust in the healthcare system, cultural beliefs, fears related to side effects, and include visual illustrations. Use of such materials will provide adults with SCD the information they need to fully evaluate GTT.

Lunar Exploration and Science in ESA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carpenter, J.; Houdou, B.; Fisackerly, R.; De Rosa, D.; Patti, B.; Schiemann, J.; Hufenbach, B.; Foing, B.

2014-04-01

ESA seeks to provide Europe with access to the lunar surface, and allow Europeans to benefit from the opening up of this new frontier, as part of a global endeavor. This will be best achieved through an exploration programme which combines the strengths and capabilities of both robotic and human explorers. ESA is preparing for future participation in lunar exploration through a combination of human and robotic activities, in cooperation with international partners. Future planned activities include the contribution of key technological capabilities to the Russian led robotic missions, Luna-Glob, Luna-Resurs orbiter and Luna-Resurs lander. For the Luna-Resurs lander ESA will provide analytical capabilities to compliment the already selected Russian led payload, focusing on the composition and isotopic abundances of lunar volatiles in polar regions. This should be followed by the contributions at the level of mission elements to a Lunar Polar Sample Return mission. This partnership will provide access for European investigators to the opportunities offered by the Russian led instruments on the missions, as well as providing Europe with a unique opportunity to characterize and utilize polar volatile populations. Ultimately samples of high scientific value, from as of yet unexplored and unsampled locations shall be made available to the scientific community. These robotic activities are being performed with a view to enabling a future more comprehensive programme in which robotic and human activities are integrated to provide the maximum benefits from lunar surface access. Activities on the ISS and ESA participation to the US led Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle, which is planned for a first unmanned lunar flight in 2017, are also important steps towards achieving this. All of these activities are performed with a view to generating the technologies, capabilities, knowledge and heritage that will make Europe an indispensible partner in the exploration missions of the future. We report on the current status of the European elements in this cooperative scenario, with an emphasis on the investigations to be performed at the lunar surface. These investigations should generate knowledge that can be enabling for exploration in the future, and should also have a significant fundamental scientific return.

Lunar Exploration and Science Opportunities in ESA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carpenter, J.; Houdou, B.; Fisackerly, R.; De Rosa, D.; Schiemann, J.; Patti, B.; Foing, B.

2014-04-01

ESA seeks to provide Europe with access to the lunar surface, and allow Europeans to benefit from the opening up of this new frontier, as part of a global endeavour. This will be best achieved through an exploration programme which combines the strengths and capabilities of both robotic and human explorers. ESA is preparing for future participation in lunar exploration through a combination of human and robotic activities, in cooperation with international partners. Future planned activities include the contribution of key technological capabilities to the Russian led robotic missions, Luna-Glob, Luna-Resurs orbiter and Luna-Resurs lander. For the Luna-Resurs lander ESA will provide analytical capabilities to compliment the already selected Russian led payload, focusing on the composition and isotopic abundances of lunar volatiles in polar regions. This should be followed by the contributions at the level of mission elements to a Lunar Polar Sample Return mission. This partnership will provide access for European investigators to the opportunities offered by the Russian led instruments on the missions, as well as providing Europe with a unique opportunity to characterize and utilize polar volatile populations. Ultimately samples of high scientific value, from as of yet unexplored and unsampled locations shall be made available to the scientific community. These robotic activities are being performed with a view to enabling a future more comprehensive programme in which robotic and human activities are integrated to provide the maximum benefits from lunar surface access. Activities on the ISS and ESA participation to the US led Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle, which is planned for a first unmanned lunar flight in 2017, are also important steps towards achieving this. All of these activities are performed with a view to generating the technologies, capabilities, knowledge and heritage that will make Europe an indispensible partner in the exploration missions of the future. We report on the current status of the European elements in this cooperative scenario, with an emphasis on the investigations to be performed at the lunar surface. These investigations should generate knowledge that can be enabling for exploration in the future, and should also have a significant fundamental scientific return.

Inequitable Access to the Knowledge Market in Nigeria: The Case of University Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Akinyemi, Samuel; Potokri, Onoride Collins

2016-01-01

In a knowledge market, the knowledge, skills and expertise needed for the economic and sociopolitical transformation of a nation and its citizens are transacted at different prices. Inequitable access to this market poses a serious threat to the economic welfare of the country and its citizens. The authors assess the extent of this threat with…

The need for interaction between assisted reproduction technology and genetics: recommendations of the European Societies of Human Genetics and Human Reproduction and Embryology.

PubMed

2006-08-01

Infertility and reproductive genetic risk are both increasing in our societies because of lifestyle changes and possibly environmental factors. Owing to the magnitude of the problem, they have implications not only at the individual and family levels but also at the community level. This leads to an increasing demand for access to assisted reproduction technology (ART) and genetic services, especially when the cause of infertility may be genetic in origin. The increasing application of genetics in reproductive medicine and vice versa requires closer collaboration between the two disciplines. ART and genetics are rapidly evolving fields where new technologies are currently introduced without sufficient knowledge of their potential long-term effects. As for any medical procedures, there are possible unexpected effects which need to be envisaged to make sure that the balance between benefits and risks is clearly on the benefit side. The development of ART and genetics as scientific activities is creating an opportunity to understand the early stages of human development, which is leading to new and challenging findings/knowledge. However, there are opinions against investigating the early stages of development in humans who deserve respect and attention. For all these reasons, these two societies, European Society of Human Genetics (ESHG) and European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE), have joined efforts to explore the issues at stake and to set up recommendations to maximize the benefit for the couples in need and for the community.

Further constraints on the Chauvet cave artwork elaboration.

PubMed

Sadier, Benjamin; Delannoy, Jean-Jacques; Benedetti, Lucilla; Bourlès, Didier L; Jaillet, Stéphane; Geneste, Jean-Michel; Lebatard, Anne-Elisabeth; Arnold, Maurice

2012-05-22

Since its discovery, the Chauvet cave elaborate artwork called into question our understanding of Palaeolithic art evolution and challenged traditional chronological benchmarks [Valladas H et al. (2001) Nature 413:419-479]. Chronological approaches revealing human presences in the cavity during the Aurignacian and the Gravettian are indeed still debated on the basis of stylistic criteria [Pettitt P (2008) J Hum Evol 55:908-917]. The presented (36)Cl Cosmic Ray Exposure ages demonstrate that the cliff overhanging the Chauvet cave has collapsed several times since 29 ka until the sealing of the cavity entrance prohibited access to the cave at least 21 ka ago. Remarkably agreeing with the radiocarbon dates of the human and animal occupancy, this study confirms that the Chauvet cave paintings are the oldest and the most elaborate ever discovered, challenging our current knowledge of human cognitive evolution.

Further constraints on the Chauvet cave artwork elaboration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sadier, Benjamin; Delannoy, Jean-Jacques; Benedetti, Lucilla; Bourlès, Didier L.; Jaillet, Stéphane; Geneste, Jean-Michel; Lebatard, Anne-Elisabeth; Arnold, Maurice

2012-05-01

Since its discovery, the Chauvet cave elaborate artwork called into question our understanding of Palaeolithic art evolution and challenged traditional chronological benchmarks [Valladas H et al. (2001) Nature 413:419-479]. Chronological approaches revealing human presences in the cavity during the Aurignacian and the Gravettian are indeed still debated on the basis of stylistic criteria [Pettitt P (2008) J Hum Evol 55:908-917]. The presented 36Cl Cosmic Ray Exposure ages demonstrate that the cliff overhanging the Chauvet cave has collapsed several times since 29 ka until the sealing of the cavity entrance prohibited access to the cave at least 21 ka ago. Remarkably agreeing with the radiocarbon dates of the human and animal occupancy, this study confirms that the Chauvet cave paintings are the oldest and the most elaborate ever discovered, challenging our current knowledge of human cognitive evolution.

Features of effective medical knowledge resources to support point of care learning: a focus group study.

PubMed

Cook, David A; Sorensen, Kristi J; Hersh, William; Berger, Richard A; Wilkinson, John M

2013-01-01

Health care professionals access various information sources to quickly answer questions that arise in clinical practice. The features that favorably influence the selection and use of knowledge resources remain unclear. We sought to better understand how clinicians select among the various knowledge resources available to them, and from this to derive a model for an effective knowledge resource. We conducted 11 focus groups at an academic medical center and outlying community sites. We included a purposive sample of 50 primary care and subspecialist internal medicine and family medicine physicians. We transcribed focus group discussions and analyzed these using a constant comparative approach to inductively identify features that influence the selection of knowledge resources. We identified nine features that influence users' selection of knowledge resources, namely efficiency (with sub-features of comprehensiveness, searchability, and brevity), integration with clinical workflow, credibility, user familiarity, capacity to identify a human expert, reflection of local care processes, optimization for the clinical question (e.g., diagnosis, treatment options, drug side effect), currency, and ability to support patient education. No single existing resource exemplifies all of these features. The influential features identified in this study will inform the development of knowledge resources, and could serve as a framework for future research in this field.

Features of Effective Medical Knowledge Resources to Support Point of Care Learning: A Focus Group Study

PubMed Central

Cook, David A.; Sorensen, Kristi J.; Hersh, William; Berger, Richard A.; Wilkinson, John M.

2013-01-01

Objective Health care professionals access various information sources to quickly answer questions that arise in clinical practice. The features that favorably influence the selection and use of knowledge resources remain unclear. We sought to better understand how clinicians select among the various knowledge resources available to them, and from this to derive a model for an effective knowledge resource. Methods We conducted 11 focus groups at an academic medical center and outlying community sites. We included a purposive sample of 50 primary care and subspecialist internal medicine and family medicine physicians. We transcribed focus group discussions and analyzed these using a constant comparative approach to inductively identify features that influence the selection of knowledge resources. Results We identified nine features that influence users' selection of knowledge resources, namely efficiency (with sub-features of comprehensiveness, searchability, and brevity), integration with clinical workflow, credibility, user familiarity, capacity to identify a human expert, reflection of local care processes, optimization for the clinical question (e.g., diagnosis, treatment options, drug side effect), currency, and ability to support patient education. No single existing resource exemplifies all of these features. Conclusion The influential features identified in this study will inform the development of knowledge resources, and could serve as a framework for future research in this field. PMID:24282535

Cyberscience and the Knowledge-Based Economy. Open Access and Trade Publishing: From Contradiction to Compatibility with Non-Exclusive Copyright Licensing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Armbruster, Chris

2008-01-01

Open source, open content and open access are set to fundamentally alter the conditions of knowledge production and distribution. Open source, open content and open access are also the most tangible result of the shift towards e-science and digital networking. Yet, widespread misperceptions exist about the impact of this shift on knowledge…

Ethno-medicinal study of plants used for treatment of human and livestock ailments by traditional healers in South Omo, Southern Ethiopia.

PubMed

Tolossa, Ketema; Debela, Etana; Athanasiadou, Spiridoula; Tolera, Adugna; Ganga, Gebeyehu; Houdijk, Jos G M

2013-05-16

Plants have traditionally been used for treatment of human and livestock ailments in Ethiopia by different ethnic and social groups. However, this valuable source of knowledge is not adequately documented, which impedes their widespread use, evaluation and validation. Here, we recorded indigenous knowledge and standard practices for human and livestock disease control, of three ethnic groups (Aari, Maale and Bena-Tsemay) in South Omo Zone of Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples Regional State, Ethiopia. A cross-sectional study was carried out using a semi-structured questionnaire to document knowledge of 50 traditional healers (40 male and 10 female) in medicinal plant use for treatment of human and livestock ailments. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze and summarize the ethno-botanical data. Ninety-one plants, with claimed medicinal properties against a total of 34 human and livestock ailments, were reported and botanically identified as belonging to 57 genera and 33 plant families. Most of the plant species reported belonged to one of seven major families: Lamiaceae, Solanaceae, Menispermiaceae, Fabaceae, Asteraceae, Plumbaginaceae and Geraniaceae. Woody plants (shrubs 21% and trees 29%) were the major growth form used, whilst roots (40%) and leaves (35%) were the major plant parts used in the study areas. Healers mostly practice oral administration of plant preparations (65%). Multiple medicinal plants were cited against particular ailments, and mixing of two or more different medicinal plants (14.3%) against a single ailment was also commonly reported. This study showed that traditional medicine, mainly involving the use of medicinal plants, is playing a significant role in meeting the primary healthcare needs of the three ethnic groups. Acceptance of traditional medicine and limited access to modern healthcare facilities could be considered as the main factors for the continuation of the practice. Documented knowledge of the traditional healers can be used to support the country's human and livestock health care system and improve lives and livelihoods. Information generated will be used in future studies to validate bioactivity of selected medicinal plants used by traditional healers, so to increase their acceptability in health care systems both nationally and internationally.

Ethno-medicinal study of plants used for treatment of human and livestock ailments by traditional healers in South Omo, Southern Ethiopia

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Plants have traditionally been used for treatment of human and livestock ailments in Ethiopia by different ethnic and social groups. However, this valuable source of knowledge is not adequately documented, which impedes their widespread use, evaluation and validation. Here, we recorded indigenous knowledge and standard practices for human and livestock disease control, of three ethnic groups (Aari, Maale and Bena-Tsemay) in South Omo Zone of Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples Regional State, Ethiopia. Methods A cross-sectional study was carried out using a semi-structured questionnaire to document knowledge of 50 traditional healers (40 male and 10 female) in medicinal plant use for treatment of human and livestock ailments. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze and summarize the ethno-botanical data. Results Ninety-one plants, with claimed medicinal properties against a total of 34 human and livestock ailments, were reported and botanically identified as belonging to 57 genera and 33 plant families. Most of the plant species reported belonged to one of seven major families: Lamiaceae, Solanaceae, Menispermiaceae, Fabaceae, Asteraceae, Plumbaginaceae and Geraniaceae. Woody plants (shrubs 21% and trees 29%) were the major growth form used, whilst roots (40%) and leaves (35%) were the major plant parts used in the study areas. Healers mostly practice oral administration of plant preparations (65%). Multiple medicinal plants were cited against particular ailments, and mixing of two or more different medicinal plants (14.3%) against a single ailment was also commonly reported. Conclusion This study showed that traditional medicine, mainly involving the use of medicinal plants, is playing a significant role in meeting the primary healthcare needs of the three ethnic groups. Acceptance of traditional medicine and limited access to modern healthcare facilities could be considered as the main factors for the continuation of the practice. Documented knowledge of the traditional healers can be used to support the country’s human and livestock health care system and improve lives and livelihoods. Information generated will be used in future studies to validate bioactivity of selected medicinal plants used by traditional healers, so to increase their acceptability in health care systems both nationally and internationally. PMID:23680260

Enabling Global Collaboration in the Geosciences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Klump, Jens; Allison, Lee; Asch, Kristine; Fox, Peter; Gundersen, Linda; Jackson, Ian; Loewe, Peter; Snyder, Walter S.; Ritschel, Bernd

2008-12-01

Geoinformatics 2008; Potsdam, Germany, 11-13 June 2008; Scientists are facing an increasing flood of data and information in the Earth sciences from which they try to distill knowledge. The emerging discipline of geoinformatics brings together the tools necessary to create and make accessible the knowledge needed to respond to society's complex challenges, such as climate change, new energy and mineral resources, new sources of water, and protecting environmental and human health. Globalization of geoinformatics-based research and education in support of meeting societal challenges was the theme for the Geoinformatics 2008 conference, which was held at the German Research Centre for Geosciences, in Potsdam, Germany. Participants came from China, France, Germany, Japan, Netherlands, Russia, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States, representing academic institutions, national research centers, and government agencies.

Assessing Evidence-Based Practice Knowledge, Attitudes, Access and Confidence Among Dental Hygiene Educators.

PubMed

Stanley, Jennifer L; Hanson, Carrie L; Van Ness, Christopher J; Holt, Lorie

2015-10-01

To assess U.S. dental hygiene educators' evidence-based practice (EBP) knowledge, attitude, access and confidence and determine whether a correlation exists between assessment scores and level of education, length teaching and teaching setting (didactic, clinical or both). A cross-sectional survey was conducted with a sample of dental hygiene faculty from all 334 U.S. dental hygiene schools. ANOVA and Pearson correlation coefficient statistical analysis were utilized to investigate relationships between demographic variables and application of evidence-based principles of patient care. This study involved a non-probability sample (n=124), since the total faculty among all U.S. dental hygiene schools was not determined. Analysis demonstrated a positive correlation between EBP knowledge, access and confidence scores indicating that as knowledge scores increased, so did confidence and access scores (r=0.313, p<0.01 and r=0.189, p<0.05, respectively). Study findings also revealed that faculty who held advanced educational degrees scored significantly higher in EBP knowledge (F3,120=2.81, p<0.04) and confidence (F3,120=7.26, p<0.00). This study suggests the level of EBP knowledge, attitude, access and confidence increases with additional education. Therefore, more EBP training may be necessary for faculty who do not possess advanced education. Results of the study indicate that further incorporation of EBP into dental hygiene curricula may occur as dental hygiene educators' knowledge of EBP increases, which in turn could enhance students' acquisition of EBP skills and their application of EBP principles toward patient care. Copyright © 2015 The American Dental Hygienists’ Association.

ATHENA: A knowledge-based hybrid backpropagation-grammatical evolution neural network algorithm for discovering epistasis among quantitative trait Loci

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background Growing interest and burgeoning technology for discovering genetic mechanisms that influence disease processes have ushered in a flood of genetic association studies over the last decade, yet little heritability in highly studied complex traits has been explained by genetic variation. Non-additive gene-gene interactions, which are not often explored, are thought to be one source of this "missing" heritability. Methods Stochastic methods employing evolutionary algorithms have demonstrated promise in being able to detect and model gene-gene and gene-environment interactions that influence human traits. Here we demonstrate modifications to a neural network algorithm in ATHENA (the Analysis Tool for Heritable and Environmental Network Associations) resulting in clear performance improvements for discovering gene-gene interactions that influence human traits. We employed an alternative tree-based crossover, backpropagation for locally fitting neural network weights, and incorporation of domain knowledge obtainable from publicly accessible biological databases for initializing the search for gene-gene interactions. We tested these modifications in silico using simulated datasets. Results We show that the alternative tree-based crossover modification resulted in a modest increase in the sensitivity of the ATHENA algorithm for discovering gene-gene interactions. The performance increase was highly statistically significant when backpropagation was used to locally fit NN weights. We also demonstrate that using domain knowledge to initialize the search for gene-gene interactions results in a large performance increase, especially when the search space is larger than the search coverage. Conclusions We show that a hybrid optimization procedure, alternative crossover strategies, and incorporation of domain knowledge from publicly available biological databases can result in marked increases in sensitivity and performance of the ATHENA algorithm for detecting and modelling gene-gene interactions that influence a complex human trait. PMID:20875103

Assessing the Knowledge, Attitudes and Behaviors of Human and Animal Health Students towards Antibiotic Use and Resistance: A Pilot Cross-Sectional Study in the UK.

PubMed

Dyar, Oliver James; Hills, Holly; Seitz, Lara-Turiya; Perry, Alex; Ashiru-Oredope, Diane

2018-01-30

The Global Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance highlights the importance of training all healthcare professionals. No study has assessed patterns of students' knowledge, attitudes and practices concerning antibiotic use simultaneously across different healthcare course types. We conducted a cross-sectional multi-center survey among UK students. The survey was advertised through local survey coordinators at 25 universities. The online survey was accessible from 10th October to 17th November 2016 (before European Antibiotic Awareness Day). A total of 255 students from 25 universities participated, including students on medicine, pharmacy, nursing, physician associate, dentistry and veterinary medicine courses. Antibiotic resistance was considered to be a more important global challenge than climate change, obesity or food security ( p < 0.001). Most students (95%) believed that antibiotic resistance will be a problem for their future practice, but fewer (69%) thought that the antibiotics they will prescribe, administer or dispense will contribute to the problem. A fifth of students felt they had sufficient knowledge of antibiotic use for their future work. Our exploratory study suggests that UK human and animal healthcare students are aware of the importance of antibiotic resistance, but many still have certain misconceptions. Campaigns and improved educational efforts applying behavioral insights methodology could address these.

Inequalities in public water supply fluoridation in Brazil: An ecological study

PubMed Central

Gabardo, Marilisa CL; da Silva, Wander J; Olandoski, Marcia; Moysés, Simone T; Moysés, Samuel J

2008-01-01

Background The literature is scarce on the social and geographic inequalities in the access to and implementation of the fluoridation of public water supplies. This study adds knowledge to the Brazilian experience of the chronic privation of water and wastewater policies, access to potable water and fluoridation in the country. Thus, the aim of this study was to verify possible inequalities in the population's access to fluoridated drinking water in 246 Brazilian municipalities. Methods The information on the process of water fluoridation in the municipalities and in the macro region in which each municipality is located was obtained from the national epidemiological survey which was concluded in 2003. The data relating to the human development index at municipal level (HDI-M) and access to mains water came from the Brazilian Human Development Atlas, whilst the size of the population was obtained from a governmental source. The Fisher exact test (P < 0.05) was employed to identify significant associations between the explanatory variables and their ability to predict the principal outcomes of interest to this study, namely the presence or absence of the water fluoridation process in the municipalities as well as the length of time during which this measure has been implemented. Linear regression was used to observe the associations between the relevant variables in a multivariate environment. Results The results clearly showed that there is a relationship between municipalities with larger populations, located in more socio-economically advantaged regions and with better HDI-M, and where fluoridation is both present and has been implemented for a longer period of time (started before 1990). Conclusion The findings suggest that the aim of treating water with fluoride may not be being adequately achieved, requiring more effective strategies so that access to this measure can be expanded equitably. PMID:18402688

Autonomous power expert fault diagnostic system for Space Station Freedom electrical power system testbed

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Truong, Long V.; Walters, Jerry L.; Roth, Mary Ellen; Quinn, Todd M.; Krawczonek, Walter M.

1990-01-01

The goal of the Autonomous Power System (APS) program is to develop and apply intelligent problem solving and control to the Space Station Freedom Electrical Power System (SSF/EPS) testbed being developed and demonstrated at NASA Lewis Research Center. The objectives of the program are to establish artificial intelligence technology paths, to craft knowledge-based tools with advanced human-operator interfaces for power systems, and to interface and integrate knowledge-based systems with conventional controllers. The Autonomous Power EXpert (APEX) portion of the APS program will integrate a knowledge-based fault diagnostic system and a power resource planner-scheduler. Then APEX will interface on-line with the SSF/EPS testbed and its Power Management Controller (PMC). The key tasks include establishing knowledge bases for system diagnostics, fault detection and isolation analysis, on-line information accessing through PMC, enhanced data management, and multiple-level, object-oriented operator displays. The first prototype of the diagnostic expert system for fault detection and isolation has been developed. The knowledge bases and the rule-based model that were developed for the Power Distribution Control Unit subsystem of the SSF/EPS testbed are described. A corresponding troubleshooting technique is also described.

Mapping the Sloan Digital Sky Survey's Global Impact

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Chaomei; Zhang, Jian; Vogeley, Michael S.

2009-07-01

The scientific capacity of a country is essential in todayâ's increasingly globalized science and technology ecosystem. Scientific capacity has four increasingly advanced levels of capabilities: absorbing, applying, creating, and retaining scientific knowledge. Moving to a advanced level requires additional skills and training. For example, it requires more specialized skills to apply scientific knowledge than to absorb knowledge. Similarly, making new discoveries requires more knowledge than applying existing procedures. Research has shown the importance of addressing specific, local problems while tapping into globally available expertise and resources. Accessing scientific knowledge is the first step towards absorbing knowledge. Low-income countries have increased their access to scientific literature on the Internet, but to what extent has this access led to more advanced levels of scientific capacity? Interdisciplinary and international collaboration may hold the key to creating and retaining knowledge. For example, creative ideas tend to be associated with inspirations originated from a diverse range of perspectives On the other hand, not all collaborations are productive. Assessing global science and technology needs to address both successes and failures and reasons behind them.

Computational neuroanatomy: ontology-based representation of neural components and connectivity.

PubMed

Rubin, Daniel L; Talos, Ion-Florin; Halle, Michael; Musen, Mark A; Kikinis, Ron

2009-02-05

A critical challenge in neuroscience is organizing, managing, and accessing the explosion in neuroscientific knowledge, particularly anatomic knowledge. We believe that explicit knowledge-based approaches to make neuroscientific knowledge computationally accessible will be helpful in tackling this challenge and will enable a variety of applications exploiting this knowledge, such as surgical planning. We developed ontology-based models of neuroanatomy to enable symbolic lookup, logical inference and mathematical modeling of neural systems. We built a prototype model of the motor system that integrates descriptive anatomic and qualitative functional neuroanatomical knowledge. In addition to modeling normal neuroanatomy, our approach provides an explicit representation of abnormal neural connectivity in disease states, such as common movement disorders. The ontology-based representation encodes both structural and functional aspects of neuroanatomy. The ontology-based models can be evaluated computationally, enabling development of automated computer reasoning applications. Neuroanatomical knowledge can be represented in machine-accessible format using ontologies. Computational neuroanatomical approaches such as described in this work could become a key tool in translational informatics, leading to decision support applications that inform and guide surgical planning and personalized care for neurological disease in the future.

Opioid overdose prevention and naloxone rescue kits: what we know and what we don't know.

PubMed

Kerensky, Todd; Walley, Alexander Y

2017-01-07

The opioid use and overdose crisis is persistent and dynamic. Opioid overdoses were initially driven in the 1990s and 2000s by the increasing availability and misuse of prescription opioids. More recently, opioid overdoses are increasing at alarming rates due to wider use of heroin, which in some places is mixed with fentanyl or fentanyl derivatives. Naloxone access for opioid overdose rescue is one of the US Department of Health and Human Services' three priority areas for responding to the opioid crisis. This article summarizes the known benefits of naloxone access and details unanswered questions about overdose education and naloxone rescue kits. Hopefully future research will address these knowledge gaps, improve the effectiveness of opioid overdose education and naloxone distribution programs, and unlock the full promise of naloxone rescue kits.

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

Sprawls, P

Purpose: To enhance the understanding of medical physics concepts and develop higher levels of learning relating to invisible physics phenomena such as radiation. To provide medical physics educators in all countries of the world with understanding of knowledge structures in the human brain, the different levels of learning, and the types of knowledge required for higher level functions such as problem solving, creative innovations, and applied clinical applications. To provide medical physics educators with an open access resource (tool) that they can use in their teaching activities to enrich and elevate the level of learning for their students, residents, etc.more » with respect to the invisible realm of medical physics. Methods: An experienced clinical medical physicist and educator has created and provided with open access three complementary web-based resources to achieve the purposes described above. One is a module focusing on the medical physics learning process with respect to mental knowledge structures, how they relate to outcomes and applications, and learning activities that are required to develop the required knowledge structures. The second is an extensive set of visuals that educators can use in their activities (classes, small group discussions, etc.) to visualize the invisible. The third is an interactive online simulation where learners can adjust factors and visually observe changes in x-radiation.These resources are available online at www.BLINDED FOR REVIEW . Results: Medical physics education, especially for non-physicists, is becoming much more interesting and useful especially with respect to invisible radiation. The global impact is that medical imaging professionals can be more effective in optimizing x-ray imaging procedures and risk management when they have knowledge levels that enhance problem solving, innovation, and creativity. Conclusion: Medical physics educators in all institutions can be much more effective and efficient in the sharing of their knowledge and experience when enhanced with high-quality visuals.« less

Age differences in suggestibility to contradictions of demonstrated knowledge: the influence of prior knowledge.

PubMed

Umanath, Sharda

2016-11-01

People maintain intact general knowledge into very old age and use it to support remembering. Interestingly, when older and younger adults encounter errors that contradict general knowledge, older adults suffer fewer memorial consequences: Older adults use fewer recently-encountered errors as answers for later knowledge questions. Why do older adults show this reduced suggestibility, and what role does their intact knowledge play? In three experiments, I examined suggestibility following exposure to errors in fictional stories that contradict general knowledge. Older adults consistently demonstrated more prior knowledge than younger adults but also gained access to even more across time. Additionally, they did not show a reduction in new learning from the stories, indicating lesser involvement of episodic memory failures. Critically, when knowledge was stably accessible, older adults relied more heavily on that knowledge compared to younger adults, resulting in reduced suggestibility. Implications for the broader role of knowledge in aging are discussed.

User-assisted visual search and tracking across distributed multi-camera networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Raja, Yogesh; Gong, Shaogang; Xiang, Tao

2011-11-01

Human CCTV operators face several challenges in their task which can lead to missed events, people or associations, including: (a) data overload in large distributed multi-camera environments; (b) short attention span; (c) limited knowledge of what to look for; and (d) lack of access to non-visual contextual intelligence to aid search. Developing a system to aid human operators and alleviate such burdens requires addressing the problem of automatic re-identification of people across disjoint camera views, a matching task made difficult by factors such as lighting, viewpoint and pose changes and for which absolute scoring approaches are not best suited. Accordingly, we describe a distributed multi-camera tracking (MCT) system to visually aid human operators in associating people and objects effectively over multiple disjoint camera views in a large public space. The system comprises three key novel components: (1) relative measures of ranking rather than absolute scoring to learn the best features for matching; (2) multi-camera behaviour profiling as higher-level knowledge to reduce the search space and increase the chance of finding correct matches; and (3) human-assisted data mining to interactively guide search and in the process recover missing detections and discover previously unknown associations. We provide an extensive evaluation of the greater effectiveness of the system as compared to existing approaches on industry-standard i-LIDS multi-camera data.

An Appeal to the Global Health Community for a Tripartite Innovation: An "Essential Diagnostics List," "Health in All Policies," and "See-Through 21(st) Century Science and Ethics".

PubMed

Dove, Edward S; Barlas, I Ömer; Birch, Kean; Boehme, Catharina; Borda-Rodriguez, Alexander; Byne, William M; Chaverneff, Florence; Coşkun, Yavuz; Dahl, Marja-Liisa; Dereli, Türkay; Diwakar, Shyam; Elbeyli, Levent; Endrenyi, Laszlo; Eroğlu-Kesim, Belgin; Ferguson, Lynnette R; Güngör, Kıvanç; Gürsoy, Ulvi; Hekim, Nezih; Huzair, Farah; Kaushik, Kabeer; Kickbusch, Ilona; Kıroğlu, Olcay; Kolker, Eugene; Könönen, Eija; Lin, Biaoyang; Llerena, Adrian; Malhan, Faruk; Nair, Bipin; Patrinos, George P; Şardaş, Semra; Sert, Özlem; Srivastava, Sanjeeva; Steuten, Lotte M G; Toraman, Cengiz; Vayena, Effy; Wang, Wei; Warnich, Louise; Özdemir, Vural

2015-08-01

Diagnostics spanning a wide range of new biotechnologies, including proteomics, metabolomics, and nanotechnology, are emerging as companion tests to innovative medicines. In this Opinion, we present the rationale for promulgating an "Essential Diagnostics List." Additionally, we explain the ways in which adopting a vision for "Health in All Policies" could link essential diagnostics with robust and timely societal outcomes such as sustainable development, human rights, gender parity, and alleviation of poverty. We do so in three ways. First, we propose the need for a new, "see through" taxonomy for knowledge-based innovation as we transition from the material industries (e.g., textiles, plastic, cement, glass) dominant in the 20(th) century to the anticipated knowledge industry of the 21st century. If knowledge is the currency of the present century, then it is sensible to adopt an approach that thoroughly examines scientific knowledge, starting with the production aims, methods, quality, distribution, access, and the ends it purports to serve. Second, we explain that this knowledge trajectory focus on innovation is crucial and applicable across all sectors, including public, private, or public-private partnerships, as it underscores the fact that scientific knowledge is a co-product of technology, human values, and social systems. By making the value systems embedded in scientific design and knowledge co-production transparent, we all stand to benefit from sustainable and transparent science. Third, we appeal to the global health community to consider the necessary qualities of good governance for 21st century organizations that will embark on developing essential diagnostics. These have importance not only for science and knowledge-based innovation, but also for the ways in which we can build open, healthy, and peaceful civil societies today and for future generations.

Speech recognition: Acoustic-phonetic knowledge acquisition and representation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zue, Victor W.

1988-09-01

The long-term research goal is to develop and implement speaker-independent continuous speech recognition systems. It is believed that the proper utilization of speech-specific knowledge is essential for such advanced systems. This research is thus directed toward the acquisition, quantification, and representation, of acoustic-phonetic and lexical knowledge, and the application of this knowledge to speech recognition algorithms. In addition, we are exploring new speech recognition alternatives based on artificial intelligence and connectionist techniques. We developed a statistical model for predicting the acoustic realization of stop consonants in various positions in the syllable template. A unification-based grammatical formalism was developed for incorporating this model into the lexical access algorithm. We provided an information-theoretic justification for the hierarchical structure of the syllable template. We analyzed segmented duration for vowels and fricatives in continuous speech. Based on contextual information, we developed durational models for vowels and fricatives that account for over 70 percent of the variance, using data from multiple, unknown speakers. We rigorously evaluated the ability of human spectrogram readers to identify stop consonants spoken by many talkers and in a variety of phonetic contexts. Incorporating the declarative knowledge used by the readers, we developed a knowledge-based system for stop identification. We achieved comparable system performance to that to the readers.

How hard they hit? Perception, adaptation and public health implications of heat waves in urban and peri-urban Pakistan.

PubMed

Rauf, Sara; Bakhsh, Khuda; Abbas, Azhar; Hassan, Sarfraz; Ali, Asghar; Kächele, Harald

2017-04-01

Heat waves threaten human health given the fast changing climatic scenarios in the recent past. Adaptation to heat waves would take place when people perceive their impacts based on their knowledge. The present study examines perception level and its determinants resulting in adaptation to heat waves in Pakistan. The study used cross-sectional data from urban and peri-urban respondents of Faisalabad District. The study employs a health belief model to assess risk perception among the respondents. Logistic model is used to determine factors affecting level of knowledge, perception and adaptation to heat waves. Around 30% of peri-urban respondents have a low level of knowledge about the fatal impacts of heat waves. Risk perception of heat waves is very low among urban (57%) and peri-urban (66%) respondents. Households' knowledge on heat waves is significantly related to age, gender, education, wealth and access to health services. Determinants of perception include knowledge of heat waves, age and joint effect of marital status and knowledge while income level, family size, urban/peri-urban background, perceived barriers, perceived benefits and cues to action significantly affect adaptation to heat waves. To reduce deadly health impacts, mass awareness campaigns are needed to build perception and improve adaptation to heat waves.

Awareness and knowledge of human immunodeficiency virus post exposure prophylaxis among Nigerian Family Physicians.

PubMed

Agaba, Patricia A; Agaba, Emmanuel I; Ocheke, Amaka N; Daniyam, Comfort A; Akanbi, Maxwell O; Okeke, Edith N

2012-07-01

To determine the level of awareness and knowledge of HIV postexposure prophylaxis (HIV PEP) and determinants of adequate knowledge among Family Physicians in Nigeria. This was a cross-sectional questionnaire-based survey conducted among 175 Family Physicians at two national conferences. Majority (97.7%) of the respondents was aware of the concept of HIV PEP and 99.4% believed it was effective in preventing HIV transmission. Over two third of our respondents had been exposed to NSI; however, less than 25% of those exposed received PEP. There was high level of knowledge of the various high-risk body fluids as well as types of high-risk exposures. 93.9% of our respondents knew that HIV PEP should commence within 1 h of exposure, 83.3% knew the correct duration of HIV PEP, but only 57.0% knew the ideal PEP regimen for high-risk exposures. The total mean score for our respondents was 17.8±2.9 with 79.4% having an adequate score. Being a junior doctor and male sex were associated with adequate knowledge. This study shows that despite high levels of awareness and knowledge of HIV PEP, access to its use among family physicians in Nigeria is still sub-optimal.

A planetary nervous system for social mining and collective awareness

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Giannotti, F.; Pedreschi, D.; Pentland, A.; Lukowicz, P.; Kossmann, D.; Crowley, J.; Helbing, D.

2012-11-01

We present a research roadmap of a Planetary Nervous System (PNS), capable of sensing and mining the digital breadcrumbs of human activities and unveiling the knowledge hidden in the big data for addressing the big questions about social complexity. We envision the PNS as a globally distributed, self-organizing, techno-social system for answering analytical questions about the status of world-wide society, based on three pillars: social sensing, social mining and the idea of trust networks and privacy-aware social mining. We discuss the ingredients of a science and a technology necessary to build the PNS upon the three mentioned pillars, beyond the limitations of their respective state-of-art. Social sensing is aimed at developing better methods for harvesting the big data from the techno-social ecosystem and make them available for mining, learning and analysis at a properly high abstraction level. Social mining is the problem of discovering patterns and models of human behaviour from the sensed data across the various social dimensions by data mining, machine learning and social network analysis. Trusted networks and privacy-aware social mining is aimed at creating a new deal around the questions of privacy and data ownership empowering individual persons with full awareness and control on own personal data, so that users may allow access and use of their data for their own good and the common good. The PNS will provide a goal-oriented knowledge discovery framework, made of technology and people, able to configure itself to the aim of answering questions about the pulse of global society. Given an analytical request, the PNS activates a process composed by a variety of interconnected tasks exploiting the social sensing and mining methods within the transparent ecosystem provided by the trusted network. The PNS we foresee is the key tool for individual and collective awareness for the knowledge society. We need such a tool for everyone to become fully aware of how powerful is the knowledge of our society we can achieve by leveraging our wisdom as a crowd, and how important is that everybody participates both as a consumer and as a producer of the social knowledge, for it to become a trustable, accessible, safe and useful public good.

A web-based knowledge management system integrating Western and Traditional Chinese Medicine for relational medical diagnosis.

PubMed

Herrera-Hernandez, Maria C; Lai-Yuen, Susana K; Piegl, Les A; Zhang, Xiao

2016-10-26

This article presents the design of a web-based knowledge management system as a training and research tool for the exploration of key relationships between Western and Traditional Chinese Medicine, in order to facilitate relational medical diagnosis integrating these mainstream healing modalities. The main goal of this system is to facilitate decision-making processes, while developing skills and creating new medical knowledge. Traditional Chinese Medicine can be considered as an ancient relational knowledge-based approach, focusing on balancing interrelated human functions to reach a healthy state. Western Medicine focuses on specialties and body systems and has achieved advanced methods to evaluate the impact of a health disorder on the body functions. Identifying key relationships between Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine opens new approaches for health care practices and can increase the understanding of human medical conditions. Our knowledge management system was designed from initial datasets of symptoms, known diagnosis and treatments, collected from both medicines. The datasets were subjected to process-oriented analysis, hierarchical knowledge representation and relational database interconnection. Web technology was implemented to develop a user-friendly interface, for easy navigation, training and research. Our system was prototyped with a case study on chronic prostatitis. This trial presented the system's capability for users to learn the correlation approach, connecting knowledge in Western and Traditional Chinese Medicine by querying the database, mapping validated medical information, accessing complementary information from official sites, and creating new knowledge as part of the learning process. By addressing the challenging tasks of data acquisition and modeling, organization, storage and transfer, the proposed web-based knowledge management system is presented as a tool for users in medical training and research to explore, learn and update relational information for the practice of integrated medical diagnosis. This proposal in education has the potential to enable further creation of medical knowledge from both Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine for improved care providing. The presented system positively improves the information visualization, learning process and knowledge sharing, for training and development of new skills for diagnosis and treatment, and a better understanding of medical diseases. © IMechE 2016.

Visual social network analysis: effective approach to model complex human social, behaviour & culture.

PubMed

Ahram, Tareq Z; Karwowski, Waldemar

2012-01-01

The advent and adoption of internet-based social networking has significantly altered our daily lives. The educational community has taken notice of the positive aspects of social networking such as creation of blogs and to support groups of system designers going through the same challenges and difficulties. This paper introduces a social networking framework for collaborative education, design and modeling of the next generation of smarter products and services. Human behaviour modeling in social networking application aims to ensure that human considerations for learners and designers have a prominent place in the integrated design and development of sustainable, smarter products throughout the total system lifecycle. Social networks blend self-directed learning and prescribed, existing information. The self-directed element creates interest within a learner and the ability to access existing information facilitates its transfer, and eventual retention of knowledge acquired.

Further constraints on the Chauvet cave artwork elaboration

PubMed Central

Sadier, Benjamin; Delannoy, Jean-Jacques; Benedetti, Lucilla; Bourlès, Didier L.; Jaillet, Stéphane; Geneste, Jean-Michel; Lebatard, Anne-Elisabeth; Arnold, Maurice

2012-01-01

Since its discovery, the Chauvet cave elaborate artwork called into question our understanding of Palaeolithic art evolution and challenged traditional chronological benchmarks [Valladas H et al. (2001) Nature 413:419–479]. Chronological approaches revealing human presences in the cavity during the Aurignacian and the Gravettian are indeed still debated on the basis of stylistic criteria [Pettitt P (2008) J Hum Evol 55:908–917]. The presented 36Cl Cosmic Ray Exposure ages demonstrate that the cliff overhanging the Chauvet cave has collapsed several times since 29 ka until the sealing of the cavity entrance prohibited access to the cave at least 21 ka ago. Remarkably agreeing with the radiocarbon dates of the human and animal occupancy, this study confirms that the Chauvet cave paintings are the oldest and the most elaborate ever discovered, challenging our current knowledge of human cognitive evolution. PMID:22566649

Space medicine research: Needs for the 21st century

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pepper, L. J.

1992-01-01

Space medicine research in the 21st century will continue to focus on the four major areas including: (1) expansion of the current incomplete knowledge base of clinical and subclinical physiological changes due to microgravity; (2) development of countermeasures to extend the capabilities of the human performance envelope in extended duration flights; (3) development of novel methods for delivering all aspects of a comprehensive health care system in extreme remote conditions: and (4) further research and application of systems for biological materials processing. New space transportation vehicles will place unique physiologic and human factors demands on the human system, while providing better access to platforms for materials processing. Success in meeting the demands in each of the noted research areas will require an extensive, interactive team approach. Personnel from the medical research,operational, developmental, and basic science communities will be essential to success.

Bear mauling: a descriptive review.

PubMed

Dieter, R A; Dieter, D L; Dieter, R A; Forbes, B

2001-11-01

Provide a descriptive review of bear and human interactions in the United States. Descriptive review. The bear population in the United States includes the grizzly bear, the polar bear, and the black bear, including the glacier phase or blue bear. As the human population grew and remote or wilderness access improved, the bear population suffered both in total numbers and safe habitat. Conservation efforts, such as hunting restrictions and habitat enhancement, have helped to increase the total numbers of bears on the North American continent. The chance of a human encountering a bear increases as the remote bear territory diminishes. Bear incidents are widely publicized, though few serious incidents occur. The authors have direct knowledge of these bear-human encounters in Alaska. Serious human injuries from black bears, or maulings, including fatalities are uncommon. Grizzly bears when trapped or stimulated may be very dangerous. The polar bear sees everything that moves or has color, as potential food, and therefore, will attack seemingly unprovoked. The chance of a human encountering a bear increases as the remote bear territory diminishes. Bear incidents are widely publicized, though few serious incidents occur.

Human genome research and the public interest: Progress notes from an American Science Policy Experiment

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

Juengst, E.T.

1994-01-01

This essay reviews the efforts of the US Human Genome Project to anticipate and address the ethical, legal, and social implications of new advances in human genetics. Since 1990, approximately $10 million has been awarded by the National Institutes of Health and the DOE, in support of 65 research, education, and public discussion projects. These projects address four major areas of need: (1) the need for both client-centered assessments of new genetic services and for improved knowledge of the psychosocial and ethnocultural factors that shape clients' clinical genetic experiences; (2) the need for clear professional policies regarding human-subject research, clinicalmore » practical standards, and public health goals in human genetics; (3) the need for social policy protection against unfair access to and use of personal genetic information; (4) the need for improved public and professional understanding and discussion of these issues. The Human Genome Project's goal is to have defined, by 1995, policy options and programs capable of addressing these needs. 47 refs.« less

A prototype Upper Atmospheric Research Collaboratory (UARC)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Clauer, C. R.; Atkins, D. E; Weymouth, T. E.; Olson, G. M.; Niciejewski, R.; Finholt, T. A.; Prakash, A.; Rasmussen, C. E.; Killeen, T.; Rosenberg, T. J.

1995-01-01

The National Collaboratory concept has great potential for enabling 'critical mass' working groups and highly interdisciplinary research projects. We report here on a new program to build a prototype collaboratory using the Sondrestrom Upper Atmospheric Research Facility in Kangerlussuaq, Greenland and a group of associated scientists. The Upper Atmospheric Research Collaboratory (UARC) is a joint venture of researchers in upper atmospheric and space science, computer science, and behavioral science to develop a testbed for collaborative remote research. We define the 'collaboratory' as an advanced information technology environment which enables teams to work together over distance and time on a wide variety of intellectual tasks. It provides: (1) human-to-human communications using shared computer tools and work spaces; (2) group access and use of a network of information, data, and knowledge sources; and (3) remote access and control of instruments for data acquisition. The UARC testbed is being implemented to support a distributed community of space scientists so that they have network access to the remote instrument facility in Kangerlussuaq and are able to interact among geographically distributed locations. The goal is to enable them to use the UARC rather than physical travel to Greenland to conduct team research campaigns. Even on short notice through the collaboratory from their home institutions, participants will be able to meet together to operate a battery of remote interactive observations and to acquire, process, and interpret the data.

[Distance learning in postgraduate training of professionals. Example of occupational medicine specialization].

PubMed

Marcinkiewicz, Andrzej; Cybart, Adam; Chromińska-Szosland, Dorota

2002-01-01

The rapid development of science, technology, economy and the society has one along with the wide recognition of lifelong education and learning society concepts. Scientific centres worldwide conduct research how the access to the information and multimedia technology could bring about positive changes in our lives including improvement in education and the learning environment. Mankind development in conformity with social progress and sustainable development faces a new educational concept of learning society and open education in the information age, supported with multimedia and data processing technology. Constrains in resources availability for broadening the access to education had led to search for alternative, more time and cost-effective systems of education. One of them is distance learning, applied with success in many countries. The benefits of distance learning are well proven and can be extended to occupational medicine. Major advantages include: the integration of studies with work experience, flexibility, allowing studies to be matched to work requirements, perceived work and leisure timing, continuity of career progression. Likewise is in Poland this form of education becomes more and more popular. The distance education systems have been seen as an investment in human resource development. The vast variety of courses and educational stages makes possible the modern method of knowledge to be easily accessible. Experience of the School of Public Health in Łódź in distance learning had shown remarkable benefits of the method with comparable quality of intramural and distance learning in respect of the knowledge and experience gained by students.

Direct perception vs inferential processes in reading an opponent's mind: The case of a goalkeeper facing a soccer penalty kick. Comment on "Seeing mental states: An experimental strategy for measuring the observability of other minds" by Cristina Becchio et al.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sandini, Giulio; Morasso, Pietro

2018-03-01

In engineering cybernetics, observability is a measure of how well internal states of a system can be inferred from knowledge of its external outputs. Moreover, observability and controllability of a system are mathematically inter-related properties in the sense that it does not matter to have access to hidden states if this knowledge is not exploited for achieving a goal. While such issues can be well posed in the engineering field, in cognitive neuroscience it is quite difficult to restrict the analysis in such a way to isolate direct perception from other cognitive processes, named as "inferences" by the authors [1], without losing a great part of the action (unless one trivializes the meaning of "direct" by stating that "all perception is direct": Gallagher and Zahavi [6]). In other words, in spite of the elegance and scientific rigor of the proposed experimental strategy, in our opinion it misses the fact that in real human-human interactions "direct perception" and "inference" are two faces of the same coin and mental states in a social context are, in a general sense, accessible on the basis of directly perceived sensory signals (here and now) tuned by expectations. In the following, we elaborate this opinion with reference to a competitive interaction paradigm, namely the attempt of a goalkeeper to save a soccer penalty kick by "reading the mind" of his opponent.

The Role of Accessibility of Semantic Word Knowledge in Monolingual and Bilingual Fifth-Grade Reading

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cremer, M.; Schoonen, R.

2013-01-01

The influences of word decoding, availability, and accessibility of semantic word knowledge on reading comprehension were investigated for monolingual "("n = 65) and bilingual children ("n" = 70). Despite equal decoding abilities, monolingual children outperformed bilingual children with regard to reading comprehension and…

Synchronic Distance Education from the Perspective of a Handicapped Person

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Karal, Hasan; Cebi, Ayca; Turgut, Yigit Emrah

2011-01-01

Nowadays knowledge and communication technologies are developing rapidly and changing people's lives. With the help of the developing technologies, people can access knowledge independent of time and place and distance education technologies offer handicapped students a range of opportunities in order that they may access a better level of…

Access to Knowledge: An Agenda for Our Nation's Schools.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goodlad, John I., Ed.; Keating, Pamela, Ed.

This collection of 15 papers reconceptualizes the problem of failure in schools and describe the interlocking structural arrangements, curricular and instructional practices, and other school conditions that constitute barriers blocking all students' access to knowledge. A new agenda is offered for the national reform movement, an agenda that…

Adipose-Derived Stem Cells in Functional Bone Tissue Engineering: Lessons from Bone Mechanobiology

PubMed Central

Bodle, Josephine C.; Hanson, Ariel D.

2011-01-01

This review aims to highlight the current and significant work in the use of adipose-derived stem cells (ASC) in functional bone tissue engineering framed through the bone mechanobiology perspective. Over a century of work on the principles of bone mechanosensitivity is now being applied to our understanding of bone development. We are just beginning to harness that potential using stem cells in bone tissue engineering. ASC are the primary focus of this review due to their abundance and relative ease of accessibility for autologous procedures. This article outlines the current knowledge base in bone mechanobiology to investigate how the knowledge from this area has been applied to the various stem cell-based approaches to engineering bone tissue constructs. Specific emphasis is placed on the use of human ASC for this application. PMID:21338267

Overview on urban and peri-urban agriculture: definition, impact on human health, constraints and policy issues.

PubMed

Kang'ethe, E K; Grace, D; Randolph, T F

2007-11-01

To collate and synthesize current knowledge of components of urban agriculture (UA) with a thematic emphasis on human health impact and a geographic emphasis on East Africa. Data management followed a structured approach in which key issues were first identified and then studies selected through literature search and personal communication. Evidence-based principles. Urban agriculture is an important source of food security for urban dwellers in East Africa. Descriptors of UA are location, areas, activities, scale, products, destinations, stakeholders and motivation. Many zoonotic and food-borne diseases have been associated with UA but evidence on human health impact and management is lacking. Major constraints to UA are illegality and lack of access to input and market; policy options have been developed for overcoming these. Urban agriculture is an important activity and likely to remain so. Both positive and negative human health impacts are potentially important but more research is needed to understand these and set appropriate policy and support levels.

Role for protein–protein interaction databases in human genetics

PubMed Central

Pattin, Kristine A; Moore, Jason H

2010-01-01

Proteomics and the study of protein–protein interactions are becoming increasingly important in our effort to understand human diseases on a system-wide level. Thanks to the development and curation of protein-interaction databases, up-to-date information on these interaction networks is accessible and publicly available to the scientific community. As our knowledge of protein–protein interactions increases, it is important to give thought to the different ways that these resources can impact biomedical research. In this article, we highlight the importance of protein–protein interactions in human genetics and genetic epidemiology. Since protein–protein interactions demonstrate one of the strongest functional relationships between genes, combining genomic data with available proteomic data may provide us with a more in-depth understanding of common human diseases. In this review, we will discuss some of the fundamentals of protein interactions, the databases that are publicly available and how information from these databases can be used to facilitate genome-wide genetic studies. PMID:19929610

Dose- and time-dependent benefits of iPad technology in an undergraduate human anatomy course.

PubMed

Raney, Marcella A

2016-07-08

This study examined the impact of iPad integration on performance in an undergraduate gross anatomy course. Two out of six course sections were assigned to one of the following conditions: control (no iPad, n = 61); limited access (laboratory iPads, n = 58); and unlimited access (personal iPads, n = 47). Student knowledge was assessed over time during the semester with two practical examinations in laboratory and four multiple choice/essay examinations in lecture. The same PowerPoint presentations and examinations were utilized for all conditions. Mixed ANOVA analysis identified an interaction effect between time and condition for both laboratory (F2,153  = 16.12; P < 0.05) and lecture (F6,462  = 5.47; P < 0.05) performance. Between laboratory examinations, student performance was lower by 4.2% and higher by 3.0% in control and unlimited access conditions, respectively. Unlimited access students scored higher than control and limited access (82.8 ± 2.2 vs 71.5 ± 2.6 and 74.3 ± 1.7%; P < 0.05) and higher than control students (78.7 ± 2.1 vs 70.6 ± 2.0%; P < 0.05) on the third and fourth lecture examination, respectively. Postsemester surveys completed by experimental students (89.5% response rate) indicated that a greater percentage of unlimited vs limited access students agreed that laboratory (84.8 vs 56.3%, P < 0.05) and lecture (58.7 vs 14.6%, P < 0.05) performance was enhanced with the iPad. Results suggest that if students are given the opportunity to overcome the technology learning curve, tablet devices and relevant applications can be useful tools in human anatomy courses. Anat Sci Educ 9: 367-377. © 2015 American Association of Anatomists. © 2015 American Association of Anatomists.

Digital Scholarship and Open Access

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Losoff, Barbara; Pence, Harry E.

2010-01-01

Open access publications provide scholars with unrestricted access to the "conversation" that is the basis for the advancement of knowledge. The large number of open access journals, archives, and depositories already in existence demonstrates the technical and economic viability of providing unrestricted access to the literature that is the…

Gendered medicinal plant knowledge contributions to adaptive capacity and health sovereignty in Amazonia.

PubMed

Díaz-Reviriego, Isabel; Fernández-Llamazares, Álvaro; Salpeteur, Matthieu; Howard, Patricia L; Reyes-García, Victoria

2016-12-01

Local medical systems are key elements of social-ecological systems as they provide culturally appropriate and locally accessible health care options, especially for populations with scarce access to biomedicine. The adaptive capacity of local medical systems generally rests on two pillars: species diversity and a robust local knowledge system, both threatened by local and global environmental change. We first present a conceptual framework to guide the assessment of knowledge diversity and redundancy in local medicinal knowledge systems through a gender lens. Then, we apply this conceptual framework to our research on the local medicinal plant knowledge of the Tsimane' Amerindians. Our results suggest that Tsimane' medicinal plant knowledge is gendered and that the frequency of reported ailments and the redundancy of knowledge used to treat them are positively associated. We discuss the implications of knowledge diversity and redundancy for local knowledge systems' adaptive capacity, resilience, and health sovereignty.

Computational neuroanatomy: ontology-based representation of neural components and connectivity

PubMed Central

Rubin, Daniel L; Talos, Ion-Florin; Halle, Michael; Musen, Mark A; Kikinis, Ron

2009-01-01

Background A critical challenge in neuroscience is organizing, managing, and accessing the explosion in neuroscientific knowledge, particularly anatomic knowledge. We believe that explicit knowledge-based approaches to make neuroscientific knowledge computationally accessible will be helpful in tackling this challenge and will enable a variety of applications exploiting this knowledge, such as surgical planning. Results We developed ontology-based models of neuroanatomy to enable symbolic lookup, logical inference and mathematical modeling of neural systems. We built a prototype model of the motor system that integrates descriptive anatomic and qualitative functional neuroanatomical knowledge. In addition to modeling normal neuroanatomy, our approach provides an explicit representation of abnormal neural connectivity in disease states, such as common movement disorders. The ontology-based representation encodes both structural and functional aspects of neuroanatomy. The ontology-based models can be evaluated computationally, enabling development of automated computer reasoning applications. Conclusion Neuroanatomical knowledge can be represented in machine-accessible format using ontologies. Computational neuroanatomical approaches such as described in this work could become a key tool in translational informatics, leading to decision support applications that inform and guide surgical planning and personalized care for neurological disease in the future. PMID:19208191

Making information accessible and useful to practicing clinicians. Problem-knowledge coupling.

PubMed

Zimny, N J

1992-01-01

Assessments of health care technology will lead to improvements in patient services only if this information is actually used by clinicians. Traditional methods of planning treatment that rely solely on memory limit the clinician's access to and use of the full available body of knowledge in the field. An alternative approach using a computer-assisted methodology is presented as a way to overcome traditional limitations and promote the development and diffusion of knowledge.

In the margins of the mind: development of a projective research methodology for the study of nursing practice.

PubMed

Regan, Mary; Liaschenko, Joan

2008-01-01

This article presents an original research method derived from the Thematic Apperception Test used in clinical psychology to understand human motivation and action. The research method is derived from the theory of projection, which states that humans will perceive stimuli in terms of their own expectations and motives and will credit others with their own attitudes, beliefs, traits, and dispositions. Projective techniques are one of a handful of methods that provide access to this type of knowledge since it resides below the level of consciousness. Use of this type of method in nursing research may be fruitful because of its capacity to make apparent the complex interplay between a clinician's beliefs and the interpretation of meaning that motivates clinical action.

Unrestricted access to methamphetamine or cocaine in the past is associated with increased current use

PubMed Central

Culbertson, C.; De La Garza, R.; Costello, M.; Newton, T. F.

2009-01-01

Laboratory animals allowed to self-administer stimulants for extended periods of time escalate drug intake compared to animals that self-administer under temporally limited conditions. To our knowledge, this phenomenon has not been systematically investigated in humans. We interviewed 106 (77 male, 29 female) methamphetamine (Meth) and 96 (81 male, 15 female) cocaine (Coc) users to determine if they had experienced discrete period(s) of unrestricted access to unlimited quantities of Meth or Coc in the past. Fifty-eight Meth users and 53 Coc users reported having a discrete period of unrestricted access in the past, but not in the present. Meth-using participants with a prior history of unrestricted access reported significantly more current Meth use, compared to Meth users with no prior history of unrestricted access. Specifically, these participants reported more days used in the past 30 d, more days of use per week, greater use per day and greater total use per week (p<0.05 for each). Coc-using participants with a prior history of unrestricted access also reported significantly more current Coc use, compared to Coc users with no prior history of unrestricted access. This was true across all measures of current use for these participants, including more days used in the past 30 d, more days of use per week, greater use per day, and higher total use per week (p<0.02 for each). Taken together, these results suggest that a history of unrestricted access to stimulants is associated with long-lasting increases in stimulant use. PMID:19220922

Promoting Access: The Role of Organization and Awareness Factors. Elementary Subjects Center Series No. 1.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Prawat, Richard S.

This review presents a framework that accommodates static and dynamic approaches to comprehension of students' transfer of knowledge and skill. The review focuses on three sets of variables considered fundamental to students' ability to access intellectual resources in potentially relevant situations: knowledge bases, strategies, and dispositions.…

"Workhood"-a useful concept for the analysis of health workers' resources? an evaluation from Tanzania

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background International debates on improving health system performance and quality of care are strongly coined by systems thinking. There is a surprising lack of attention to the human (worker) elements. Although the central role of health workers within the health system has increasingly been acknowledged, there are hardly studies that analyze performance and quality of care from an individual perspective. Drawing on livelihood studies in health and sociological theory of capitals, this study develops and evaluates the new concept of workhood. As an analytical device the concept aims at understanding health workers' capacities to access resources (human, financial, physical, social, cultural and symbolic capital) and transfer them to the community from an individual perspective. Methods Case studies were conducted in four Reproductive-and-Child-Health (RCH) clinics in the Kilombero Valley, south-eastern Tanzania, using different qualitative methods such as participant observation, informal discussions and in-depth interviews to explore the relevance of the different types of workhood resources for effective health service delivery. Health workers' ability to access these resources were investigated and factors facilitating or constraining access identified. Results The study showed that lack of physical, human, cultural and financial capital constrained health workers' capacity to act. In particular, weak health infrastructure and health system failures led to the lack of sufficient drug and supply stocks and chronic staff shortages at the health facilities. However, health workers' capacity to mobilize social, cultural and symbolic capital played a significant role in their ability to overcome work related problems. Professional and non-professional social relationships were activated in order to access drug stocks and other supplies, transport and knowledge. Conclusions By evaluating the workhood concept this study highlights the importance of understanding health worker performance by looking at their resources and capacities. Rather than blaming health workers for health system failures, applying a strength-based approach offers new insights into health workers' capacities and identifies entry points for target actions. PMID:22401037

"Workhood"-a useful concept for the analysis of health workers' resources? An evaluation from Tanzania.

PubMed

Gross, Karin; Pfeiffer, Constanze; Obrist, Brigit

2012-03-08

International debates on improving health system performance and quality of care are strongly coined by systems thinking. There is a surprising lack of attention to the human (worker) elements. Although the central role of health workers within the health system has increasingly been acknowledged, there are hardly studies that analyze performance and quality of care from an individual perspective. Drawing on livelihood studies in health and sociological theory of capitals, this study develops and evaluates the new concept of workhood. As an analytical device the concept aims at understanding health workers' capacities to access resources (human, financial, physical, social, cultural and symbolic capital) and transfer them to the community from an individual perspective. Case studies were conducted in four Reproductive-and-Child-Health (RCH) clinics in the Kilombero Valley, south-eastern Tanzania, using different qualitative methods such as participant observation, informal discussions and in-depth interviews to explore the relevance of the different types of workhood resources for effective health service delivery. Health workers' ability to access these resources were investigated and factors facilitating or constraining access identified. The study showed that lack of physical, human, cultural and financial capital constrained health workers' capacity to act. In particular, weak health infrastructure and health system failures led to the lack of sufficient drug and supply stocks and chronic staff shortages at the health facilities. However, health workers' capacity to mobilize social, cultural and symbolic capital played a significant role in their ability to overcome work related problems. Professional and non-professional social relationships were activated in order to access drug stocks and other supplies, transport and knowledge. By evaluating the workhood concept this study highlights the importance of understanding health worker performance by looking at their resources and capacities. Rather than blaming health workers for health system failures, applying a strength-based approach offers new insights into health workers' capacities and identifies entry points for target actions.

Evaluation of an educational website for parents of children with ADHD.

PubMed

Ryan, Gemma Sinead; Haroon, Munib; Melvin, Gail

2015-11-01

ADHD is a relatively common neuro-developmental condition characterized by hyperactivity, impulsivity and inattention. The provision of timely and accurate information about the condition and about strategies to manage it is vital especially because of widespread misconceptions about it. To see the effect of an educational website on (i) parental perceptions (ii) knowledge levels, and to obtain feedback to optimise user-experience. Parents whose children had ADHD (or were close to diagnosis) were recruited. Following a 30-item baseline knowledge test parents/carers were directed to an educational website on ADHD. After this they were re-contacted for follow up testing and feedback. n=172, 14 were lost to follow up. Ninety-one (59.4 %) participants were known to have accessed the website at follow up. The majority of carers accessed the website just once or twice (32.7%). Of those who did not access the website 65% cited a lack of time as the reason while 29% cited they were unable to access the internet at the time. The majority (74%) of those accessing the site were just browsing for general information. Parents showed increased knowledge post website use p=0.000. Of those accessing the website the majority (85.5%) felt it was relevant to them and would use it again (90.8%). Content analysis of open-ended feedback identified eight core themes including website appearance, content, functionality, perceptions, target audience, usability, usage patterns with areas for improvement noted in four areas. Websites can be used as an adjunct to information given at clinic. Although a majority of parents will access them, there are still barriers to access e.g. time. Websites do seem to improve parent/carer knowledge levels. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Does technology help doctors to access, use and share knowledge?

PubMed

Bullock, Alison

2014-01-01

Given the power and pervasiveness of technology, this paper considers whether it can help doctors to access, use and share knowledge and thus contribute to their ability to uphold the part of the Hippocratic Oath concerned with respecting 'the hard-won scientific gains of those physicians in whose steps I walk' and sharing 'such knowledge as is mine with those who are to follow'. How technology supports connections between doctors and knowledge is considered by focusing on the use of mobile technology in the workplace and Web 2.0 tools. Sfard's 'acquisition' and 'participation' models are employed to help develop an understanding of what these uses of technology mean for learning and knowledge sharing. The employment of technology is not neutral in its effects. Issues relate to knowledge ownership, information overload, quality control and interpretations attached to the use of mobile devices in the workplace. These issues raise deeper questions about the nature of knowledge and social theory and socio-material research questions about the effect of technology on workplace learning. Although the empirical and theoretical evidence presented shows how technology has clear potential to contribute both to accessing evidence and sharing knowledge, there is need for further research that applies theoretical frameworks to the analysis of the impact of technology on workplace learning. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Multiple Intimate Partner Violence Experiences: Knowledge, Access, Utilization and Barriers to Utilization of Resources by Women of the African Diaspora.

PubMed

Sabri, Bushra; Huerta, Julia; Alexander, Kamila A; St Vil, Noelle M; Campbell, Jacquelyn C; Callwood, Gloria B

2015-11-01

This study examined knowledge, access, utilization, and barriers to use of resources among Black women exposed to multiple types of intimate partner violence in Baltimore, Maryland and the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI). We analyzed quantitative survey data collected by 163 women recruited from primary care, prenatal or family planning clinics in Baltimore and the USVI. In addition we analyzed qualitative data from in-depth interviews with 11 women. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and qualitative data were analyzed using thematic analysis. A substantial proportion of Black women with multiple types of violence experiences lacked knowledge of, did not have access to, and did not use resources. Barriers to resource use were identified at the individual, relationship, and community levels. There is need for programs to develop awareness, promote access and utilization of resources, and eliminate barriers to resource use among abused Black women.

Legal assessment tool (LAT): an interactive tool to address privacy and data protection issues for data sharing.

PubMed

Kuchinke, Wolfgang; Krauth, Christian; Bergmann, René; Karakoyun, Töresin; Woollard, Astrid; Schluender, Irene; Braasch, Benjamin; Eckert, Martin; Ohmann, Christian

2016-07-07

In an unprecedented rate data in the life sciences is generated and stored in many different databases. An ever increasing part of this data is human health data and therefore falls under data protected by legal regulations. As part of the BioMedBridges project, which created infrastructures that connect more than 10 ESFRI research infrastructures (RI), the legal and ethical prerequisites of data sharing were examined employing a novel and pragmatic approach. We employed concepts from computer science to create legal requirement clusters that enable legal interoperability between databases for the areas of data protection, data security, Intellectual Property (IP) and security of biosample data. We analysed and extracted access rules and constraints from all data providers (databases) involved in the building of data bridges covering many of Europe's most important databases. These requirement clusters were applied to five usage scenarios representing the data flow in different data bridges: Image bridge, Phenotype data bridge, Personalised medicine data bridge, Structural data bridge, and Biosample data bridge. A matrix was built to relate the important concepts from data protection regulations (e.g. pseudonymisation, identifyability, access control, consent management) with the results of the requirement clusters. An interactive user interface for querying the matrix for requirements necessary for compliant data sharing was created. To guide researchers without the need for legal expert knowledge through legal requirements, an interactive tool, the Legal Assessment Tool (LAT), was developed. LAT provides researchers interactively with a selection process to characterise the involved types of data and databases and provides suitable requirements and recommendations for concrete data access and sharing situations. The results provided by LAT are based on an analysis of the data access and sharing conditions for different kinds of data of major databases in Europe. Data sharing for research purposes must be opened for human health data and LAT is one of the means to achieve this aim. In summary, LAT provides requirements in an interactive way for compliant data access and sharing with appropriate safeguards, restrictions and responsibilities by introducing a culture of responsibility and data governance when dealing with human data.

Accessibility of standardized information of a national colorectal cancer screening program for low health literate screening invitees: A mixed method study.

PubMed

Fransen, Mirjam P; Dekker, Evelien; Timmermans, Daniëlle R M; Uiters, Ellen; Essink-Bot, Marie-Louise

2017-02-01

To explore the accessibility of standardized printed information materials of the national Dutch colorectal cancer screening program among low health literate screening invitees and to assess the effect of the information on their knowledge about colorectal cancer and the screening program. Linguistic tools were used to analyze the text and design characteristics. The accessibility, comprehensibility and relevance of the information materials were explored in interviews and in observations (n=25). The effect of the information on knowledge was assessed in an online survey (n=127). The materials employed a simple text and design. However, respondents expressed problems with the amount of information, and the difference between screening and diagnostic follow-up. Knowledge significantly increased in 10 out of 16 items after reading the information but remained low for colorectal cancer risk, sensitivity of testing, and the voluntariness of colorectal cancer screening. Despite intelligible linguistic and design characteristics, screening invitees with low health literacy had problems in accessing, comprehending and applying standard information materials on colorectal cancer screening, and lacked essential knowledge for informed decision-making about participation. To enable equal access to informed decision-making, information strategies need to be adjusted to the skills of low health literate screening invitees. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Neuroscience Information Framework: A Data and Knowledge Environment for Neuroscience

PubMed Central

Akil, Huda; Ascoli, Giorgio A.; Bowden, Douglas M.; Bug, William; Donohue, Duncan E.; Goldberg, David H.; Grafstein, Bernice; Grethe, Jeffrey S.; Gupta, Amarnath; Halavi, Maryam; Kennedy, David N.; Marenco, Luis; Martone, Maryann E.; Miller, Perry L.; Müller, Hans-Michael; Robert, Adrian; Shepherd, Gordon M.; Sternberg, Paul W.; Van Essen, David C.; Williams, Robert W.

2009-01-01

With support from the Institutes and Centers forming the NIH Blueprint for Neuroscience Research, we have designed and implemented a new initiative for integrating access to and use of Web-based neuroscience resources: the Neuroscience Information Framework. The Framework arises from the expressed need of the neuroscience community for neuroinformatic tools and resources to aid scientific inquiry, builds upon prior development of neuroinformatics by the Human Brain Project and others, and directly derives from the Society for Neuroscience’s Neuroscience Database Gateway. Partnered with the Society, its Neuroinformatics Committee, and volunteer consultant-collaborators, our multi-site consortium has developed: (1) a comprehensive, dynamic, inventory of Web-accessible neuroscience resources, (2) an extended and integrated terminology describing resources and contents, and (3) a framework accepting and aiding concept-based queries. Evolving instantiations of the Framework may be viewed at http://nif.nih.gov, http://neurogateway.org, and other sites as they come on line. PMID:18946742

A development framework for artificial intelligence based distributed operations support systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Adler, Richard M.; Cottman, Bruce H.

1990-01-01

Advanced automation is required to reduce costly human operations support requirements for complex space-based and ground control systems. Existing knowledge based technologies have been used successfully to automate individual operations tasks. Considerably less progress has been made in integrating and coordinating multiple operations applications for unified intelligent support systems. To fill this gap, SOCIAL, a tool set for developing Distributed Artificial Intelligence (DAI) systems is being constructed. SOCIAL consists of three primary language based components defining: models of interprocess communication across heterogeneous platforms; models for interprocess coordination, concurrency control, and fault management; and for accessing heterogeneous information resources. DAI applications subsystems, either new or existing, will access these distributed services non-intrusively, via high-level message-based protocols. SOCIAL will reduce the complexity of distributed communications, control, and integration, enabling developers to concentrate on the design and functionality of the target DAI system itself.

The neuroscience information framework: a data and knowledge environment for neuroscience.

PubMed

Gardner, Daniel; Akil, Huda; Ascoli, Giorgio A; Bowden, Douglas M; Bug, William; Donohue, Duncan E; Goldberg, David H; Grafstein, Bernice; Grethe, Jeffrey S; Gupta, Amarnath; Halavi, Maryam; Kennedy, David N; Marenco, Luis; Martone, Maryann E; Miller, Perry L; Müller, Hans-Michael; Robert, Adrian; Shepherd, Gordon M; Sternberg, Paul W; Van Essen, David C; Williams, Robert W

2008-09-01

With support from the Institutes and Centers forming the NIH Blueprint for Neuroscience Research, we have designed and implemented a new initiative for integrating access to and use of Web-based neuroscience resources: the Neuroscience Information Framework. The Framework arises from the expressed need of the neuroscience community for neuroinformatic tools and resources to aid scientific inquiry, builds upon prior development of neuroinformatics by the Human Brain Project and others, and directly derives from the Society for Neuroscience's Neuroscience Database Gateway. Partnered with the Society, its Neuroinformatics Committee, and volunteer consultant-collaborators, our multi-site consortium has developed: (1) a comprehensive, dynamic, inventory of Web-accessible neuroscience resources, (2) an extended and integrated terminology describing resources and contents, and (3) a framework accepting and aiding concept-based queries. Evolving instantiations of the Framework may be viewed at http://nif.nih.gov , http://neurogateway.org , and other sites as they come on line.

Knowledge and Intention to Participate in Cervical Cancer Screening after the Human Papillomavirus Vaccine

PubMed Central

Price, Rebecca Anhang; Koshiol, Jill; Kobrin, Sarah; Tiro, Jasmin A.

2011-01-01

Background If women who receive the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine are unduly reassured about the cancer prevention benefits of vaccination, they may choose not to participate in screening, thereby increasing their risk for cervical cancer. This study assesses adult women’s knowledge of the need to continue cervical cancer screening after HPV vaccination, describes Pap test intentions of vaccinated young adult women, and evaluates whether knowledge and intentions differ across groups at greatest risk for cervical cancer. Methods Data were from the 2008 Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS) and the 2008 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), which initiated data collection approximately 18 months after the first FDA approval of an HPV vaccine. We calculated associations between independent variables and the outcomes using chi-square tests. Results Of 1,586 female HINTS respondents ages 18 through 74, 95.6% knew that HPV-vaccinated women should continue to receive Pap tests. This knowledge did not vary significantly by race/ethnicity, education, income, or healthcare access. Among 1,101 female NHIS respondents ages 18 to 26 who had ever received a Pap test, the proportion (12.7%; n = 139) who reported receipt of the HPV vaccine were more likely than those not vaccinated to plan to receive a Pap test within three years (98.1% vs. 92.5%, p<0.001). Conclusions US adult women possess high knowledge and intention to participate in Pap testing after HPV vaccination. The vast majority of young adult women who received the HPV vaccine within its first two years on the market intend to participate in cervical cancer screening in the near future. Future studies are needed to examine whether those vaccinated in adolescence will become aware of, and adhere to, screening guidelines as they become eligible. PMID:21473953

Equity in human papilloma virus vaccination uptake?: sexual behaviour, knowledge and demographics in a cross-sectional study in (un)vaccinated girls in the Netherlands

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background In the Netherlands, human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination is part of a national program equally accessible for all girls invited for vaccination. To assess possible inequalities in vaccine uptake, we investigated differences between vaccinated and unvaccinated girls with regard to various characteristics, including education and ethnicity, (both associated with non-attendance to the national cervical screening program), sexual behaviour and knowledge of HPV. Methods In 2010, 19,939 nationwide randomly-selected 16–17 year-old girls (2009 vaccination campaign) were invited to fill out an online questionnaire. A knowledge scale score and multivariable analyses identified variables associated with vaccination status. Results 2989 (15%) of the selected girls participated (65% vaccinated, 35% unvaccinated). The participants were comparable with regard to education, ethnicity, most sexual risk behaviour and had similar knowledge scores on HPV transmission and vaccination. However, unvaccinated girls lived in more urbanised areas and were more likely to have a religious background. Irrespective of vaccination status, 81% of the girls were aware of the causal relationship between HPV and cervical cancer, but the awareness of the necessity of cervical screening despite being vaccinated was limited. Conclusions HPV vaccine uptake was not associated with knowledge of HPV and with factors that are known to be associated with non-attendance to the cervical cancer screening program in the Netherlands. Furthermore, most sexual behaviour was not related to vaccination status meaning that teenage unvaccinated girls were not at a disproportionally higher risk of being exposed to HPV. Routine HPV vaccination may reduce the social inequity of prevention of cervical cancer. PMID:24679163

Human rights responsibilities of pharmaceutical companies in relation to access to medicines.

PubMed

Lee, Joo-Young; Hunt, Paul

2012-01-01

Although access to medicines is a vital feature of the right to the highest attainable standard of health ("right to health"), almost two billion people lack access to essential medicines, leading to immense avoidable suffering. While the human rights responsibility to provide access to medicines lies mainly with States, pharmaceutical companies also have human rights responsibilities in relation to access to medicines. This article provides an introduction to these responsibilities. It briefly outlines the new UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and places the human rights responsibilities of pharmaceutical companies in this context. The authors draw from the work of the first UN Special Rapporteur on the right to the highest attainable standard of health, in particular the Human Rights Guidelines for Pharmaceutical Companies in Relation to Access to Medicines that he presented to the UN General Assembly in 2008, and his UN report on GlaxoSmithKline (GSK). While the Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights are general human rights standards applicable to all business entities, the Human Rights Guidelines for Pharmaceutical Companies consider the specific human rights responsibilities of one sector (pharmaceutical companies) in relation to one area of activity (access to medicines). The article signals the human rights responsibilities of all pharmaceutical companies, with particular attention to patent-holding pharmaceutical companies. Adopting a right-to-health "lens," the article discusses GSK and accountability. The authors argue that human rights should shape pharmaceutical companies' policies, and provide standards in relation to which pharmaceutical companies could, and should, be held accountable. They conclude that it is now crucial to devise independent, accessible, transparent, and effective mechanisms to monitor pharmaceutical companies and hold them publicly accountable for their human rights responsibilities. © 2012 American Society of Law, Medicine & Ethics, Inc.

Imaginable Technologies for Human Missions to Mars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bushnell, Dennis M.

2007-01-01

The thesis of the present discussion is that the simultaneous cost and inherent safety issues of human on-site exploration of Mars will require advanced-to-revolutionary technologies. The major crew safety issues as currently identified include reduced gravity, radiation, potentially extremely toxic dust and the requisite reliability for years-long missions. Additionally, this discussion examines various technological areas which could significantly impact Human-Mars cost and safety. Cost reductions for space access is a major metric, including approaches to significantly reduce the overall up-mass. Besides fuel, propulsion and power systems, the up-mass consists of the infrastructure and supplies required to keep humans healthy and the equipment for executing exploration mission tasks. Hence, the major technological areas of interest for potential cost reductions include propulsion, in-space and on-planet power, life support systems, materials and overall architecture, systems, and systems-of-systems approaches. This discussion is specifically offered in response to and as a contribution to goal 3 of the Presidential Exploration Vision: "Develop the Innovative Technologies Knowledge and Infrastructures both to explore and to support decisions about the destinations for human exploration".

Evidence-Based Practice Knowledge, Perceptions, and Behavior: A Multi-Institutional, Cross-Sectional Study of a Population of U.S. Dental Students.

PubMed

Straub-Morarend, Cheryl L; Wankiiri-Hale, Christine R; Blanchette, Derek R; Lanning, Sharon K; Bekhuis, Tanja; Smith, Becky M; Brodie, Abby J; Oliveira, Deise Cruz; Handysides, Robert A; Dawson, Deborah V; Spallek, Heiko

2016-04-01

The aim of this study was to help inform faculty and curriculum leaders in academic dental institutions about the knowledge, skills, perceptions, and behavior of an institutionally diverse population of dental students with respect to evidence-based practice (EBP). A survey utilizing the validated Knowledge, Attitudes, Access, and Confidence Evaluation instrument developed by Hendricson et al. was conducted in 2012 with fourth-year dental students at seven geographically dispersed U.S. dental schools. The survey addressed elements of EBP knowledge, attitudes toward EBP, behavior in accessing evidence, and perceptions of competence in statistical analysis. A total of 138 students from the seven schools participated. A slight majority of these students correctly responded to the knowledge of critical appraisal questions. While the students demonstrated positive attitudes about EBP, they did not report high levels of confidence in their critical appraisal skills. The findings also showed that the students accessed various sources of evidence with differing frequencies. The most frequently accessed resources were colleagues, the Internet (excluding Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews), and textbooks. The results of this study help to identify areas for improvement in EBP education in order to advance dental students' preparation to become evidence-based practitioners.

Evidence-Based Practice Knowledge, Perceptions, and Behavior: A Multi-Institutional, Cross-Sectional Study of a Population of U.S. Dental Students

PubMed Central

Straub-Morarend, Cheryl L.; Wankiiri-Hale, Christine R.; Blanchette, Derek R.; Lanning, Sharon K.; Bekhuis, Tanja; Smith, Becky M.; Brodie, Abby J.; Oliveira, Deise Cruz; Handy-sides, Robert A.; Dawson, Deborah V.; Spallek, Heiko

2016-01-01

The aim of this study was to help inform faculty and curriculum leaders in academic dental institutions about the knowledge, skills, perceptions, and behavior of an institutionally diverse population of dental students with respect to evidence-based practice (EBP). A survey utilizing the validated Knowledge, Attitudes, Access, and Confidence Evaluation instrument developed by Hendricson et al. was conducted in 2012 with fourth-year dental students at seven geographically dispersed U.S. dental schools. The survey addressed elements of EBP knowledge, attitudes toward EBP, behavior in accessing evidence, and perceptions of competence in statistical analysis. A total of 138 students from the seven schools participated. A slight majority of these students correctly responded to the knowledge of critical appraisal questions. While the students demonstrated positive attitudes about EBP, they did not report high levels of confidence in their critical appraisal skills. The findings also showed that the students accessed various sources of evidence with differing frequencies. The most frequently accessed resources were colleagues, the Internet (excluding Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews), and textbooks. The results of this study help to identify areas for improvement in EBP education in order to advance dental students’ preparation to become evidence-based practitioners. PMID:27037451

Assuring children's human right to freedom of opinion and expression in education.

PubMed

Gillett-Swan, Jenna; Sargeant, Jonathon

2018-02-01

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights elaborated for children through the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, mandates each child's right to participate in all matters affecting them. In particular, Article 19 includes the child's right to freedom of expression and opinion, access to information and communication choice. However, many barriers placed on children's daily lives often restrict or limit the enactment of children's participatory rights in practice, most noticeably in education. It is often the adult who decides what, when and how children can communicate, and the extent children's views and opinions are sought, considered or incorporated. This paper explores how children's daily lives are mediated in ways that restrict their expression, voice and communication rights. Children spend a significant proportion of their daily lives in education settings yet the restrictions on children's access to information and communication choices do not reflect contemporary pedagogical thinking. Many school settings perpetuate the key participation barriers of adult attitude and knowledge, pedagogical tradition, organisational structure and technological advancement. Such barriers to engagement stifle the realisation of the child's communication rights that then limits educational enhancement. Supporting children's right to communicate via a range of media enables pedagogy supporting voice-inclusive practice.

Performance enhancement in a semi-autonomous confined microsociety

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brady, J. V.; Bernstein, D. J.; Foltin, R. W.; Nellis, M. J.

1988-01-01

Research in a continuously programmed human experimental laboratory has been directed toward identifying, defining, and expanding generalized knowledge concerning motivational factors within the structure of human behavioral repertoires that maintain and enhance performance. Participants (in groups of three) engaged in a series of repetitive work activities (e.g., word sorting and rug-hooking) for extended periods each day, while living continuously in a residential laboratory. Other parts of the day were spent either interacting socially with other participants or engaging in individual recreational activities. The percentage of time devoted to the various work tasks provided the basis for selecting one activity that occurred with high frequency and one with low frequency. Performance of the low-frequency activity was then required in order to gain access to the high-frequency activity. Under such contingencies, time devoted to the original low-frequency activity increased greatly, and the participants consistently did more than the required amount of the low-frequency work than was necessary to restore access to the restricted work activity. The theoretical significance of these findings resides in the clear demonstration that a time-based model of value applies as well to the enhancement of work-like performance as it does to voluntarily selected or preferred recreational activities.

The Human Genome Project: big science transforms biology and medicine.

PubMed

Hood, Leroy; Rowen, Lee

2013-01-01

The Human Genome Project has transformed biology through its integrated big science approach to deciphering a reference human genome sequence along with the complete sequences of key model organisms. The project exemplifies the power, necessity and success of large, integrated, cross-disciplinary efforts - so-called 'big science' - directed towards complex major objectives. In this article, we discuss the ways in which this ambitious endeavor led to the development of novel technologies and analytical tools, and how it brought the expertise of engineers, computer scientists and mathematicians together with biologists. It established an open approach to data sharing and open-source software, thereby making the data resulting from the project accessible to all. The genome sequences of microbes, plants and animals have revolutionized many fields of science, including microbiology, virology, infectious disease and plant biology. Moreover, deeper knowledge of human sequence variation has begun to alter the practice of medicine. The Human Genome Project has inspired subsequent large-scale data acquisition initiatives such as the International HapMap Project, 1000 Genomes, and The Cancer Genome Atlas, as well as the recently announced Human Brain Project and the emerging Human Proteome Project.

The Human Genome Project: big science transforms biology and medicine

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

The Human Genome Project has transformed biology through its integrated big science approach to deciphering a reference human genome sequence along with the complete sequences of key model organisms. The project exemplifies the power, necessity and success of large, integrated, cross-disciplinary efforts - so-called ‘big science’ - directed towards complex major objectives. In this article, we discuss the ways in which this ambitious endeavor led to the development of novel technologies and analytical tools, and how it brought the expertise of engineers, computer scientists and mathematicians together with biologists. It established an open approach to data sharing and open-source software, thereby making the data resulting from the project accessible to all. The genome sequences of microbes, plants and animals have revolutionized many fields of science, including microbiology, virology, infectious disease and plant biology. Moreover, deeper knowledge of human sequence variation has begun to alter the practice of medicine. The Human Genome Project has inspired subsequent large-scale data acquisition initiatives such as the International HapMap Project, 1000 Genomes, and The Cancer Genome Atlas, as well as the recently announced Human Brain Project and the emerging Human Proteome Project. PMID:24040834

Assessing the Knowledge, Attitudes and Behaviors of Human and Animal Health Students towards Antibiotic Use and Resistance: A Pilot Cross-Sectional Study in the UK

PubMed Central

Hills, Holly; Seitz, Lara-Turiya; Perry, Alex

2018-01-01

The Global Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance highlights the importance of training all healthcare professionals. No study has assessed patterns of students’ knowledge, attitudes and practices concerning antibiotic use simultaneously across different healthcare course types. We conducted a cross-sectional multi-center survey among UK students. The survey was advertised through local survey coordinators at 25 universities. The online survey was accessible from 10th October to 17th November 2016 (before European Antibiotic Awareness Day). A total of 255 students from 25 universities participated, including students on medicine, pharmacy, nursing, physician associate, dentistry and veterinary medicine courses. Antibiotic resistance was considered to be a more important global challenge than climate change, obesity or food security (p < 0.001). Most students (95%) believed that antibiotic resistance will be a problem for their future practice, but fewer (69%) thought that the antibiotics they will prescribe, administer or dispense will contribute to the problem. A fifth of students felt they had sufficient knowledge of antibiotic use for their future work. Our exploratory study suggests that UK human and animal healthcare students are aware of the importance of antibiotic resistance, but many still have certain misconceptions. Campaigns and improved educational efforts applying behavioral insights methodology could address these. PMID:29385687

A Matter of Discipline: Open Access, the Humanities, and Art History

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tomlin, Patrick

2009-01-01

Recent events suggest that open access has gained new momentum in the humanities, but the slow and uneven development of open-access initiatives in humanist fields continues to hinder the consolidation of efforts across the university. Although various studies have traced the general origins of the humanities' reticence to embrace open access, few…

Disparities in mobile phone access and maternal health service utilization in Nigeria: a population-based survey.

PubMed

Jennings, Larissa; Omoni, Adetayo; Akerele, Akunle; Ibrahim, Yisa; Ekanem, Ekpenyong

2015-05-01

Mobile communication technologies may reduce maternal health disparities related to cost, distance, and infrastructure. However, the ability of mHealth initiatives to accelerate maternal health goals requires in part that women with the greatest health needs have access to mobile phones. This study examined if women with limited mobile phone access have differential odds of maternal knowledge and health service utilization as compared to female mobile phone users who are currently eligible to participate in maternal mHealth programs. Using household survey data from Nigeria, multivariable logistic regressions were used to examine the odds of maternal knowledge and service utilization by mobile phone strata. Findings showed that in settings with unequal access to mobile phones, mHealth interventions may not reach women who have the poorest maternal knowledge and care-seeking as these women often lacked mobile connectivity. As compared to mobile users, women without mobile phone access had significantly lower odds of antenatal care utilization (OR=0.48, 95%CI: 0.36-0.64), skilled delivery (OR=0.56, 95%CI: 0.45-0.70), and modern contraceptive use (OR=0.50, 95%CI: 0.33-0.76) after adjusting for demographic characteristics. They also had significantly lower knowledge of maternal danger signs (OR=0.69, 95%CI: 0.53-0.90) and knowledge of antenatal (OR=0.46, 95%CI: 0.36-0.59) and skilled delivery care benefits (OR=0.62, 95%CI: 0.47-0.82). No differences were observed by mobile phone strata in uptake of emergency obstetric care, postnatal services, or breastfeeding. As maternal mHealth strategies are increasingly utilized, more efforts are needed to improve women's access to mobile phones and minimize potential health inequities brought on by health systems and technological barriers in access to care. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Now Age, New Space, and Transforming the Exploration of Geospace

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Paxton, L. J.

2017-12-01

In this talk I will discuss: 1) Changing our description of how and why we do Heliophysics (NASA) and Geospace Science (NSF) research 2) How we can take advantage of the New Space industry capabilities 3) How and why we can use the technology that has begun the transformation of our society into the "Now Age" I will discuss trends that I see that enable, if we have the will, a fundamental revitalization of the science that we aspire to do. I will focus on our opportunities to revolutionize the exploration of geospace (the region below about 1000km) and how that addresses fundamental questions about our place in the universe. Exploration of space, in particular exploration of geospace, is at a cusp - we can either attempt to continue to move forward using the same, tried and true techniques or we can embrace the "Now Age" and the capabilities enabled by the New Space industry to move forward to a fuller understanding of our world's place in the solar system. Heliophysics at NASA and Geospace Science at NSF can be recast as fundamental exploratory basic research that asks and answers questions that everyone can understand. We are in the Now Age because the human race has enabled and embraced a fundamentally different way of accessing information and, potentially gaining knowledge. For the first time, we have the capability to provide essentially all of recorded human knowledge immediately and to anyone - and people want that access "now". Even in the scientific community we expect to be able to see the latest data right now. This is enabled by the internet and ubiquitous connectivity; low cost data storage and memory; fast, low-cost computing; the means to visualize the information; advances in the way we store, catalog and retrieve information; and advances in modeling and simulation. Concomitant with the Now Age, and providing an impetus to do things "now", the New Space industry has enabled low cost access to space and has embraced a vision of human presence in space that goes far beyond anything considered by NASA. To make all of these abstractions concrete, I will describe how we could reimagine a Heliophysics Roadmap space mission, such as Geospace Dynamics Constellation (GDC), by taking advantage of these capabilities. This test case is intended solely as a heuristic example rather than an alternative formulation.

Lunar Exploration and Science in ESA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carpenter, James; Houdou, Bérengère; Fisackerly, Richard; De Rosa, Diego; Patti, Bernardo; Schiemann, Jens; Hufenbach, Bernhard; Foing, Bernard

2014-05-01

ESA seeks to provide Europe with access to the lunar surface, and allow Europeans to benefit from the opening up of this new frontier, as part of a global endeavor. This will be best achieved through an exploration programme which combines the strengths and capabilities of both robotic and human explorers. ESA is preparing for future participation in lunar exploration through a combination of human and robotic activities, in cooperation with international partners. Future planned activities include the contribution of key technological capabilities to the Russian led robotic missions, Luna-Glob, Luna-Resurs orbiter and Luna-Resurs lander. For the Luna-Resurs lander ESA will provide analytical capabilities to compliment the already selected Russian led payload, focusing on the composition and isotopic abundances of lunar volatiles in polar regions. This should be followed by the contributions at the level of mission elements to a Lunar Polar Sample Return mission. This partnership will provide access for European investigators to the opportunities offered by the Russian led instruments on the missions, as well as providing Europe with a unique opportunity to characterize and utilize polar volatile populations. Ultimately samples of high scientific value, from as of yet unexplored and unsampled locations shall be made available to the scientific community. These robotic activities are being performed with a view to enabling a future more comprehensive programme in which robotic and human activities are integrated to provide the maximum benefits from lunar surface access. Activities on the ISS and ESA participation to the US led Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle, which is planned for a first unmanned lunar flight in 2017, are also important steps towards achieving this. All of these activities are performed with a view to generating the technologies, capabilities, knowledge and heritage that will make Europe an indispensable partner in the exploration missions of the future.

Investigating the Knowledge Management Culture

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stylianou, Vasso; Savva, Andreas

2016-01-01

Knowledge Management (KM) efforts aim at leveraging an organization into a knowledge organization thereby presenting knowledge employees with a very powerful tool; organized valuable knowledge accessible when and where needed in flexible, technologically-enhanced modes. The attainment of this aim, i.e., the transformation into a knowledge…

Access control and privilege management in electronic health record: a systematic literature review.

PubMed

Jayabalan, Manoj; O'Daniel, Thomas

2016-12-01

This study presents a systematic literature review of access control for electronic health record systems to protect patient's privacy. Articles from 2006 to 2016 were extracted from the ACM Digital Library, IEEE Xplore Digital Library, Science Direct, MEDLINE, and MetaPress using broad eligibility criteria, and chosen for inclusion based on analysis of ISO22600. Cryptographic standards and methods were left outside the scope of this review. Three broad classes of models are being actively investigated and developed: access control for electronic health records, access control for interoperability, and access control for risk analysis. Traditional role-based access control models are extended with spatial, temporal, probabilistic, dynamic, and semantic aspects to capture contextual information and provide granular access control. Maintenance of audit trails and facilities for overriding normal roles to allow full access in emergency cases are common features. Access privilege frameworks utilizing ontology-based knowledge representation for defining the rules have attracted considerable interest, due to the higher level of abstraction that makes it possible to model domain knowledge and validate access requests efficiently.

Blogs: Enhancing Links in a Professional Learning Community of Science and Mathematics Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Loving, Cathleen C.; Schroeder, Carolyn; Kang, Rui; Shimek, Christine; Herbert, Bruce

2007-01-01

Anyone who can access the Internet can be part of the knowledge-access, knowledge-building, information-exchanging culture, regardless of location. The research presented in this article is about blogs and their use in a new teacher professional development project. Weblogs were first named and described in 1997 by Jorn Barger (Blood, 2000) and…

A New Measure for Assessing the Contributions of Higher Level Processes to Language Comprehension Performance in Preschoolers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hannon, Brenda; Frias, Sarah

2012-01-01

The present study reports the development of a theoretically motivated measure that provides estimates of a preschooler's ability to recall auditory text, to make text-based inferences, to access knowledge from long-term memory, and to integrate this accessed knowledge with new information from auditory text. This new preschooler component…

The Role of E-Vocabularies in the Description and Retrieval of Digital Educational Resources

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fernández-Pampillón, Ana M.

2017-01-01

Vocabularies are linguistic resources that make it possible to access knowledge through words. They can constitute a mechanism to identify, describe, explore, and access all the digital resources with informational content pertaining to a specific knowledge domain. In this regard, they play a key role as systems for the representation and…

MyPyramid.gov knowledge and access among rural southwest Mississippi African American adolescents

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

This study used a qualitative approach to identify knowledge of food recommendations found on MyPyramid.gov and access to MyPyramid.gov among limited-income African American youth. We conducted 5 single-sex focus groups with 9 boys and 30 girls (grades 5th and 6th). Data processing and analysis incl...

Measure, Then Show: Grasping Human Evolution Through an Inquiry-Based, Data-driven Hominin Skulls Lab.

PubMed

Bayer, Chris N; Luberda, Michael

2016-01-01

Incomprehension and denial of the theory of evolution among high school students has been observed to also occur when teachers are not equipped to deliver a compelling case also for human evolution based on fossil evidence. This paper assesses the outcomes of a novel inquiry-based paleoanthropology lab teaching human evolution to high-school students. The inquiry-based Be a Paleoanthropologist for a Day lab placed a dozen hominin skulls into the hands of high-school students. Upon measuring three variables of human evolution, students explain what they have observed and discuss findings. In the 2013/14 school year, 11 biology classes in 7 schools in the Greater New Orleans area participated in this lab. The interviewed teacher cohort unanimously agreed that the lab featuring hominin skull replicas and stimulating student inquiry was a pedagogically excellent method of delivering the subject of human evolution. First, the lab's learning path of transforming facts to data, information to knowledge, and knowledge to acceptance empowered students to themselves execute part of the science that underpins our understanding of deep time hominin evolution. Second, although challenging, the hands-on format of the lab was accessible to high-school students, most of whom were readily able to engage the lab's scientific process. Third, the lab's exciting and compelling pedagogy unlocked higher order thinking skills, effectively activating the cognitive, psychomotor and affected learning domains as defined in Bloom's taxonomy. Lastly, the lab afforded students a formative experience with a high degree of retention and epistemic depth. Further study is warranted to gauge the degree of these effects.

Suffering, meaning, and bioethics.

PubMed

Engelhardt, H Tristram

1996-08-01

Suffering evokes moral and metaphysical reflection, the bioethics of suffering concerns the proper ethos of living with suffering. Because empirical and philosophical explorations of suffering are imprisoned in the world of immanent experience, they cannot reach to a transcendent meaning. Even if religious and other narratives concerning the meaning of suffering have no transcendent import, they can have aesthetic and moral significance. This understanding of narratives of suffering and of their custodians has substantial ecumenical implications: chaplains can function as general custodians of narratives and sustainers of a generic religious meaning. This understanding is contrary to traditional Christianity, which discloses a transcendent significance of human suffering found in a very particular history involving particular persons: Christ as the second Adam through the submission of the second Eve has taken on our nature so that we can be united with God. Human suffering is tied to human sin, not simply as a punishment for sin, much less as an opportunity to discharge a supposed temporal punishment due to sin. Human suffering is the result of our rebellious free choices. It provides an opportunity for humility and submission, so that, united to the cross of Christ, sin can be forgiven and suffering set aside in the Resurrection. Knowledge of this framing context for all human suffering is accessible not through rational argument. It is a knowledge garnered through repentance, purification of the heart, illumination by God's grace, and unification with God. Christian bioethics is embedded in the narrative of suffering, which is part of the history of salvation and which encompasses and places all of medicine in its terms.

Do performance and image enhancing drug users in regional Queensland experience difficulty accessing health services?

PubMed

Dunn, Matthew; Henshaw, Richard; McKay, Fiona H

2016-07-01

To understand health service access and needs of people who use performance and image enhancing drugs (PIED) in regional Queensland. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 21 people (n = 19 men) who reported the use of a range of PIEDs, including anabolic-androgenic steroids, human chorionic gonadotropin, growth hormone, clenbuterol, tamoxifen, insulin and peptides. Participants reported accessing a range of services, including needle and syringe programs and pharmacies, for sterile injecting equipment. While PIEDs users attributed some stigma to needle and syringe programs, they were seen as an important service for injecting equipment. Participants reported receiving either positive care from health-care providers, such as general practitioners (GP), or having negative experiences due to the stigma attached with PIED use. Few participants reported disclosing their PIED use to their GP not only because of the concerns that their GP would no longer see them but also because they felt their GP was not knowledgeable about these substances. Participants in the study reported no difficulty in accessing health services based on living in a regional area, with their concern focused more upon how they were viewed and treated by service staff. [Dunn M, Henshaw R, Mckay F. H. Do performance and image enhancing drug users in regional Queensland experience difficulty accessing health services? Drug Alcohol Rev 2016;35:377-382]. © 2015 Australasian Professional Society on Alcohol and other Drugs.

Knowledge Management: Usefulness of Knowledge to Organizational Managers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Klein, Roy L.

2010-01-01

The purpose of this study was to determine the level of knowledge-usefulness to organizational managers. The determination of the level of usefulness provided organizational managers with a reliable measure of their decision-making. Organizational workers' perceptions of knowledge accessibility, quality of knowledge content, timeliness, and user…

Maxwell's demons everywhere: evolving design as the arrow of time.

PubMed

Bejan, Adrian

2014-02-10

Science holds that the arrow of time in nature is imprinted on one-way (irreversible) phenomena, and is accounted for by the second law of thermodynamics. Here I show that the arrow of time is painted much more visibly on another self-standing phenomenon: the occurrence and change (evolution in time) of flow organization throughout nature, animate and inanimate. This other time arrow has been present in science but not recognized as such since the birth of thermodynamics. It is Maxwell's demon. Translated in macroscopic terms, this is the physics of the phenomenon of design, which is the universal natural tendency of flow systems to evolve into configurations that provide progressively greater access over time, and is summarized as the constructal law of design and evolution in nature. Knowledge is the ability to effect design changes that facilitate human flows on the landscape. Knowledge too flows.

Voice-enabled Knowledge Engine using Flood Ontology and Natural Language Processing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sermet, M. Y.; Demir, I.; Krajewski, W. F.

2015-12-01

The Iowa Flood Information System (IFIS) is a web-based platform developed by the Iowa Flood Center (IFC) to provide access to flood inundation maps, real-time flood conditions, flood forecasts, flood-related data, information and interactive visualizations for communities in Iowa. The IFIS is designed for use by general public, often people with no domain knowledge and limited general science background. To improve effective communication with such audience, we have introduced a voice-enabled knowledge engine on flood related issues in IFIS. Instead of navigating within many features and interfaces of the information system and web-based sources, the system provides dynamic computations based on a collection of built-in data, analysis, and methods. The IFIS Knowledge Engine connects to real-time stream gauges, in-house data sources, analysis and visualization tools to answer natural language questions. Our goal is the systematization of data and modeling results on flood related issues in Iowa, and to provide an interface for definitive answers to factual queries. The goal of the knowledge engine is to make all flood related knowledge in Iowa easily accessible to everyone, and support voice-enabled natural language input. We aim to integrate and curate all flood related data, implement analytical and visualization tools, and make it possible to compute answers from questions. The IFIS explicitly implements analytical methods and models, as algorithms, and curates all flood related data and resources so that all these resources are computable. The IFIS Knowledge Engine computes the answer by deriving it from its computational knowledge base. The knowledge engine processes the statement, access data warehouse, run complex database queries on the server-side and return outputs in various formats. This presentation provides an overview of IFIS Knowledge Engine, its unique information interface and functionality as an educational tool, and discusses the future plans for providing knowledge on flood related issues and resources. IFIS Knowledge Engine provides an alternative access method to these comprehensive set of tools and data resources available in IFIS. Current implementation of the system accepts free-form input and voice recognition capabilities within browser and mobile applications.

Comparison of quality of internet pages on human papillomavirus immunization in Italian and in English.

PubMed

Tozzi, Alberto Eugenio; Buonuomo, Paola Sabrina; Ciofi degli Atti, Marta Luisa; Carloni, Emanuela; Meloni, Marco; Gamba, Fiorenza

2010-01-01

Information available on the Internet about immunizations may influence parents' perception about human papillomavirus (HPV) immunization and their attitude toward vaccinating their daughters. We hypothesized that the quality of information on HPV available on the Internet may vary with language and with the level of knowledge of parents. To this end we compared the quality of a sample of Web pages in Italian with a sample of Web pages in English. Five reviewers assessed the quality of Web pages retrieved with popular search engines using criteria adapted from the Good Information Practice Essential Criteria for Vaccine Safety Web Sites recommended by the World Health Organization. Quality of Web pages was assessed in the domains of accessibility, credibility, content, and design. Scores in these domains were compared through nonparametric statistical tests. We retrieved and reviewed 74 Web sites in Italian and 117 in English. Most retrieved Web pages (33.5%) were from private agencies. Median scores were higher in Web pages in English compared with those in Italian in the domain of accessibility (p < .01), credibility (p < .01), and content (p < .01). The highest credibility and content scores were those of Web pages from governmental agencies or universities. Accessibility scores were positively associated with content scores (p < .01) and with credibility scores (p < .01). A total of 16.2% of Web pages in Italian opposed HPV immunization compared with 6.0% of those in English (p < .05). Quality of information and number of Web pages opposing HPV immunization may vary with the Web site language. High-quality Web pages on HPV, especially from public health agencies and universities, should be easily accessible and retrievable with common Web search engines. Copyright 2010 Society for Adolescent Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Venous Access Devices: Clinical Rounds

PubMed Central

Matey, Laurl; Camp-Sorrell, Dawn

2016-01-01

Nursing management of venous access devices (VADs) requires knowledge of current evidence, as well as knowledge of when evidence is limited. Do you know which practices we do based on evidence and those that we do based on institutional history or preference? This article will present complex VAD infection and occlusion complications and some of the controversies associated with them. Important strategies for identifying these complications, troubleshooting, and evaluating the evidence related to lack of blood return, malposition, infection, access and maintenance protocols, and scope of practice issues are presented. PMID:28083553

Ethics, Collaboration, and Presentation Methods for Local and Traditional Knowledge for Understanding Arctic Change

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Parsons, M. A.; Gearheard, S.; McNeave, C.

2009-12-01

Local and traditional knowledge (LTK) provides rich information about the Arctic environment at spatial and temporal scales that scientific knowledge often does not have access to (e.g. localized observations of fine-scale ecological change potentially from many different communities, or local sea ice and conditions prior to 1950s ice charts and 1970s satellite records). Community-based observations and monitoring are an opportunity for Arctic residents to provide ‘frontline’ observations and measurements that are an early warning system for Arctic change. The Exchange for Local Observations and Knowledge of the Arctic (ELOKA) was established in response to the growing number of community-based and community-oriented research and observation projects in the Arctic. ELOKA provides data management and user support to facilitate the collection, preservation, exchange, and use of local observations and knowledge. Managing these data presents unique ethical challenges in terms of appropriate use of rare human knowledge and ensuring that knowledge is not lost from the local communities and not exploited in ways antithetical to community culture and desires. Local Arctic residents must be engaged as true collaborative partners while respecting their perspectives, which may vary substantially from a western science perspective. At the same time, we seek to derive scientific meaning from the local knowledge that can be used in conjunction with quantitative science data. This creates new challenges in terms of data presentation, knowledge representations, and basic issues of metadata. This presentation reviews these challenges, some initial approaches to addressing them, and overall lessons learned and future directions.

Capacity Building and Financing Oral Health in the African and Middle East Region.

PubMed

Mumghamba, E G; Joury, E; Fatusi, O; Ober-Oluoch, J; Onigbanjo, R J; Honkala, S

2015-07-01

Many low- and middle-income countries do not yet have policies to implement effective oral health programs. A reason is lack of human and financial resources. Gaps between resource needs and available health funding are widening. By building capacity, countries aim to improve oral health through actions by oral health care personnel and oral health care organizations and their communities. Capacity building involves achieving measurable and sustainable results in training, research, and provision of care. Actions include advancement of knowledge, attitudes and skills, expansion of support, and development of cohesiveness and partnerships. The aim of this critical review is to review existing knowledge and identify gaps and variations between and within different income levels in relation to the capacity building and financing oral health in the African and Middle East region (AMER). A second aim is to formulate research priorities and outline a research agenda for capacity building and financing to improve oral health and reduce oral health inequalities in the AMER. The article focuses on capacity building for oral health and oral health financing in the AMER of the IADR. In many communities in the AMER, there are clear and widening gaps between the dental needs and the existing capacity to meet these needs in terms of financial and human resources. Concerted efforts are required to improve access to oral health care through appropriate financing mechanisms, innovative health insurance schemes, and donor support and move toward universal oral health care coverage to reduce social inequality in the region. It is necessary to build capacity and incentivize the workforce to render evidence-based services as well as accessing funds to conduct research on equity and social determinants of oral health while promoting community engagement and a multidisciplinary approach. © International & American Associations for Dental Research 2015.

Knowledge about tuberculosis transmission among ever-married women in Bangladesh.

PubMed

Khandoker, A; Khan, M M H; Krämer, A; Mori, M

2011-03-01

To identify the level of knowledge about TB transmission among ever-married women aged 15-49 years (n = 10 996) in Bangladesh, one of the highest tuberculosis (TB) burden countries. We analysed data from the Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey conducted in 2007. Covariate factors included age, district, urban/rural residence, marital status, education, husband's education and access to the media (television, radio, newspaper/magazine). Bivariate and multinomial logistic regression analyses were performed to find the correlates of correct knowledge of TB transmission. Knowledge about TB transmission was correctly reported by approximately 7.0% of women, and was significantly associated with education, district and access to media using multinomial logistic regression. The likelihood of correct knowledge was 3.5 times (OR 3.5, 95%CI 2.5-4.9) higher among women with ≥11 years of education than among women with no/primary education. A significantly higher OR for correct knowledge of TB transmission (OR 1.5, 95%CI 1.2-1.9) was found among women who watched television almost every day compared to women who watched less than once a week. Correct knowledge about TB transmission was very low among married women in Bangladesh. Factors such as education and access to media, especially television, could play an important role in improving knowledge about TB transmission among women in Bangladesh.

Stimulating collaboration between human and veterinary health care professionals.

PubMed

Eussen, Björn G M; Schaveling, Jaap; Dragt, Maria J; Blomme, Robert Jan

2017-06-13

Despite the need to control outbreaks of (emerging) zoonotic diseases and the need for added value in comparative/translational medicine, jointly addressed in the One Health approach [One health Initiative (n.d.a). About the One Health Initiative. http://www.onehealthinitiative.com/about.php . Accessed 13 September 2016], collaboration between human and veterinary health care professionals is limited. This study focuses on the social dilemma experienced by health care professionals and ways in which an interdisciplinary approach could be developed. Based on Gaertner and Dovidio's Common Ingroup Identity Model, a number of questionnaires were designed and tested; with PROGRESS, the relation between collaboration and common goal was assessed, mediated by decategorization, recategorization, mutual differentiation and knowledge sharing. This study confirms the Common Ingroup Identity Model stating that common goals stimulate collaboration. Decategorization and mutual differentiation proved to be significant in this relationship; recategorization and knowledge sharing mediate this relation. It can be concluded that the Common Ingroup Identity Model theory helps us to understand how health care professionals perceive the One Health initiative and how they can intervene in this process. In the One Health approach, professional associations could adopt a facilitating role.

Collaboratively charting the gene-to-phenotype network of human congenital heart defects

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background How to efficiently integrate the daily practice of molecular biologists, geneticists, and clinicians with the emerging computational strategies from systems biology is still much of an open question. Description We built on the recent advances in Wiki-based technologies to develop a collaborative knowledge base and gene prioritization portal aimed at mapping genes and genomic regions, and untangling their relations with corresponding human phenotypes, congenital heart defects (CHDs). This portal is not only an evolving community repository of current knowledge on the genetic basis of CHDs, but also a collaborative environment for the study of candidate genes potentially implicated in CHDs - in particular by integrating recent strategies for the statistical prioritization of candidate genes. It thus serves and connects the broad community that is facing CHDs, ranging from the pediatric cardiologist and clinical geneticist to the basic investigator of cardiogenesis. Conclusions This study describes the first specialized portal to collaboratively annotate and analyze gene-phenotype networks. Of broad interest to the biological community, we argue that such portals will play a significant role in systems biology studies of numerous complex biological processes. CHDWiki is accessible at http://www.esat.kuleuven.be/~bioiuser/chdwiki PMID:20193066

Toward critical spatial thinking in the social sciences and humanities.

PubMed

Goodchild, Michael F; Janelle, Donald G

2010-02-01

The integration of geographically referenced information into the conceptual frameworks and applied uses of the social sciences and humanities has been an ongoing process over the past few centuries. It has gained momentum in recent decades with advances in technologies for computation and visualization and with the arrival of new data sources. This article begins with an overview of this transition, and argues that the spatial integration of information resources and the cross-disciplinary sharing of analysis and representation methodologies are important forces for the integration of scientific and artistic expression, and that they draw on core concepts in spatial (and spatio-temporal) thinking. We do not suggest that this is akin to prior concepts of unified knowledge systems, but we do maintain that the boundaries to knowledge transfer are disintegrating and that our abilities in problem solving for purposes of artistic expression and scientific development are enhanced through spatial perspectives. Moreover, approaches to education at all levels must recognize the need to impart proficiency in the critical and efficient application of these fundamental spatial concepts, if students and researchers are to make use of expanding access to a broadening range of spatialized information and data processing technologies.

It's the Quality Not the Quantity of Ties That Matters: Social Networks and Self-Efficacy Beliefs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Siciliano, Michael D.

2016-01-01

This study explores the role of knowledge access and peer influence as mechanisms by which networks may shape teacher self-efficacy. The basic premise is twofold: (a) that peer interaction provides opportunities to access teaching relevant knowledge and thus may reduce uncertainty and (b) that self-efficacy beliefs may be shaped by the efficacy…

Assessing the Unseen: Using Music and Literature to Access and Develop First Graders' Knowledge of Sound Waves

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McCourt, Susan; Kelley, Sybil S.

2016-01-01

Most young children love a good song and dance, an enticing story, and gorgeous illustrations. How could this staple of the early childhood classroom--music and literature--access children's ideas about physical science? How can young children communicate their knowledge of unseen science concepts that are not easily represented in pictures? These…

Origins and early development of human body knowledge.

PubMed

Slaughter, Virginia; Heron, Michelle

2004-01-01

As a knowable object, the human body is highly complex. Evidence from several converging lines of research, including psychological studies, neuroimaging and clinical neuropsychology, indicates that human body knowledge is widely distributed in the adult brain, and is instantiated in at least three partially independent levels of representation. Sensorimotor body knowledge is responsible for on-line control and movement of one's own body and may also contribute to the perception of others' moving bodies; visuo-spatial body knowledge specifies detailed structural descriptions of the spatial attributes of the human body; and lexical-semantic body knowledge contains language-based knowledge about the human body. In the first chapter of this Monograph, we outline the evidence for these three hypothesized levels of human body knowledge, then review relevant literature on infants' and young children's human body knowledge in terms of the three-level framework. In Chapters II and III, we report two complimentary series of studies that specifically investigate the emergence of visuo-spatial body knowledge in infancy. Our technique is to compare infants'responses to typical and scrambled human bodies, in order to evaluate when and how infants acquire knowledge about the canonical spatial layout of the human body. Data from a series of visual habituation studies indicate that infants first discriminate scrambled from typical human body picture sat 15 to 18 months of age. Data from object examination studies similarly indicate that infants are sensitive to violations of three-dimensional human body stimuli starting at 15-18 months of age. The overall pattern of data supports several conclusions about the early development of human body knowledge: (a) detailed visuo-spatial knowledge about the human body is first evident in the second year of life, (b) visuo-spatial knowledge of human faces and human bodies are at least partially independent in infancy and (c) infants' initial visuo-spatial human body representations appear to be highly schematic, becoming more detailed and specific with development. In the final chapter, we explore these conclusions and discuss how levels of body knowledge may interact in early development.

Scotland's Knowledge Network: translating knowledge into action to improve quality of care.

PubMed

Wales, A; Graham, S; Rooney, K; Crawford, A

2012-11-01

The Knowledge Network (www.knowledge.scot.nhs.uk) is Scotland's online knowledge service for health and social care. It is designed to support practitioners to apply knowledge in frontline delivery of care, helping to translate knowledge into better health-care outcomes through safe, effective, person-centred care. The Knowledge Network helps to combine the worlds of evidence-based practice and quality improvement by providing access to knowledge about the effectiveness of clinical interventions ('know-what') and knowledge about how to implement this knowledge to support individual patients in working health-care environments ('know-how'). An 'evidence and guidance' search enables clinicians to quickly access quality-assured evidence and best practice, while point of care and mobile solutions provide knowledge in actionable formats to embed in clinical workflow. This research-based knowledge is complemented by social networking services and improvement tools which support the capture and exchange of knowledge from experience, facilitating practice change and systems improvement. In these cases, the Knowledge Network supports key components of the knowledge-to-action cycle--acquiring, creating, sharing and disseminating knowledge to improve performance and innovate. It provides a vehicle for implementing the recommendations of the national Knowledge into Action review, which outlines a new national approach to embedding knowledge in frontline practice and systems improvement.

Computation of direct and inverse mutations with the SEGM web server (Stochastic Evolution of Genetic Motifs): an application to splice sites of human genome introns.

PubMed

Benard, Emmanuel; Michel, Christian J

2009-08-01

We present here the SEGM web server (Stochastic Evolution of Genetic Motifs) in order to study the evolution of genetic motifs both in the direct evolutionary sense (past-present) and in the inverse evolutionary sense (present-past). The genetic motifs studied can be nucleotides, dinucleotides and trinucleotides. As an example of an application of SEGM and to understand its functionalities, we give an analysis of inverse mutations of splice sites of human genome introns. SEGM is freely accessible at http://lsiit-bioinfo.u-strasbg.fr:8080/webMathematica/SEGM/SEGM.html directly or by the web site http://dpt-info.u-strasbg.fr/~michel/. To our knowledge, this SEGM web server is to date the only computational biology software in this evolutionary approach.

Access to finance from different finance provider types: Farmer knowledge of the requirements.

PubMed

Wulandari, Eliana; Meuwissen, Miranda P M; Karmana, Maman H; Oude Lansink, Alfons G J M

2017-01-01

Analysing farmer knowledge of the requirements of finance providers can provide valuable insights to policy makers about ways to improve farmers' access to finance. This study compares farmer knowledge of the requirements to obtain finance with the actual requirements set by different finance provider types, and investigates the relation between demographic and socioeconomic factors and farmer knowledge of finance requirements. We use a structured questionnaire to collect data from a sample of finance providers and farmers in Java Island, Indonesia. We find that the most important requirements to acquire finance vary among different finance provider types. We also find that farmers generally have little knowledge of the requirements, which are important to each type of finance provider. Awareness campaigns are needed to increase farmer knowledge of the diversity of requirements among the finance provider types.

Access to finance from different finance provider types: Farmer knowledge of the requirements

PubMed Central

Meuwissen, Miranda P. M.; Karmana, Maman H.; Oude Lansink, Alfons G. J. M.

2017-01-01

Analysing farmer knowledge of the requirements of finance providers can provide valuable insights to policy makers about ways to improve farmers’ access to finance. This study compares farmer knowledge of the requirements to obtain finance with the actual requirements set by different finance provider types, and investigates the relation between demographic and socioeconomic factors and farmer knowledge of finance requirements. We use a structured questionnaire to collect data from a sample of finance providers and farmers in Java Island, Indonesia. We find that the most important requirements to acquire finance vary among different finance provider types. We also find that farmers generally have little knowledge of the requirements, which are important to each type of finance provider. Awareness campaigns are needed to increase farmer knowledge of the diversity of requirements among the finance provider types. PMID:28877174

The Influence of Fisher Knowledge on the Susceptibility of Reef Fish Aggregations to Fishing

PubMed Central

Robinson, Jan; Cinner, Joshua E.; Graham, Nicholas A. J.

2014-01-01

Reef fishes that exhibit predictable aggregating behaviour are often considered vulnerable to overexploitation. However, fisher knowledge of this behaviour is often heterogeneous and, coupled with socioeconomic factors that constrain demand for or access to aggregated fish, will influence susceptibility to fishing. At two case study locations in Papua New Guinea, Ahus and Karkar islands, we conducted interview-based surveys to examine how local context influenced heterogeneity in knowledge of fish aggregations. We then explored the role of fisher knowledge in conferring susceptibility to fishing relative to socioeconomic drivers of fishing effort. Local heterogeneity in knowledge of aggregating behaviour differed between our case studies. At Ahus, variable access rights among fishers and genders to the main habitats were sources of heterogeneity in knowledge. By contrast, knowledge was more homogenous at Karkar and the sole source of variation was gear type. Differences between locations in the susceptibility of aggregations to fishing depended primarily on socioeconomic drivers of fishing effort rather than catchability. While Ahus fishers were knowledgeable of fish aggregations and used more selective gears, Karkar fishers were less constrained by tenure in their access to aggregation habitat. However, fishing effort was greater at Ahus and likely related to high dependency on fishing, greater access to provincial capital markets than Karkar and a weakening of customary management. Moreover, highly efficient fishing techniques have emerged at Ahus to exploit the non-reproductive aggregating behaviour of target species. Understanding how knowledge is structured within fishing communities and its relation to socioeconomic drivers of fishing effort is important if customary practices for conservation, such as tambu areas, are to be supported. The findings of this study call for a holistic approach to assessing the risks posed to reef fish aggregations by fishing, grounded in the principals of fisheries science and emerging social-ecological thinking. PMID:24646910

The influence of fisher knowledge on the susceptibility of reef fish aggregations to fishing.

PubMed

Robinson, Jan; Cinner, Joshua E; Graham, Nicholas A J

2014-01-01

Reef fishes that exhibit predictable aggregating behaviour are often considered vulnerable to overexploitation. However, fisher knowledge of this behaviour is often heterogeneous and, coupled with socioeconomic factors that constrain demand for or access to aggregated fish, will influence susceptibility to fishing. At two case study locations in Papua New Guinea, Ahus and Karkar islands, we conducted interview-based surveys to examine how local context influenced heterogeneity in knowledge of fish aggregations. We then explored the role of fisher knowledge in conferring susceptibility to fishing relative to socioeconomic drivers of fishing effort. Local heterogeneity in knowledge of aggregating behaviour differed between our case studies. At Ahus, variable access rights among fishers and genders to the main habitats were sources of heterogeneity in knowledge. By contrast, knowledge was more homogenous at Karkar and the sole source of variation was gear type. Differences between locations in the susceptibility of aggregations to fishing depended primarily on socioeconomic drivers of fishing effort rather than catchability. While Ahus fishers were knowledgeable of fish aggregations and used more selective gears, Karkar fishers were less constrained by tenure in their access to aggregation habitat. However, fishing effort was greater at Ahus and likely related to high dependency on fishing, greater access to provincial capital markets than Karkar and a weakening of customary management. Moreover, highly efficient fishing techniques have emerged at Ahus to exploit the non-reproductive aggregating behaviour of target species. Understanding how knowledge is structured within fishing communities and its relation to socioeconomic drivers of fishing effort is important if customary practices for conservation, such as tambu areas, are to be supported. The findings of this study call for a holistic approach to assessing the risks posed to reef fish aggregations by fishing, grounded in the principals of fisheries science and emerging social-ecological thinking.

Early Intervention With Transplantation Recipients to Improve Access to and Knowledge of Palliative Care.

PubMed

Harden, Karen L

2016-08-01

The literature continues to support that patients undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) receive early consultation with palliative care specialists. Nurses can be leaders in this initiative. This quality improvement project was conducted to determine whether patients undergoing HSCT, who were provided an early consultation with palliative care, would report increased knowledge and increased ability to access palliative services. Patients completed a postintervention questionnaire in which the majority of patients reported that they had increased knowledge about palliative care and learned how to access their services. Patient comments were positive about the successful intervention of early palliative care. The palliative care team, however, revealed a different view of the situation, showing that patients were often overwhelmed, anxious, and sometimes did not remember the content of their meetings.

Considerations on private human access to space from an institutional point of view

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hufenbach, Bernhard

2013-12-01

Private human access to space as discussed in this article addresses two market segments: suborbital flight and crew flights to Low Earth Orbit. The role of entrepreneurs, the technical complexity, the customers, the market conditions as well as the time to market in these two segments differ significantly. Space agencies take currently a very different approach towards private human access to space in both segments. Analysing the outcome of broader inter-agency deliberations on the future of human spaceflight and exploration, performed e.g. in the framework of the International Space Exploration Coordination Group, enables to derive some common general views on this topic. Various documents developed by inter-agency working groups recognise the general strategic importance for enabling private human access to space for ensuring a sustainable future of human spaceflight, although the specific definition of private human access and approaches vary. ESA has performed some reflections on this subject throughout the last 5 years. While it gained through these reflections a good understanding on the opportunities and implications resulting from the development of capabilities and markets for Private Human Access, limited concrete activities have been initiated in relation to this topic as of today.

Outcomes-focused knowledge translation: a framework for knowledge translation and patient outcomes improvement.

PubMed

Doran, Diane M; Sidani, Souraya

2007-01-01

Regularly accessing information that is current and reliable continues to be a challenge for front-line staff nurses. Reconceptualizing how nurses access information and designing appropriate decision support systems to facilitate timely access to information may be important for increasing research utilization. An outcomes-focused knowledge translation framework was developed to guide the continuous improvement of patient care through the uptake of research evidence and feedback data about patient outcomes. The framework operationalizes the three elements of the PARIHS framework at the point of care. Outcomes-focused knowledge translation involves four components: (a) patient outcomes measurement and real-time feedback about outcomes achievement; (b) best-practice guidelines, embedded in decision support tools that deliver key messages in response to patient assessment data; (c) clarification of patients' preferences for care; and (d) facilitation by advanced practice nurses and practice leaders. In this paper the framework is described and evidence is provided to support theorized relationships among the concepts in the framework. The framework guided the design of a knowledge translation intervention aimed at continuous improvement of patient care and evidence-based practice, which are fostered through real-time feedback data about patient outcomes, electronic access to evidence-based resources at the point of care, and facilitation by advanced practice nurses. The propositions in the framework need to be empirically tested through future research.

Multiple Intimate Partner Violence Experiences: Knowledge, Access, Utilization and Barriers to Utilization of Resources by Women of the African Diaspora

PubMed Central

Sabri, Bushra; Huerta, Julia; Alexander, Kamila A.; St.Vil, Noelle M.; Campbell, Jacquelyn C.; Callwood, Gloria B.

2016-01-01

Objective This study examined knowledge, access, utilization, and barriers to use of resources among Black women exposed to multiple types of intimate partner violence in Baltimore, Maryland and the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI). Methods We analyzed quantitative survey data collected by 163 women recruited from primary care, prenatal or family planning clinics in Baltimore and the USVI. In addition we analyzed qualitative data from in-depth interviews with 11 women. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and qualitative data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Results A substantial proportion of Black women with multiple types of violence experiences lacked knowledge of, did not have access to, and did not use resources. Barriers to resource use were identified at the individual, relationship, and community levels. Conclusion There is need for programs to develop awareness, promote access and utilization of resources, and eliminate barriers to resource use among abused Black women. PMID:26548679

WDS Knowledge Network Architecture in Support of International Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mokrane, M.; Minster, J. B. H.; Hugo, W.

2014-12-01

ICSU (International Council for Science) created the World Data System (WDS) as an interdisciplinary body at its General Assembly in Maputo in 2008, and since then the membership of the WDS has grown to include 86 members, of whom 56 are institutions or data centers focused on providing quality-assured data and services to the scientific community, and 10 more are entire networks of such data facilities and services. In addition to its objective of providing universal and equitable access to scientific data and services, WDS is also active in promoting stewardship, standards and conventions, and improved access to products derived from data and services. Whereas WDS is in process of aggregating and harmonizing the metadata collections of its membership, it is clear that additional benefits can be obtained by supplementing such traditional metadata sources with information about members, authors, and the coverages of the data, as well as metrics such as citation indices, quality indicators, and usability. Moreover, the relationships between the actors and systems that populate this metadata landscape can be seen as a knowledge network that describes a subset of global scientific endeavor. Such a knowledge network is useful in many ways, supporting both machine-based and human requests for contextual information related to a specific data set, institution, author, topic, or other entities in the network. Specific use cases that can be realized include decision and policy support for funding agencies, identification of collaborators, ranking of data sources, availability of data for specific coverages, and many more. The paper defines the scope of and conceptual background to such a knowledge network, discusses some initial work done by WDS to establish the network, and proposes an implementation model for rapid operationalization. In this model, established interests such as DataCite, ORCID, and CrossRef have well-defined roles, and the standards, services, and registries required to build a community-maintained, scalable knowledge network is presented. We conclude with a short discussion on feasibility and sustainability of global data infrastructure, the role of the WDS Knowledge Network in this infrastructure, and the necessary conditions for success.

Knowledge Network Architecture in Support of International Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hugo, Wim

2015-04-01

ICSU (The International Council for Science) created the World Data System (WDS) as an interdisciplinary body at its General Assembly in Maputo in 2008, and since then the membership of the WDS has grown to include 86 members, of whom 56 are institutions or data centres focused on providing quality-assured data and services to the scientific community. In addition to its objective of providing universal and equitable access to such data and services, WDS is also active in promoting stewardship, standards and conventions, and improved access to products derived from data and services. Whereas WDS is in process of aggregating and harmonizing the meta-data collections of its membership, it is clear that additional benefits can be obtained by supplementing such traditional meta-data sources with information about members, authors, and the coverages of the data, as well as metrics such as citation indices, quality indicators, and usability. Moreover, the relationships between the actors and systems that populate this meta-data landscape can be seen as a knowledge network that describes a sub-set of global scientific endeavor. Such a knowledge network is useful in many ways, supporting both machine-based and human requests for contextual information related to a specific data set, institution, author, topic, or other entities in the network. Specific use cases that can be realised include decision and policy support for funding agencies, identification of collaborators, ranking of data sources, availability of data for specific coverages, and many more. The paper defines the scope of and conceptual background to such a knowledge network, discusses some initial work done by WDS to establish the network, and proposes an implementation model for rapid operationalisation. In this model, established interests such as DataCITE, ORCID, and CrossRef have well-defined roles, and the standards, services, and registries required to build a community-maintained, scalable knowledge network is presented. We conclude with a short discussion on feasibility and sustainability of global data infrastructure, the role of the WDS Knowledge Network in this infrastructure, and the necessary conditions for success.

Feasibility of Human Skin Grafts on an Isolated But Accessible Vascular Supply on Athymic Rats as a System to Study Percutaneous Penetration and Cutaneous Injury.

DTIC Science & Technology

1986-04-01

Ai87 466 FEASIBILITY OF HUMAN SKIN GRAFTS ON AN ISOLATED BUT / ACCESSIBLE VASCULAR 5 (U) UTAH UNIV SALT LAKE CITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE 6 G KRUEGER APR...GOVT ACCESSION NO . RrCIPIcNTrS CATALOG NUMIER Feasibility of Human Skin Grafts on an Isolated 9 but Accessible Vascular Supply on Athymic Rats as...of the Skin Sandwich Flap....... . . . . . . . 35 Figure 15. Photograph of Hair Growth in a Human Split-Thickness Skin Graft on a Nude Rat

Memory consolidation in humans: new evidence and opportunities

PubMed Central

Maguire, Eleanor A

2014-01-01

We are endlessly fascinated by memory; we desire to improve it and fear its loss. While it has long been recognized that brain regions such as the hippocampus are vital for supporting memories of our past experiences (autobiographical memories), we still lack fundamental knowledge about the mechanisms involved. This is because the study of specific neural signatures of autobiographical memories in vivo in humans presents a significant challenge. However, recent developments in high-resolution structural and functional magnetic resonance imaging coupled with advanced analytical methods now permit access to the neural substrates of memory representations that has hitherto been precluded in humans. Here, I describe how the application of ‘decoding’ techniques to brain-imaging data is beginning to disclose how individual autobiographical memory representations evolve over time, deepening our understanding of systems-level consolidation. In particular, this prompts new questions about the roles of the hippocampus and ventromedial prefrontal cortex and offers new opportunities to interrogate the elusive memory trace that has for so long confounded neuroscientists. PMID:24414174

Co-op students' access to shared knowledge in science-rich workplaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Munby, Hugh; Taylor, Jennifer; Chin, Peter; Hutchinson, Nancy L.

2007-01-01

Wenger's (1998) concepts community of practice, brokering, and transfer explain the challenges co-operative (co-op) education students face in relating the knowledge learned in school with what they learn while participating as members of a workplace. The research for this paper is set within the contexts of the knowledge economy and increased collaboration in the workplace. The paper draws on several qualitative studies of work-based education to examine the similarities and differences between learning in the workplace and learning in school, with a focus on science education and science-rich workplaces. Barriers to connecting school knowledge and workplace knowledge include the nature of science (its purpose, accountability, and substance), the structure of knowledge in each setting, the form content knowledge takes, the sequence that the curriculum is presented in, and the gatekeeping that occurs when knowledge is accessed. The paper addresses implications for interventions in school and the workplace, with attention to the transition from school to work, and concludes by pointing to profound obstacles to connecting school knowledge with workplace knowledge.

The impact of cervical cancer education for deaf women using a video educational tool employing American sign language, open captioning, and graphics.

PubMed

Choe, Sun; Lim, Rod Seung-Hwan; Clark, Karen; Wang, Regina; Branz, Patricia; Sadler, Georgia Robins

2009-01-01

Deaf women encounter barriers to accessing cancer information. In this study, we evaluated whether deaf women's knowledge could be increased by viewing a graphically enriched, American Sign Language (ASL) cervical cancer education video. A blind, randomized trial evaluated knowledge gain and retention. Deaf women (n = 130) completed questionnaires before, after, and 2 months after viewing the video. With only a single viewing of the in-depth video, the experimental group gained and retained significantly more cancer knowledge than the control group. Giving deaf women access to the ASL cervical cancer education video (http://cancer.ucsd.edu/deafinfo) significantly increased their knowledge of cervical cancer.

Vascular access complications in patients undergoing percutaneous procedures in hemodynamics: a scoping review.

PubMed

Reich, Rejane; Rabelo-Silva, Eneida Rejane; Santos, Simone Marques Dos; Almeida, Miriam de Abreu

2018-06-07

To map the production of knowledge on vascular access complications in patients undergoing percutaneous procedures in hemodynamic laboratories. Scoping review study. The search strategy was developed in three stages, considering the period from July 2005 to July 2015 in the PubMed, CINAHL, Scopus, and LILACS databases. The collected data were analyzed and summarized in a narrative form. One-hundred twenty-eight publications that made it possible to map the contexts of study of complications, occurrence according to access routes, as well as an understanding of diagnosis and clinical management, were included. Three theme categories were identified: complications; predictive factors; and diagnosis/treatment. Vascular access site complications range according to the access route used. Knowledge of factors that permeate the occurrence of these events may contribute to early detection, planning, and monitoring of the care implemented.

Fishery-independent data reveal negative effect of human population density on Caribbean predatory fish communities.

PubMed

Stallings, Christopher D

2009-01-01

Understanding the current status of predatory fish communities, and the effects fishing has on them, is vitally important information for management. However, data are often insufficient at region-wide scales to assess the effects of extraction in coral reef ecosystems of developing nations. Here, I overcome this difficulty by using a publicly accessible, fisheries-independent database to provide a broad scale, comprehensive analysis of human impacts on predatory reef fish communities across the greater Caribbean region. Specifically, this study analyzed presence and diversity of predatory reef fishes over a gradient of human population density. Across the region, as human population density increases, presence of large-bodied fishes declines, and fish communities become dominated by a few smaller-bodied species. Complete disappearance of several large-bodied fishes indicates ecological and local extinctions have occurred in some densely populated areas. These findings fill a fundamentally important gap in our knowledge of the ecosystem effects of artisanal fisheries in developing nations, and provide support for multiple approaches to data collection where they are commonly unavailable.

Fishery-Independent Data Reveal Negative Effect of Human Population Density on Caribbean Predatory Fish Communities

PubMed Central

Stallings, Christopher D.

2009-01-01

Background Understanding the current status of predatory fish communities, and the effects fishing has on them, is vitally important information for management. However, data are often insufficient at region-wide scales to assess the effects of extraction in coral reef ecosystems of developing nations. Methodology/Principal Findings Here, I overcome this difficulty by using a publicly accessible, fisheries-independent database to provide a broad scale, comprehensive analysis of human impacts on predatory reef fish communities across the greater Caribbean region. Specifically, this study analyzed presence and diversity of predatory reef fishes over a gradient of human population density. Across the region, as human population density increases, presence of large-bodied fishes declines, and fish communities become dominated by a few smaller-bodied species. Conclusions/Significance Complete disappearance of several large-bodied fishes indicates ecological and local extinctions have occurred in some densely populated areas. These findings fill a fundamentally important gap in our knowledge of the ecosystem effects of artisanal fisheries in developing nations, and provide support for multiple approaches to data collection where they are commonly unavailable. PMID:19421312

78 FR 27115 - Draft Guidance for Industry on Expanded Access to Investigational Drugs for Treatment Use...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-05-09

... a more transparent process by increasing awareness and knowledge of expanded access programs and the... regulations. Consistent with the goal of making expanded access processes more transparent, FDA is providing... (IRB) review and approval required for individual patient expanded access?'' In the draft guidance, FDA...

Synthetic cannabis and respiratory depression.

PubMed

Jinwala, Felecia N; Gupta, Mayank

2012-12-01

In recent years, synthetic cannabis use has been increasing in appeal among adolescents, and its use is now at a 30 year peak among high school seniors. The constituents of synthetic cannabis are difficult to monitor, given the drug's easy accessibility. Currently, 40 U.S. states have banned the distribution and use of some known synthetic cannabinoids, and have included these drugs in the Schedule I category. The depressive respiratory effect in humans caused by synthetic cannabis inhalation has not been thoroughly investigated in the medical literature. We are the first to report, to our knowledge, two cases of self-reported synthetic cannabis use leading to respiratory depression and necessary intubation.

Practical Semantic Astronomy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Graham, Matthew; Gray, N.; Burke, D.

2010-01-01

Many activities in the era of data-intensive astronomy are predicated upon some transference of domain knowledge and expertise from human to machine. The semantic infrastructure required to support this is no longer a pipe dream of computer science but a set of practical engineering challenges, more concerned with deployment and performance details than AI abstractions. The application of such ideas promises to help in such areas as contextual data access, exploiting distributed annotation and heterogeneous sources, and intelligent data dissemination and discovery. In this talk, we will review the status and use of semantic technologies in astronomy, particularly to address current problems in astroinformatics, with such projects as SKUA and AstroCollation.

Cognition, interaction and ageing: an Internet workshops exploratory study.

PubMed

Xavier, André; Sales, Márcia; Ramos, Luiz; Anção, Meide; Sigulem, Daniel

2004-01-01

Gerontology is known more and more as an interdisciplinary and functional knowledge. Geriatrics as one of its branches intends to make possible longevity with health. World population ageing occurs along with important economical and social inequalities for elder people, which are likely to be more affected by deficiencies (physical and/or cognitive) than younger groups. With the purpose of minimizing these deficiencies, Internet Workshops were accomplished, with a retired group of senior persons. This research was developed to bring together principles of Human-Computer Interaction, informatics, accessibility and gerontology in order to promote Digital Inclusion to this growing population and a methodology to virtual cognitive rehabilitation.

Unusual anatomy of a maxillary first molar with two palatal roots: a case report.

PubMed

Tomazinho, Flávia S F; Baratto-Filho, Flares; Zaitter, Suellen; Leonardi, Denise P; Gonzaga, Carla C

2010-03-01

The success of endodontic therapy is based on good endodontic access, correct cleaning and shaping, and adequate root canal obturation. However, endodontic treatment is also dependent on a sound knowledge of the internal anatomy of human teeth, especially when anatomical variations are present. Certain anatomical changes may be present to varying degrees, and it is important to report these to improve the understanding and expertise of endodontic specialists. With this aim in mind, this study reports an example of a maxillary first molar showing unusual anatomy (four roots and six root canals) and describes the endodontic treatment that was employed.

Beyond Culture and Language: Access to Diabetes Preventive Health Services among Somali Women in Norway.

PubMed

Gele, Abdi A; Torheim, Liv Elin; Pettersen, Kjell Sverre; Kumar, Bernadette

2015-01-01

Despite the high prevalence of type 2 diabetes in some immigrant and refugee communities in Norway, there is very little information available on their utilization of diabetes prevention interventions, particularly for women from Somali immigrant communities. A qualitative study of 30 Somali immigrant women aged 25 years and over was carried out in the Oslo area. Unstructured interviews were used to explore women's knowledge of diabetes, their access to preventive health facilities, and factors impeding their reception of preventive health programs targeted for the prevention of type 2 diabetes. The study participants were found to have a good knowledge of diabetes. They knew that a sedentary lifestyle and unhealthy diet are among the risk factors for diabetes. Regardless of their knowledge, participants reported a sedentary lifestyle accompanied with the consumption of an unhealthy diet. This was attributed to a lack of access to tailored physical activity services and poor access to health information. Considering gender-exclusive training facilities for Somali immigrant women and others with similar needs, in addition to access to tailored health information on diet, may encourage Somali women to adopt a healthy lifestyle, and it will definitely contribute to a national strategy for the prevention of diabetes.

Challenges in Measuring Teachers' Knowledge

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fauskanger, Janne

2015-01-01

Mathematical knowledge for teaching (MKT) measures have been widely adopted by researchers. Critics have debated the value of such measures and questioned the type of knowledge that these access. This article reports on a study where the challenges in measuring teachers' knowledge were illuminated through investigating relationships between the…

What does God know? Supernatural agents' access to socially strategic and non-strategic information.

PubMed

Purzycki, Benjamin G; Finkel, Daniel N; Shaver, John; Wales, Nathan; Cohen, Adam B; Sosis, Richard

2012-07-01

Current evolutionary and cognitive theories of religion posit that supernatural agent concepts emerge from cognitive systems such as theory of mind and social cognition. Some argue that these concepts evolved to maintain social order by minimizing antisocial behavior. If these theories are correct, then people should process information about supernatural agents' socially strategic knowledge more quickly than non-strategic knowledge. Furthermore, agents' knowledge of immoral and uncooperative social behaviors should be especially accessible to people. To examine these hypotheses, we measured response-times to questions about the knowledge attributed to four different agents--God, Santa Claus, a fictional surveillance government, and omniscient but non-interfering aliens--that vary in their omniscience, moral concern, ability to punish, and how supernatural they are. As anticipated, participants respond more quickly to questions about agents' socially strategic knowledge than non-strategic knowledge, but only when agents are able to punish. Copyright © 2012 Cognitive Science Society, Inc.

Gendered knowledge and adaptive practices: Differentiation and change in Mwanga District, Tanzania.

PubMed

Smucker, Thomas A; Wangui, Elizabeth Edna

2016-12-01

We examine the wider social knowledge domain that complements technical and environmental knowledge in enabling adaptive practices through two case studies in Tanzania. We are concerned with knowledge production that is shaped by gendered exclusion from the main thrusts of planned adaptation, in the practice of irrigation in a dryland village and the adoption of fast-maturing seed varieties in a highland village. The findings draw on data from a household survey, community workshops, and key informant interviews. The largest challenge to effective adaptation is a lack of access to the social networks and institutions that allocate resources needed for adaptation. Results demonstrate the social differentiation of local knowledge, and how it is entwined with adaptive practices that emerge in relation to gendered mechanisms of access. We conclude that community-based adaptation can learn from engaging the broader social knowledge base in evaluating priorities for coping with greater climate variability.

Validation of an instrument to assess evidence-based practice knowledge, attitudes, access, and confidence in the dental environment.

PubMed

Hendricson, William D; Rugh, John D; Hatch, John P; Stark, Debra L; Deahl, Thomas; Wallmann, Elizabeth R

2011-02-01

This article reports the validation of an assessment instrument designed to measure the outcomes of training in evidence-based practice (EBP) in the context of dentistry. Four EBP dimensions are measured by this instrument: 1) understanding of EBP concepts, 2) attitudes about EBP, 3) evidence-accessing methods, and 4) confidence in critical appraisal. The instrument-the Knowledge, Attitudes, Access, and Confidence Evaluation (KACE)-has four scales, with a total of thirty-five items: EBP knowledge (ten items), EBP attitudes (ten), accessing evidence (nine), and confidence (six). Four elements of validity were assessed: consistency of items within the KACE scales (extent to which items within a scale measure the same dimension), discrimination (capacity to detect differences between individuals with different training or experience), responsiveness (capacity to detect the effects of education on trainees), and test-retest reliability. Internal consistency of scales was assessed by analyzing responses of second-year dental students, dental residents, and dental faculty members using Cronbach coefficient alpha, a statistical measure of reliability. Discriminative validity was assessed by comparing KACE scores for the three groups. Responsiveness was assessed by comparing pre- and post-training responses for dental students and residents. To measure test-retest reliability, the full KACE was completed twice by a class of freshman dental students seventeen days apart, and the knowledge scale was completed twice by sixteen faculty members fourteen days apart. Item-to-scale consistency ranged from 0.21 to 0.78 for knowledge, 0.57 to 0.83 for attitude, 0.70 to 0.84 for accessing evidence, and 0.87 to 0.94 for confidence. For discrimination, ANOVA and post hoc testing by the Tukey-Kramer method revealed significant score differences among students, residents, and faculty members consistent with education and experience levels. For responsiveness to training, dental students and residents demonstrated statistically significant changes, in desired directions, from pre- to post-test. For the student test-retest, Pearson correlations for KACE scales were as follows: knowledge 0.66, attitudes 0.66, accessing evidence 0.74, and confidence 0.76. For the knowledge scale test-retest by faculty members, the Pearson correlation was 0.79. The construct validity of the KACE is equivalent to that of instruments that assess similar EBP dimensions in medicine. Item consistency for the knowledge scale was more variable than for other KACE scales, a finding also reported for medically oriented EBP instruments. We conclude that the KACE has good discriminative validity, responsiveness to training effects, and test-retest reliability.

Open access publishing and author-pays business models: a survey of authors' knowledge and perceptions

PubMed Central

Schroter, Sara; Tite, Leanne

2006-01-01

Objectives: We aimed to assess journal authors' current knowledge and perceptions of open access and author-pays publishing. Design: An electronic survey. Setting: Authors of research papers submitted to BMJ, Archives of Disease in Childhood, and Journal of Medical Genetics in 2004. Main outcome measures: Familiarity with and perceptions of open access and author-pays publishing. Results: 468/1113 (42%) responded. Prior to definitions being provided, 47% (222/468) and 38% (176/468) reported they were familiar with the terms `open access' and `author-pays' publishing, respectively. Some who did not at first recognize the terms, did claim to recognize them when they were defined. Only 10% (49/468) had submitted to an author-pays journal. Compared with non-open access subscription-based journals, 35% agreed that open access author-pays journals have a greater capacity to publish more content making it easier to get published, 27% thought they had lower impact factors, 31% thought they had faster and more timely publicaitons, and 46% agreed that people will think anyone can pay to get published. 55% (256/468) thought they would not continue to submit to their respective journal if it became open access and charged, largely because of the reputaiton of the journals. Half (54%, 255/468) said open access has `no impact' or was `low priority' in their submission decisions. Two-thirds (66%, 308/468) said they would prefer to submit to a non-open access subscription-based journal than an open access author-pays journal. Over half thought they would have to make a contribution or pay the full cost of an author charge (56%, 262/468). Conclusions: The survey yielded useful information about respondents' knowledge and perceptions of these publishing models. Authors have limited familiarity with the concept of open-access publishing and surrounding issues. Currently, open access policies have little impact on authors' decision of where to submit papers. PMID:16508053

Relationship between human resource ability and market access capacity on business performance. (case study of wood craft micro- and small-scale industries in Gianyar Regency, Bali)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sukartini, N. W.; Sudarmini, N. M.; Lasmini, N. K.

2018-01-01

The aims of this research are to: (1) analyze the influence of Human Resource Ability on market access capacity in Wood Craft Micro and Small Industry; (2) to analyze the effect of market access capacity on business performance; (3) analyze the influence of Human Resources ability on business performance. Data were collected using questionnaires, interviews, observations, and literature studies. The resulting data were analyzed using Struture Equation Modeling (SEM). The results of the analysis show that (1) there is a positive and significant influence of the ability of Human Resources on market access capacity in Wood Craft Micro-and Small-Scale Industries in Gianyar; (2) there is a positive and significant influence of market access capacity on business performance; and (3) there is a positive and significant influence of Human Resource ability on business performance. To improve the ability to access the market and business performance, it is recommended that human resource ability need to be improved through training; government and higher education institutions are expected to play a role in improving the ability of human resources (craftsmen) through provision of training programs

Word and World Knowledge Among Deaf Learners With and Without Cochlear Implants

PubMed Central

Convertino, Carol; Borgna, Georgianna; Marschark, Marc; Durkin, Andreana

2014-01-01

Deaf learners frequently demonstrate significantly less vocabulary knowledge than hearing age-mates. Studies involving other domains of knowledge, and perhaps deaf learners’ academic performance, indicate similar lags with regard to world knowledge. Such gaps often are attributed to limitations on deaf children’s incidental learning by virtue of not having access to the conversations of others. Cochlear implants (CIs) have been described as providing such access, and rapid growth in vocabularies following pediatric cochlear implantation has suggested that, over time, children with implants might close the gap relative to hearing peers. Two experiments evaluated this possibility through the assessment of word and world knowledge among deaf college students with and without CIs and a hearing comparison group. Results across essentially all tasks indicated hearing students to outperform deaf students both with and without CIs with no significant differences between the latter two groups. Separate analyses of a subset of implant users who received their implants at a young age did not reveal any long-term advantages, nor was age of implantation related to enhanced performance on any of the tasks. Results are discussed in terms of incidental learning and the accessibility of word and world knowledge to deaf learners with and without CIs. PMID:25145461

Emergency Contraception Pill Awareness and Knowledge in Uninsured Adolescents: High Rates of Misconceptions Concerning Indications for Use, Side Effects, and Access.

PubMed

Yen, Sophia; Parmar, Deepika D; Lin, Emily L; Ammerman, Seth

2015-10-01

To determine the awareness of, access to, and knowledge of the proper use of emergency contraception pills (ECPs) among uninsured adolescents. Anonymous surveys were used to assess awareness of, knowledge of, and access to ECPs. From 2010 to 2012 at mobile primary care clinic in the San Francisco Bay Area. Patients were uninsured adolescents aged 13 to 25; 40% of the participants were currently or had been homeless in the past year. Ethnicity was 50% Asian, 22% Hispanic, 17% Pacific Islanders, 5.5% white, and 5.5% other/mixed ethnicity. Post survey completion, patients received one-on-one 15-minute dedicated ECP education. Awareness of, knowledge of, and access to ECPs. Of the study population of 439, 30% of the participants were 13-16 years old and 70% were 17-25 years old (mean age 17.8 years); 66% were women. Young women (86%) reported higher rates of "hearing about emergency contraception" than did young men (70%) (P < .0001). Many incorrectly identified or were uncertain if ECPs were an abortion pill (40%) or could be used as regular birth control (40%) or to prevent sexually transmitted infections (19%). Only 40% of women and 43% of men aged 17 and older correctly answered that they could obtain EC over the counter; 72% did not know that males could receive EC for use by their partner; 12% incorrectly selected that infertility was a side effect; 44% were under the false impression that EC had to be taken within 1 day of unprotected sex. Uninsured adolescents have high rates of ECP awareness but low ECP knowledge. These adolescents need more ECP education to alleviate misconceptions and increase practical knowledge, specifically, education about male access, side effects, over-the-counter availability for young men and women, and the 120-hour window of use. Copyright © 2015 North American Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Sustainable knowledge development across cultural boundaries: Experiences from the EU-project SILMAS (Toolbox for conflict solving instruments in Alpine Lake Management)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fegerl, Michael; Wieden, Wilfried

2013-04-01

Increasingly people have to communicate knowledge across cultural and language boundaries. Even though recent technologies offer powerful communication facilities people often feel confronted with barriers which clearly reduce their chances of making their interaction a success. Concrete evidence concerning such problems derives from a number of projects, where generated knowledge often results in dead-end products. In the Alpine Space-project SILMAS (Sustainable Instruments for Lake Management in Alpine Space), in which both authors were involved, a special approach (syneris® ) was taken to avoid this problem and to manage project knowledge in sustainable form. Under this approach knowledge input and output are handled interactively: Relevant knowledge can be developed continuously and users can always access the latest state of expertise. Resort to the respective tools and procedures can also assist in closing knowledge gaps and in developing innovative responses to familiar or novel problems. This contribution intends to describe possible ways and means which have been found to increase the chances of success of knowledge communication across cultural boundaries. The process of trans-cultural discussions of experts to find a standardized solution is highlighted as well as the problem of dissemination of expert knowledge to variant stakeholders. Finally lessons learned are made accessible, where a main task lies in the creation of a tool box for conflict solving instruments, as a demonstrable result of the project and for the time thereafter. The interactive web-based toolbox enables lake managers to access best practice instruments in standardized, explicit and cross-linguistic form.

OER and the Value of Openness: Implications for the Knowledge Economy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bernstein, Samantha

2015-01-01

The knowledge economy is marked by recent trends in technological advancement, globalisation and increasing knowledge intensity. Through new technologies like Open Educational Resources (OER), knowledge can be freely accessed by individuals around the world, blurring traditional notions of ownership and prompting a social transformation manifested…

An operational data access infrastructure for accessing integrated environmental and socio-economic data from the Dutch Wadden Sea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

De Bruin, T.

2012-12-01

The Wadden Sea, an UNESCO World Heritage Site along the Northern coasts of The Netherlands, Germany and Denmark, is a very valuable, yet also highly vulnerable tidal flats area. Knowledge is key to the sustainable management of the Wadden Sea. This knowledge should be reliable, founded on promptly accessible information and sufficiently broad to integrate both ecological and economic analyses. The knowledge is gained from extensive monotoring of both ecological and socio-economic parameters. Even though many organisations, research institutes, government agencies and NGOs carry out monitoring, there is no central overview of monitoring activities, nor easy access to the resulting data. The 'Wadden Sea Long-Term Ecosystem Research' (WaLTER) project (2011-2015) aims to set-up an integrated monitoring plan for the main environmental and management issues relevant to the Wadden Sea, such as sea-level rise, fisheries management, recreation and industry activities. The WaLTER data access infrastructure will be a distributed system of data providers, with a centralized data access portal. It is based on and makes use of the existing data access infrastructure of the Netherlands National Oceanographic Data Committee (NL-NODC), which has been operational since early 2009. The NL-NODC system is identical to and in fact developed by the European SeaDataNet project, furthering standardisation on a pan-European scale. The presentation will focus on the use of a distributed data access infrastructure to address the needs of different user groups such as policy makers, scientists and the general public.

Repository on maternal child health: health portal to improve access to information on maternal child health in India.

PubMed

Khanna, Rajesh; Karikalan, N; Mishra, Anil Kumar; Agarwal, Anchal; Bhattacharya, Madhulekha; Das, Jayanta K

2013-01-02

Quality and essential health information is considered one of the most cost-effective interventions to improve health for a developing country. Healthcare portals have revolutionalized access to health information and knowledge using the Internet and related technologies, but their usage is far from satisfactory in India. This article describes a health portal developed in India aimed at providing one-stop access to efficiently search, organize and share maternal child health information relevant from public health perspective in the country. The portal 'Repository on Maternal Child Health' was developed using an open source content management system and standardized processes were followed for collection, selection, categorization and presentation of resource materials. Its usage is evaluated using key performance indicators obtained from Google Analytics, and quality assessed using a standardized checklist of knowledge management. The results are discussed in relation to improving quality and access to health information. The portal was launched in July 2010 and provides free access to full-text of 900 resource materials categorized under specific topics and themes. During the subsequent 18 months, 52,798 visits were registered from 174 countries across the world, and more than three-fourth visits were from India alone. Nearly 44,000 unique visitors visited the website and spent an average time of 4 minutes 26 seconds. The overall bounce rate was 27.6%. An increase in the number of unique visitors was found to be significantly associated with an increase in the average time on site (p-value 0.01), increase in the web traffic through search engines (p-value 0.00), and decrease in the bounce rate (p-value 0.03). There was a high degree of agreement between the two experts regarding quality assessment carried out under the three domains of knowledge access, knowledge creation and knowledge transfer (Kappa statistic 0.72). Efficient management of health information is imperative for informed decision making, and digital repositories have now-a-days become the preferred source of information management. The growing popularity of the portal indicates the potential of such initiatives in improving access to quality and essential health information in India. There is a need to develop similar mechanisms for other health domains and interlink them to facilitate access to a variety of health information from a single platform.

Repository on maternal child health: Health portal to improve access to information on maternal child health in India

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Quality and essential health information is considered one of the most cost-effective interventions to improve health for a developing country. Healthcare portals have revolutionalized access to health information and knowledge using the Internet and related technologies, but their usage is far from satisfactory in India. This article describes a health portal developed in India aimed at providing one-stop access to efficiently search, organize and share maternal child health information relevant from public health perspective in the country. Methods The portal ‘Repository on Maternal Child Health’ was developed using an open source content management system and standardized processes were followed for collection, selection, categorization and presentation of resource materials. Its usage is evaluated using key performance indicators obtained from Google Analytics, and quality assessed using a standardized checklist of knowledge management. The results are discussed in relation to improving quality and access to health information. Results The portal was launched in July 2010 and provides free access to full-text of 900 resource materials categorized under specific topics and themes. During the subsequent 18 months, 52,798 visits were registered from 174 countries across the world, and more than three-fourth visits were from India alone. Nearly 44,000 unique visitors visited the website and spent an average time of 4 minutes 26 seconds. The overall bounce rate was 27.6%. An increase in the number of unique visitors was found to be significantly associated with an increase in the average time on site (p-value 0.01), increase in the web traffic through search engines (p-value 0.00), and decrease in the bounce rate (p-value 0.03). There was a high degree of agreement between the two experts regarding quality assessment carried out under the three domains of knowledge access, knowledge creation and knowledge transfer (Kappa statistic 0.72). Conclusions Efficient management of health information is imperative for informed decision making, and digital repositories have now-a-days become the preferred source of information management. The growing popularity of the portal indicates the potential of such initiatives in improving access to quality and essential health information in India. There is a need to develop similar mechanisms for other health domains and interlink them to facilitate access to a variety of health information from a single platform. PMID:23281735

An exploration of the enablers and barriers in access to the Dutch healthcare system among Ghanaians in Amsterdam

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Sub-Saharan African populations are growing in many European countries. Data on the health of these populations are rare. Additionally, many sub-Saharan African migrants are confronted with issues of low socio-economic status, acculturation and language difficulties, which may hamper their access to health care. Despite the identification of some of those barriers, little is known about the enabling factors. Knowledge about the enablers and barriers in access to healthcare experienced is important in addressing their health needs and promoting healthcare access. This study aimed to investigate the enabling factors as well as barriers in access to the Dutch healthcare system among the largest sub-Saharan African migrant group (Ghanaians) living in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Methods Six focus groups were conducted from November 2009 to February 2010. A semi-structured interview guideline was used. Discussions were conducted in English or Twi (Ghanaian dialect), recorded and transcribed verbatim. Analysis was based on the Andersen model of healthcare utilisation using MAXQDA software. Results Knowledge and perceived quality of the health system, awareness of diseases, family and community support, community initiatives and availability of social support were the main enablers to the healthcare system. Difficulties with the Dutch language and mistrust in health care providers were major barriers in access to healthcare. Conclusions Access to healthcare is facilitated mainly by knowledge of and the perceived efficiency and quality of the Dutch healthcare system. However, poor Dutch language proficiency and mistrust in health care providers appear to be important barriers in accessing healthcare. The enablers and barriers identified by this study provide useful information for promoting healthcare access among this and similar Sub-Saharan African communities. PMID:22443162

An exploration of the enablers and barriers in access to the Dutch healthcare system among Ghanaians in Amsterdam.

PubMed

Boateng, Linda; Nicolaou, Mary; Dijkshoorn, Henriëtte; Stronks, Karien; Agyemang, Charles

2012-03-24

Sub-Saharan African populations are growing in many European countries. Data on the health of these populations are rare. Additionally, many sub-Saharan African migrants are confronted with issues of low socio-economic status, acculturation and language difficulties, which may hamper their access to health care. Despite the identification of some of those barriers, little is known about the enabling factors. Knowledge about the enablers and barriers in access to healthcare experienced is important in addressing their health needs and promoting healthcare access. This study aimed to investigate the enabling factors as well as barriers in access to the Dutch healthcare system among the largest sub-Saharan African migrant group (Ghanaians) living in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Six focus groups were conducted from November 2009 to February 2010. A semi-structured interview guideline was used. Discussions were conducted in English or Twi (Ghanaian dialect), recorded and transcribed verbatim. Analysis was based on the Andersen model of healthcare utilisation using MAXQDA software. Knowledge and perceived quality of the health system, awareness of diseases, family and community support, community initiatives and availability of social support were the main enablers to the healthcare system. Difficulties with the Dutch language and mistrust in health care providers were major barriers in access to healthcare. Access to healthcare is facilitated mainly by knowledge of and the perceived efficiency and quality of the Dutch healthcare system. However, poor Dutch language proficiency and mistrust in health care providers appear to be important barriers in accessing healthcare. The enablers and barriers identified by this study provide useful information for promoting healthcare access among this and similar Sub-Saharan African communities.

Computational Modeling of Human Metabolism and Its Application to Systems Biomedicine.

PubMed

Aurich, Maike K; Thiele, Ines

2016-01-01

Modern high-throughput techniques offer immense opportunities to investigate whole-systems behavior, such as those underlying human diseases. However, the complexity of the data presents challenges in interpretation, and new avenues are needed to address the complexity of both diseases and data. Constraint-based modeling is one formalism applied in systems biology. It relies on a genome-scale reconstruction that captures extensive biochemical knowledge regarding an organism. The human genome-scale metabolic reconstruction is increasingly used to understand normal cellular and disease states because metabolism is an important factor in many human diseases. The application of human genome-scale reconstruction ranges from mere querying of the model as a knowledge base to studies that take advantage of the model's topology and, most notably, to functional predictions based on cell- and condition-specific metabolic models built based on omics data.An increasing number and diversity of biomedical questions are being addressed using constraint-based modeling and metabolic models. One of the most successful biomedical applications to date is cancer metabolism, but constraint-based modeling also holds great potential for inborn errors of metabolism or obesity. In addition, it offers great prospects for individualized approaches to diagnostics and the design of disease prevention and intervention strategies. Metabolic models support this endeavor by providing easy access to complex high-throughput datasets. Personalized metabolic models have been introduced. Finally, constraint-based modeling can be used to model whole-body metabolism, which will enable the elucidation of metabolic interactions between organs and disturbances of these interactions as either causes or consequence of metabolic diseases. This chapter introduces constraint-based modeling and describes some of its contributions to systems biomedicine.

Measure, Then Show: Grasping Human Evolution Through an Inquiry-Based, Data-driven Hominin Skulls Lab

PubMed Central

Luberda, Michael

2016-01-01

Incomprehension and denial of the theory of evolution among high school students has been observed to also occur when teachers are not equipped to deliver a compelling case also for human evolution based on fossil evidence. This paper assesses the outcomes of a novel inquiry-based paleoanthropology lab teaching human evolution to high-school students. The inquiry-based Be a Paleoanthropologist for a Day lab placed a dozen hominin skulls into the hands of high-school students. Upon measuring three variables of human evolution, students explain what they have observed and discuss findings. In the 2013/14 school year, 11 biology classes in 7 schools in the Greater New Orleans area participated in this lab. The interviewed teacher cohort unanimously agreed that the lab featuring hominin skull replicas and stimulating student inquiry was a pedagogically excellent method of delivering the subject of human evolution. First, the lab’s learning path of transforming facts to data, information to knowledge, and knowledge to acceptance empowered students to themselves execute part of the science that underpins our understanding of deep time hominin evolution. Second, although challenging, the hands-on format of the lab was accessible to high-school students, most of whom were readily able to engage the lab’s scientific process. Third, the lab’s exciting and compelling pedagogy unlocked higher order thinking skills, effectively activating the cognitive, psychomotor and affected learning domains as defined in Bloom’s taxonomy. Lastly, the lab afforded students a formative experience with a high degree of retention and epistemic depth. Further study is warranted to gauge the degree of these effects. PMID:27513927

Cyberspace, Distance Learning, and Higher Education in Developing Countries: Old and Emergent Issues of Access, Pedagogy, and Knowledge Production. International Studies in Sociology and Social Anthropology, 94

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Assie-Lumumba, N'Dri T., Ed.

2004-01-01

Amidst the euphoria about the new frontiers of technology sometimes perceived as a panacea for expansion of higher education in developing countries, there is a need to analyze persistent and new grounds of unequal opportunity for access, learning, and the production of knowledge. This volume addresses fundamental questions about the educational…

A policy analysis of teamwork as a proposal for healthcare humanization: implications for nursing.

PubMed

da Silva, R N; de Freitas, F D da S; de Araújo, F P; Ferreira, M de A

2016-12-01

To analyse the implications of the political devices of the Brazilian National Humanization Policy, Singular Therapeutic Project and Reference Team and Matrix Support, for nursing as a professional discipline. The Brazilian Unified Health System, SUS-Brazil, has as its principles regarding health care: universal access at all levels of care; equality and non-discrimination; integrality; community participation; and political and administrative decentralization, regionalization, and hierarchization. The National Humanization Policy is a public health policy that serves as the methodological apparatus for the application of the SUS-Brazil principles. Reference Teams refers to inter- and transdisciplinary/professional teams. These team approaches are associated with increased quality of care. Qualitative lexical content policy analysis of the official documents for the Brazilian National Humanization Policy. The Reference Team model that is used to carry out Singular Therapeutic Projects leads to discussion of disciplinary boundaries in the context of health care. The Brazilian National Humanization Policy demands inclusion of various kinds of knowledge and networking. Research is needed to elucidate the nature of nursing care and its distinctive character in relation to the work objectives of other professional disciplines. © 2016 International Council of Nurses.

Successful testing and treating of HIV/AIDS in Indonesia depends on the addiction treatment modality

PubMed Central

Iskandar, Shelly; de Jong, Cor AJ; Hidayat, Teddy; Siregar, Ike MP; Achmad, Tri H; van Crevel, Reinout; van der Ven, Andre

2012-01-01

Background In many settings, people who inject drugs (PWID) have limited access to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) care which is provided in several hospitals and primary health centers in big cities. Substance abuse treatment (SAT) can be used as the entry-point to HIV programs. The aim of this study is to describe the characteristics of the PWID who had accessed SAT and determine which SAT modality associates significantly with HIV programs. Methods PWID were recruited by respondent-driven sampling in an urban setting in Java, Indonesia and interviewed with the Addiction Severity Index (ASI), Blood-Borne Virus Transmission Risk Assessment Questionnaires, and Knowledge Questionnaire on HIV/AIDS. The information regarding the use of substance abuse treatment and HIV program were based on questions in ASI. Results Seventy-seven percent of 210 PWID had accessed SAT at least once. PWID who had accessed a SAT modality reported more severe drug problems. The most widely used SAT were opioid substitution (57%) and traditional/faith-based treatment (56%). Accessing substitution treatment (adjusted odds ratio [OR] = 5.8; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.5–13.9) or residential drug-free treatment (adjusted OR = 3.7; 95% CI: 1.4–9.7) was significantly associated with HIV testing, whereas accessing substitution treatment (adjusted OR = 3.8; 95% CI: 1.9–7.5) or other medical services (adjusted OR = 3.1; 95% CI: 1.1–8.7) was significantly associated with HIV treatment. There was no significant association between accessing traditional/faith-based treatment and HIV testing and treatment. Conclusion Efforts should be made to link HIV services with traditional/faith-based treatment to increase the coverage of HIV programs. PMID:23293529

Successful testing and treating of HIV/AIDS in Indonesia depends on the addiction treatment modality.

PubMed

Iskandar, Shelly; de Jong, Cor Aj; Hidayat, Teddy; Siregar, Ike Mp; Achmad, Tri H; van Crevel, Reinout; van der Ven, Andre

2012-01-01

In many settings, people who inject drugs (PWID) have limited access to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) care which is provided in several hospitals and primary health centers in big cities. Substance abuse treatment (SAT) can be used as the entry-point to HIV programs. The aim of this study is to describe the characteristics of the PWID who had accessed SAT and determine which SAT modality associates significantly with HIV programs. PWID were recruited by respondent-driven sampling in an urban setting in Java, Indonesia and interviewed with the Addiction Severity Index (ASI), Blood-Borne Virus Transmission Risk Assessment Questionnaires, and Knowledge Questionnaire on HIV/AIDS. The information regarding the use of substance abuse treatment and HIV program were based on questions in ASI. Seventy-seven percent of 210 PWID had accessed SAT at least once. PWID who had accessed a SAT modality reported more severe drug problems. The most widely used SAT were opioid substitution (57%) and traditional/faith-based treatment (56%). Accessing substitution treatment (adjusted odds ratio [OR] = 5.8; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.5-13.9) or residential drug-free treatment (adjusted OR = 3.7; 95% CI: 1.4-9.7) was significantly associated with HIV testing, whereas accessing substitution treatment (adjusted OR = 3.8; 95% CI: 1.9-7.5) or other medical services (adjusted OR = 3.1; 95% CI: 1.1-8.7) was significantly associated with HIV treatment. There was no significant association between accessing traditional/faith-based treatment and HIV testing and treatment. Efforts should be made to link HIV services with traditional/faith-based treatment to increase the coverage of HIV programs.

Measurement of New Observables from the pi+pi- Electroproduction off the Proton

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

Trivedi, Arjun

Knowledge of the Universe as constructed by human beings, in order to tackle its complexity, can be thought to be organized at varying scales at which it is observed. Implicit in such an approach is the idea of a smooth evolution of knowledge between scales and, therefore, access to how Nature constructs the visible Universe beginning from its most fundamental constituents. New and, in a sense, fundamental phenomena may typically be emergent as the scale of observation changes. The study of the Strong Interaction, which is responsible for the construction of the bulk of the visible matter in the Universemore » (98% by mass), in this sense, is a labor of exploring evolutions and unifying aspects of its knowledge found at varying scales ranging from interaction of quarks and gluons as represented by the theory of Quantum Chromodynamics (QCD) at small space-time scale to emerging dressed quark and even meson-baryon degrees of freedom mostly described by effective models as the space-time scale increases. A direct effort to study the Strong Interaction over this scale forms the basis of an international collaborative effort often referred to as the N* program. The core work of this thesis is an experimental analysis prompted by the need to measure experimental observables that are of particular interest to the theory-experiment epistemological framework of this collaboration. While the core of this thesis, therefore, discusses the nature of the experimental analysis and presents its results which will serve as input to the N* program's epistemological framework, the particular nature of this framework in the context of not only the Strong Interaction, but also that of the physical science and human knowledge in general will be used to motivate and introduce the experimental analysis and its related observables.« less

Measurement of new observables from the pi+pi - electroproduction off the proton

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Trivedi, Arjun

Knowledge of the Universe as constructed by human beings, in order to tackle its complexity, can be thought to be organized at varying scales at which it is observed. Implicit in such an approach is the idea of a smooth evolution of knowledge between scales and, therefore, access to how Nature constructs the visible Universe beginning from its most fundamental constituents. New and, in a sense, fundamental phenomena may typically be emergent as the scale of observation changes. The study of the Strong Interaction, which is responsible for the construction of the bulk of the visible matter in the Universe (98% by mass), in this sense, is a labor of exploring evolutions and unifying aspects of its knowledge found at varying scales ranging from interaction of quarks and gluons as represented by the theory of Quantum Chromodynamics (QCD) at small space-time scale to emerging dressed quark and even mesonbaryon degrees of freedom mostly described by effective models as the space-time scale increases. A direct effort to study the Strong Interaction over this scale forms the basis of an international collaborative effort often referred to as the N* program. The core work of this thesis is an experimental analysis prompted by the need to measure experimental observables that are of particular interest to the theory-experiment epistemological framework of this collaboration. While the core of this thesis, therefore, discusses the nature of the experimental analysis and presents its results which will serve as input to the N* program's epistemological framework, the particular nature of this framework in the context of not only the Strong Interaction, but also that of the physical science and human knowledge in general will be used to motivate and introduce the experimental analysis and its related observables.

Evaluation of Florida physicians' knowledge and attitudes toward accessing the state prescription drug monitoring program as a prescribing tool.

PubMed

Gershman, Jennifer A; Gershman, Jason A; Fass, Andrea D; Popovici, Ioana

2014-12-01

The purpose of this study is to assess Florida physicians' attitudes and knowledge toward accessing the state's prescription drug monitoring program (PDMP). Five thousand medical doctors and osteopathic physicians licensed in Florida were randomly selected for a voluntary and anonymous 15-question self-administered survey approved by the Institutional Review Board. Surveys were distributed through U.S. postal service mail. Likert-scale questions were used to assess prior knowledge (1 = none to 5 = excellent) and attitudes toward accessing the PDMP (1 = strongly disagree to 5 = strongly agree). The study yielded a response rate of 7.8%, 71.5% of whom agreed or strongly agreed that the PDMP is a useful tool. Among participants that have access and answered the PDMP usefulness question, 94.8% agree or strongly agree that it is a useful tool. There were 63 out of 64 physicians (98.4%) who conducted 25 or more searches who agreed or strongly agreed that the PDMP is a useful tool for monitoring patients' controlled substance histories. There were 72.5% of participants with access that answered the "doctor shopping" question who agreed that "doctor shopping" will decrease. Among the 64 most frequent PDMP users, 69.4% agreed or strongly agreed that they have prescribed fewer controlled substances after accessing the PDMP. The study revealed that a majority of participants believe that the PDMP is a useful tool for monitoring patients' controlled substance histories. More continuing education programs should be provided to Florida physicians to enhance their knowledge regarding PDMPs. Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Evaluation of an online three-dimensional interactive resource for undergraduate neuroanatomy education.

PubMed

Allen, Lauren K; Eagleson, Roy; de Ribaupierre, Sandrine

2016-10-01

Neuroanatomy is one of the most challenging subjects in anatomy, and novice students often experience difficulty grasping the complex three-dimensional (3D) spatial relationships. This study evaluated a 3D neuroanatomy e-learning module, as well as the relationship between spatial abilities and students' knowledge in neuroanatomy. The study's cross-over design divided the participants into two groups, each starting with tests for anatomy knowledge and spatial ability, followed by access to either the 3D online learning module or the gross anatomy laboratory. Participants completed a second knowledge test prior to accessing the other learning modality. Participants in both groups scored significantly higher on Quiz 1 than on the Pretest knowledge assessment (W = 47, P < 0.01; W = 30, P < 0.01). Students who initially accessed the 3D online resources scored significantly better on the Quiz 1 than students who accessed the gross anatomy resources (W = 397.5, P < 0.01). Scores significantly improved on Quiz 2 for participants who accessed the 3D learning module following exposure to the cadaveric resources (W = 94, P < 0.01). After exposure to both learning modalities, there were no significant differences between groups. Significant positive correlations were found between participants' spatial ability score and their performance on the Pretest, Quiz 1, and Quiz 2 assessments (r = 0.22, P = 0.04; r = 0.25, P = 0.02; r = 0.26, P = 0.02). These preliminary results found students appreciated working with the 3D e-learning module, and their learning outcomes significantly improved after accessing the resource. Anat Sci Educ 9: 431-439. © 2016 American Association of Anatomists. © 2016 American Association of Anatomists.

The role of metacognition in human social interactions

PubMed Central

Frith, Chris D.

2012-01-01

Metacognition concerns the processes by which we monitor and control our own cognitive processes. It can also be applied to others, in which case it is known as mentalizing. Both kinds of metacognition have implicit and explicit forms, where implicit means automatic and without awareness. Implicit metacognition enables us to adopt a we-mode, through which we automatically take account of the knowledge and intentions of others. Adoption of this mode enhances joint action. Explicit metacognition enables us to reflect on and justify our behaviour to others. However, access to the underlying processes is very limited for both self and others and our reports on our own and others' intentions can be very inaccurate. On the other hand, recent experiments have shown that, through discussions of our perceptual experiences with others, we can detect sensory signals more accurately, even in the absence of objective feedback. Through our willingness to discuss with others the reasons for our actions and perceptions, we overcome our lack of direct access to the underlying cognitive processes. This creates the potential for us to build more accurate accounts of the world and of ourselves. I suggest, therefore, that explicit metacognition is a uniquely human ability that has evolved through its enhancement of collaborative decision-making. PMID:22734064

Gene Wiki Reviews-Raising the quality and accessibility of information about the human genome.

PubMed

Tsueng, Ginger; Good, Benjamin M; Ping, Peipei; Golemis, Erica; Hanukoglu, Israel; van Wijnen, Andre J; Su, Andrew I

2016-11-05

Wikipedia and other openly available resources are increasingly becoming commonly used sources of information not just among the lay public but even in academic circles including undergraduate students and postgraduate trainees. To enhance the quality of the Wikipedia articles, in 2013, we initiated the Gene Wiki Reviews on genes and proteins as a series of invited reviews that stipulated editing the corresponding Wikipedia article(s) that would be also subject to peer-review. Thus, while the review article serves as an authoritative snapshot of the field, the "living article" can continue to evolve with the crowdsourcing model of Wikipedia. After publication of over 50 articles, we surveyed the authors to assess the impact of the project. The author survey results revealed that the Gene Wiki project is achieving its major objectives to increase the involvement of scientists in authoring Wikipedia articles and to enhance the quantity and quality of the information about genes and their protein products. Thus, the dual publication model introduced in the Gene Wiki Reviews series represents a valuable innovation in scientific publishing and biomedical knowledge management. We invite experts on specific genes to contact the editors to take part in this project to enhance the quality and accessibility of information about the human genome. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Repositioning of drugs using open-access data portal DTome: A test case with probenecid (Review).

PubMed

Ahmed, Mohammad U; Bennett, Dylan J; Hsieh, Tze-Chen; Doonan, Barbara B; Ahmed, Saba; Wu, Joseph M

2016-01-01

The one gene-one enzyme hypothesis, first introduced by Beadle and Tatum in the 1940s and based on their genetic analysis and observation of phenotype changes in Neurospora crassa challenged by various experimental conditions, has witnessed significant advances in recent decades. Much of our understanding of the association between genes and their phenotype expression has benefited from the completion of the human genome project, and has shown continual transformation guided by the effort directed at the annotation and characterization of human genes. Similarly, the idea of one drug‑one primary disease indication that traditionally has been the benchmark for the labeling and usage of drugs has also undergone evident progressive refinements; in recent years the science and practice of pharmaceutical development has notable success in the strategy of drug repurposing. Drug repurposing is an innovative approach where, instead of de novo synthesis and discovery of new drugs with novel indications, drug candidates with the desired usage are identified by a process of re‑profiling using an open‑source database or knowledge of known or failed drugs already in existence. In the present study, the repurposing drug strategy employing open‑access data portal drug‑target interactome (DTome) is applied to the uncovering of new clinical usage for probenecid.

IMGT/GeneInfo: enhancing V(D)J recombination database accessibility

PubMed Central

Baum, Thierry-Pascal; Pasqual, Nicolas; Thuderoz, Florence; Hierle, Vivien; Chaume, Denys; Lefranc, Marie-Paule; Jouvin-Marche, Evelyne; Marche, Patrice-Noël; Demongeot, Jacques

2004-01-01

IMGT/GeneInfo is a user-friendly online information system that provides information on data resulting from the complex mechanisms of immunoglobulin (IG) and T cell receptor (TR) V(D)J recombinations. For the first time, it is possible to visualize all the rearrangement parameters on a single page. IMGT/GeneInfo is part of the international ImMunoGeneTics information system® (IMGT), a high-quality integrated knowledge resource specializing in IG, TR, major histocompatibility complex (MHC), and related proteins of the immune system of human and other vertebrate species. The IMGT/GeneInfo system was developed by the TIMC and ICH laboratories (with the collaboration of LIGM), and is the first example of an external system being incorporated into IMGT. In this paper, we report the first part of this work. IMGT/GeneInfo_TR deals with the human and mouse TRA/TRD and TRB loci of the TR. Data handling and visualization are complementary to the current data and tools in IMGT, and will subsequently allow the modelling of V(D)J gene use, and thus, to predict non-standard recombination profiles which may eventually be found in conditions such as leukaemias or lymphomas. Access to IMGT/GeneInfo is free and can be found at http://imgt.cines.fr/GeneInfo. PMID:14681357

Knowledge management systems for oral health in developing and developed countries.

PubMed

Nattestad, Anders

2012-10-01

Knowledge management systems utilize information technology to manage knowledge in organizations with the purpose of creating, supporting, storing and disseminating information. These systems have been around for decades, but have significantly changed over time in complexity and features with the evolution of information technology and the Internet. With the development of these new technologies, the concept of knowledge management has thrived and has had significant impact on the way in which knowledge is accumulated, stored and accessed. This article will describe the historical development of knowledge management systems in oral health, illustrate the technology using examples and explore the future use of these systems with emerging technologies such as Google Wave®. One example of how knowledge management systems may affect the quality of dental education is the DentEd project, where a collaborative website was developed to coordinate dental school visitations and collection of reports from working groups, leading to several important publications. MEDLINE is another example of an effective knowledge management system in health care, providing access to health care-related scientific literature, which is highly organized under the auspices of the United States National Library of Medicine. Another and very differently organized example of an effective knowledge management system is Wikipedia, which is a free, web-based, collaborative, multilingual encyclopedia project supported by a nonprofit foundation. The final example of an effective knowledge management system is all of the social media, including Facebook and Twitter. These tools have proven very powerful in organizing and collaborating. In conclusion, the development of new technologies and the Internet have changed the way in which information is developed and accessed. This development is still ongoing and only the future will reveal how this will continue to change. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

Ontologies, Knowledge Bases and Knowledge Management

DTIC Science & Technology

2002-07-01

AFRL-IF-RS-TR-2002-163 Final Technical Report July 2002 ONTOLOGIES, KNOWLEDGE BASES AND KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT USC Information ...and layer additional information necessary to make specific uses of the knowledge in this core. Finally, while we were able to find adequate solutions... knowledge base and inference engine. Figure 3.2: SDA Editor Interface 46 Although the SDA has access to information about the situation, we wanted the user

Some Thoughts on the Future of Libraries, Journals, Impact Factors, and Replicability.

PubMed

Elwood, Thomas W

2016-01-01

A report on the "The Future of Libraries" is the outcome of a year's worth of discussions among faculty members, staff, and students at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. While its findings and recommendations still are preliminary, the report presents a vision of the library as an "open global platform" that provides access to information to help solve global challenges. Digital access already has changed the face of research, making it more efficient for individual library users. Instead of going to a library building today to find and read books and journal articles, students and faculty access, organize, and read scholarly content on their own electronic devices. This transformation-from libraries where knowledge is accessed individually through analog and digital means into ones where creation and access to knowledge are dynamically networked-will affect all aspects of the research library.

Science, Technology and Innovation as Social Goods for Development: Rethinking Research Capacity Building from Sen's Capabilities Approach.

PubMed

Mormina, Maru

2018-03-01

Science and technology are key to economic and social development, yet the capacity for scientific innovation remains globally unequally distributed. Although a priority for development cooperation, building or developing research capacity is often reduced in practice to promoting knowledge transfers, for example through North-South partnerships. Research capacity building/development tends to focus on developing scientists' technical competencies through training, without parallel investments to develop and sustain the socioeconomic and political structures that facilitate knowledge creation. This, the paper argues, significantly contributes to the scientific divide between developed and developing countries more than any skills shortage. Using Charles Taylor's concept of irreducibly social goods, the paper extends Sen's Capabilities Approach beyond its traditional focus on individual entitlements to present a view of scientific knowledge as a social good and the capability to produce it as a social capability. Expanding this capability requires going beyond current fragmented approaches to research capacity building to holistically strengthen the different social, political and economic structures that make up a nation's innovation system. This has implications for the interpretation of human rights instruments beyond their current focus on access to knowledge and for focusing science policy and global research partnerships to design approaches to capacity building/development beyond individual training/skills building.

The Impact of Cervical Cancer Education for Deaf Women Using a Video Educational Tool Employing American Sign Language, Open Captioning, and Graphics

PubMed Central

Choe, Sun; Lim, Rod Seung-Hwan; Clark, Karen; Wang, Regina; Branz, Patricia; Sadler, Georgia Robins

2013-01-01

Background Deaf women encounter barriers to accessing cancer information. In this study, we evaluated whether deaf women's knowledge could be increased by viewing a graphically enriched, American Sign Language (ASL) cervical cancer education video. Methods A blind, randomized trial evaluated knowledge gain and retention. Deaf women (n = 130) completed questionnaires before, after, and 2 months after viewing the video. Results With only a single viewing of the in-depth video, the experimental group gained and retained significantly more cancer knowledge than the control group. Conclusions Giving deaf women access to the ASL cervical cancer education video (http://cancer.ucsd.edu/deafinfo) significantly increased their knowledge of cervical cancer. PMID:19259859

Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome/human immunodeficiency virus knowledge, attitudes, and practices, and use of healthcare services among rural migrants: a cross-sectional study in China

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Today’s rapid growth of migrant populations has been a major contributor to the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) epidemic. However, relatively few studies have focused on HIV/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)-related knowledge, attitudes, and practice among rural-to-urban migrants in China. This cross-sectional study was to assess HIV/AIDS-related knowledge and perceptions, including knowledge about reducing high-risk sex. Methods Two-phase stratified cluster sampling was applied and 2,753 rural migrants participated in this study. An anonymous self-administered questionnaire was conducted in Guangdong and Sichuan provinces in 2007. Descriptive analysis was used to present the essential characteristics of the respondents. Chi-square test and multiple logistic regression models were performed to examine the associations between identified demographic factors and high-risk sex, sexually transmitted disease (STD) symptoms, and access to HIV screening services among the seven types of workers. Results 58.6% of participants were knowledgeable about HIV/AIDS transmission, but approximately 90% had a negative attitude towards the AIDS patients, and that 6.2% had engaged in high-risk sex in the past 12 months. Logistic regression analysis revealed sex, marital status, income, migration and work experience to be associated with high-risk sex. Among the 13.9% of workers who reported having STD symptoms, risk factors that were identified included female gender, high monthly income, being married, daily laborer or entertainment worker, frequent migration, and length of work experience. Only 3% of migrant workers received voluntary free HIV screening, which was positively associated with monthly income and workplace. Conclusions HIV/AIDS knowledge, attitudes, and practices among rural migrants in China remain a thorny health issue, and use of healthcare services needs to be improved. Low levels of education and knowledge regarding HIV/AIDS among housekeepers and migrant day laborers result in this population likely being engaged in high-risk sex. Government programs should pay more attention to public education, health promotion and intervention for the control of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in China. PMID:24520921

Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome/human immunodeficiency virus knowledge, attitudes, and practices, and use of healthcare services among rural migrants: a cross-sectional study in China.

PubMed

Wang, Ying; Cochran, Christopher; Xu, Peng; Shen, Jay J; Zeng, Gang; Xu, Yanjun; Sun, Mei; Li, Chengyue; Li, Xiaohong; Chang, Fengshui; Lu, Jun; Hao, Mo; Lu, Fan

2014-02-13

Today's rapid growth of migrant populations has been a major contributor to the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) epidemic. However, relatively few studies have focused on HIV/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)-related knowledge, attitudes, and practice among rural-to-urban migrants in China. This cross-sectional study was to assess HIV/AIDS-related knowledge and perceptions, including knowledge about reducing high-risk sex. Two-phase stratified cluster sampling was applied and 2,753 rural migrants participated in this study. An anonymous self-administered questionnaire was conducted in Guangdong and Sichuan provinces in 2007. Descriptive analysis was used to present the essential characteristics of the respondents. Chi-square test and multiple logistic regression models were performed to examine the associations between identified demographic factors and high-risk sex, sexually transmitted disease (STD) symptoms, and access to HIV screening services among the seven types of workers. 58.6% of participants were knowledgeable about HIV/AIDS transmission, but approximately 90% had a negative attitude towards the AIDS patients, and that 6.2% had engaged in high-risk sex in the past 12 months. Logistic regression analysis revealed sex, marital status, income, migration and work experience to be associated with high-risk sex. Among the 13.9% of workers who reported having STD symptoms, risk factors that were identified included female gender, high monthly income, being married, daily laborer or entertainment worker, frequent migration, and length of work experience. Only 3% of migrant workers received voluntary free HIV screening, which was positively associated with monthly income and workplace. HIV/AIDS knowledge, attitudes, and practices among rural migrants in China remain a thorny health issue, and use of healthcare services needs to be improved. Low levels of education and knowledge regarding HIV/AIDS among housekeepers and migrant day laborers result in this population likely being engaged in high-risk sex. Government programs should pay more attention to public education, health promotion and intervention for the control of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in China.

Mathematical Logic in the Human Brain: Semantics

PubMed Central

Friedrich, Roland M.; Friederici, Angela D.

2013-01-01

As a higher cognitive function in humans, mathematics is supported by parietal and prefrontal brain regions. Here, we give an integrative account of the role of the different brain systems in processing the semantics of mathematical logic from the perspective of macroscopic polysynaptic networks. By comparing algebraic and arithmetic expressions of identical underlying structure, we show how the different subparts of a fronto-parietal network are modulated by the semantic domain, over which the mathematical formulae are interpreted. Within this network, the prefrontal cortex represents a system that hosts three major components, namely, control, arithmetic-logic, and short-term memory. This prefrontal system operates on data fed to it by two other systems: a premotor-parietal top-down system that updates and transforms (external) data into an internal format, and a hippocampal bottom-up system that either detects novel information or serves as an access device to memory for previously acquired knowledge. PMID:23301101

Mathematical logic in the human brain: semantics.

PubMed

Friedrich, Roland M; Friederici, Angela D

2013-01-01

As a higher cognitive function in humans, mathematics is supported by parietal and prefrontal brain regions. Here, we give an integrative account of the role of the different brain systems in processing the semantics of mathematical logic from the perspective of macroscopic polysynaptic networks. By comparing algebraic and arithmetic expressions of identical underlying structure, we show how the different subparts of a fronto-parietal network are modulated by the semantic domain, over which the mathematical formulae are interpreted. Within this network, the prefrontal cortex represents a system that hosts three major components, namely, control, arithmetic-logic, and short-term memory. This prefrontal system operates on data fed to it by two other systems: a premotor-parietal top-down system that updates and transforms (external) data into an internal format, and a hippocampal bottom-up system that either detects novel information or serves as an access device to memory for previously acquired knowledge.

Health care ethics consultation: an update on core competencies and emerging standards from the American Society For Bioethics and Humanities' core competencies update task force.

PubMed

Tarzian, Anita J

2013-01-01

Ethics consultation has become an integral part of the fabric of U.S. health care delivery. This article summarizes the second edition of the Core Competencies for Health Care Ethics Consultation report of the American Society for Bioethics and Humanities. The core knowledge and skills competencies identified in the first edition of Core Competencies have been adopted by various ethics consultation services and education programs, providing evidence of their endorsement as health care ethics consultation (HCEC) standards. This revised report was prompted by thinking in the field that has evolved since the original report. Patients, family members, and health care providers who encounter ethical questions or concerns that ethics consultants could help address deserve access to efficient, effective, and accountable HCEC services. All individuals providing such services should be held to the standards of competence and quality described in the revised report.

The impact of social context on learning and cognitive demands for interactive virtual human simulations

PubMed Central

Lyons, Rebecca; Johnson, Teresa R.; Khalil, Mohammed K.

2014-01-01

Interactive virtual human (IVH) simulations offer a novel method for training skills involving person-to-person interactions. This article examines the effectiveness of an IVH simulation for teaching medical students to assess rare cranial nerve abnormalities in both individual and small-group learning contexts. Individual (n = 26) and small-group (n = 30) interaction with the IVH system was manipulated to examine the influence on learning, learner engagement, perceived cognitive demands of the learning task, and instructional efficiency. Results suggested the IVH activity was an equally effective and engaging instructional tool in both learning structures, despite learners in the group learning contexts having to share hands-on access to the simulation interface. Participants in both conditions demonstrated a significant increase in declarative knowledge post-training. Operation of the IVH simulation technology imposed moderate cognitive demand but did not exceed the demands of the task content or appear to impede learning. PMID:24883241

Indicators of male bisexual activity in semimetropolitan New South Wales: implications for HIV prevention strategies.

PubMed

Prestage, G; Drielsma, P

1996-08-01

Between July 1993 and March 1994, advertising in the personal columns of local print media was used as a subterfuge to obtain access to homosexually active men living on the Central Coast of New South Wales. The men were invited to make contact by phone and were then requested to answer 44 survey questions. The survey was based on a premise that there existed a subgroup of homosexually active men who did not identify themselves as gay and who were behaviourally bisexual (the study population). Out of 296 contacts, 106 completed questionnaires concerning demographics, aspects of sexual behaviour, and attitudes and knowledge about sexual practice and self-definition. The sampling did provide access to a predominantly behaviourally bisexual group of men who did not identify themselves as gay and for whom the use of 'beats' was the most common method for meeting other men. There existed a high degree of accurate knowledge and practice of safe sex. However, several areas of concern warrant continued and new strategies to minimise the risk of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) transmission in the study population. While the results might not be generalisable to the entire population of behaviourally bisexual men who do not identify themselves as gay, they do (in the absence of other successful ways of reaching this group), provide a useful indicator for the development of such strategies.

RNAcentral: A vision for an international database of RNA sequences

PubMed Central

Bateman, Alex; Agrawal, Shipra; Birney, Ewan; Bruford, Elspeth A.; Bujnicki, Janusz M.; Cochrane, Guy; Cole, James R.; Dinger, Marcel E.; Enright, Anton J.; Gardner, Paul P.; Gautheret, Daniel; Griffiths-Jones, Sam; Harrow, Jen; Herrero, Javier; Holmes, Ian H.; Huang, Hsien-Da; Kelly, Krystyna A.; Kersey, Paul; Kozomara, Ana; Lowe, Todd M.; Marz, Manja; Moxon, Simon; Pruitt, Kim D.; Samuelsson, Tore; Stadler, Peter F.; Vilella, Albert J.; Vogel, Jan-Hinnerk; Williams, Kelly P.; Wright, Mathew W.; Zwieb, Christian

2011-01-01

During the last decade there has been a great increase in the number of noncoding RNA genes identified, including new classes such as microRNAs and piRNAs. There is also a large growth in the amount of experimental characterization of these RNA components. Despite this growth in information, it is still difficult for researchers to access RNA data, because key data resources for noncoding RNAs have not yet been created. The most pressing omission is the lack of a comprehensive RNA sequence database, much like UniProt, which provides a comprehensive set of protein knowledge. In this article we propose the creation of a new open public resource that we term RNAcentral, which will contain a comprehensive collection of RNA sequences and fill an important gap in the provision of biomedical databases. We envision RNA researchers from all over the world joining a federated RNAcentral network, contributing specialized knowledge and databases. RNAcentral would centralize key data that are currently held across a variety of databases, allowing researchers instant access to a single, unified resource. This resource would facilitate the next generation of RNA research and help drive further discoveries, including those that improve food production and human and animal health. We encourage additional RNA database resources and research groups to join this effort. We aim to obtain international network funding to further this endeavor. PMID:21940779

The Human Side of Knowledge Management: An Annotated Bibliography.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mayer, Pamela S.

This annotated bibliography lists books and articles that have direct application to managing the human side of knowledge acquisition, transfer, and application. What is meant by the human dimension of knowledge is how motivation and learning affect the acquisition and transfer of knowledge and how group dynamics mediate the role of knowledge in…

A nutrition/health mindset on commercial Big Data and drivers of food demand in modern and traditional systems.

PubMed

Dubé, Laurette; Labban, Alice; Moubarac, Jean-Claude; Heslop, Gabriela; Ma, Yu; Paquet, Catherine

2014-12-01

Building greater reciprocity between traditional and modern food systems and better convergence of human and economic development outcomes may enable the production and consumption of accessible, affordable, and appealing nutritious food for all. Information being key to such transformations, this roadmap paper offers a strategy that capitalizes on Big Data and advanced analytics, setting the foundation for an integrative intersectoral knowledge platform to better inform and monitor behavioral change and ecosystem transformation. Building upon the four P's of marketing (product, price, promotion, placement), we examine digital commercial marketing data through the lenses of the four A's of food security (availability, accessibility, affordability, appeal) using advanced consumer choice analytics for archetypal traditional (fresh fruits and vegetables) and modern (soft drinks) product categories. We demonstrate that business practices typically associated with the latter also have an important, if not more important, impact on purchases of the former category. Implications and limitations of the approach are discussed. © 2014 New York Academy of Sciences.

Chromatin accessibility and guide sequence secondary structure affect CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing efficiency.

PubMed

Jensen, Kristopher Torp; Fløe, Lasse; Petersen, Trine Skov; Huang, Jinrong; Xu, Fengping; Bolund, Lars; Luo, Yonglun; Lin, Lin

2017-07-01

Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR)-associated protein 9 (CRISPR-Cas9) systems have emerged as the method of choice for genome editing, but large variations in on-target efficiencies continue to limit their applicability. Here, we investigate the effect of chromatin accessibility on Cas9-mediated gene editing efficiency for 20 gRNAs targeting 10 genomic loci in HEK293T cells using both SpCas9 and the eSpCas9(1.1) variant. Our study indicates that gene editing is more efficient in euchromatin than in heterochromatin, and we validate this finding in HeLa cells and in human fibroblasts. Furthermore, we investigate the gRNA sequence determinants of CRISPR-Cas9 activity using a surrogate reporter system and find that the efficiency of Cas9-mediated gene editing is dependent on guide sequence secondary structure formation. This knowledge can aid in the further improvement of tools for gRNA design. © 2017 Federation of European Biochemical Societies.

Why "improved" water sources are not always safe.

PubMed

Shaheed, Ameer; Orgill, Jennifer; Montgomery, Maggie A; Jeuland, Marc A; Brown, Joe

2014-04-01

Existing and proposed metrics for household drinking-water services are intended to measure the availability, safety and accessibility of water sources. However, these attributes can be highly variable over time and space and this variation complicates the task of creating and implementing simple and scalable metrics. In this paper, we highlight those factors - especially those that relate to so-called improved water sources - that contribute to variability in water safety but may not be generally recognized as important by non-experts. Problems in the provision of water in adequate quantities and of adequate quality - interrelated problems that are often influenced by human behaviour - may contribute to an increased risk of poor health. Such risk may be masked by global water metrics that indicate that we are on the way to meeting the world's drinking-water needs. Given the complexity of the topic and current knowledge gaps, international metrics for access to drinking water should be interpreted with great caution. We need further targeted research on the health impacts associated with improvements in drinking-water supplies.

Innovative Near Real-Time Data Dissemination Tools Developed by the Space Weather Research Center

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mullinix, R.; Maddox, M. M.; Berrios, D.; Kuznetsova, M.; Pulkkinen, A.; Rastaetter, L.; Zheng, Y.

2012-12-01

Space weather affects virtually all of NASA's endeavors, from robotic missions to human exploration. Knowledge and prediction of space weather conditions are therefore essential to NASA operations. The diverse nature of currently available space environment measurements and modeling products compels the need for a single access point to such information. The Integrated Space Weather Analysis (iSWA) System provides this single point access along with the capability to collect and catalog a vast range of sources including both observational and model data. NASA Goddard Space Weather Research Center heavily utilizes the iSWA System daily for research, space weather model validation, and forecasting for NASA missions. iSWA provides the capabilities to view and analyze near real-time space weather data from any where in the world. This presentation will describe the technology behind the iSWA system and describe how to use the system for space weather research, forecasting, training, education, and sharing.

Disclosure Control of Natural Language Information to Enable Secure and Enjoyable Communication over the Internet

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kataoka, Haruno; Utsumi, Akira; Hirose, Yuki; Yoshiura, Hiroshi

Disclosure control of natural language information (DCNL), which we are trying to realize, is described. DCNL will be used for securing human communications over the internet, such as through blogs and social network services. Before sentences in the communications are disclosed, they are checked by DCNL and any phrases that could reveal sensitive information are transformed or omitted so that they are no longer revealing. DCNL checks not only phrases that directly represent sensitive information but also those that indirectly suggest it. Combinations of phrases are also checked. DCNL automatically learns the knowledge of sensitive phrases and the suggestive relations between phrases by using co-occurrence analysis and Web retrieval. The users' burden is therefore minimized, i.e., they do not need to define many disclosure control rules. DCNL complements the traditional access control in the fields where reliability needs to be balanced with enjoyment and objects classes for the access control cannot be predefined.

University students and HIV in Namibia: an HIV prevalence survey and a knowledge and attitude survey

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background With an overall adult HIV prevalence of 15.3%, Namibia is facing one of the largest HIV epidemics in Africa. Young people aged 20 to 34 years constitute one of the groups at highest risk of HIV infection in Namibia. However, little is known about the impact of HIV on this group and its access to healthcare. The purpose of this study was to estimate HIV prevalence, to assess the knowledge of and attitudes towards HIV/AIDS, and to assess access to healthcare among university students in Namibia. Methods We assessed HIV/AIDS knowledge and attitudes, HIV prevalence and access to healthcare among students at the Polytechnic of Namibia and the University of Namibia. HIV prevalence was tested through anonymous oral fluid-based tests. Results Half (n = 2790/5568) of the university students and 45% (n = 2807/6302) of the Polytechnic students participated in the knowledge and attitudes surveys. HIV/AIDS knowledge was reasonable, except for misperceptions about transmission. Awareness of one's own HIV status and risks was low. In all, 55% (n = 3055/5568) of university students and 58% (n = 3680/6302) of Polytechnic students participated in the HIV prevalence survey; 54 (1.8%) university students and 103 (2.8%) Polytechnic students tested HIV positive. Campus clinics were not the major providers of healthcare to the students. Conclusions Meaningful strategies addressing the gap between knowledge, attitude and young people's perception of risk of HIV acquisition should be implemented. HIV prevalence among Namibian university students appears relatively low. Voluntary counselling and testing should be stimulated. Efforts should be made to increase access to healthcare through the campus clinics. PMID:22353579

University students and HIV in Namibia: an HIV prevalence survey and a knowledge and attitude survey.

PubMed

de Beer, Ingrid H; Gelderblom, Huub C; Schellekens, Onno; Gaeb, Esegiel; van Rooy, Gert; McNally, Alta; Wit, Ferdinand W; Tobias, Rinke de Wit F

2012-02-22

With an overall adult HIV prevalence of 15.3%, Namibia is facing one of the largest HIV epidemics in Africa. Young people aged 20 to 34 years constitute one of the groups at highest risk of HIV infection in Namibia. However, little is known about the impact of HIV on this group and its access to healthcare. The purpose of this study was to estimate HIV prevalence, to assess the knowledge of and attitudes towards HIV/AIDS, and to assess access to healthcare among university students in Namibia. We assessed HIV/AIDS knowledge and attitudes, HIV prevalence and access to healthcare among students at the Polytechnic of Namibia and the University of Namibia. HIV prevalence was tested through anonymous oral fluid-based tests. Half (n = 2790/5568) of the university students and 45% (n = 2807/6302) of the Polytechnic students participated in the knowledge and attitudes surveys. HIV/AIDS knowledge was reasonable, except for misperceptions about transmission. Awareness of one's own HIV status and risks was low. In all, 55% (n = 3055/5568) of university students and 58% (n = 3680/6302) of Polytechnic students participated in the HIV prevalence survey; 54 (1.8%) university students and 103 (2.8%) Polytechnic students tested HIV positive. Campus clinics were not the major providers of healthcare to the students. Meaningful strategies addressing the gap between knowledge, attitude and young people's perception of risk of HIV acquisition should be implemented. HIV prevalence among Namibian university students appears relatively low. Voluntary counselling and testing should be stimulated. Efforts should be made to increase access to healthcare through the campus clinics.

Public health services knowledge and utilization among immigrants in Greece: a cross-sectional study

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background During the 90s, Greece has been transformed to a host country for immigrants mostly from the Balkans and Eastern European Countries, who currently constitute approximately 9% of the total population. Despite the increasing number of the immigrants, little is known about their health status and their accessibility to healthcare services. This study aimed to explore the perceived barriers to access and utilization of healthcare services by immigrants in Greece. Methods A pilot cross-sectional study was conducted from January to April 2012 in Athens, Greece. The study population consisted of 191 immigrants who were living in Greece for less than 10 years. We developed a questionnaire that included information about sociodemographic characteristics, health status, public health services knowledge and utilization and difficulties in health services access. Statistical analysis included Pearson’s ×2 test, ×2 test for trend, Student’s t-test, analysis of variance and Pearson’s correlation coefficient. Results Only 20.4% of the participants reported that they had a good/very good degree of knowledge about public health services in Greece. A considerable percentage (62.3%) of the participants needed at least once to use health services but they could not afford it, during the last year, while 49.7% used public health services in the last 12 months in Greece. Among the most important problems were long waiting times in hospitals, difficulties in communication with health professionals and high cost of health care. Increased ability to speak Greek was associated with increased health services knowledge (p<0.001). Increased family monthly income was also associated with less difficulties in accessing health services (p<0.001). Conclusions The empowerment and facilitation of health care access for immigrants in Greece is necessary. Depending on the needs of the migrant population, simple measures such as comprehensive information regarding the available health services and the terms for accessibility is an important step towards enabling better access to needed services. PMID:24034077

KAM (Knowledge Acquisition Module): A tool to simplify the knowledge acquisition process

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gettig, Gary A.

1988-01-01

Analysts, knowledge engineers and information specialists are faced with increasing volumes of time-sensitive data in text form, either as free text or highly structured text records. Rapid access to the relevant data in these sources is essential. However, due to the volume and organization of the contents, and limitations of human memory and association, frequently: (1) important information is not located in time; (2) reams of irrelevant data are searched; and (3) interesting or critical associations are missed due to physical or temporal gaps involved in working with large files. The Knowledge Acquisition Module (KAM) is a microcomputer-based expert system designed to assist knowledge engineers, analysts, and other specialists in extracting useful knowledge from large volumes of digitized text and text-based files. KAM formulates non-explicit, ambiguous, or vague relations, rules, and facts into a manageable and consistent formal code. A library of system rules or heuristics is maintained to control the extraction of rules, relations, assertions, and other patterns from the text. These heuristics can be added, deleted or customized by the user. The user can further control the extraction process with optional topic specifications. This allows the user to cluster extracts based on specific topics. Because KAM formalizes diverse knowledge, it can be used by a variety of expert systems and automated reasoning applications. KAM can also perform important roles in computer-assisted training and skill development. Current research efforts include the applicability of neural networks to aid in the extraction process and the conversion of these extracts into standard formats.

Available Tools to Facilitate Early Patient Access to Medicines in the EU and the USA: Analysis of Conditional Approvals and the Implications for Personalized Medicine.

PubMed

Leyens, Lada; Richer, Étienne; Melien, Øyvind; Ballensiefen, Wolfgang; Brand, Angela

2015-01-01

Scientific knowledge and our understanding of the human body and diseases have limited any possible treatment tailoring to each patient. The technological advances enabling the integration of various data sets (e.g. '-omics', microbiome, epigenetics and environmental exposure) have facilitated a greater understanding of the human body, the molecular basis of disease and all the factors influencing disease onset, progression and response to treatment, thereby ushering in the era of personalized medicine. We evaluate the regulatory approaches available to facilitate early patient access to efficacious and safe compounds in the EU and the USA in order to make more informed recommendations in the future as to the gaps in regulations for early patient access. An in-depth analysis of conditional approvals (EU) and accelerated approvals (USA) is performed based on the publicly available information (European public assessment reports and a summary review of products approved under both programmes). The types of product, indications, time to approval and type of evidence submitted were analysed. Between 2007 and early 2015, 17 products were conditionally approved in the EU and 25 in the USA, most of them in the area of oncology and based on evidence from phase II clinical trial data. Early approval of promising products based on data from early phases of development is already possible in the EU and the USA. Some of the improvements could entail implementing a rolling assessment of evidence in Europe and extending the scope of early dialogues. © 2015 S. Karger AG, Basel.

What critical care nurses need to know about health care access when caring for elders in acute care settings.

PubMed

Jennings, Bonnie Mowinski; Lamb, Gerri

2007-09-01

Health care system issues, in general, and access to care, in particular, are not problems typically studied by critical care nurses. Rather, initial and continuing education focuses on clinical aspects of care. This focus is necessary to assure that critical care nurses have the expertise to care for patients who need astute surveillance for complicated physical problems and their emotional sequelae, as well as in-depth knowledge and skills related to care coordination for patient stabilization and transfer. However, evidence is growing that patients benefit when critical care nurses expand their knowledge about access to care. This article provides insights regarding access to health care and how it relates to many of the admission and readmission patterns that critical care nurses observe.

Internet Utilization among B.Ed. Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thangarajathi, S.

2011-01-01

Social, Economic and technological changes of the fast decades are making teaching more crucial than ever. The information and knowledge society needs a continuous change in the role and working of teachers. Being a teacher in the Knowledge society, one has to deal with i) new knowledge and new ways for accessing knowledge; ii) a networked world…

78 FR 37847 - Meeting of National Council on the Humanities

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-06-24

... 507 Digital Humanities: Room 402 Education Programs: Room M-07 Preservation and Access: Room 415.... Digital Humanities c. Education Programs d. Preservation and Access e. Public Programs f. Research...

Snag density varies with intensity of timber harvest and human access

Treesearch

Michael J. Wisdom; Lisa J. Bate

2008-01-01

Many species of vertebrates depend on snags (standing dead trees) for persistence, and limited research suggests that snag density is lower in areas of intensive timber harvest and increased human access. While intensive timber harvest is one source of potential snag loss, ease of human access to forest stands may also facilitate loss via firewood cutting of snags....

Free open access medical education can help rural clinicians deliver 'quality care, out there'.

PubMed

Leeuwenburg, Tim J; Parker, Casey

2015-01-01

Rural clinicians require expertise across a broad range of specialties, presenting difficulty in maintaining currency of knowledge and application of best practice. Free open access medical education is a new paradigm in continuing professional education. Use of the internet and social media allows a globally accessible crowd-sourced adjunct, providing inline (contextual) and offline (asynchronous) content to augment traditional educational principles and the availability of relevant resources for life-long learning. This markedly reduces knowledge translation (the delay from inception of a new idea to bedside implementation) and allows rural clinicians to further expertise by engaging in discussion of cutting edge concepts with peers worldwide.

A data management life-cycle

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ferderer, David A.

2001-01-01

Documented, reliable, and accessible data and information are essential building blocks supporting scientific research and applications that enhance society's knowledge base (fig. 1). The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), a leading provider of science data, information, and knowledge, is uniquely positioned to integrate science and natural resource information to address societal needs. The USGS Central Energy Resources Team (USGS-CERT) provides critical information and knowledge on the quantity, quality, and distribution of the Nation's and the world's oil, gas, and coal resources. By using a life-cycle model, the USGS-CERT Data Management Project is developing an integrated data management system to (1) promote access to energy data and information, (2) increase data documentation, and (3) streamline product delivery to the public, scientists, and decision makers. The project incorporates web-based technology, data cataloging systems, data processing routines, and metadata documentation tools to improve data access, enhance data consistency, and increase office efficiency

The role of the internet on patient knowledge management, education, and decision-making.

PubMed

Ilic, Dragan

2010-01-01

E-health encompasses a broad range of health disciplines that use the Internet and associated technologies to deliver information and health services. Traditionally, patients have relied on the healthcare professional to provide relevant medical information to inform decision making on diagnosis and therapy. Patient education in the past has consisted of independently collated health information, disseminated predominantly in written and video formats. Greater accessibility to the Internet has provides a novel method for patients to access health information and play a greater role in decisions ultimately affecting their health. However, patients' ability to access, understand, and integrate this knowledge with their healthcare professional influences the extent to which such technologies are effective. This article provides an overview of the impact of the Internet on patient knowledge management, education, and its subsequent impact upon the medical decision-making process between the patient and clinician.

Examining the Factor Structure and Reliability of the Safe Patient Handling Perception Scale: An Initial Validation Study.

PubMed

White-Heisel, Regina; Canfield, James P; Young-Hughes, Sadie

Perceiving imminent safe patient handling and movement (SPH&M) dangers may reduce musculoskeletal (MSK) injuries for nurses in the workplace. The purpose of this study is to develop and validate the 17-item Safe Patient Handling Perception Scale (SPHPS) as an evaluation instrument assessing perceptual risk of MSK injury based on SPH&M knowledge, practice, and resource accessibility in the workplace. Data were collected from a convenience sample (N = 117) of nursing employees at a Veteran Affairs Medical Center. Factor analysis identified three factors: knowledge, practice, and accessibility. The SPHPS demonstrated high levels of reliability, supported by acceptable alpha scores (SPHM knowledge [α = .866], SPHM practices [α = .901], and access to SPHM resources [α = .855]), in addition to the relatively low standard error of measurement scores (SEM). The study outcomes suggest that the SPHPS is a valid and reliable tool that can measure participants' perceived risk factors for MSK injuries.

No Special Equipment Required: The Accessibility Features Built into the Windows and Macintosh Operating Systems make Computers Accessible for Students with Special Needs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kimball,Walter H.; Cohen,Libby G.; Dimmick,Deb; Mills,Rick

2003-01-01

The proliferation of computers and other electronic learning devices has made knowledge and communication accessible to people with a wide range of abilities. Both Windows and Macintosh computers have accessibility options to help with many different special needs. This documents discusses solutions for: (1) visual impairments; (2) hearing…

Collaborative Indoor Access Point Localization Using Autonomous Mobile Robot Swarm.

PubMed

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

2018-01-31

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

Collaborative Indoor Access Point Localization Using Autonomous Mobile Robot Swarm

PubMed Central

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

2018-01-01

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

Enhancing access to health information in Africa: a librarian's perspective.

PubMed

Gathoni, Nasra

2012-01-01

In recent years, tremendous progress has been made toward providing health information in Africa, in part because of technological advancements. Nevertheless, ensuring that information is accessible, comprehensible, and usable remains problematic, and there remain needs in many settings to address issues such as computer skills, literacy, and the infrastructure to access information. To determine how librarians might play a more strategic role in meeting information needs of health professionals in Africa, the author reviewed key components of information systems pertinent to knowledge management for the health sector, including access to global online resources, capacity to use computer technology for information retrieval, information literacy, and the potential for professional networks to play a role in improving access to and use of information. The author concluded that, in regions that lack adequate information systems, librarians could apply their knowledge and skills to facilitate access and use by information seekers. Ensuring access to and use of health information can also be achieved by engaging organizations and associations working to enhance access to health information, such as the Association for Health Information and Libraries in Africa. These groups can provide assistance through training, dissemination, information repackaging, and other approaches known to improve information literacy.

BioSYNTHESIS: access to a knowledge network of health sciences databases.

PubMed

Broering, N C; Hylton, J S; Guttmann, R; Eskridge, D

1991-04-01

Users of the IAIMS Knowledge Network at the Georgetown University Medical Center have access to multiple in-house and external databases from a single point of entry through BioSYNTHESIS. The IAIMS project has developed a rich environment of biomedical information resources that represent a medical decision support system for campus physicians and students. The BioSYNTHESIS system is an information navigator that provides transparent access to a Knowledge Network of over a dozen databases. These multiple health sciences databases consist of bibliographic, informational, diagnostic, and research systems which reside on diverse computers such as DEC VAXs, SUN 490, AT&T 3B2s, Macintoshes, IBM PC/PS2s and the AT&T ISN and SYTEK network systems. Ethernet and TCP/IP protocols are used in the network architecture. BioSYNTHESIS also provides network links to the other campus libraries and to external institutions. As additional knowledge resources and technological advances have become available. BioSYNTHESIS has evolved from a two phase to a three phase program. Major components of the system including recent achievements and future plans are described.

Testing the importance of family solidarity, community structure, information access, and social capital in predicting nutrition health knowledge and food choices in the Philippines.

PubMed

Moxley, Robert L; Jicha, Karl A; Thompson, Gretchen H

2011-01-01

This study investigates the influence of family solidarity, community structure, information access, social capital, and socioeconomic status on the extent of nutrition and health knowledge (NHK) among primary household meal planners. In turn, we pose the question: does this knowledge influence dietary decision making? Data are taken from a survey determining socioeconomic impacts of vitamin A fortified peanut butter on Philippine households. Questions on the relationships of nutrition to health were selected to construct a knowledge index on which household respondents could be ranked. We then tested hypotheses regarding what types of individual, family-level, and community structural characteristics would predict performance on this index. The results indicate that the strongest predictors of NHK come from sociological theory related to family solidarity and community centrality, in addition to information accessibility and household income. Our findings also indicate that NHK influences dietary choices with regard to the purchase of a vitamin fortified staple food product, which is essential when addressing nutritional deficiency problems in developing countries.

78 FR 11684 - Meeting of National Council on the Humanities

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-02-19

... adjourned. Digital Humanities: Room 402 Education Programs: Room M-07 Preservation and Access: Room 415... and General Matters a. Digital Humanities b. Education Programs c. Preservation and Access d. Public...

Beyond Culture and Language: Access to Diabetes Preventive Health Services among Somali Women in Norway

PubMed Central

Gele, Abdi A.; Torheim, Liv Elin; Pettersen, Kjell Sverre; Kumar, Bernadette

2015-01-01

Despite the high prevalence of type 2 diabetes in some immigrant and refugee communities in Norway, there is very little information available on their utilization of diabetes prevention interventions, particularly for women from Somali immigrant communities. A qualitative study of 30 Somali immigrant women aged 25 years and over was carried out in the Oslo area. Unstructured interviews were used to explore women's knowledge of diabetes, their access to preventive health facilities, and factors impeding their reception of preventive health programs targeted for the prevention of type 2 diabetes. The study participants were found to have a good knowledge of diabetes. They knew that a sedentary lifestyle and unhealthy diet are among the risk factors for diabetes. Regardless of their knowledge, participants reported a sedentary lifestyle accompanied with the consumption of an unhealthy diet. This was attributed to a lack of access to tailored physical activity services and poor access to health information. Considering gender-exclusive training facilities for Somali immigrant women and others with similar needs, in addition to access to tailored health information on diet, may encourage Somali women to adopt a healthy lifestyle, and it will definitely contribute to a national strategy for the prevention of diabetes. PMID:26266267

Knowledge, language and subjectivities in a discourse community: Ideas we can learn from elementary children about science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kurth, Lori Ann

2000-10-01

In light of continuing poor performance by American students in school science, feminists and sociocultural researchers have demonstrated that we need to look beyond content to address the science needs of all school children. In this study I examined issues of discourse norms, knowledge, language and subjectivities (meaning personal and social observations and characteristics) in elementary science. Over a two-year period, I used an interpretive methodological approach to investigate science experiences in two first-second and second grade classrooms. I first established some of the norms and characteristics of the discourse communities through case studies of new students attempting to gain entry to whole class conversations. I then examined knowledge, a central focus of science education addressed by a variety of theoretical approaches. In these classrooms students co-constructed and built knowledge in their whole class science conversations sometimes following convergent (similar knowledge) and, at other times, divergent (differing knowledge) paths allowing for broader discourse. In both paths, there was gendered construction of knowledge in which same gender students elaborated the reasoning of previous speakers. In conjunction with these analyses, I examined what knowledge sources the students used in their science conversations. Students drew on a variety of informal and formal knowledge sources including personal experiences, other students, abstract logic and thought experiments, all of which were considered valid. In using sources from both in and out of school, students' knowledge bases were broader than traditional scientific content giving greater access and richness to their conversations. The next analysis focused on students' use of narrative and paradigmatic language forms in the whole class science conversations. Traditionally, only paradigmatic language forms have been used in science classrooms. The students in this study used both narrative and paradigmatic language by drawing on stories of personal experience as well as canonical scientific argument. As had the varied knowledge paths and sources, the use of both language forms contributed to a broader and richer scientific discourse. Finally, in studying students' written discourse through their journals, I found that students had expanded views of science as they incorporated many aspects of their subjective selves including self and human elements, thinking, emotions, etc. in their writing and drawing. The enactment of knowledge, language and subjectivities in these discourse communities was unique, rich and meaningful highlighting a broader, more accessible vision of science. I advocate that knowledge, language and subjectivities should be central concepts in the practices of science communities as demonstrated in these classrooms. In establishing and integrating these concepts, the use of alternative and traditional modes of expression should be supported as both necessary and complementary. Students and teachers must also jointly construct classroom discourse norms, talk and writing in specific ways in order to provide a safe, comfortable and meaningful learning environment. Many teachers, students and scientists would benefit from broader visions of science, which enrich scientific knowledge and practice and engage and value participants from many backgrounds.

Word and world knowledge among deaf learners with and without cochlear implants.

PubMed

Convertino, Carol; Borgna, Georgianna; Marschark, Marc; Durkin, Andreana

2014-10-01

Deaf learners frequently demonstrate significantly less vocabulary knowledge than hearing age-mates. Studies involving other domains of knowledge, and perhaps deaf learners' academic performance, indicate similar lags with regard to world knowledge. Such gaps often are attributed to limitations on deaf children's incidental learning by virtue of not having access to the conversations of others. Cochlear implants (CIs) have been described as providing such access, and rapid growth in vocabularies following pediatric cochlear implantation has suggested that, over time, children with implants might close the gap relative to hearing peers. Two experiments evaluated this possibility through the assessment of word and world knowledge among deaf college students with and without CIs and a hearing comparison group. Results across essentially all tasks indicated hearing students to outperform deaf students both with and without CIs with no significant differences between the latter two groups. Separate analyses of a subset of implant users who received their implants at a young age did not reveal any long-term advantages, nor was age of implantation related to enhanced performance on any of the tasks. Results are discussed in terms of incidental learning and the accessibility of word and world knowledge to deaf learners with and without CIs. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Universal Design for Learning: Guidelines for Accessible Online Instruction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rogers-Shaw, Carol; Carr-Chellman, Davin J.; Choi, Jinhee

2018-01-01

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a framework for the teaching-learning transaction that conceptualizes knowledge through learner-centered foci emphasizing accessibility, collaboration, and community. Given the importance of access to achieving social justice, UDL is a promising approach to meeting all learners' needs more effectively. In…

Evolutionary Constraints on Human Object Perception

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Koopman, Sarah E.; Mahon, Bradford Z.; Cantlon, Jessica F.

2017-01-01

Language and culture endow humans with access to conceptual information that far exceeds any which could be accessed by a non-human animal. Yet, it is possible that, even without language or specific experiences, non-human animals represent and infer some aspects of similarity relations between objects in the same way as humans. Here, we show that…

Metabolomics: building on a century of biochemistry to guide human health

PubMed Central

German, J. Bruce; Hammock, Bruce D.; Watkins, Steven M.

2006-01-01

Medical diagnosis and treatment efficacy will improve significantly when a more personalized system for health assessment is implemented. This system will require diagnostics that provide sufficiently detailed information about the metabolic status of individuals such that assay results will be able to guide food, drug and lifestyle choices to maintain or improve distinct aspects of health without compromising others. Achieving this goal will use the new science of metabolomics – comprehensive metabolic profiling of individuals linked to the biological understanding of human integrative metabolism. Candidate technologies to accomplish this goal are largely available, yet they have not been brought into practice for this purpose. Metabolomic technologies must be sufficiently rapid, accurate and affordable to be routinely accessible to both healthy and acutely ill individuals. The use of metabolomic data to predict the health trajectories of individuals will require bioinformatic tools and quantitative reference databases. These databases containing metabolite profiles from the population must be built, stored and indexed according to metabolic and health status. Building and annotating these databases with the knowledge to predict how a specific metabolic pattern from an individual can be adjusted with diet, drugs and lifestyle to improve health represents a logical application of the biochemistry knowledge that the life sciences have produced over the past 100 years. PMID:16680201

Water Underground

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Graaf, I. E. M.

2014-12-01

The world's largest accessible source of freshwater is hidden underground. However it remains difficult to estimate its volume, and we still cannot answer the question; will there be enough for everybody? In many places of the world groundwater abstraction is unsustainable: more water is used than refilled, leading to decreasing river discharges and declining groundwater levels. It is predicted that for many regions in the world unsustainable water use will increase in the coming decades, due to rising human water use under a changing climate. It would not take long before water shortage causes widespread droughts and the first water war begins. Improving our knowledge about our hidden water is the first step to prevent such large water conflicts. The world's largest aquifers are mapped, but these maps do not mention how much water these aquifers contain or how fast water levels decline. If we can add thickness and geohydrological information to these aquifer maps, we can estimate how much water is stored and its flow direction. Also, data on groundwater age and how fast the aquifer is refilled is needed to predict the impact of human water use and climate change on the groundwater resource. Ultimately, if we can provide this knowledge water conflicts will focus more on a fair distribution instead of absolute amounts of water.

Research and technology, 1987

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1987-01-01

Three broad goals were presented by NASA as a guide to meet the challenges of the future: to advance scientific knowledge of the planet Earth, the solar system, and the universe; to expand human presence beyond the Earth into the solar system; and to strengthen aeronautics research and technology. Near-term and new-generation space transportation and propulsion systems are being analyzed that will assure the nation access to and presence in space. Other key advanced studies include large astronomical observatories, space platforms, scientific and commercial payloads, and systems to enhance operations in Earth orbit. Longer-range studies include systems that would allow humans to explore the Moon and Mars during the next century. Research programs, both to support the many space missions studied or managed by the Center and to advance scientific knowledge in selected areas, involve work in the areas of atmospheric science, earth science, space science (including astrophysics and solar, magnetospheric, and atomic physics), and low-gravity science. Programs and experiment design for flights on the Space Station, free-flying satellites, and the Space Shuttle are being planned. To maintain a leadership position in technology, continued advances in liquid and solid propellant engines, materials and processes; electronic, structural, and thermal investigations; and environmental control are required. Progress during the fiscal year 1987 is discussed.

Data are data, so why should it be?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fleischer, Dirk; van Doorn, Erik

2017-04-01

The data management tasks in natural science are very focused on the numbers and measurements of the scientific field. But measurement data do not come by themselves. Usually they are accompanied by a scientist signing responsible for these measurements, observations or simulations of natural characteristics and a publication. According to the scientific intention behind their observations there is always an interpretation of findings written as a scientific publication. This represents the transformation from data to knowledge. Unfortunately, natural scientists do not value this textual product of their work as much as other scientific disciplines do. In the humanities, this is the opposite and the textual results are very valuable to the future work of this community and more accessible to the public. Closer connection between data and knowledge could fertilize the natural sciences and strengthen the application of scientific findings in politics and society. We suggest and pilot methods from digital humanities (TEI or Akoma Ntoso) in to marine sciences and science in general. Starting from the UN Convention for the Law of the Sea and the department of international law at the Kiel Marine Science research priority program of the Kiel University investigates the applicability into Fishery economy and FAO recommendations. The resulting corpus can be used for reasoning and political actions.

Solar System Exploration, 1995-2000

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Squyres, S.; Varsi, G.; Veverka, J.; Soderblom, L.; Black, D.; Stern, A.; Stetson, D.; Brown, R. A.; Niehoff, J.; Squibb, G.

1994-01-01

Goals for planetary exploration during the next decade include: (1) determine how our solar system formed, and understand whether planetary systems are a common phenomenon through out the cosmos; (2) explore the diverse changes that planets have undergone throughout their history and that take place at present, including those that distinguish Earth as a planet; (3) understand how life might have formed on Earth, whether life began anywhere else in the solar system, and whether life (including intelligent beings) might be a common cosmic phenomenon; (4) discover and investigate natural phenomena that occur under conditions not realizable in laboratories; (5) discover and inventory resources in the solar system that could be used by human civilizations in the future; and (6) make the solar system a part of the human experience in the same way that Earth is, and hence lay the groundwork for human expansion into the solar system in the coming century. The plan for solar system exploration is motivated by these goals as well as the following principle: The solar system exploration program will conduct flight programs and supporting data analysis and scientific research commensurate with United States leadership in space exploration. These programs and research must be of the highest scientific merit, they must be responsive to public excitement regarding planetary exploration, and they must contribute to larger national goals in technology and education. The result will be new information, which is accessible to the public, creates new knowledge, and stimulates programs of education to increase the base of scientific knowledge in the general public.

Survey of knowledge and perception on the access to evidence-based practice and clinical practice change among maternal and infant health practitioners in South East Asia.

PubMed

Martis, Ruth; Ho, Jacqueline J; Crowther, Caroline A

2008-08-05

Evidence-based practice (EBP) can provide appropriate care for women and their babies; however implementation of EBP requires health professionals to have access to knowledge, the ability to interpret health care information and then strategies to apply care. The aim of this survey was to assess current knowledge of evidence-based practice, information seeking practices, perceptions and potential enablers and barriers to clinical practice change among maternal and infant health practitioners in South East Asia. Questionnaires about IT access for health information and evidence-based practice were administered during August to December 2005 to health care professionals working at the nine hospitals participating in the South East Asia Optimising Reproductive and Child Health in Developing countries (SEA-ORCHID) project in Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and The Philippines. The survey was completed by 660 staff from six health professional groups. Overall, easy IT access for health care information was available to 46% of participants. However, over a fifth reported no IT access was available and over half of nurses and midwives never used IT health information. Evidence-based practice had been heard of by 58% but the majority did not understand the concept. The most frequent sites accessed were Google and PubMed. The Cochrane Library had been heard of by 47% of whom 51% had access although the majority did not use it or used it less than monthly. Only 27% had heard of the WHO Reproductive Health Library and 35% had been involved in a clinical practice change and were able to identify enablers and barriers to change. Only a third of participants had been actively involved in practice change with wide variation between the countries. Willingness to participate in professional development workshops on evidence-based practice was high. This survey has identified the need to improve IT access to health care information and health professionals' knowledge of evidence-based health care to assist in employing evidence base practice effectively.

Survey of knowledge and perception on the access to evidence-based practice and clinical practice change among maternal and infant health practitioners in South East Asia

PubMed Central

Martis, Ruth; Ho, Jacqueline J; Crowther, Caroline A

2008-01-01

Background Evidence-based practice (EBP) can provide appropriate care for women and their babies; however implementation of EBP requires health professionals to have access to knowledge, the ability to interpret health care information and then strategies to apply care. The aim of this survey was to assess current knowledge of evidence-based practice, information seeking practices, perceptions and potential enablers and barriers to clinical practice change among maternal and infant health practitioners in South East Asia. Methods Questionnaires about IT access for health information and evidence-based practice were administered during August to December 2005 to health care professionals working at the nine hospitals participating in the South East Asia Optimising Reproductive and Child Health in Developing countries (SEA-ORCHID) project in Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and The Philippines. Results The survey was completed by 660 staff from six health professional groups. Overall, easy IT access for health care information was available to 46% of participants. However, over a fifth reported no IT access was available and over half of nurses and midwives never used IT health information. Evidence-based practice had been heard of by 58% but the majority did not understand the concept. The most frequent sites accessed were Google and PubMed. The Cochrane Library had been heard of by 47% of whom 51% had access although the majority did not use it or used it less than monthly. Only 27% had heard of the WHO Reproductive Health Library and 35% had been involved in a clinical practice change and were able to identify enablers and barriers to change. Only a third of participants had been actively involved in practice change with wide variation between the countries. Willingness to participate in professional development workshops on evidence-based practice was high. Conclusion This survey has identified the need to improve IT access to health care information and health professionals' knowledge of evidence-based health care to assist in employing evidence base practice effectively. PMID:18680603

The impact of a hybrid social marketing intervention on inequities in access, ownership and use of insecticide-treated nets.

PubMed

Agha, Sohail; Van Rossem, Ronan; Stallworthy, Guy; Kusanthan, Thankian

2007-01-29

An ITN intervention was initiated in three predominantly rural districts of Eastern Province, Zambia, that lacked commercial distribution and communication infrastructures. Social marketing techniques were used for product and message development. Public sector clinics and village-based volunteers promoted and distributed subsidized ITNs priced at 2.5 dollars per net. A study was conducted to assess the effects of the intervention on inequities in knowledge, access, ownership and use of ITNs. A post-test only quasi-experimental study design was used to compare intervention and comparison districts. A total of 2,986 respondents were interviewed. Survey respondents were grouped into four socio-economic (SES) categories: low, medium-low, medium and high. Knowledge, access, ownership and use indicators are compared. Concentration index scores are calculated. Interactions between intervention status and SES help determine how different SES groups benefited from the intervention. Although overall use of nets remained relatively low, post-test data show that knowledge, access, ownership and use of mosquito nets was higher in intervention districts. A decline in SES inequity in access to nets occurred in intervention districts, resulting from a disproportionately greater increase in access among the low SES group. Declines in SES inequities in net ownership and use of nets were associated with the intervention. The largest increases in net ownership and use occurred among medium and high SES categories. Increasing access to nets among the poorest respondents in rural areas may not lead to increases in net use unless the price of nets is no longer a barrier to their purchase.

An exploratory study into the effect of time-restricted internet access on face-validity, construct validity and reliability of postgraduate knowledge progress testing

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Yearly formative knowledge testing (also known as progress testing) was shown to have a limited construct-validity and reliability in postgraduate medical education. One way to improve construct-validity and reliability is to improve the authenticity of a test. As easily accessible internet has become inseparably linked to daily clinical practice, we hypothesized that allowing internet access for a limited amount of time during the progress test would improve the perception of authenticity (face-validity) of the test, which would in turn improve the construct-validity and reliability of postgraduate progress testing. Methods Postgraduate trainees taking the yearly knowledge progress test were asked to participate in a study where they could access the internet for 30 minutes at the end of a traditional pen and paper test. Before and after the test they were asked to complete a short questionnaire regarding the face-validity of the test. Results Mean test scores increased significantly for all training years. Trainees indicated that the face-validity of the test improved with internet access and that they would like to continue to have internet access during future testing. Internet access did not improve the construct-validity or reliability of the test. Conclusion Improving the face-validity of postgraduate progress testing, by adding the possibility to search the internet for a limited amount of time, positively influences test performance and face-validity. However, it did not change the reliability or the construct-validity of the test. PMID:24195696

When you reach a fork in the road, take it: science and product development as linked paths.

PubMed

Keusch, Gerald T

2008-01-01

There is a simple underlying message in this discussion, which has three parts. First, science has the capacity to generate new knowledge and harness that knowledge in the cause of developing products and technology that can reduce disease burdens among developing nation populations. Second, intellectual property is a tool to use in order to insure that new knowledge is not expropriated and exploited in a manner that threatens the ability to provide products and technology to poor people at an affordable price. Third, and finally, academic scientists need to understand that they can stride both pathways of the R&D road, remaining involved in generating basic knowledge while participating in the application of that knowledge towards product development and, through the use of best practice IP management, making it available in resource-poor environments. In order for this to happen, academia needs to maintain bridges to the private sector, while assiduously avoiding financial conflicts of interest, a topic not discussed in this paper. Academic scientists, whether already established or still completing their education, need access to training modules that allows them to define the challenges of the high disease burdens in the third world in human, and not just in consumption or dollar, terms. They also need education regarding the problems they work on, in order to engage them in the technology transfer from academia to the private sector; promote collaboration with scientists in the developing world; provide them with enough insights into the process and how it operates so that they know about the terms of any agreements with the private sector that would prevent poor people from accessing the ultimate product; and finally "reward" them in the academic system by advancement based on applied and field-based international translational and operational applied research. If these education programs develop and expand to increasing numbers of people in the research sector of academia, the number of people taking both paths described here will substantially increase. With that, the amount of research relevant to improving the health status--and indirectly, development--of developing countries will have been substantially increased.

Fairness in Knowing: Science Communication and Epistemic Justice.

PubMed

Medvecky, Fabien

2017-09-22

Science communication, as a field and as a practice, is fundamentally about knowledge distribution; it is about the access to, and the sharing of knowledge. All distribution (science communication included) brings with it issues of ethics and justice. Indeed, whether science communicators acknowledge it or not, they get to decide both which knowledge is shared (by choosing which topic is communicated), and who gets access to this knowledge (by choosing which audience it is presented to). As a result, the decisions of science communicators have important implications for epistemic justice: how knowledge is distributed fairly and equitably. This paper presents an overview of issues related to epistemic justice for science communication, and argues that there are two quite distinct ways in which science communicators can be just (or unjust) in the way they distribute knowledge. Both of these paths will be considered before concluding that, at least on one of these accounts, science communication as a field and as a practice is fundamentally epistemically unjust. Possible ways to redress this injustice are suggested.

Considerations for a design and operations knowledge support system for Space Station Freedom

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Erickson, Jon D.; Crouse, Kenneth H.; Wechsler, Donald B.; Flaherty, Douglas R.

1989-01-01

Engineering and operations of modern engineered systems depend critically upon detailed design and operations knowledge that is accurate and authoritative. A design and operations knowledge support system (DOKSS) is a modern computer-based information system providing knowledge about the creation, evolution, and growth of an engineered system. The purpose of a DOKSS is to provide convenient and effective access to this multifaceted information. The complexity of Space Station Freedom's (SSF's) systems, elements, interfaces, and organizations makes convenient access to design knowledge especially important, when compared to simpler systems. The life cycle length, being 30 or more years, adds a new dimension to space operations, maintenance, and evolution. Provided here is a review and discussion of design knowledge support systems to be delivered and operated as a critical part of the engineered system. A concept of a DOKSS for Space Station Freedom (SSF) is presented. This is followed by a detailed discussion of a DOKSS for the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center and Work Package-2 portions of SSF.

Protecting Traditional Knowledge Related to Biological Resources: Is Scientific Research Going to Become More Bureaucratized?

PubMed Central

Reddy, Prashant; Lakshmikumaran, Malathi

2015-01-01

For the past several decades, there has been a world debate on the need for protecting traditional knowledge. A global treaty appears to be a distant reality. Of more immediate concern are the steps taken by the global community to protect access to biological resources in the name of protecting traditional knowledge. The Indian experience with implementing the Convention on Biological Diversity has created substantial legal uncertainty in collaborative scientific research between Indians and foreigners apart from bureaucratizing the entire process of scientific research, especially with regard to filing of applications for intellectual property rights. The issue therefore is whether the world needs to better balance the needs of the scientific community with the rights of those who have access to traditional knowledge. PMID:26101205

[Ultraviolet exposure from indoor tanning devices as a potential source of health risks: Basic knowledge of the proper use of these devices for practical users, physicians and solarium staff].

PubMed

Malinowska-Borowska, Jolanta; Janosik, Elżbieta

2017-07-26

Bearing in mind the adverse health effects of exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation in solarium, especially the risk of carcinogenesis, there is a need to adopt legal regulations by relevant Polish authorities. They should set out the principles for indoor tanning studios operation, supervision and service of the technical parameters of tanning devices and training programs to provide the staff with professional knowledge and other aspects of safety in these facilities. The mechanism of the harmful effects of ultraviolet radiation on the human body, scale of overexposure, resulting from excessive sunbathing are described. Methods for estimating UV exposure and possible actions aimed at reducing the overexposure and preventing from cancer development caused by UV are also presented in this paper. Med Pr 2017;68(5):653-665. This work is available in Open Access model and licensed under a CC BY-NC 3.0 PL license.

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

Templin-Branner, Wilma

The purpose of this training is to familiarize participants with reliable online environmental health and toxicology information, from the National Library of Medicine and other reliable sources. Skills and knowledge acquired in this training class will enable participants to access, utilize, and refer others to environmental health and toxicology information. After completing this course, participants will be able to: (1) Identify quality, accurate, and authoritative online resources pertaining to environmental health, toxicology, and related medical information; (2) Demonstrate the ability to perform strategic search techniques to find relevant online information; and (3) Apply the skills and knowledge obtained in thismore » class to their organization's health information needs. NLMs TOXNET (Toxicology Data Network) is a free, Web-based system of databases on toxicology, environmental health, hazardous chemicals, toxic releases, chemical nomenclatures, and specialty areas such as occupational health and consumer products. Types of information in the TOXNET databases include: (1) Specific chemicals, mixtures, and products; (2) Unknown chemicals; and (3) Special toxic effects of chemicals in humans and/or animals.« less

How Can Elispot Add Information to Improve Knowledge on Tropical Diseases?

PubMed Central

Lima-Junior, Josué da Costa; Conceição-Silva, Fátima

2017-01-01

Elispot has been used as an important tool for detecting immune cells’ products and functions and has facilitated the understanding of host-pathogen interaction. Despite the incredible diversity of possibilities, two main approaches have been developed: the immunopathogenesis and diagnosis/prognosis of infectious diseases as well as cancer research. Much has been described on the topics of allergy, autoimmune diseases, and HIV-Aids, however, Elispot can also be applied to other infectious diseases, mainly leishmaniasis, malaria, some viruses, helminths and mycosis usually classified as tropical diseases. The comprehension of the function, concentration and diversity of the immune response in the infectious disease is pointed out as crucial to the development of infection or disease in humans and animals. In this review we will describe the knowledge already obtained using Elispot as a method for accessing the profile of immune response as well as the recent advances in information about host-pathogen interaction in order to better understand the clinical outcome of a group of tropical and neglected diseases. PMID:28961208

[EFFECTIVE EDUCATIONAL INTERVENTIONS IN HIV FOR WOMEN].

PubMed

Miner, Sarah; Poupin, Lauren; Bernales, Margarita; Ferrer, Lilian; Cianelli, Rosina

In Chile, it is estimated that over 38,000 people live with Human Immunodeficiency Virus [HIV]. In 2001, there were 1092 Chilean women living with HIV, and in 2006 there were 7,600, further affecting low income populations. These findings reveal the necessity to create prevention strategies directed towards Chilean women. the purpose of this revision is to analyze studies of prevention programs in HIV in order to determine what aspects should be included in successful HIV prevention programs with women. a literature review was carried out using searches done in the databases Proquest and CINAHL, Pubmed and Scielo. The search was limited by the criteria of full text only, within the last ten years and free access, written in Spanish or English. Fifteen articles were selected for the following revision. all of the selected articles measured the effect of an intervention on knowledge and behaviours related to HIV/AIDS. Fourteen articles produced significant changes in positive behaviours or knowledge related to the prevention of HIV. prevention programs in HIV with socially disadvantaged women can be effective in provoking changes in behaviours and knowledge associated with HIV. Successful interventions were those based on prevention theories or models of behavior change and adapted to the culture of the sample.

Teaching Programming in Secondary School: A Pedagogical Content Knowledge Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Saeli, Mara; Perrenet, Jacob; Jochems, Wim M. G.; Zwaneveld, Bert

2011-01-01

The goal of this literature study is to give some preliminary answers to the questions that aim to uncover the Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK) of Informatics Education, with focus on Programming. PCK has been defined as the knowledge that allows teachers to transform their knowledge of the subject into something accessible for their students.…

Approaching Multidimensional Forms of Knowledge through Personal Meaning Mapping in Science Integrating Teaching outside the Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hartmeyer, Rikke; Bølling, Mads; Bentsen, Peter

2017-01-01

Current research points to Personal Meaning Mapping (PMM) as a method useful in investigating students' prior and current science knowledge. However, studies investigating PMM as a method for exploring specific knowledge dimensions are lacking. Ensuring that students are able to access specific knowledge dimensions is important, especially in…

Knowledge Management, Human Resource Management, and Higher Education: A Theoretical Model

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brewer, Peggy D.; Brewer, Kristen L.

2010-01-01

Much has been written on the importance of knowledge management, the challenges facing organizations, and the important human resource management activities involved in assuring the acquisition and transfer of knowledge. Higher business education plays an important role in preparing students to assume the knowledge management and human resource…

Soalr cooking in developing countries

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

Stone, L.

1994-11-01

Solar cooking must overcome a number of obstacles to realize its potential to improve the lives of women in developing countries. Unlike historical interest in solar cooking, current interest derives from vital environmental and human needs. Deforestation and reliance on wood for cooking lead to many hardships, especially for women, and women in developing countries need access to technology and funding. If the woman builds the oven herself, it notonly makes her more willing to use it but the process empower her with new knowledge and kills. The physical design of the oven must be adapted to local conditions andmore » materials for the oven should be inexpensive and locally available.« less

Fine Tuning Gene Expression: The Epigenome

PubMed Central

Mohtat, Davoud; Susztak, Katalin

2011-01-01

An epigenetic trait is a stably inherited phenotype resulting from changes in a chromosome without alterations in the DNA sequence. Epigenetic modifications, such as; DNA methylation, together with covalent modification of histones, are thought to alter chromatin density and accessibility of the DNA to cellular machinery, thereby modulating the transcriptional potential of the underlying DNA sequence. As epigenetic marks under environmental influence, epigenetics provides an added layer of variation that might mediate the relationship between genotype and internal and external environmental factors. Integration of our knowledge in genetics, epigenomics and genomics with the use of systems biology tools may present investigators with new powerful tools to study many complex human diseases such as kidney disease. PMID:21044758

Machine Learning for Zwicky Transient Facility

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mahabal, Ashish; Zwicky Transient Facility, Catalina Real-Time Transient Survey

2018-01-01

The Zwicky Transient Facility (ZTF) will operate from 2018 to 2020 covering the accessible sky with its large 47 square degree camera. The transient detection rate is expected to be about a million per night. ZTF is thus a perfect LSST prototype. The big difference is that all of the ZTF transients can be followed up by 4- to 8-m class telescopes. Given the large numbers, using human scanners for separating the genuine transients from artifacts is out of question. For that first step as well as for classifying the transients with minimal follow-up requires machine learning. We describe the tools and plans to take on this task using follow-up facilities, and knowledge gained from archival datasets.

Annotate-it: a Swiss-knife approach to annotation, analysis and interpretation of single nucleotide variation in human disease

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

The increasing size and complexity of exome/genome sequencing data requires new tools for clinical geneticists to discover disease-causing variants. Bottlenecks in identifying the causative variation include poor cross-sample querying, constantly changing functional annotation and not considering existing knowledge concerning the phenotype. We describe a methodology that facilitates exploration of patient sequencing data towards identification of causal variants under different genetic hypotheses. Annotate-it facilitates handling, analysis and interpretation of high-throughput single nucleotide variant data. We demonstrate our strategy using three case studies. Annotate-it is freely available and test data are accessible to all users at http://www.annotate-it.org. PMID:23013645

From discovery to licensure, the Adjuvant System story.

PubMed

Garçon, Nathalie; Di Pasquale, Alberta

2017-01-02

Adjuvants are substances added to vaccines to improve their immunogenicity. Used for more than 80 years, aluminum, the first adjuvant in human vaccines, proved insufficient to develop vaccines that could protect against new challenging pathogens such as HIV and malaria. New adjuvants and new combinations of adjuvants (Adjuvant Systems) have opened the door to the delivery of improved and new vaccines against re-emerging and difficult pathogens. Adjuvant Systems concept started through serendipity. The access to new developments in technology, microbiology and immunology have been instrumental for the dicephering of what they do and how they do it. This knowledge opens the door to more rational vaccine design with implications for developing new and better vaccines.

Lunar Exploration and Science in ESA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carpenter, James; Foing, Bernard H.; Fisackerly, Richard; Houdou, Berengere; De Rosa, Diego; Patti, Bernado; Schiemann, Jens

ESA seeks to provide Europe with access to the lunar surface, and allow Europeans to benefit from the opening up of this new frontier, as part of a global endeavor. This will be best achieved through an exploration programme which combines the strengths and capabilities of both robotic and human explorers. ESA is preparing for future participation in lunar exploration through a combination of human and robotic activities, in cooperation with international partners. Future planned activities include the contribution of key technological capabilities to the Russian led robotic missions, Luna-Glob, Luna-Resurs orbiter and Luna-Resurs lander. For the Luna-Resurs lander ESA will provide analytical capabilities to compliment the already selected Russian led payload, focusing on the abundance, composition and isotopes of lunar volatiles in polar regions, and their associated chemistry. This should be followed by the contributions at the level of mission elements to a Lunar Polar Sample Return mission. This partnership will provide access for European investigators to the opportunities offered by the Russian led instruments on the missions, as well as providing Europe with a unique opportunity to characterise and utilise polar volatile populations. Ultimately samples of high scientific value, from as of yet unexplored and unsampled locations shall be made available to the scientific community. These robotic activities are being performed with a view to enabling a future more comprehensive programme in which robotic and human activities are integrated to provide the maximum benefits from lunar surface access. Activities on the ISS and ESA participation to the US Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle, which is planned for a first unmanned lunar flight in 2017, are also important steps towards achieving this. All of these activities are performed with a view to generating the technologies, capabilities, knowledge and heritage that will make Europe an indispensable partner in the exploration missions of the future.

Enhanced knowledge of spontaneous reporting with structured educational programs in Korean community pharmacists: a cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Yu, Yun Mi; Lee, Euni

2017-05-30

While spontaneous reporting (SR) is one of the important public health activities for community pharmacists to guard patients' safety, very few studies examined educational activities and its effects on knowledge about the SR system in Korea. This study described the association between knowledge of SR and educational activities targeting community pharmacists in Korea. Self-administered questionnaires were collected between September 1, 2014 and November 25, 2014. The questionnaires addressed sources of SR knowledge (structured educational programs, personal access to educational resources, and information by social network services) and knowledge about the Regional Pharmacovigilance Center designated for community pharmacists, the legal responsibility clause on the serious event reporting, and the reportable items. The association between the knowledge of SR and the educational activities was evaluated using analysis of variance or chi-squared tests. Overall, 766 questionnaires demonstrated that mean age and length of career in community pharmacies was 45.7 years and 15.9 years, respectively. A structured educational program was used in 63.1% of the participants followed by a personal access to educational resources (56.3%). An educational program offered by the Korean Pharmaceutical Association was the most frequently mentioned program (56.8%), and no regional disparity in the program between the metropolitan and rural areas was observed. Pharmacists who had personal access to educational resources identified SR knowledge contents less correctly than those who used a structured educational program or both (p < 0.01). In general, pharmacists' knowledge on reportable items was significantly lower with non-prescription drugs, nutritional supplements, and personal hygiene products as compared to their knowledge on prescription drugs, regardless of the type of education (p < 0.01). Knowledge regarding SR was more likely to increase when a structured educational program was used alone or in combination with other educational methods. Knowledge on reportable items should be reinforced during the continuing education process.

[The global and national context regarding the challenges involved in ensuring adequate access to water for human consumption].

PubMed

Augusto, Lia Giraldo da Silva; Gurgel, Idê Gomes Dantas; Câmara Neto, Henrique Fernandes; de Melo, Carlos Henrique; Costa, André Monteiro

2012-06-01

The scope of this article is to analyze the challenges involved in ensuring access to water for human consumption taking the international and national context into consideration. Based on the UN declaration that access to safe and clean drinking water is a fundamental human right, vulnerabilities are identified that can consist in restrictions to access to adequate supplies. The distribution of water and the population across the planet, pollution, inadequate policies and management lead to environmental injustice. The iniquity of access to water constitutes the contemporary water crisis. From the 1980s onwards, the transnational water market emerged for private control that occurs at three main levels: surface and underground water sources; bottled water; and public water supply services. The conflicts of the multiple uses of water resources, the market and environmental problems have contributed to rendering the health of the population and ecosystems vulnerable. Adequate public policies are essential to ensure the basic human right to access to safe and clean drinking water.

World Religions, Women and Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

King, Ursula

1987-01-01

Examines religious traditions--Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Islam, and Western Christianity--to see how women were taught and what knowledge was transmitted to them. Notes that women have always had some access to religious knowledge in informal ways but were excluded from formal education once sacred knowledge became transmitted in an…

DataHub knowledge based assistance for science visualization and analysis using large distributed databases

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Handley, Thomas H., Jr.; Collins, Donald J.; Doyle, Richard J.; Jacobson, Allan S.

1991-01-01

Viewgraphs on DataHub knowledge based assistance for science visualization and analysis using large distributed databases. Topics covered include: DataHub functional architecture; data representation; logical access methods; preliminary software architecture; LinkWinds; data knowledge issues; expert systems; and data management.

Employees and Creativity: Social Ties and Access to Heterogeneous Knowledge

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Huang, Chiung-En; Liu, Chih-Hsing Sam

2015-01-01

This study dealt with employee social ties, knowledge heterogeneity contacts, and the generation of creativity. Although prior studies demonstrated a relationship between network position and creativity, inadequate attention has been paid to network ties and heterogeneity knowledge contacts. This study considered the social interaction processes…

Self-Explanations: How Students Study and Use Examples in Learning to Solve Problems.

DTIC Science & Technology

1987-11-03

the conversion of the declarativ ;? knowledge Into the procedural knowledge, whereas the encoding of the declarative knowledge is taken to be a...self-explanations during studying examples may make other latent or implicit components more accessible. Our data cannot discriminate between the

Hats off to Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jackson, Julie K.; Newell, Nancy

2012-01-01

Words are the foundation of knowledge. They are powerful tools used to express ideas, communicate with others, access knowledge, and learn about new concepts. Research shows a strong relationship between student word knowledge and academic achievement. As a result, building academic content vocabulary is an important part of science instruction.…

Health Access Livelihood Framework Reveals Potential Barriers in the Control of Schistosomiasis in the Dongting Lake Area of Hunan Province, China

PubMed Central

McManus, Donald P.; Raso, Giovanna; Utzinger, Jürg; Xiao, Shui-Yuan; Yu, Dong-Bao; Zhao, Zheng-Yuan; Li, Yue-Sheng

2013-01-01

Background Access to health care is a major requirement in improving health and fostering socioeconomic development. In the People's Republic of China (P.R. China), considerable changes have occurred in the social, economic, and health systems with a shift from a centrally planned to a socialist market economy. This brought about great benefits and new challenges, particularly for vertical disease control programs, including schistosomiasis. We explored systemic barriers in access to equitable and effective control of schistosomiasis. Methodology Between August 2002 and February 2003, 66 interviews with staff from anti-schistosomiasis control stations and six focus group discussions with health personnel were conducted in the Dongting Lake area, Hunan Province. Additionally, 79 patients with advanced schistosomiasis japonica were interviewed. The health access livelihood framework was utilized to examine availability, accessibility, affordability, adequacy, and acceptability of schistosomiasis-related health care. Principal Findings We found sufficient availability of infrastructure and human resources at most control stations. Many patients with advanced schistosomiasis resided in non-endemic or moderately endemic areas, however, with poor accessibility to disease-specific knowledge and specialized health services. Moreover, none of the patients interviewed had any form of health insurance, resulting in high out-of-pocket expenditure or unaffordable care. Reports on the adequacy and acceptability of care were mixed. Conclusions/Significance There is a need to strengthen health awareness and schistosomiasis surveillance in post-transmission control settings, as well as to reduce diagnostic and treatment costs. Further studies are needed to gain a multi-layered, in-depth understanding of remaining barriers, so that the ultimate goal of schistosomiasis elimination in P.R. China can be reached. PMID:23936580

Reconceptualising Access in Education Policy: Method and Mindset

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vongalis-Macrow, Athena

2010-01-01

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

Binary Coded Web Access Pattern Tree in Education Domain

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gomathi, C.; Moorthi, M.; Duraiswamy, K.

2008-01-01

Web Access Pattern (WAP), which is the sequence of accesses pursued by users frequently, is a kind of interesting and useful knowledge in practice. Sequential Pattern mining is the process of applying data mining techniques to a sequential database for the purposes of discovering the correlation relationships that exist among an ordered list of…

College Prep and Access from the Perspective of Diversity College Admission Professionals

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bethea, Kathryn A.

2016-01-01

Studies have found that there is a college access gap for students of color in P-16 education. I utilize Perna's (2006) integrated college access model in exploring college admission's knowledge of college preparation in education. The present study uses qualitative questionnaires to measure diversity college admission professionals' (DCAPs)…

Developing Guidelines for Evaluating the Adaptation of Accessible Web-Based Learning Materials

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Radovan, Marko; Perdih, Mojca

2016-01-01

E-learning is a rapidly developing form of education. One of the key characteristics of e-learning is flexibility, which enables easier access to knowledge for everyone. Information and communications technology (ICT), which is e-learning's main component, enables alternative means of accessing the web-based learning materials that comprise the…

Postpolio Survivors: Needs for and Access to Social and Health Care Services.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Foster, Larry W.; And Others

1993-01-01

Needs assessment survey of 268 polio survivors explored incidence of postpolio syndrome and perceived need for and access to social and health care services. Large proportion of respondents reported experiencing postpolio syndrome. Most perceived that they had no access to knowledgeable physicians or social and health care services, and most were…

Universal Access to E-Mail: Feasibility and Societal Implications.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Anderson, Robert H.; And Others

E-mail has swept the communications and information world, providing instantaneous global information and data exchange. However, an information elite still exists, made up of those with access to and knowledge about computers and e-mail. The diverging trends in access based on income and education are placing significant groups of current and…

Liberal Education Reconsidered: Cultivating Humanity in the Knowledge Society

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hong, Eunsook

2014-01-01

In the knowledge society, there is a conflict between "education for profit" and "education for humanity." Education for profit is needed for students' economic survival and success in the knowledge economy. Education for humanity is needed for their existential lives worthy of human beings. This paper deals with the…

Knowledge representation by connection matrices: A method for the on-board implementation of large expert systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kellner, A.

1987-01-01

Extremely large knowledge sources and efficient knowledge access characterizing future real-life artificial intelligence applications represent crucial requirements for on-board artificial intelligence systems due to obvious computer time and storage constraints on spacecraft. A type of knowledge representation and corresponding reasoning mechanism is proposed which is particularly suited for the efficient processing of such large knowledge bases in expert systems.

Design knowledge capture for the space station

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Crouse, K. R.; Wechsler, D. B.

1987-01-01

The benefits of design knowledge availability are identifiable and pervasive. The implementation of design knowledge capture and storage using current technology increases the probability for success, while providing for a degree of access compatibility with future applications. The space station design definition should be expanded to include design knowledge. Design knowledge should be captured. A critical timing relationship exists between the space station development program, and the implementation of this project.

Natural Immunity to Ebola Virus in the Syrian Hamster Requires Antibody Responses.

PubMed

Prescott, Joseph; Falzarano, Darryl; Feldmann, Heinz

2015-10-01

Most ebolaviruses can cause severe disease in humans and other primates, with high case fatality rates during human outbreaks. Although these viruses have been studied for almost 4 decades, little is know regarding the mechanisms by which they cause disease and what is important for protection or treatment after infection. Because of the sporadic nature of the outbreaks and difficulties accessing the populations affected by ebolaviruses, little is also known about what constitutes an appropriate immune response to infection in humans that survive infection. Such knowledge would allow a targeted approach to therapies. In contrast to humans, rodents are protected from disease on infection with ebolaviruses, although adapted versions of some of the viruses are lethal in mice, hamsters and guinea pigs. Using the recently described hamster model, along with T-cell depletion strategies, we show that CD4(+) T cells are required for natural immunity to Ebola virus infection and that CD4-dependent antibody responses are required for immunity in this model. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Infectious Diseases Society of America 2015. This work is written by (a) US Government employee(s) and is in the public domain in the US.

[The virtual library in equity, health, and human development].

PubMed

Valdés, América

2002-01-01

This article attempts to describe the rationale that has led to the development of information sources dealing with equity, health, and human development in countries of Latin America and the Caribbean within the context of the Virtual Health Library (Biblioteca Virtual en Salud, BVS). Such information sources include the scientific literature, databases in printed and electronic format, institutional directories and lists of specialists, lists of events and courses, distance education programs, specialty journals and bulletins, as well as other means of disseminating health information. The pages that follow deal with the development of a Virtual Library in Equity, Health, and Human Development, an effort rooted in the conviction that decision-making and policy geared toward achieving greater equity in health must, of necessity, be based on coherent, well-organized, and readily accessible first-rate scientific information. Information is useless unless it is converted into knowledge that benefits society. The Virtual Library in Equity, Health, and Human Development is a coordinated effort to develop a decentralized regional network of scientific information sources, with strict quality control, from which public officials can draw data and practical examples that can help them set health and development policies geared toward achieving greater equity for all.

Step 1:Human System Integration (HSI) FY05 Pilot-Technology Interface Requirements for Collision Avoidance

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2007-01-01

This document provides definition of technology human interface requirements for Collision Avoidance (CA). This was performed through a review of CA-related, HSI requirements documents, standards, and recommended practices. Technology concepts in use by the Access 5 CA work package were considered... Beginning with the HSI high-level functional requirement for CA, and CA technology elements, HSI requirements for the interface to the pilot were identified. Results of the analysis describe (1) the information required by the pilot to have knowledge CA system status, and (2) the control capability needed by the pilot to obtain CA information and affect an avoidance maneuver. Fundamentally, these requirements provide the candidate CA technology concepts with the necessary human-related elements to make them compatible with human capabilities and limitations. The results of the analysis describe how CA operations and functions should interface with the pilot to provide the necessary CA functionality to the UA-pilot system .Requirements and guidelines for CA are partitioned into four categories: (1) General, (2) Alerting, (3) Guidance, and (4) Cockpit Display of Traffic Information. Each requirement is stated and is supported with a rationale and associated reference(s).

Addictions Neuroclinical Assessment: A reverse translational approach.

PubMed

Kwako, Laura E; Momenan, Reza; Grodin, Erica N; Litten, Raye Z; Koob, George F; Goldman, David

2017-08-01

Incentive salience, negative emotionality, and executive function are functional domains that are etiologic in the initiation and progression of addictive disorders, having been implicated in humans with addictive disorders and in animal models of addictions. Measures of these three neuroscience-based functional domains can capture much of the effects of inheritance and early exposures that lead to trait vulnerability shared across different addictive disorders. For specific addictive disorders, these measures can be supplemented by agent specific measures such as those that access pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic variation attributable to agent-specific gatekeeper molecules including receptors and drug-metabolizing enzymes. Herein, we focus on the translation and reverse translation of knowledge derived from animal models of addiction to the human condition via measures of neurobiological processes that are orthologous in animals and humans, and that are shared in addictions to different agents. Based on preclinical data and human studies, measures of these domains in a general framework of an Addictions Neuroclinical Assessment (ANA) can transform the assessment and nosology of addictive disorders, and can be informative for staging disease progression. We consider next steps and challenges for implementation of ANA in clinical care and research. This article is part of the Special Issue entitled "Alcoholism". Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Step 1: Human System Integration Pilot-Technology Interface Requirements for Weather Management

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2005-01-01

This document involves definition of technology interface requirements for Hazardous Weather Avoidance. Technology concepts in use by the Access 5 Weather Management Work Package were considered. Beginning with the Human System Integration (HIS) high-level functional requirement for Hazardous Weather Avoidance, and Hazardous Weather Avoidance technology elements, HSI requirements for the interface to the pilot were identified. Results of the analysis describe (1) the information required by the pilot to have knowledge of hazardous weather, and (2) the control capability needed by the pilot to obtain hazardous weather information. Fundamentally, these requirements provide the candidate Hazardous Weather Avoidance technology concepts with the necessary human-related elements to make them compatible with human capabilities and limitations. The results of the analysis describe how Hazardous Weather Avoidance operations and functions should interface with the pilot to provide the necessary Weather Management functionality to the UA-pilot system. Requirements and guidelines for Hazardous Weather Avoidance are partitioned into four categories: (1) Planning En Route (2) Encountering Hazardous Weather En Route, (3) Planning to Destination, and (4) Diversion Planning Alternate Airport. Each requirement is stated and is supported with a rationale and associated reference(s).

Reducing queues: demand and capacity variations.

PubMed

Eriksson, Henrik; Bergbrant, Ing-Marie; Berrum, Ingela; Mörck, Boel

2011-01-01

The aim of this paper is to investigate how waiting lists or queues could be reduced without adding more resources; and to describe what factors sustain reduced waiting-times. Cases were selected according to successful and sustained queue reduction. The approach in this study is action research. Accessibility improved as out-patient waiting lists for two clinics were reduced. The main success was working towards matching demand and capacity. It has been possible to sustain the improvements. Results should be viewed cautiously. Transferring and generalizing outcomes from this study is for readers to consider. However, accessible healthcare may be possible by paying more attention to existing solutions. The study indicates that queue reduction activities should include acquiring knowledge about theories and methods to improve accessibility, finding ways to monitor varying demand and capacity, and to improve patient processing by reducing variations. Accessibility is considered an important dimension when measuring service quality. However, there are few articles on how clinic staff sustain reduces waiting lists. This paper contributes accessible knowledge to the field.

Health Care Access Among Deaf People.

PubMed

Kuenburg, Alexa; Fellinger, Paul; Fellinger, Johannes

2016-01-01

Access to health care without barriers is a clearly defined right of people with disabilities as stated by the UN Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities. The present study reviews literature from 2000 to 2015 on access to health care for deaf people and reveals significant challenges in communication with health providers and gaps in global health knowledge for deaf people including those with even higher risk of marginalization. Examples of approaches to improve access to health care, such as providing powerful and visually accessible communication through the use of sign language, the implementation of important communication technologies, and cultural awareness trainings for health professionals are discussed. Programs that raise health knowledge in Deaf communities and models of primary health care centers for deaf people are also presented. Published documents can empower deaf people to realize their right to enjoy the highest attainable standard of health. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Ethnomedicinal plants used to treat human ailments in the prehistoric place of Harla and Dengego valleys, eastern Ethiopia

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Traditional medicines remained as the most affordable and easily accessible source of treatment in the primary health care system among diverse communities in Ethiopia. The Oromo community living in the prehistoric Harla and Dengego valleys has long history of ethnomedicinal know-how and practice against human and livestock ailments. However, this rich ethnomedicinal knowledge had been remained unexplored hitherto. This study focus on the comprehensive ethnomedicinal investigation in an attempt to safeguard the deteriorating ethnomedicinal knowledge that can be used as a steppingstone for phytochemical and pharmacological analysis. Methods Fifty five (44 male and 11 female) systematically selected informants including ten traditional herbalists (key informants) were participated in the study. Semi-structured interviews, discussions and guided field walk constituted the data collection methods. Factor of informant consensus (Fic), frequency of citation (F%), and binomial test were employed in data analysis. Medicinal plant specimens were collected, identified and kept at Herbarium of Haramaya University (HHU). Results A total of 83 traditional medicinal plant species against human ailments in 70 genera and 40 Families were recorded. Twelve medicinal plants were marketable in open market places of the nearby towns. Formulations recorded added to 140 remedies for 81 human ailments. Concoction accounts 50.7% of the total preparations followed by fluids extraction (10.7%) and infusion (6.4%). Fifteen different plant parts were used for remedies preparation wherein leaves accounted 46.4%, stem 9.2%, fruits and roots each 7.8%. Most of the remedies (90.7%) were prepared from single plant species like, aphrodisiac fresh rhizome of Kleinia abyssinica (A. Rich.) A. Berger chewed and swallowed few hours before sexual performance for a man having problem of erectile dysfunction. The Fic value ranges between 1.0 (gastritis and heartburn/pyrosis) and 0.77 (swollen body part). Aloe harlana Reynolds was reported to be used for the highest number of ailments treating swollen body part locally called GOFLA, colon cleaner, snake bite, liver swelling, spleen swelling/splenomegaly, fungal infections and inflammation of skin. Conclusion Such documentation of comprehensive ethnomedicinal knowledge is very valuable and needs to be scaled-up so that it could be followed up with phytochemical and pharmacological analyses in order to give scientific ground to the ethnomedicinal knowledge. PMID:24499509

RelFinder: Revealing Relationships in RDF Knowledge Bases

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heim, Philipp; Hellmann, Sebastian; Lehmann, Jens; Lohmann, Steffen; Stegemann, Timo

The Semantic Web has recently seen a rise of large knowledge bases (such as DBpedia) that are freely accessible via SPARQL endpoints. The structured representation of the contained information opens up new possibilities in the way it can be accessed and queried. In this paper, we present an approach that extracts a graph covering relationships between two objects of interest. We show an interactive visualization of this graph that supports the systematic analysis of the found relationships by providing highlighting, previewing, and filtering features.

Heuristic thinking makes a chemist smart.

PubMed

Graulich, Nicole; Hopf, Henning; Schreiner, Peter R

2010-05-01

We focus on the virtually neglected use of heuristic principles in understanding and teaching of organic chemistry. As human thinking is not comparable to computer systems employing factual knowledge and algorithms--people rarely make decisions through careful considerations of every possible event and its probability, risks or usefulness--research in science and teaching must include psychological aspects of the human decision making processes. Intuitive analogical and associative reasoning and the ability to categorize unexpected findings typically demonstrated by experienced chemists should be made accessible to young learners through heuristic concepts. The psychology of cognition defines heuristics as strategies that guide human problem-solving and deciding procedures, for example with patterns, analogies, or prototypes. Since research in the field of artificial intelligence and current studies in the psychology of cognition have provided evidence for the usefulness of heuristics in discovery, the status of heuristics has grown into something useful and teachable. In this tutorial review, we present a heuristic analysis of a familiar fundamental process in organic chemistry--the cyclic six-electron case, and we show that this approach leads to a more conceptual insight in understanding, as well as in teaching and learning.

Nocardia veterana Isolated from Ascitic Fluid of a Patient with Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection

PubMed Central

Godreuil, Sylvain; Didelot, Marie-Noëlle; Perez, Colette; Leflèche, Anne; Boiron, Patrick; Reynes, Jacques; Laurent, Frédéric; Jean-Pierre, Hélène; Marchandin, Hélène

2003-01-01

Nocardia veterana is a recently characterized species within the genus Nocardia, and only three human clinical isolates have been reported for this species. We describe a case of ascitic fluid infection in an immunocompromised patient due to N. veterana. To our knowledge, this is the first report of a Nocardia sp. strain from ascitic fluid and the fourth report of N. veterana isolated from human samples. Chemotaxonomic methods showed the strain to belong to the genus Nocardia, and identification to the species level was done by 16S ribosomal DNA gene sequencing. The antibiotic susceptibility profile of N. veterana is reported here for the second time. The strain was deposited in the Collection of the Pasteur Institute and in the Culture Collection of the University of Göteborg (CIP 107497 and CCUG 46576). The corresponding 16S ribosomal DNA gene sequence is available from the GenBank database under accession number AY149599. A phylogenetic analysis was conducted and showed that N. veterana was most closely related to the recently characterized species Nocardia africana rather than to Nocardia vaccinii, as previously reported. PMID:12791927

Knowledge, attitudes, practices and willingness to vaccinate in preparation for the introduction of HPV vaccines in Bamako, Mali.

PubMed

De Groot, Anne S; Tounkara, Karamoko; Rochas, Mali; Beseme, Sarah; Yekta, Shahla; Diallo, Fanta Siby; Tracy, J Kathleen; Teguete, Ibrahima; Koita, Ousmane A

2017-01-01

Although screening for pre-cancerous cervical lesions and human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccination are accepted and effective means to prevent cervical cancer, women in Mali have limited access to these interventions. In addition, cervical cancer prevention by HPV vaccination has been controversial in some settings. To reduce cervical cancer prevalence and increase HPV vaccine uptake, it is important to understand the level of knowledge about cervical cancer screening and practices related to vaccination in at-risk populations. In this study, the level of knowledge about HPV and cervical cancer and attitudes towards vaccination were assessed among 301 participants (male and female, adults and adolescents) in a house-to-house survey in two urban neighborhoods in Bamako, Mali. The survey was combined with a brief educational session on HPV. Prior to the education session, overall knowledge of HPV infection and cervical cancer was very low: only 8% knew that HPV is a sexually transmitted infection (STI). Less than 20% of women had ever consulted a gynecologist and less than 3% had ever had cervical cancer screening. After hearing a description of HPV vaccine, more than 80% would accept HPV vaccination; fathers and husbands were identified as primary decisions makers and local clinics or the home as preferred sites for vaccination. This study provides information on STI knowledge and vaccine acceptance in Bamako, Mali in 2012, prior to the introduction of HPV vaccination.

Knowledge, attitudes, practices and willingness to vaccinate in preparation for the introduction of HPV vaccines in Bamako, Mali

PubMed Central

Tounkara, Karamoko; Rochas, Mali; Beseme, Sarah; Yekta, Shahla; Diallo, Fanta Siby; Tracy, J. Kathleen; Teguete, Ibrahima; Koita, Ousmane A.

2017-01-01

Although screening for pre-cancerous cervical lesions and human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccination are accepted and effective means to prevent cervical cancer, women in Mali have limited access to these interventions. In addition, cervical cancer prevention by HPV vaccination has been controversial in some settings. To reduce cervical cancer prevalence and increase HPV vaccine uptake, it is important to understand the level of knowledge about cervical cancer screening and practices related to vaccination in at-risk populations. In this study, the level of knowledge about HPV and cervical cancer and attitudes towards vaccination were assessed among 301 participants (male and female, adults and adolescents) in a house-to-house survey in two urban neighborhoods in Bamako, Mali. The survey was combined with a brief educational session on HPV. Prior to the education session, overall knowledge of HPV infection and cervical cancer was very low: only 8% knew that HPV is a sexually transmitted infection (STI). Less than 20% of women had ever consulted a gynecologist and less than 3% had ever had cervical cancer screening. After hearing a description of HPV vaccine, more than 80% would accept HPV vaccination; fathers and husbands were identified as primary decisions makers and local clinics or the home as preferred sites for vaccination. This study provides information on STI knowledge and vaccine acceptance in Bamako, Mali in 2012, prior to the introduction of HPV vaccination. PMID:28192460

Automated Comparative Auditing of NCIT Genomic Roles Using NCBI

PubMed Central

Cohen, Barry; Oren, Marc; Min, Hua; Perl, Yehoshua; Halper, Michael

2008-01-01

Biomedical research has identified many human genes and various knowledge about them. The National Cancer Institute Thesaurus (NCIT) represents such knowledge as concepts and roles (relationships). Due to the rapid advances in this field, it is to be expected that the NCIT’s Gene hierarchy will contain role errors. A comparative methodology to audit the Gene hierarchy with the use of the National Center for Biotechnology Information’s (NCBI’s) Entrez Gene database is presented. The two knowledge sources are accessed via a pair of Web crawlers to ensure up-to-date data. Our algorithms then compare the knowledge gathered from each, identify discrepancies that represent probable errors, and suggest corrective actions. The primary focus is on two kinds of gene-roles: (1) the chromosomal locations of genes, and (2) the biological processes in which genes plays a role. Regarding chromosomal locations, the discrepancies revealed are striking and systematic, suggesting a structurally common origin. In regard to the biological processes, difficulties arise because genes frequently play roles in multiple processes, and processes may have many designations (such as synonymous terms). Our algorithms make use of the roles defined in the NCIT Biological Process hierarchy to uncover many probable gene-role errors in the NCIT. These results show that automated comparative auditing is a promising technique that can identify a large number of probable errors and corrections for them in a terminological genomic knowledge repository, thus facilitating its overall maintenance. PMID:18486558

A multiprofessional perspective on the principal barriers to universal health coverage and universal access to health in extremely poor territories: the contributions of nursing1

PubMed Central

de França, Viviane Helena; Modena, Celina Maria; Confalonieri, Ulisses Eugenio Cavalcanti

2016-01-01

Objective: to investigate the knowledge of managers and health professionals, social workers and education professionals regarding the principal barriers to universal health coverage and universal access to health on the part of the extremely poor population; and to point to the contributions made by nursing for the promotion of this right. Method: a qualitative study whose reference was, for ensuring the right to health, the reorientation of the Brazilian Unified Health System (SUS) towards universal coverage and access in these territories. Interviews were held with 27 members of the multi-professional team of a municipality with high social vulnerability. The data were worked on using thematic content analysis. Results: the following were ascertained as the principal barriers to universal health coverage and access to health: failures in the expansion and strengthening of the services; absence of diagnosis of the priority demands; shortage of technology, equipment, and material and human resources; poor local infrastructure; and actions with low resolutive power and absence of interdepartmental policies. Within the multi-professional team, nursing acts in the SUS in unique health actions and social practices in these territories, presenting an in-depth perspective on this harsh reality, being able to contribute with indispensable support for confronting these disparities in universal health coverage and universal access to health. Conclusion: nursing's in-depth understanding regarding these barriers is essential for encouraging the processes reorienting the SUS, geared towards equality in the right to health. PMID:27143541

Resident physicians as human information systems: sources yet seekers

PubMed Central

Bass, Ellen J; DeVoge, Justin Michael; Waggoner-Fountain, Linda A; Borowitz, Stephen M

2013-01-01

Objective To characterize question types that residents received on overnight shifts and what information sources were used to answer them. Materials and Methods Across 30 overnight shifts, questions asked of on-call senior residents, question askers’ roles, and residents’ responses were documented. External sources were noted. Results 158 of 397 questions (39.8%) related to the plan of care, 53 (13.4%) to medical knowledge, 48 (12.1%) to taskwork knowledge, and 44 (11.1%) to the current condition of patients. For 351 (88.4%) questions residents provided specific, direct answers or visited the patient. For 16 of these, residents modeled or completed the task. For 216 questions, residents used previous knowledge or their own clinical judgment. Residents solicited external information sources for 118 questions and only a single source for 77 (65.3%) of them. For the 118, most questions concerned either the plan of care or the patient's current condition and were asked by interns and nurses (those with direct patient care responsibilities). Discussion Resident physicians serve as an information system and they often specifically answer the question using previous knowledge or their own clinical judgment, suggesting that askers are contacting an appropriately knowledgeable person. However, they do need to access patient information such as the plan of care. They also serve an educator role and answer many knowledge-related questions. Conclusions As synchronous verbal communications continue to be important pathways for information flow, informaticians need to consider the relationship between such communications and workflow in the development of healthcare support tools. PMID:23268485

Networked Experiments and Scientific Resource Sharing in Cooperative Knowledge Spaces

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cikic, Sabine; Jeschke, Sabina; Ludwig, Nadine; Sinha, Uwe; Thomsen, Christian

2007-01-01

Cooperative knowledge spaces create new potentials for the experimental fields in natural sciences and engineering because they enhance the accessibility of experimental setups through virtual laboratories and remote technology, opening them for collaborative and distributed usage. A concept for extending existing virtual knowledge spaces for the…

Open Book Professional Accountancy Examinations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rowlands, J. E.; Forsyth, D.

2006-01-01

This article describes the structure and rationale for an open-book approach in professional accountancy examinations. The concept of knowledge management and the recognition that some knowledge ought to be embedded in the minds of professional accountants while other knowledge ought to be readily accessible and capable of application forms the…

Useful Knowledge? Concepts, Values, and Access in American Education, 1776-1840.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Watkinson, James D.

1990-01-01

Traces changing concepts of what constituted useful knowledge, especially as revealed in journals, in the United States from 1776 to 1840. Identifies a widening knowledge gap--corresponding with industrialization--between increasingly elitist, specialized learned societies and mechanics/farmers. Argues that as science grew more professionalized,…

Knowledge and attitudes toward human cloning in Israel.

PubMed

Barnoy, Sivia; Ehrenfeld, Malka; Sharon, Rina; Tabak, Nili

2006-04-01

The success of mammal cloning in 1997 has brought the issue of human cloning into public discussion. Human cloning has several aspects and potential applications for use in both reproductive and non-reproductive matters. The aim of this study was to evaluate the knowledge and attitudes toward human cloning in Israel. Data from 120 respondents (68 health professionals and 52 non-health professionals), all Jewish, Hebrew speaking with at least 15 years of education each, were collected using two questionnaires that dealt with knowledge and attitudes toward human cloning. Results showed that although health professionals had significantly more knowledge that non-health professionals, all respondents had poor knowledge about cloning. No difference in attitudes was found between the groups. Most respondents opposed human cloning, but more positive attitudes toward non-reproductive cloning were found. The results are discussed in the context of the deficit model. The findings indicate a need to provide information about human cloning to allow people to form their attitudes based on factual knowledge.

Human uses of forested watersheds and riparian corridors: hazard mitigation as an ecosystem service, with examples from Panama, Puerto Rico, and Venezuela

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Larsen, M. C.

2015-12-01

Humans have long favored settlement along rivers for access to water supply for drinking and agriculture, for transport corridors, and for food sources. Additionally, settlement in or near montane forests include benefits such as food sources, wood supply, esthetic values, and high quality water resources derived from watersheds where upstream human disturbance and environmental degradation is generally reduced. However, the advantages afforded by these riparian and montane settings pose episodic risks for communities located there as floods, landslides, and wildfires cause loss of life, destroy infrastructure, and damage or destroy crops. A basic understanding of flood probability and magnitude as well as hillslope stability by residents in these environments can mitigate these risks. Early humans presumably developed some degree of knowledge about these risks by means of their long periods of occupation in these environments and their observations of seasonal and storm rainfall patterns and river discharge, which became more refined as agriculture developed over the past 10,000 years. Modern global urbanization, particularly in regions of rapid economic growth, has resulted in much of this "organic" knowledge being lost, as rural populations move into megacities, many of which encroach on floodplains and mountain fronts. Moreover, the most likely occupants of these hazardous locations are often economically constrained, increasing their vulnerabity. Effective stewardship of river floodplains and upstream montane forests yields a key ecosystem service, which in addition to the well-known services, ie. water, hydroelectric energy, etc., provides a risk mitigation service, by reducing hazard and vulnerability. Puerto Rico, Panama, and Venezuela illustrate a range of practices and results, providing useful examples for planners and land use managers.

Open access for operational research publications from low- and middle-income countries: who pays?

PubMed Central

Kumar, A. M. V.; Reid, A. J.; Van den Bergh, R.; Isaakidis, P.; Draguez, B.; Delaunois, P.; Nagaraja, S. B.; Ramsay, A.; Reeder, J. C.; Denisiuk, O.; Ali, E.; Khogali, M.; Hinderaker, S. G.; Kosgei, R. J.; van Griensven, J.; Quaglio, G. L.; Maher, D.; Billo, N. E.; Terry, R. F.; Harries, A. D.

2014-01-01

Open-access journal publications aim to ensure that new knowledge is widely disseminated and made freely accessible in a timely manner so that it can be used to improve people's health, particularly those in low- and middle-income countries. In this paper, we briefly explain the differences between closed- and open-access journals, including the evolving idea of the ‘open-access spectrum’. We highlight the potential benefits of supporting open access for operational research, and discuss the conundrum and ways forward as regards who pays for open access. PMID:26400799

Office of Nuclear Energy Knowledge Management Program Situational Analysis Report

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

Kimberlyn C. Mousseau

2011-12-01

Knowledge management (KM) has been a high priority for the Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Nuclear Energy (NE) for the past several years. NE Programs are moving toward well-established knowledge management practices and a formal knowledge management program has been established. Knowledge management is being practiced to some level within each of the NE programs. Although it continues to evolve as NE programs evolve, a formal strategic plan that guides the implementation of KM has been developed. Despite the acceptance of KM within DOE NE, more work is necessary before the NE KM program can be considered fully successful.more » Per Dr. David J. Skyrme[1], an organization typically moves through the following evolutionary phases: (1) Ad-hoc - KM is being practiced to some level in some parts of the organization; (2) Formal - KM is established as a formal project or program; (3) Expanding - the use of KM as a discipline grows in practice across different parts of the organization; (4) Cohesive - there is a degree of coordination of KM; (5) Integrated - there are formal standards and approaches that give every individual access to most organizational knowledge through common interfaces; and (6) Embedded - KM is part-and-parcel of everyday tasks; it blends seamlessly into the background. According to the evolutionary phases, the NE KM program is operating at the two lower levels, Ad-hoc and Formal. Although KM is being practiced to some level, it is not being practiced in a consistent manner across the NE programs. To be fully successful, more emphasis must be placed on establishing KM standards and processes for collecting, organizing, sharing and accessing NE knowledge. Existing knowledge needs to be prioritized and gathered on a routine basis, its existence formally recorded in a knowledge inventory. Governance to ensure the quality of the knowledge being used must also be considered. For easy retrieval, knowledge must be organized according to a taxonomy that mimics nuclear energy programs. Technologies need to be established to make accessing the knowledge easier for the user. Finally, knowledge needs to be used as part of a well defined work process.« less

Variability of cholesterol accessibility in human red blood cells measured using a bacterial cholesterol-binding toxin

PubMed Central

Chakrabarti, Rima S; Ingham, Sally A; Kozlitina, Julia; Gay, Austin; Cohen, Jonathan C; Radhakrishnan, Arun; Hobbs, Helen H

2017-01-01

Cholesterol partitions into accessible and sequestered pools in cell membranes. Here, we describe a new assay using fluorescently-tagged anthrolysin O, a cholesterol-binding bacterial toxin, to measure accessible cholesterol in human red blood cells (RBCs). Accessible cholesterol levels were stable within individuals, but varied >10 fold among individuals. Significant variation was observed among ethnic groups (Blacks>Hispanics>Whites). Variation in accessibility of RBC cholesterol was unrelated to the cholesterol content of RBCs or plasma, but was associated with the phospholipid composition of the RBC membranes and with plasma triglyceride levels. Pronase treatment of RBCs only modestly altered cholesterol accessibility. Individuals on hemodialysis, who have an unexplained increase in atherosclerotic risk, had significantly higher RBC cholesterol accessibility. Our data indicate that RBC accessible cholesterol is a stable phenotype with significant inter-individual variability. Factors both intrinsic and extrinsic to the RBC contribute to variation in its accessibility. This assay provides a new tool to assess cholesterol homeostasis among tissues in humans. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.23355.001 PMID:28169829

Protecting Traditional Knowledge Related to Biological Resources: Is Scientific Research Going to Become More Bureaucratized?

PubMed

Reddy, Prashant; Lakshmikumaran, Malathi

2015-06-22

For the past several decades, there has been a world debate on the need for protecting traditional knowledge. A global treaty appears to be a distant reality. Of more immediate concern are the steps taken by the global community to protect access to biological resources in the name of protecting traditional knowledge. The Indian experience with implementing the Convention on Biological Diversity has created substantial legal uncertainty in collaborative scientific research between Indians and foreigners apart from bureaucratizing the entire process of scientific research, especially with regard to filing of applications for intellectual property rights. The issue therefore is whether the world needs to better balance the needs of the scientific community with the rights of those who have access to traditional knowledge. Copyright © 2015 Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press; all rights reserved.

Engaging Physician Learners Through a Web-Based Platform: Individualized End-of-Life Education.

PubMed

Bergman, Jonathan; Ballon-Landa, Eric; Lerman, Steven E; Kwan, Lorna; Bennett, Carol J; Litwin, Mark S

2016-09-01

Web-based modules provide a convenient and low-cost education platform, yet should be carefully designed to ensure that learners are actively engaged. In order to improve attitudes and knowledge in end-of-life (EOL) care, we developed a web-based educational module that employed hyperlinks to allow users access to auxiliary resources: clinical guidelines and seminal research papers. Participants took pre-test evaluations of attitudes and knowledge regarding EOL care prior to accessing the educational module, and a post-test evaluation following the module intervention. We recorded the type of hyperlinks (guideline or paper) accessed by learners, and stratified participants into groups based on link type accessed (none, either, or both). We used demographic and educational data to develop a multivariate mixed-effects regression analysis to develop adjusted predictions of attitudes and knowledge. 114 individuals participated. The majority had some professional exposure to EOL care (prior instruction 62%; EOL referral 53%; EOL discussion 56%), though most had no family (68%) or personal experience (51%). On bivariate analysis, non-partnered (p = .04), medical student training level (p = .03), prior palliative care referral (p = .02), having a family member (p = .02) and personal experience of EOL care (p < .01) were all associated with linking to auxiliary resources via hyperlinks. When adjusting for confounders, β coefficient estimates and least squares estimation demonstrated that participants clicking on both hyperlink types were more likely to score higher on all knowledge and attitude items, and demonstrate increased score improvements. Auxiliary resources accessible by hyperlink are an effective adjunct to web-based learning in end-of-life care. © The Author(s) 2015.

Health, healthcare access, and use of traditional versus modern medicine in remote Peruvian Amazon communities: a descriptive study of knowledge, attitudes, and practices.

PubMed

Williamson, Jonathan; Ramirez, Ronald; Wingfield, Tom

2015-04-01

There is an urgent need for healthcare research, funding, and infrastructure in the Peruvian Amazon. We performed a descriptive study of health, health knowledge and practice, and healthcare access of 13 remote communities of the Manatí and Amazon Rivers in northeastern Peru. Eighty-five adults attending a medical boat service were interviewed to collect data on socioeconomic position, health, diagnosed illnesses, pain, healthcare access, and traditional versus modern medicine use. In this setting, poverty and gender inequality were prevalent, and healthcare access was limited by long distances to the health post and long waiting times. There was a high burden of reported pain (mainly head and musculoskeletal) and chronic non-communicable diseases, such as hypertension (19%). Nearly all participants felt that they did not completely understand their diagnosed illnesses and wanted to know more. Participants preferred modern over traditional medicine, predominantly because of mistrust or lack of belief in traditional medicine. Our findings provide novel evidence concerning transitional health beliefs, hidden pain, and chronic non-communicable disease prevalence in marginalized communities of the Peruvian Amazon. Healthcare provision was limited by a breach between health education, knowledge, and access. Additional participatory research with similar rural populations is required to inform regional healthcare policy and decision-making. © The American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.

Watershed Dynamics: Using Web-based GIS to Access Data and Study the Hydrosphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buzby, C. K.; Jona, K.

2010-12-01

The Watershed Dynamics project has developed online GIS tools and curriculum to provide high school earth science students with access to data and analysis tools to perform investigations on their local watershed. Using FieldScope web-based GIS tools from National Geographic, students investigate precipitation, stream discharge, and land cover data for the US. Students use the data to study water availability across the US and the world, human impacts on the watershed, and more. Curriculum developers at the Office of STEM Education Partnerships (OSEP) at Northwestern University and the GLOBE Program have created two complete units which scaffold students on their way to independent research using GIS. In the Water Availability unit, students work with precipitation, evaporation, and surface runoff to investigate the water cycle and how it varies regionally and seasonally. In the Human Impact unit, students analyze land cover change over time and investigate stream discharge to figure out how humans are impacting their watershed. These units can be used together or individually, but provide students progressively more research independence, leading them to ask their own questions about the watershed using GIS data. Both units have been pilot tested in high school classrooms and found to be successful at increasing student content knowledge about the water cycle. They are being modified for use at the undergraduate level. The web-based GIS interface has the functionality of desktop GIS, but allows for a simpler user-experience and direct links to relevant data. Students can use these tools to learn scientific content and as a stepping-stone for further GIS investigations.

Collaboration between primary care and psychiatric services: does it help family physicians?

PubMed

Kisely, Stephen; Duerden, Debbie; Shaddick, Susan; Jayabarathan, Ajantha

2006-07-01

To compare family physicians' reports of their experiences managing patients with psychiatric disorders in settings with and without access to collaborative mental health services. Survey using a questionnaire adapted from a similar study in Australia. Family physicians were asked about their knowledge, skills, and degree of comfort in managing the following psychiatric disorders derived from the primary care version of the 10th edition of the International Classification of Diseases: psychosis, depression, anxiety, childhood disorders, and stress-related disorders. We also compared the 2 groups of physicians regarding their satisfaction with mental health services in general. The Capital District Health Authority (CDHA) in Nova Scotia. All family physicians practising in the CDHA. Self-reported knowledge, skills, and degree of comfort in managing psychiatric problems; satisfaction with mental health services, adjusted for family physicians' demographics; and stated interest in mental health. We received 101 responses (37 from physicians with access to collaborative care and 64 from physicians without access) from 7 communities in the CDHA. Family physicians who had access to collaborative care reported significantly greater knowledge in the areas of psychosis, alcohol or substance use, and childhood behavioural problems; and better skills in managing psychosis, alcohol or substance use, childhood depression or anxiety, childhood behavioural disorders, and relationship problems. Their comfort levels in managing relationship problems and childhood behavioural disorders were also significantly higher. Family physicians with access to collaborative care were significantly more satisfied with mental health services, over and above shared care. All these differences remained significant after controlling for sex, level of interest in mental health, and years in practice. Family physicians with access to collaborative care reported greater knowledge, better skills, and more comfort in managing psychiatric disorders and greater satisfaction with mental health services. Further work is needed to establish why this is so and to determine any effect on patient outcomes, such as symptoms, quality of life, and psychosocial functioning.

Identification and analysis of functional elements in 1% of the human genome by the ENCODE pilot project.

PubMed

Birney, Ewan; Stamatoyannopoulos, John A; Dutta, Anindya; Guigó, Roderic; Gingeras, Thomas R; Margulies, Elliott H; Weng, Zhiping; Snyder, Michael; Dermitzakis, Emmanouil T; Thurman, Robert E; Kuehn, Michael S; Taylor, Christopher M; Neph, Shane; Koch, Christoph M; Asthana, Saurabh; Malhotra, Ankit; Adzhubei, Ivan; Greenbaum, Jason A; Andrews, Robert M; Flicek, Paul; Boyle, Patrick J; Cao, Hua; Carter, Nigel P; Clelland, Gayle K; Davis, Sean; Day, Nathan; Dhami, Pawandeep; Dillon, Shane C; Dorschner, Michael O; Fiegler, Heike; Giresi, Paul G; Goldy, Jeff; Hawrylycz, Michael; Haydock, Andrew; Humbert, Richard; James, Keith D; Johnson, Brett E; Johnson, Ericka M; Frum, Tristan T; Rosenzweig, Elizabeth R; Karnani, Neerja; Lee, Kirsten; Lefebvre, Gregory C; Navas, Patrick A; Neri, Fidencio; Parker, Stephen C J; Sabo, Peter J; Sandstrom, Richard; Shafer, Anthony; Vetrie, David; Weaver, Molly; Wilcox, Sarah; Yu, Man; Collins, Francis S; Dekker, Job; Lieb, Jason D; Tullius, Thomas D; Crawford, Gregory E; Sunyaev, Shamil; Noble, William S; Dunham, Ian; Denoeud, France; Reymond, Alexandre; Kapranov, Philipp; Rozowsky, Joel; Zheng, Deyou; Castelo, Robert; Frankish, Adam; Harrow, Jennifer; Ghosh, Srinka; Sandelin, Albin; Hofacker, Ivo L; Baertsch, Robert; Keefe, Damian; Dike, Sujit; Cheng, Jill; Hirsch, Heather A; Sekinger, Edward A; Lagarde, Julien; Abril, Josep F; Shahab, Atif; Flamm, Christoph; Fried, Claudia; Hackermüller, Jörg; Hertel, Jana; Lindemeyer, Manja; Missal, Kristin; Tanzer, Andrea; Washietl, Stefan; Korbel, Jan; Emanuelsson, Olof; Pedersen, Jakob S; Holroyd, Nancy; Taylor, Ruth; Swarbreck, David; Matthews, Nicholas; Dickson, Mark C; Thomas, Daryl J; Weirauch, Matthew T; Gilbert, James; Drenkow, Jorg; Bell, Ian; Zhao, XiaoDong; Srinivasan, K G; Sung, Wing-Kin; Ooi, Hong Sain; Chiu, Kuo Ping; Foissac, Sylvain; Alioto, Tyler; Brent, Michael; Pachter, Lior; Tress, Michael L; Valencia, Alfonso; Choo, Siew Woh; Choo, Chiou Yu; Ucla, Catherine; Manzano, Caroline; Wyss, Carine; Cheung, Evelyn; Clark, Taane G; Brown, James B; Ganesh, Madhavan; Patel, Sandeep; Tammana, Hari; Chrast, Jacqueline; Henrichsen, Charlotte N; Kai, Chikatoshi; Kawai, Jun; Nagalakshmi, Ugrappa; Wu, Jiaqian; Lian, Zheng; Lian, Jin; Newburger, Peter; Zhang, Xueqing; Bickel, Peter; Mattick, John S; Carninci, Piero; Hayashizaki, Yoshihide; Weissman, Sherman; Hubbard, Tim; Myers, Richard M; Rogers, Jane; Stadler, Peter F; Lowe, Todd M; Wei, Chia-Lin; Ruan, Yijun; Struhl, Kevin; Gerstein, Mark; Antonarakis, Stylianos E; Fu, Yutao; Green, Eric D; Karaöz, Ulaş; Siepel, Adam; Taylor, James; Liefer, Laura A; Wetterstrand, Kris A; Good, Peter J; Feingold, Elise A; Guyer, Mark S; Cooper, Gregory M; Asimenos, George; Dewey, Colin N; Hou, Minmei; Nikolaev, Sergey; Montoya-Burgos, Juan I; Löytynoja, Ari; Whelan, Simon; Pardi, Fabio; Massingham, Tim; Huang, Haiyan; Zhang, Nancy R; Holmes, Ian; Mullikin, James C; Ureta-Vidal, Abel; Paten, Benedict; Seringhaus, Michael; Church, Deanna; Rosenbloom, Kate; Kent, W James; Stone, Eric A; Batzoglou, Serafim; Goldman, Nick; Hardison, Ross C; Haussler, David; Miller, Webb; Sidow, Arend; Trinklein, Nathan D; Zhang, Zhengdong D; Barrera, Leah; Stuart, Rhona; King, David C; Ameur, Adam; Enroth, Stefan; Bieda, Mark C; Kim, Jonghwan; Bhinge, Akshay A; Jiang, Nan; Liu, Jun; Yao, Fei; Vega, Vinsensius B; Lee, Charlie W H; Ng, Patrick; Shahab, Atif; Yang, Annie; Moqtaderi, Zarmik; Zhu, Zhou; Xu, Xiaoqin; Squazzo, Sharon; Oberley, Matthew J; Inman, David; Singer, Michael A; Richmond, Todd A; Munn, Kyle J; Rada-Iglesias, Alvaro; Wallerman, Ola; Komorowski, Jan; Fowler, Joanna C; Couttet, Phillippe; Bruce, Alexander W; Dovey, Oliver M; Ellis, Peter D; Langford, Cordelia F; Nix, David A; Euskirchen, Ghia; Hartman, Stephen; Urban, Alexander E; Kraus, Peter; Van Calcar, Sara; Heintzman, Nate; Kim, Tae Hoon; Wang, Kun; Qu, Chunxu; Hon, Gary; Luna, Rosa; Glass, Christopher K; Rosenfeld, M Geoff; Aldred, Shelley Force; Cooper, Sara J; Halees, Anason; Lin, Jane M; Shulha, Hennady P; Zhang, Xiaoling; Xu, Mousheng; Haidar, Jaafar N S; Yu, Yong; Ruan, Yijun; Iyer, Vishwanath R; Green, Roland D; Wadelius, Claes; Farnham, Peggy J; Ren, Bing; Harte, Rachel A; Hinrichs, Angie S; Trumbower, Heather; Clawson, Hiram; Hillman-Jackson, Jennifer; Zweig, Ann S; Smith, Kayla; Thakkapallayil, Archana; Barber, Galt; Kuhn, Robert M; Karolchik, Donna; Armengol, Lluis; Bird, Christine P; de Bakker, Paul I W; Kern, Andrew D; Lopez-Bigas, Nuria; Martin, Joel D; Stranger, Barbara E; Woodroffe, Abigail; Davydov, Eugene; Dimas, Antigone; Eyras, Eduardo; Hallgrímsdóttir, Ingileif B; Huppert, Julian; Zody, Michael C; Abecasis, Gonçalo R; Estivill, Xavier; Bouffard, Gerard G; Guan, Xiaobin; Hansen, Nancy F; Idol, Jacquelyn R; Maduro, Valerie V B; Maskeri, Baishali; McDowell, Jennifer C; Park, Morgan; Thomas, Pamela J; Young, Alice C; Blakesley, Robert W; Muzny, Donna M; Sodergren, Erica; Wheeler, David A; Worley, Kim C; Jiang, Huaiyang; Weinstock, George M; Gibbs, Richard A; Graves, Tina; Fulton, Robert; Mardis, Elaine R; Wilson, Richard K; Clamp, Michele; Cuff, James; Gnerre, Sante; Jaffe, David B; Chang, Jean L; Lindblad-Toh, Kerstin; Lander, Eric S; Koriabine, Maxim; Nefedov, Mikhail; Osoegawa, Kazutoyo; Yoshinaga, Yuko; Zhu, Baoli; de Jong, Pieter J

2007-06-14

We report the generation and analysis of functional data from multiple, diverse experiments performed on a targeted 1% of the human genome as part of the pilot phase of the ENCODE Project. These data have been further integrated and augmented by a number of evolutionary and computational analyses. Together, our results advance the collective knowledge about human genome function in several major areas. First, our studies provide convincing evidence that the genome is pervasively transcribed, such that the majority of its bases can be found in primary transcripts, including non-protein-coding transcripts, and those that extensively overlap one another. Second, systematic examination of transcriptional regulation has yielded new understanding about transcription start sites, including their relationship to specific regulatory sequences and features of chromatin accessibility and histone modification. Third, a more sophisticated view of chromatin structure has emerged, including its inter-relationship with DNA replication and transcriptional regulation. Finally, integration of these new sources of information, in particular with respect to mammalian evolution based on inter- and intra-species sequence comparisons, has yielded new mechanistic and evolutionary insights concerning the functional landscape of the human genome. Together, these studies are defining a path for pursuit of a more comprehensive characterization of human genome function.

BioPlex Display: An Interactive Suite for Large-Scale AP-MS Protein-Protein Interaction Data.

PubMed

Schweppe, Devin K; Huttlin, Edward L; Harper, J Wade; Gygi, Steven P

2018-01-05

The development of large-scale data sets requires a new means to display and disseminate research studies to large audiences. Knowledge of protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks has become a principle interest of many groups within the field of proteomics. At the confluence of technologies, such as cross-linking mass spectrometry, yeast two-hybrid, protein cofractionation, and affinity purification mass spectrometry (AP-MS), detection of PPIs can uncover novel biological inferences at a high-throughput. Thus new platforms to provide community access to large data sets are necessary. To this end, we have developed a web application that enables exploration and dissemination of the growing BioPlex interaction network. BioPlex is a large-scale interactome data set based on AP-MS of baits from the human ORFeome. The latest BioPlex data set release (BioPlex 2.0) contains 56 553 interactions from 5891 AP-MS experiments. To improve community access to this vast compendium of interactions, we developed BioPlex Display, which integrates individual protein querying, access to empirical data, and on-the-fly annotation of networks within an easy-to-use and mobile web application. BioPlex Display enables rapid acquisition of data from BioPlex and development of hypotheses based on protein interactions.

Integrating natural language processing and web GIS for interactive knowledge domain visualization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Du, Fangming

Recent years have seen a powerful shift towards data-rich environments throughout society. This has extended to a change in how the artifacts and products of scientific knowledge production can be analyzed and understood. Bottom-up approaches are on the rise that combine access to huge amounts of academic publications with advanced computer graphics and data processing tools, including natural language processing. Knowledge domain visualization is one of those multi-technology approaches, with its aim of turning domain-specific human knowledge into highly visual representations in order to better understand the structure and evolution of domain knowledge. For example, network visualizations built from co-author relations contained in academic publications can provide insight on how scholars collaborate with each other in one or multiple domains, and visualizations built from the text content of articles can help us understand the topical structure of knowledge domains. These knowledge domain visualizations need to support interactive viewing and exploration by users. Such spatialization efforts are increasingly looking to geography and GIS as a source of metaphors and practical technology solutions, even when non-georeferenced information is managed, analyzed, and visualized. When it comes to deploying spatialized representations online, web mapping and web GIS can provide practical technology solutions for interactive viewing of knowledge domain visualizations, from panning and zooming to the overlay of additional information. This thesis presents a novel combination of advanced natural language processing - in the form of topic modeling - with dimensionality reduction through self-organizing maps and the deployment of web mapping/GIS technology towards intuitive, GIS-like, exploration of a knowledge domain visualization. A complete workflow is proposed and implemented that processes any corpus of input text documents into a map form and leverages a web application framework to let users explore knowledge domain maps interactively. This workflow is implemented and demonstrated for a data set of more than 66,000 conference abstracts.

Long-Term Surveillance and Maintenance Records: Maintaining Access to the Knowledge - 13122

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

Montgomery, John; Gueretta, Jeanie; McKinney, Ruth

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Legacy Management (LM) is an integral part of DOE's strategy to ensure that legacy liabilities of former nuclear weapons production sites are properly managed following the completion of environmental cleanup activities. In the area of environmental legacy management, records management is crucial to the protection of health, environmental, and legal interests of the Department and the public. LM is responsible for maintaining long-term surveillance and maintenance (LTS and M) records in performance of its mission. Maintaining access to the knowledge contained in these record collections is one of LM's primary responsibilities. Tomore » fulfill this responsibility, LM established a consolidated records management facility, the LM Business Center (LMBC), to house physical media records and electronic records. A new electronic record keeping system (ERKS) was needed to replace an obsolete system while helping to ensure LM is able to meet ongoing responsibilities to maintain access to knowledge and control the life cycle management of records. (authors)« less

Do school-based health centers improve adolescents' access to health care, health status, and risk-taking behavior?

PubMed

Kisker, E E; Brown, R S

1996-05-01

The purpose of this investigation was to assess the School-Based Adolescent Health Care Program, which provided comprehensive health-related services in 24 school-based health centers. The outcomes evaluation compared a cohort of students attending 19 participating schools and a national sample of urban youths, using logit models to control for observed differences between the two groups of youths. Outcome measures included self-reports concerning health center utilization, use of other health care providers, knowledge of key health facts, substance use, sexual activity, contraceptive use, pregnancies and births, and health status. The health centers increased students' access to health care and improved their health knowledge. However, the estimated impacts on health status and risky behaviors were inconsistent, and most were small and not statistically significant. School-based health centers can increase students' health knowledge and access to health-related services, but more intensive or different services are needed if they are to significantly reduce risk-taking behaviors.

Trust-based Access Control in Virtual Learning Community

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Shujuan; Liu, Qingtang

The virtual learning community is an important application pattern of E-Learning. It emphasizes the cooperation of the members in the community, the members would like to share their learning resources, to exchange their experience and complete the study task together. This instructional mode has already been proved as an effective way to improve the quality and efficiency of instruction. At the present time, the virtual learning communities are mostly designed using static access control policy by which the access permission rights are authorized by the super administrator, the super administrator assigns different rights to different roles, but the virtual and social characteristics of virtual learning community make information sharing and collaboration a complex problem, the community realizes its instructional goal only if the members in it believe that others will offer the knowledge they owned and believe the knowledge others offered is well-meaning and worthy. This paper tries to constitute an effective trust mechanism, which could promise favorable interaction and lasting knowledge sharing.

Interface methods for using intranet portal organizational memory information system.

PubMed

Ji, Yong Gu; Salvendy, Gavriel

2004-12-01

In this paper, an intranet portal is considered as an information infrastructure (organizational memory information system, OMIS) supporting organizational learning. The properties and the hierarchical structure of information and knowledge in an intranet portal OMIS was identified as a problem for navigation tools of an intranet portal interface. The problem relates to navigation and retrieval functions of intranet portal OMIS and is expected to adversely affect user performance, satisfaction, and usefulness. To solve the problem, a conceptual model for navigation tools of an intranet portal interface was proposed and an experiment using a crossover design was conducted with 10 participants. In the experiment, a separate access method (tabbed tree tool) was compared to an unified access method (single tree tool). The results indicate that each information/knowledge repository for which a user has a different structural knowledge should be handled separately with a separate access to increase user satisfaction and the usefulness of the OMIS and to improve user performance in navigation.

A Cybernetic Design Methodology for 'Intelligent' Online Learning Support

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Quinton, Stephen R.

The World Wide Web (WWW) provides learners and knowledge workers convenient access to vast stores of information, so much that present methods for refinement of a query or search result are inadequate - there is far too much potentially useful material. The problem often encountered is that users usually do not recognise what may be useful until they have progressed some way through the discovery, learning, and knowledge acquisition process. Additional support is needed to structure and identify potentially relevant information, and to provide constructive feedback. In short, support for learning is needed. The learning envisioned here is not simply the capacity to recall facts or to recognise objects. The focus is on learning that results in the construction of knowledge. Although most online learning platforms are efficient at delivering information, most do not provide tools that support learning as envisaged in this chapter. It is conceivable that Web-based learning environments can incorporate software systems that assist learners to form new associations between concepts and synthesise information to create new knowledge. This chapter details the rationale and theory behind a research study that aims to evolve Web-based learning environments into 'intelligent thinking' systems that respond to natural language human input. Rather than functioning simply as a means of delivering information, it is argued that online learning solutions will 1 day interact directly with students to support their conceptual thinking and cognitive development.

Knowledge translation strategies to improve the use of evidence in public health decision making in local government: intervention design and implementation plan

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Knowledge translation strategies are an approach to increase the use of evidence within policy and practice decision-making contexts. In clinical and health service contexts, knowledge translation strategies have focused on individual behavior change, however the multi-system context of public health requires a multi-level, multi-strategy approach. This paper describes the design of and implementation plan for a knowledge translation intervention for public health decision making in local government. Methods Four preliminary research studies contributed findings to the design of the intervention: a systematic review of knowledge translation intervention effectiveness research, a scoping study of knowledge translation perspectives and relevant theory literature, a survey of the local government public health workforce, and a study of the use of evidence-informed decision-making for public health in local government. A logic model was then developed to represent the putative pathways between intervention inputs, processes, and outcomes operating between individual-, organizational-, and system-level strategies. This formed the basis of the intervention plan. Results The systematic and scoping reviews identified that effective and promising strategies to increase access to research evidence require an integrated intervention of skill development, access to a knowledge broker, resources and tools for evidence-informed decision making, and networking for information sharing. Interviews and survey analysis suggested that the intervention needs to operate at individual and organizational levels, comprising workforce development, access to evidence, and regular contact with a knowledge broker to increase access to intervention evidence; develop skills in appraisal and integration of evidence; strengthen networks; and explore organizational factors to build organizational cultures receptive to embedding evidence in practice. The logic model incorporated these inputs and strategies with a set of outcomes to measure the intervention’s effectiveness based on the theoretical frameworks, evaluation studies, and decision-maker experiences. Conclusion Documenting the design of and implementation plan for this knowledge translation intervention provides a transparent, theoretical, and practical approach to a complex intervention. It provides significant insights into how practitioners might engage with evidence in public health decision making. While this intervention model was designed for the local government context, it is likely to be applicable and generalizable across sectors and settings. Trial registration Australia New Zealand Clinical Trials Register ACTRN12609000953235. PMID:24107358

Discussing sexual and relationship health with young people in a children's hospital: evaluation of a computer-based resource.

PubMed

Bray, Lucy; Sanders, Caroline; McKenna, Jacqueline

2013-12-01

To investigate health professionals' evaluation of a computer-based resource designed to improve discussions about sexual and relationship health with young people. Evidence suggests that some health professionals can experience discomfort discussing sexual health and relationship issues with young people. Professionals within hospital settings should have the knowledge, competencies and skills to be able to ask young people sexual health questions and provide accurate sexual health education. Despite some educational material being available for community and adult services, there are no resources available, which are directly relevant to holding opportunistic discussions with young people within an acute children's hospital. A descriptive survey design. One hundred and fourteen health professionals from a children's hospital in the UK were involved in evaluating a computer-based resource. All completed an online questionnaire survey comprising of closed and open questions. The health professionals reported that the computer-based resource had a positive influence on their knowledge and clinical practice. The videos as well as the concise nature of the resource were evaluated highly. Learning was facilitated by professionals being able to control their learning through rerunning and accessing the resource on numerous occasions. An engaging, accessible computer-based resource has the capability to positively impact on health professionals' knowledge of, and skills in, starting and holding sexual health conversations with young people accessing a children's hospital. Health professionals working with children and young people value accessible, relevant and short computer-based training. This can facilitate knowledge and skill acquisition despite variation in working patterns. Improving the knowledge and skills of professionals working with young people to facilitate appropriate yet opportunistic sexual health discussions is important within the public health agenda. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Crosstalk: public cafés as places for knowledge translation concerning health care research.

PubMed

Reimer-Kirkham, Sheryl; Jule, Allyson

2015-01-01

This article explores the use of public cafés as a model for knowledge translation and community engagement. We base our discussion on a public café series organized around the theme of access to health care and held in three neighborhoods in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia, Canada. The cafés were part of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research Café Scientifique program. Our purposes for this series of cafés were threefold: (a) to provide a site of communication to connect research with members of the public, (b) to build a network among participants based on common connections to the local community, and (c) to explore through discussion how gendered and raced perspectives concerning access to health care may influence the lived experiences of Canadians today. We intended to promote an intergroup conversation, based on the assumption that people of First Nations descent, newcomers to Canada (whether through immigration or resettlement), and settlers (such as Euro-Canadians) would all benefit from hearing each other's perspectives on access to health care, as well as presentations by invited academics about their research on access to health care. A form of "crosstalk" emerged in the cafés, mediated by gender and ethnicity, where social differences and geographical distances between various groups were not easily bridged, and yet where opportunity was created for inclusive dialogic spaces. We conclude that knowledge translation is not easily accomplished with the café format, at least not with the type of critical knowledge we were aiming to translate and the depth of engagement we were hoping for. Our experiences highlighted three strategies that facilitate knowledge translation: relationships and shared goals; involvement of policymakers and decision makers; and tending to social relations of power.

Examining Perceptions of Networking among African American Women in Student Affairs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Burke, Monica G.; Carter, Joelle D.

2015-01-01

Since career networks offer access to upper level positions, being a part of one can offer opportunities and access to information, knowledge and referrals for career mobility. However, the duality of race and gender can create a distinctive challenge to gaining access to career networks, which are crucial components to rise to the upper level of…

Evaluation on the Occupational Information Access System as Used at Churchill High School. A Project Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McKinlay, Bruce; Adams, Daniel

The Occupational Information Access System (OIAS) improves the accessibility of occupational labor market information for career planning. Its operation at Churchill High School is evaluated from several angels: the likes and dislikes of users; the effect of OIAS on users' knowledge of occupational information and on their career plans; why other…

Perspectives on Open Access Opportunities for IS Research Publication: Potential Benefits for Researchers, Educators, and Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Woszczynski, Amy B.; Whitman, Michael E.

2016-01-01

Access to current research materials, pedagogical best practices, and relevant knowledge has become problematic as journal subscription costs have increased. Increasing delays in the traditional publication timeline, coupled with high subscription costs, have resulted in a diminished ability for IS faculty and their students to access the most…

Rural and remote speech-language pathology service inequities: An Australian human rights dilemma.

PubMed

Jones, Debra M; McAllister, Lindy; Lyle, David M

2018-02-01

Access to healthcare is a fundamental human right for all Australians. Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights acknowledges the right to freedom of opinion and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas. Capacities for self-expression and effective communication underpin the realisation of these fundamental human rights. For rural and remote Australian children this realisation is compromised by complex disadvantages and inequities that contribute to communication delays, inequity of access to essential speech-language pathology services and poorer later life outcomes. Localised solutions to the provision of civically engaged, accessible, acceptable and sustainable speech-language pathology services within rural and remote Australian contexts are required if we are to make substantive human rights gains. However, civically engaged and sustained healthcare can significantly challenge traditional professionalised perspectives on how best to design and implement speech-language pathology services that seek to address rural and remote communication needs and access inequities. A failure to engage these communities in the identification of childhood communication delays and solutions to address these delays, ultimately denies children, families and communities of their human rights for healthcare access, self-expression, self-dignity and meaningful inclusion within Australian society.

Toward an interim standard for patient-centered knowledge-access.

PubMed Central

Tuttle, M. S.; Sherertz, D. D.; Fagan, L. M.; Carlson, R. W.; Cole, W. G.; Schipma, P. B.; Nelson, S. J.

1993-01-01

Most care-giver "knowledge" needs arise at the point of care and are "patient-centered." Many of these knowledge needs can be met using existing on-line knowledge sources, but the process is too time-consuming, currently, for even the computer-proficient. We are developing a set of public domain standards aimed at bringing potentially relevant knowledge to the point of care in a straight-forward and timely fashion. The standards will a) make use of selected items from a Computer-based Patient Record (CPR), e.g., a diagnosis and measure of severity, b) anticipate certain care-giver knowledge needs, e.g., "therapy," "protocols," "complications," and c) try to satisfy those needs from available knowledge sources, e.g., knowledge-bases, citation databases, practice guidelines, and on-line textbooks. The standards will use templates, i.e., fill-in-the-blank structures, to anticipate knowledge needs and UMLS Metathesaurus enhancements to represent the content of knowledge sources. Together, the standards will form the specification for a "Knowledge-Server" (KS) designed to be accessed from any CPR system. Plans are in place to test an interim version of this specification in the context of medical oncology. We are accumulating anecdotal evidence that a KS operating in conjunction with a CPR is much more compelling to users than either a CPR or a KS operating alone. PMID:8130537

A circumpolar monitoring framework for polar bears

USGS Publications Warehouse

Vongraven, Dag; Aars, Jon; Amstrup, Steven C.; Atkinson, Stephen N.; Belikov, Stanislav; Born, Erik W.; DeBruyn, T.D.; Derocher, Andrew E.; Durner, George M.; Gill, Michael J.; Lunn, Nicholas J.; Obbard, Martyn E.; Omelak, Jack; Ovsyanikov, Nikita; Peacock, Elizabeth; Richardson, E.E.; Sahanatien, Vicki; Stirling, Ian; Wiig, Øystein

2012-01-01

Polar bears (Ursus maritimus) occupy remote regions that are characterized by harsh weather and limited access. Polar bear populations can only persist where temporal and spatial availability of sea ice provides adequate access to their marine mammal prey. Observed declines in sea ice availability will continue as long as greenhouse gas concentrations rise. At the same time, human intrusion and pollution levels in the Arctic are expected to increase. A circumpolar understanding of the cumulative impacts of current and future stressors is lacking, long-term trends are known from only a few subpopulations, and there is no globally coordinated effort to monitor effects of stressors. Here, we describe a framework for an integrated circumpolar monitoring plan to detect ongoing patterns, predict future trends, and identify the most vulnerable polar bear subpopulations. We recommend strategies for monitoring subpopulation abundance and trends, reproduction, survival, ecosystem change, human-caused mortality, human–bear conflict, prey availability, health, stature, distribution, behavioral change, and the effects that monitoring itself may have on polar bears. We assign monitoring intensity for each subpopulation through adaptive assessment of the quality of existing baseline data and research accessibility. A global perspective is achieved by recommending high intensity monitoring for at least one subpopulation in each of four major polar bear ecoregions. Collection of data on harvest, where it occurs, and remote sensing of habitat, should occur with the same intensity for all subpopulations. We outline how local traditional knowledge may most effectively be combined with the best scientific methods to provide comparable and complementary lines of evidence. We also outline how previously collected intensive monitoring data may be sub-sampled to guide future sampling frequencies and develop indirect estimates or indices of subpopulation status. Adoption of this framework will inform management and policy responses to changing worldwide polar bear status and trends.

Knowledge and perception on tuberculosis transmission in Tanzania: Multinomial logistic regression analysis of secondary data.

PubMed

Ismail, Abbas; Josephat, Peter

2014-01-01

Tuberculosis (TB) is one of the most important public health problems in Tanzania and was declared as a national public health emergency in 2006. Community and individual knowledge and perceptions are critical factors in the control of the disease. The objective of this study was to analyze the knowledge and perception on the transmission of TB in Tanzania. Multinomial Logistic Regression analysis was considered in order to quantify the impact of knowledge and perception on TB. The data used was adopted as secondary data from larger national survey 2007-08 Tanzania HIV/AIDS and Malaria Indicator Survey. The findings across groups revealed that knowledge on TB transmission increased with an increase in age and level of education. People in rural areas had less knowledge regarding tuberculosis transmission compared to urban areas [OR = 0.7]. People with the access to radio [OR = 1.7] were more knowledgeable on tuberculosis transmission compared to those who did not have access to radio. People who did not have telephone [OR = 0.6] were less knowledgeable on tuberculosis route of transmission compared to those who had telephone. The findings showed that socio-demographic factors such as age, education, place of residence and owning telephone or radio varied systematically with knowledge on tuberculosis transmission.

Employing human rights frameworks to realize access to an HIV cure

PubMed Central

Meier, Benjamin Mason; Gelpi, Adriane; Kavanagh, Matthew M; Forman, Lisa; Amon, Joseph J

2015-01-01

Introduction The scale of the HIV pandemic – and the stigma, discrimination and violence that surrounded its sudden emergence – catalyzed a public health response that expanded human rights in principle and practice. In the absence of effective treatment, human rights activists initially sought to protect individuals at high risk of HIV infection. With advances in antiretroviral therapy, activists expanded their efforts under international law, advocating under the human right to health for individual access to treatment. Discussion As a clinical cure comes within reach, human rights obligations will continue to play a key role in political and programmatic decision-making. Building upon the evolving development and implementation of the human right to health in the global response to HIV, we outline a human rights research agenda to prepare for HIV cure access, investigating the role of human rights law in framing 1) resource allocation, 2) international obligations, 3) intellectual property and 4) freedom from coercion. Conclusions The right to health is widely recognized as central to governmental, intergovernmental and non-governmental responses to the pandemic and critical both to addressing vulnerability to infection and to ensuring universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support. While the advent of an HIV cure will raise new obligations for policymakers in implementing the right to health, the resolution of past debates surrounding HIV prevention and treatment may inform claims for universal access. PMID:26568056

Employing human rights frameworks to realize access to an HIV cure.

PubMed

Meier, Benjamin Mason; Gelpi, Adriane; Kavanagh, Matthew M; Forman, Lisa; Amon, Joseph J

2015-01-01

The scale of the HIV pandemic - and the stigma, discrimination and violence that surrounded its sudden emergence - catalyzed a public health response that expanded human rights in principle and practice. In the absence of effective treatment, human rights activists initially sought to protect individuals at high risk of HIV infection. With advances in antiretroviral therapy, activists expanded their efforts under international law, advocating under the human right to health for individual access to treatment. As a clinical cure comes within reach, human rights obligations will continue to play a key role in political and programmatic decision-making. Building upon the evolving development and implementation of the human right to health in the global response to HIV, we outline a human rights research agenda to prepare for HIV cure access, investigating the role of human rights law in framing 1) resource allocation, 2) international obligations, 3) intellectual property and 4) freedom from coercion. The right to health is widely recognized as central to governmental, intergovernmental and non-governmental responses to the pandemic and critical both to addressing vulnerability to infection and to ensuring universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support. While the advent of an HIV cure will raise new obligations for policymakers in implementing the right to health, the resolution of past debates surrounding HIV prevention and treatment may inform claims for universal access.

Accessible and informative sectioned images, color-coded images, and surface models of the ear.

PubMed

Park, Hyo Seok; Chung, Min Suk; Shin, Dong Sun; Jung, Yong Wook; Park, Jin Seo

2013-08-01

In our previous research, we created state-of-the-art sectioned images, color-coded images, and surface models of the human ear. Our ear data would be more beneficial and informative if they were more easily accessible. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to distribute the browsing software and the PDF file in which ear images are to be readily obtainable and freely explored. Another goal was to inform other researchers of our methods for establishing the browsing software and the PDF file. To achieve this, sectioned images and color-coded images of ear were prepared (voxel size 0.1 mm). In the color-coded images, structures related to hearing, equilibrium, and structures originated from the first and second pharyngeal arches were segmented supplementarily. The sectioned and color-coded images of right ear were added to the browsing software, which displayed the images serially along with structure names. The surface models were reconstructed to be combined into the PDF file where they could be freely manipulated. Using the browsing software and PDF file, sectional and three-dimensional shapes of ear structures could be comprehended in detail. Furthermore, using the PDF file, clinical knowledge could be identified through virtual otoscopy. Therefore, the presented educational tools will be helpful to medical students and otologists by improving their knowledge of ear anatomy. The browsing software and PDF file can be downloaded without charge and registration at our homepage (http://anatomy.dongguk.ac.kr/ear/). Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The digital anatomist information system and its use in the generation and delivery of Web-based anatomy atlases.

PubMed

Brinkley, J F; Bradley, S W; Sundsten, J W; Rosse, C

1997-12-01

Advances in network and imaging technology, coupled with the availability of 3-D datasets such as the Visible Human, provide a unique opportunity for developing information systems in anatomy that can deliver relevant knowledge directly to the clinician, researcher or educator. A software framework is described for developing such a system within a distributed architecture that includes spatial and symbolic anatomy information resources, Web and custom servers, and authoring and end-user client programs. The authoring tools have been used to create 3-D atlases of the brain, knee and thorax that are used both locally and throughout the world. For the one and a half year period from June 1995-January 1997, the on-line atlases were accessed by over 33,000 sites from 94 countries, with an average of over 4000 "hits" per day, and 25,000 hits per day during peak exam periods. The atlases have been linked to by over 500 sites, and have received at least six unsolicited awards by outside rating institutions. The flexibility of the software framework has allowed the information system to evolve with advances in technology and representation methods. Possible new features include knowledge-based image retrieval and tutoring, dynamic generation of 3-D scenes, and eventually, real-time virtual reality navigation through the body. Such features, when coupled with other on-line biomedical information resources, should lead to interesting new ways for managing and accessing structural information in medicine. Copyright 1997 Academic Press.

Semantic Repositories for eGovernment Initiatives: Integrating Knowledge and Services

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Palmonari, Matteo; Viscusi, Gianluigi

In recent years, public sector investments in eGovernment initiatives have depended on making more reliable existing governmental ICT systems and infrastructures. Furthermore, we assist at a change in the focus of public sector management, from the disaggregation, competition and performance measurements typical of the New Public Management (NPM), to new models of governance, aiming for the reintegration of services under a new perspective in bureaucracy, namely a holistic approach to policy making which exploits the extensive digitalization of administrative operations. In this scenario, major challenges are related to support effective access to information both at the front-end level, by means of highly modular and customizable content provision, and at the back-end level, by means of information integration initiatives. Repositories of information about data and services that exploit semantic models and technologies can support these goals by bridging the gap between the data-level representations and the human-level knowledge involved in accessing information and in searching for services. Moreover, semantic repository technologies can reach a new level of automation for different tasks involved in interoperability programs, both related to data integration techniques and service-oriented computing approaches. In this chapter, we discuss the above topics by referring to techniques and experiences where repositories based on conceptual models and ontologies are used at different levels in eGovernment initiatives: at the back-end level to produce a comprehensive view of the information managed in the public administrations' (PA) information systems, and at the front-end level to support effective service delivery.

An Object-Oriented Software Architecture for the Explorer-2 Knowledge Management Environment

PubMed Central

Tarabar, David B.; Greenes, Robert A.; Slosser, Eric T.

1989-01-01

Explorer-2 is a workstation based environment to facilitate knowledge management. It provides consistent access to a broad range of knowledge on the basis of purpose, not type. We have developed a software architecture based on Object-Oriented programming for Explorer-2. We have defined three classes of program objects: Knowledge ViewFrames, Knowledge Resources, and Knowledge Bases. This results in knowledge management at three levels: the screen level, the disk level and the meta-knowledge level. We have applied this design to several knowledge bases, and believe that there is a broad applicability of this design.

The need to know: The information needs of parents of infants with an intellectual disability-a qualitative study.

PubMed

Douglas, Tracy; Redley, Bernice; Ottmann, Goetz

2017-11-01

The aim of this study was to explore the information needs of parents of infants with an intellectual disability in the first year of life. Parents whose infant has an intellectual disability need access to information if they are to facilitate optimal care for their child. A lack of timely, accurate information provision by health professionals, particularly nurses and midwives, can increase parental stress and hinder access to the supports they and their infant require. A qualitative descriptive methodology was used for the study. Qualitative interviews were undertaken with parents of 11 children with intellectual disabilities in Victoria, Australia in 2014. Data were analysed using descriptive thematic analysis. Parents experienced challenges accessing quality information during the first year of their child's life. Parents required incremental information provision to build a strong knowledge base to facilitate optimal care for their infants. Three types of knowledge were identified as crucial for parents: knowledge about (1) the infant's condition; (2) the infant's specific needs and (3) available supports and services. Health professionals were the key resource to access this information. Health professionals' responsibilities include providing relevant, timely information to parents of infants with intellectual disabilities. This study conceptualises three types of information parents need to develop a strong knowledge base to guide their infant's care and provides guidance concerning the optimal timing for the delivery of information. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Open exchange of scientific knowledge and European copyright: The case of biodiversity information

PubMed Central

Egloff, Willi; Patterson, David J.; Agosti, Donat; Hagedorn, Gregor

2014-01-01

Abstract Background. The 7th Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development is helping the European Union to prepare for an integrative system for intelligent management of biodiversity knowledge. The infrastructure that is envisaged and that will be further developed within the Programme “Horizon 2020” aims to provide open and free access to taxonomic information to anyone with a requirement for biodiversity data, without the need for individual consent of other persons or institutions. Open and free access to information will foster the re-use and improve the quality of data, will accelerate research, and will promote new types of research. Progress towards the goal of free and open access to content is hampered by numerous technical, economic, sociological, legal, and other factors. The present article addresses barriers to the open exchange of biodiversity knowledge that arise from European laws, in particular European legislation on copyright and database protection rights. We present a legal point of view as to what will be needed to bring distributed information together and facilitate its re-use by data mining, integration into semantic knowledge systems, and similar techniques. We address exceptions and limitations of copyright or database protection within Europe, and we point to the importance of data use agreements. We illustrate how exceptions and limitations have been transformed into national legislations within some European states to create inconsistencies that impede access to biodiversity information. Conclusions. The legal situation within the EU is unsatisfactory because there are inconsistencies among states that hamper the deployment of an open biodiversity knowledge management system. Scientists within the EU who work with copyright protected works or with protected databases have to be aware of regulations that vary from country to country. This is a major stumbling block to international collaboration and is an impediment to the open exchange of biodiversity knowledge. Such differences should be removed by unifying exceptions and limitations for research purposes in a binding, Europe-wide regulation. PMID:25009418

Citizen-science, Geoethics and Human Niche

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bohle, Martin

2017-04-01

The anthropogenic biogeosphere or 'human niche' is the intersection of the biogeosphere and the sphere of human activities of social, economic, cultural and political nature. The application case for geoethics, namely "appropriate behaviours and practices, wherever human activities interact with the Earth system" [1], is about niche building. Geoethics is about the conduct of people and geoscientists, respectively their ordinary lifestyles and professional activities. Geoscience professionals notice the diverse economic, social and cultural living conditions of people, and the application cases of geosciences mirror the diversity of the global social sphere. Subsequently it is argued: A) when considering the ethical dimensions of global niche building then geosciences should feature 'citizen geoscience'; and B) when considering the functioning of a knowledge-based society under conditions of anthropogenic global change then 'citizen geoscience' facilitates applying that knowledge base. (A) Regarding 'niche building': The design of production systems and consumption patterns embeds geoscience know-how and relates it to the everyday life. Any citizen's activities purposefully interconnect to the biogeosphere for well-being, care-taking, and reproduction, although habitually without involving a geoscientist in professional capacity. In that implicit manner the everyday behaviours and practices of people influence Earth system dynamic. This renders their inherent geoscience know-how a public good as it makes their ignorance a public risk. A comfortable human niche for billions of people requires a global biogeosphere that is disrupted little by citizens' activities and exposes them to hazards that can be tamed. Quite the reverse, anthropogenic global change will disturb living conditions for many citizen. Much geoscience know-how will have to be deployed to tame disturbances in a socially sustainable manner. Sustainability in turn needs involvement of citizens in researching know-how and deploying it, i.e. needs 'citizen geo-scientists' to maintain the human niche. (B) Regarding knowledge-based societies: The rapidly increasing human knowledge base accelerates the scientific-technical revolution. Its industrial-societal implementation confronts societies with numerous change processes. Their speed and scope is a risk as well as the mutual interferences of different change processes that often only get obvious within everyday societal doings. This vigour of change requires robust two-way linkages between research and technological development on one side and societal activities on the other side. Research and development undertaken in cooperation with citizen scientists would improve such linkages, e.g. through increased transparency of research and development or strengthening the sense of belonging of people for their environments. Citizen scientists are a resource, because they are complementary partner to the professional researcher. On one side citizen scientists provide experiences that are rooted in everyday practices and on the other side they facilitate uptake of new practices. Both features are needed in societies that face anthropogenic global change. Summarizing, geoethics affiliates geosciences and 'citizen science' in a particular relationship, i.e. 'citizen geo-science', which is beneficial for knowledge-based societies that are functioning under conditions of anthropogenic global change. [1] http://www.geoethics.org/ (accessed: 8th November 2016) Disclaimer: The views expressed engage the author only, not the employer.

The influence of speech rate and accent on access and use of semantic information.

PubMed

Sajin, Stanislav M; Connine, Cynthia M

2017-04-01

Circumstances in which the speech input is presented in sub-optimal conditions generally lead to processing costs affecting spoken word recognition. The current study indicates that some processing demands imposed by listening to difficult speech can be mitigated by feedback from semantic knowledge. A set of lexical decision experiments examined how foreign accented speech and word duration impact access to semantic knowledge in spoken word recognition. Results indicate that when listeners process accented speech, the reliance on semantic information increases. Speech rate was not observed to influence semantic access, except in the setting in which unusually slow accented speech was presented. These findings support interactive activation models of spoken word recognition in which attention is modulated based on speech demands.

Improving adolescent knowledge of emergency contraception: challenges and solutions

PubMed Central

Seetharaman, Sujatha; Yen, Sophia; Ammerman, Seth D

2016-01-01

Globally, unintended adolescent pregnancies pose a significant burden. One of the most important tools that can help prevent unintended pregnancy is the timely use of emergency contraception (EC), which in turn will decrease the need for abortions and complications related to adolescent pregnancies. Indications for the use of EC include unprotected sexual intercourse, contraceptive failure, or sexual assault. Use of EC is recommended within 120 hours, though is most effective if used as soon as possible after unprotected sex. To use EC, adolescents need to be equipped with knowledge about the various EC methods, and how and where EC can be accessed. Great variability in the knowledge and use of EC around the world exists, which is a major barrier to its use. The aims of this paper were to 1) provide a brief overview of EC, 2) discuss key social determinants affecting knowledge and use of EC, and 3) explore best practices for overcoming the barriers of lack of knowledge, use, and access of EC. PMID:29386948

The Idea of Patents vs. the Idea of University.

PubMed

de Campos, Thana Cristina

2015-01-01

It is generally accepted that patents are a driving force for innovation through research and development. But the university's involvement in patenting is problematic as well. In particular, it is in tension with the idea of a university itself. If patents entail a restriction on the accessibility of the scientific knowledge that has been patented, and if the main purpose of universities is to produce and disseminate knowledge to the public, then, there is a tension: when universities patent their research innovations, they are making the scientific knowledge they produce less accessible to the public. The paper argues that university patenting contradicts the very idea of a university as an institution whose mission is fundamentally to disseminate the knowledge it produces to the public. The practice of university patenting involves an un-academic attitude thus: by inciting an attitude towards knowledge that is not consistent with the proper attitudes and goals of a university, university patenting hurts university's integrity.

A Model of the Temporal Dynamics of Knowledge Brokerage in Sustainable Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hukkinen, Janne I.

2016-01-01

I develop a conceptual model of the temporal dynamics of knowledge brokerage for sustainable development. Brokerage refers to efforts to make research and policymaking more accessible to each other. The model enables unbiased and systematic consideration of knowledge brokerage as part of policy evolution. The model is theoretically grounded in…

The Instructional Effects of Knowledge-Based Community of Practice Learning Environment on Student Achievement and Knowledge Convergence

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Draper, Darryl C.

2013-01-01

The increased accessibility of technology and Internet connections has enabled organizations to provide their workforces with the opportunity to engage in distributed education. "Harnessing this innovation calls for organizational and technological infrastructures that support the interplay of knowledge and knowing" (Cook & Brown, 1999, p. 381).…

Integrated Knowledge of Agreement in Early and Late English-Spanish Bilinguals

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Foote, Rebecca

2011-01-01

Research suggests that late bilinguals may have persistent difficulties with the automatic access and use of some second language structures because of a lack of underlying integrated knowledge of those structures. In contrast, early bilinguals show advantages in aspects of language use that require this type of automatic knowledge. This study…

The Bridge of Knowledge

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dong, Yu Ren

2014-01-01

Although many English language learners (ELLs) in the United States have knowledge gaps that make it hard for them to master high-level content and skills, ELLs also often have background knowledge relevant to school learning that teachers neglect to access, this author argues. In the Common Core era, with ELLs being the fastest growing population…

28 CFR 16.101 - Exemption of U.S. Marshals Service Systems-limited access, as indicated.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... individuals having knowledge of the criminal or civil case or matter. To collect information primarily from... criminal proceeding to determine the extent or nature of law enforcement authorities' knowledge regarding... the extent or nature of law enforcement authorities' knowledge regarding his/her alleged misconduct or...

28 CFR 16.101 - Exemption of U.S. Marshals Service Systems-limited access, as indicated.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... individuals having knowledge of the criminal or civil case or matter. To collect information primarily from... criminal proceeding to determine the extent or nature of law enforcement authorities' knowledge regarding... the extent or nature of law enforcement authorities' knowledge regarding his/her alleged misconduct or...

28 CFR 16.101 - Exemption of U.S. Marshals Service Systems-limited access, as indicated.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... individuals having knowledge of the criminal or civil case or matter. To collect information primarily from... criminal proceeding to determine the extent or nature of law enforcement authorities' knowledge regarding... the extent or nature of law enforcement authorities' knowledge regarding his/her alleged misconduct or...

28 CFR 16.101 - Exemption of U.S. Marshals Service Systems-limited access, as indicated.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... individuals having knowledge of the criminal or civil case or matter. To collect information primarily from... criminal proceeding to determine the extent or nature of law enforcement authorities' knowledge regarding... the extent or nature of law enforcement authorities' knowledge regarding his/her alleged misconduct or...

Two Formats of Word Association Tasks: A Study of Depth of Word Knowledge

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Agdam, Seddighe Jalili; Sadeghi, Karim

2014-01-01

Vocabulary development is an essential goal in any language teaching program, and considering the multidimensional nature of this construct, achieving this goal needs effective assessment of all dimensions of word knowledge, i.e. breadth, depth and accessibility of word knowledge. Most of the current vocabulary assessment tools measure the breadth…

Teacher-as-Knowledge-Broker in a Futures-Oriented Health and Physical Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Macdonald, Doune

2015-01-01

The concept of brokering is usually aligned with a business model of an intermediary helping the customer/client with their decisions/choices. As knowledge becomes increasingly accessible, and of varied origins, quality and veracity, the number of professionals engaged in knowledge brokering is simultaneously increasing. This paper considers if…

Hatching Babies and Stork Deliveries: Risk and Regulation in the Construction of Children's Sexual Knowledge

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Davies, Cristyn; Robinson, Kerry

2010-01-01

Children's access to sexual knowledge has always been considered "risky" and controversial due to the fraught relationship between childhood and sexuality. Based on focus groups with children and their parents, the authors explore the relationship between risk and regulation associated with providing children with accurate knowledge about…

Ames Life Science Data Archive: Translational Rodent Research at Ames

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wood, Alan E.; French, Alison J.; Ngaotheppitak, Ratana; Leung, Dorothy M.; Vargas, Roxana S.; Maese, Chris; Stewart, Helen

2014-01-01

The Life Science Data Archive (LSDA) office at Ames is responsible for collecting, curating, distributing and maintaining information pertaining to animal and plant experiments conducted in low earth orbit aboard various space vehicles from 1965 to present. The LSDA will soon be archiving data and tissues samples collected on the next generation of commercial vehicles; e.g., SpaceX & Cygnus Commercial Cargo Craft. To date over 375 rodent flight experiments with translational application have been archived by the Ames LSDA office. This knowledge base of fundamental research can be used to understand mechanisms that affect higher organisms in microgravity and help define additional research whose results could lead the way to closing gaps identified by the Human Research Program (HRP). This poster will highlight Ames contribution to the existing knowledge base and how the LSDA can be a resource to help answer the questions surrounding human health in long duration space exploration. In addition, it will illustrate how this body of knowledge was utilized to further our understanding of how space flight affects the human system and the ability to develop countermeasures that negate the deleterious effects of space flight. The Ames Life Sciences Data Archive (ALSDA) includes current descriptions of over 700 experiments conducted aboard the Shuttle, International Space Station (ISS), NASA/MIR, Bion/Cosmos, Gemini, Biosatellites, Apollo, Skylab, Russian Foton, and ground bed rest studies. Research areas cover Behavior and Performance, Bone and Calcium Physiology, Cardiovascular Physiology, Cell and Molecular Biology, Chronobiology, Developmental Biology, Endocrinology, Environmental Monitoring, Gastrointestinal Physiology, Hematology, Immunology, Life Support System, Metabolism and Nutrition, Microbiology, Muscle Physiology, Neurophysiology, Pharmacology, Plant Biology, Pulmonary Physiology, Radiation Biology, Renal, Fluid and Electrolyte Physiology, and Toxicology. These experiment descriptions and data can be accessed online via the public LSDA website (http://lsda.jsc.nasa.gov) and information can be requested via the Data Request form at http://lsda.jsc.nasa.gov/common/dataRequest/dataRequest.aspx or by contacting the ALSDA Office at: Alison.J.French@nasa.gov

The Mission Accessibility of Near-Earth Asteroids

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Barbee, Brent W.; Abell, P. A.; Adamo, D. R.; Mazanek, D. D.; Johnson, L. N.; Yeomans, D. K.; Chodas, P. W.; Chamberlin, A. B.; Benner, L. A. M.; Taylor, P.;

Science in Exploration: From the Moon to Mars and Back Home to Earth

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Garvin, James B.

2007-01-01

NASA is embarking on a grand journey of exploration that naturally integrates the past successes of the Apollo missions to the Moon, as well as robotic science missions to Mars, to Planet Earth, and to the broader Universe. The US Vision for Space Exporation (VSE) boldly lays out a plan for human and robotic reconnaissance of the accessible Universe, starting with the surface of the Moon, and later embracing the surface of Mars. Sustained human and robotic access to the Moon and Mars will enable a new era of scientific investigation of our planetary neighbors, tied to driving scientific questions that pertain to the evolution and destiny of our home planet, but which also can be related to the search habitable worlds across the nearby Universe. The Apollo missions provide a vital legacy for what can be learned from the Moon, and NASA is now poised to recapture the lunar frontier starting with the flight of the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) in late 2008. LRO will provide a new scientific context from which joint human and robotic exploration will ensue, guided by objectives some of which are focused on the grandest scientific challenges imaginable : Where did we come from? Are we alone? and Where are we going? The Moon will serve as an essential stepping stone for sustained human access and exploration of deep space and as a training ground while robotic missions with ever increasing complexity probe the wonders of Mars. As we speak, an armada of spacecraft are actively investigating the red planet both from orbit (NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter and Mars Odyssey Orbiter, plus ESA's Mars Express) and from the surface (NASA's twin Mars Exploration Rovers, and in 2008 NASA's Phoenix polar lander). The dramatically changing views of Mars as a potentially habitable world, with its own flavor of global climate change and unique climate records, provides a new vantage point from which to observe and question the workings of our own planet Earth. By 2010 NASA will have its first mobile analytical laboratory operating on the surface of Mars (Mars Science Laboratory) in search of potentially subtle expressions of past life or at least of life-hospitable environments. Meanwhile back here on Planet Earth, NASA will be continuing to implement an increasingly comprehensive program of robotic missions that address major issues associated with global climate variability, and the "state variables" that affect the quality of human life on our home planet. Ultimately, the fmits of NASA's emergent program of Exploration (VSE) will provide never-beforepossible opportunities for scientific leadership and advancement, culminating in a new state of awareness from which to better plan for the sustainability of life on Earth and for extending Earth life to the Moon and eventually to Mars. As NASA nears its 50th anniversary, the unimaginable and unexpected wealth of strategic knowledge its missions have generated about Earth, the Universe, and our local Solar System boggles the mind and serves as a legacy of knowledge for Educators to inspire future generations.

Respecting the right to access to medicines: Implications of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights for the pharmaceutical industry.

PubMed

Moon, Suerie

2013-06-14

What are the human rights responsibilities of pharmaceutical companies with regard to access to medicines? The state-based international human rights framework has long struggled with the issue of the human rights obligations of non-state actors, a question sharpened by economic globalization and the concomitant growing power of private for-profit actors ("business"). In 2011, after a six-year development process, the UN Human Rights Council unanimously endorsed the Guiding Principles advanced by the UN Secretary General's Special Representative on Business and Human Rights, John Ruggie. The Ruggie Principles sought to clarify and differentiate the responsibilities of states and non-state actors-in this case, "business" -with respect to human rights. The framework centered on "three core principles: the state duty to protect against human rights abuses by third parties, including business; the corporate responsibility to respect human rights; and the need for more effective access to remedies." The "Protect, Respect, and Remedy" Framework emerged from a review of many industrial sectors operating from local to global scales, in many regions of the world, and involving multiple stakeholder consultations. However, their implications for the pharmaceutical industry regarding access to medicines remain unclear. This article analyzes the 2008 Human Rights Guidelines for Pharmaceutical Companies in relation to Access to Medicines advanced by then-UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Health, Paul Hunt, in light of the Ruggie Principles. It concludes that some guidelines relate directly to the industry's responsibility to respect the right to access to medicines, and form a normative baseline to which firms should be held accountable. It also finds that responsibility for other guidelines may better be ascribed to states than to private actors, based on conceptual and practical considerations. While not discouraging the pharmaceutical industry from making additional contributions to fulfilling the right to health, this analysis concludes that greater attention is merited to ensure that, first and foremost, the industry demonstrates baseline respect for the right to access to medicines. Copyright © 2013 Moon. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/), which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

HEDS - EPA DATABASE SYSTEM FOR PUBLIC ACCESS TO HUMAN EXPOSURE DATA

EPA Science Inventory

Human Exposure Database System (HEDS) is an Internet-based system developed to provide public access to human-exposure-related data from studies conducted by EPA's National Exposure Research Laboratory (NERL). HEDS was designed to work with the EPA Office of Research and Devel...

NASA Wearable Technology CLUSTER 2013-2014 Report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Simon, Cory; Dunne, Lucy; Zeagler, Clint; Martin, Tom; Pailes-Friedman, Rebecca

2014-01-01

Wearable technology has the potential to revolutionize the way humans interact with one another, with information, and with the electronic systems that surround them. This change can already be seen in the dramatic increase in the availability and use of wearable health and activity monitors. These devices continuously monitor the wearer using on-­-body sensors and wireless communication. They provide feedback that can be used to improve physical health and performance. Smart watches and head mounted displays are also receiving a great deal of commercial attention, providing immediate access to information via graphical displays, as well as additional sensing features. For the purposes of the Wearable Technology CLUSTER, wearable technology is broadly defined as any electronic sensing, human interfaces, computing, or communication that is mounted on the body. Current commercially available wearable devices primarily house electronics in rigid packaging to provide protection from flexing, moisture, and other contaminants. NASA mentors are interested in this approach, but are also interested in direct integration of electronics into clothing to enable more comfortable systems. For human spaceflight, wearable technology holds a great deal of promise for significantly improving safety, efficiency, autonomy, and research capacity for the crew in space and support personnel on the ground. Specific capabilities of interest include: Continuous biomedical monitoring for research and detection of health problems. Environmental monitoring for individual exposure assessments and alarms. Activity monitoring for responsive robotics and environments. Multi-modal caution and warning using tactile, auditory, and visual alarms. Wireless, hands-free, on-demand voice communication. Mobile, on-demand access to space vehicle and robotic displays and controls. Many technical challenges must be overcome to realize these wearable technology applications. For example, to make a wearable device that is both functional and comfortable for long duration wear, developers must strive to reduce electronic mass and volume while also addressing constraints imposed by the body attachment method. Depending on the application, the device must be placed in a location that the user can see and reach, and that provides the appropriate access to air and the wearer's skin. Limited power is available from body-­-worn batteries and heat must be managed to prevent discomfort. If the clothing is to be washed, there are additional durability and washability hurdles that traditional electronics are not designed to address. Finally, each specific capability has unique technical challenges that will likely require unique solutions. In addition to the technical challenges, development of wearable devices is made more difficult by the diversity of skills required and the historic lack of collaboration across domains. Wearable technology development requires expertise in textiles engineering, apparel design, software and computer engineering, electronic design and manufacturing, human factors engineering, and application-­-specific fields such as acoustics, medical devices, and sensing. Knowledge from each of these domains must be integrated to create functional and comfortable devices. For this reason, the diversity of knowledge and experience represented in the Wearable Technology is critical to overcoming the fundamental challenges in the field.

My Corporis Fabrica Embryo: An ontology-based 3D spatio-temporal modeling of human embryo development.

PubMed

Rabattu, Pierre-Yves; Massé, Benoit; Ulliana, Federico; Rousset, Marie-Christine; Rohmer, Damien; Léon, Jean-Claude; Palombi, Olivier

2015-01-01

Embryology is a complex morphologic discipline involving a set of entangled mechanisms, sometime difficult to understand and to visualize. Recent computer based techniques ranging from geometrical to physically based modeling are used to assist the visualization and the simulation of virtual humans for numerous domains such as surgical simulation and learning. On the other side, the ontology-based approach applied to knowledge representation is more and more successfully adopted in the life-science domains to formalize biological entities and phenomena, thanks to a declarative approach for expressing and reasoning over symbolic information. 3D models and ontologies are two complementary ways to describe biological entities that remain largely separated. Indeed, while many ontologies providing a unified formalization of anatomy and embryology exist, they remain only descriptive and make the access to anatomical content of complex 3D embryology models and simulations difficult. In this work, we present a novel ontology describing the development of the human embryology deforming 3D models. Beyond describing how organs and structures are composed, our ontology integrates a procedural description of their 3D representations, temporal deformation and relations with respect to their developments. We also created inferences rules to express complex connections between entities. It results in a unified description of both the knowledge of the organs deformation and their 3D representations enabling to visualize dynamically the embryo deformation during the Carnegie stages. Through a simplified ontology, containing representative entities which are linked to spatial position and temporal process information, we illustrate the added-value of such a declarative approach for interactive simulation and visualization of 3D embryos. Combining ontologies and 3D models enables a declarative description of different embryological models that capture the complexity of human developmental anatomy. Visualizing embryos with 3D geometric models and their animated deformations perhaps paves the way towards some kind of hypothesis-driven application. These can also be used to assist the learning process of this complex knowledge. http://www.mycorporisfabrica.org/.

Knowledge Acquisition, Knowledge Programming, and Knowledge Refinement.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hayes-Roth, Frederick; And Others

This report describes the principal findings and recommendations of a 2-year Rand research project on machine-aided knowledge acquisition and discusses the transfer of expertise from humans to machines, as well as the functions of planning, debugging, knowledge refinement, and autonomous machine learning. The relative advantages of humans and…

Mediated learning in the workplace: student perspectives on knowledge resources.

PubMed

Shanahan, Madeleine

2015-01-01

In contemporary clinical practice, student radiographers can use many types of knowledge resources to support their learning. These include workplace experts, digital and nondigital information sources (eg, journals, textbooks, and the Internet), and electronic communication tools such as e-mail and social media. Despite the range of knowledge tools available, there is little available data about radiography students' use of these resources during clinical placement. A 68-item questionnaire was distributed to 62 students enrolled in an Australian university undergraduate radiography program after they completed a clinical placement. Researchers used descriptive statistics to analyze student access to workplace experts and their use of digital and nondigital information sources and electronic communication tools. A 5-point Likert scale (1 = very important; 5 = not important) was used to assess the present importance and perceived future value of knowledge tools for workplace learning. Of the 53 students who completed and returned the questionnaire anonymously, most rely on the knowledge of practicing technologists and on print and electronic information sources to support their learning; some students also use electronic communication tools. Students perceive that these knowledge resources also will be important tools for their future learning as qualified health professionals. The findings from this study present baseline data regarding the value students attribute to multiple knowledge tools and regarding student access to and use of these tools during clinical placement. In addition, most students have access to multiple knowledge tools in the workplace and incorporate these tools simultaneously into their overall learning practice during clinical placement. Although a range of knowledge tools is used in the workplace to support learning among student radiographers, the quality of each tool should be critically analyzed before it is adopted in practice. Integrating practice-based learning with learning mediated by information sources provides a more complete paradigm of learning during clinical placement.

Epidemiologic characterization of Colorado backyard bird flocks.

PubMed

Smith, Emily I; Reif, John S; Hill, Ashley E; Slota, Katharine E; Miller, Ryan S; Bjork, Kathe E; Pabilonia, Kristy L

2012-06-01

Backyard gallinaceous bird flocks may play an important role in the spread of infectious diseases within poultry populations as well as the transmission of zoonotic diseases to humans. An epidemiologic characterization was conducted of Colorado backyard flocks to gather information on general flock characteristics, human movement of birds, human-bird interaction, biosecurity practices, and flock health. Our results suggest that backyard poultry flocks in Colorado are small-sized flocks (68.6% of flocks had < 50 birds); consist primarily of layer chickens (85.49% of flocks), show chickens (32.18% of flocks), and waterfowl (34.07% of flocks); and are primarily owned for food (meat or egg) production for the family (86.44%) or as pet or hobby birds (42.27%). The backyard flock environment may promote bird-to-bird transmission as well as bird-to-human transmission of infectious disease. Birds are primarily housed with free access to the outside (96.85%), and many are moved from the home premises (46.06% within 1 yr). Human contact with backyard flocks is high, biosecurity practices are minimal, and bird health is negatively impacted by increased movement events. Increased knowledge of backyard bird characteristics and associated management practices can provide guidelines for the development of measures to decrease disease transmission between bird populations, decrease disease transmission from birds to humans, and increase the overall health of backyard birds.

Challenges with access to healthcare from the perspective of patients living with HIV: a scoping review & framework synthesis.

PubMed

Asghari, Shabnam; Hurd, Jillian; Marshall, Zack; Maybank, Allison; Hesselbarth, Lydia; Hurley, Oliver; Farrell, Alison; Kendall, Claire E; Rourke, Sean B; Becker, Marissa; Johnston, Sharon; Lundrigan, Phil; Rosenes, Ron; Bibeau, Christine; Liddy, Clare

2018-08-01

Accessing healthcare can be difficult but the barriers multiply for people living with HIV (PLHIV). To improve access and the health of PLHIV, we must consider their perspectives and use them to inform standard practice. A better understanding of the current literature related to healthcare access from the perspective of PLHIV, can help to identify evidence gaps and highlight research priorities and opportunities. To identify relevant peer-reviewed publications, search strategies were employed. Electronic and grey literature databases were explored. Articles were screened based on their title and abstract and those that met the screening criteria, were reviewed in full. Data analysis was conducted using a collaborative approach that included knowledge user consultation. Initial concepts were extracted, summarized and through framework synthesis, developed into emerging and final themes. From 20,678 articles, 326 articles met the initial screening criteria and 64 were reviewed in full. The final themes identified, in order of most to least frequent were: Acceptability, Availability, Accessibility, Affordability, Other Barriers, Communication, Satisfaction, Accommodation, Preferences and Equity in Access. The most frequently discussed concepts related to negative interactions with staff, followed by long wait times, limited household resources or inability to pay fees, and fear of one's serostatus being disclosed. Knowledge users were in agreement with the categorization of initial concepts and final themes; however, some gaps in the literature were identified. Specific changes are critical to improving access to healthcare for PLHIV. These include improving availability by ensuring staff and healthcare professionals have proper training, cultivating acceptability and reducing stigma through improving HIV awareness, increasing accessibility through increased HIV information for PLHIV and improved dissemination of this information to increase patient knowledge and health awareness. Finally, ensuring proper protocols are implemented and followed to guarantee patient confidentiality and overall satisfaction with healthcare services are recommended.

Librarianship, Professionalism, and Social Change.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Birdsall, William F.

1982-01-01

Argues that librarians should be committed to ensure access to knowledge, adhere to encouraging users to be knowledge self-sufficient, avoid outmoded models of professionalism, and not feel threatened by other information dissemination groups. Included are 26 references. (RAA)

The Near-Earth Object Human Space Flight Accessible Targets Study (NHATS) List of Near-Earth Asteroids: Identifying Potential Targets for Future Exploration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abell, Paul; Barbee, B. W.; Mink, R. G.; Adamo, D. R.; Alberding, C. M.; Mazanek, D. D.; Johnson, L. N.; Yeomans, D. K.; Chodas, P. W.; Chamberlin, A. B.; Benner, L. A. M.; Drake, B. G.; Friedensen, V. P.

2012-10-01

Introduction: Much attention has recently been focused on human exploration of near-Earth asteroids (NEAs). Detailed planning for deep space exploration and identification of potential NEA targets for human space flight requires selecting objects from the growing list of known NEAs. NASA therefore initiated the Near-Earth Object Human Space Flight Accessible Target Study (NHATS), which uses dynamical trajectory performance constraints to identify potentially accessible NEAs. Accessibility Criteria: Future NASA human space flight capability is being defined while the Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle and Space Launch System are under development. Velocity change and mission duration are two of the most critical factors in any human spaceflight endeavor, so the most accessible NEAs tend to be those with orbits similar to Earth’s. To be classified as NHATS-compliant, a NEA must offer at least one round-trip trajectory solution satisfying purposely inclusive constraints, including total mission change in velocity ≤ 12 km/s, mission duration ≤ 450 days (with at least 8 days at the NEA), Earth departure between Jan 1, 2015 and Dec 31, 2040, Earth departure C3 ≤ 60 km2/s2, and Earth return atmospheric entry speed ≤ 12 km/s. Monitoring and Updates: The NHATS list of potentially accessible targets is continuously updated as NEAs are discovered and orbit solutions for known NEAs are improved. The current list of accessible NEAs identified as potentially viable for future human exploration under the NHATS criteria is available to the international community via a website maintained by NASA’s NEO Program Office (http://neo.jpl.nasa.gov/nhats/). This website also lists predicted optical and radar observing opportunities for each NHATS-compliant NEA to facilitate acquisition of follow-up observations. Conclusions: This list of NEAs will be useful for analyzing robotic mission opportunities, identifying optimal round trip human space flight trajectories, and highlighting attractive objects of interest for future ground-based observation opportunities.

[Collections of human biological resources for research purposes: from regulations to the need of a guide of good collection practices].

PubMed

Le Roux, N; de Montgolfier, S; di Donato, J-H; Boccon-Gibod, L; Teillac, P; Hervé, C; Berthon, P

2003-12-01

In France, collections of human biological resources are regulated by the "Bioethics Law", currently in revision. Hence, we analyse the regulatory and ethical issues of these practices in the context of scientific research. The ultimate aim of such collections is to improve biological and medical knowledge. We think that the French regulatory system is quite complicated and non-explicit for "collection holders". The multiplicity of legal texts concerning this activity has made their application difficult, especially in the absence of application decrees. The project amending the actual law has clarified the legal status of collections but it did not shed light on the status of human body detached parts. Furthermore, the text is still very far from the international bioethical recommendations, and does not reflect the actual collection's implementation. The establishment of a guideline of Good Collection Practices, based on clear principles, should help to simplify the situation, especially when it is imbedded in the regulation and linked to control procedures. It would allow a balance between collective interests and the protection of individuals, taking into account of the international highly competitive scientific and economical constraints. The major issue is to preserve and to perpetuate the existing and future collections because of their precious value as an important tool for biomedical knowledge. The efficiency of a regulation depends on its legibility and accessibility, two requirements that seem to determine the acceptance of the regulatory tool and its application allowing subsequently to reach fairness in proceedings.

Cultural knowledge and local vulnerability in African American communities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miller Hesed, Christine D.; Paolisso, Michael

2015-07-01

Policymakers need to know what factors are most important in determining local vulnerability to facilitate effective adaptation to climate change. Quantitative vulnerability indices are helpful in this endeavour but are limited in their ability to capture subtle yet important aspects of vulnerability such as social networks, knowledge and access to resources. Working with three African American communities on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, we systematically elicit local cultural knowledge on climate change and connect it with a scientific vulnerability framework. The results of this study show that: a given social-ecological factor can substantially differ in the way in which it affects local vulnerability, even among communities with similar demographics and climate-related risks; and social and political isolation inhibits access to sources of adaptive capacity, thereby exacerbating local vulnerability. These results show that employing methods for analysing cultural knowledge can yield new insights to complement those generated by quantitative vulnerability indices.

Bringing the Humanities to the Countryside: Improving Access to the Humanities in Western Minnesota.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Groen, Gerrit, Ed.; Pichaske, David, Ed.

The use of new technologies to deliver courses in humanities to adult, off-campus students in rural western Minnesota is described in nine essays. A 4-year project was funded to improve access to the humanities, resulting in the redesign of 40 courses since 1981. In addition discussing the background of the project, evaluative mechanisms, and…

A Virtual Bioinformatics Knowledge Environment for Early Cancer Detection

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Crichton, Daniel; Srivastava, Sudhir; Johnsey, Donald

2003-01-01

Discovery of disease biomarkers for cancer is a leading focus of early detection. The National Cancer Institute created a network of collaborating institutions focused on the discovery and validation of cancer biomarkers called the Early Detection Research Network (EDRN). Informatics plays a key role in enabling a virtual knowledge environment that provides scientists real time access to distributed data sets located at research institutions across the nation. The distributed and heterogeneous nature of the collaboration makes data sharing across institutions very difficult. EDRN has developed a comprehensive informatics effort focused on developing a national infrastructure enabling seamless access, sharing and discovery of science data resources across all EDRN sites. This paper will discuss the EDRN knowledge system architecture, its objectives and its accomplishments.

Combating information overload: a six-month pilot evaluation of a knowledge management system in general practice.

PubMed Central

O'Brien, C; Cambouropoulos, P

2000-01-01

A six-month prospective study was conducted on the usefulness and usability of a representative electronic knowledge management tool, the WAX Active Library, for 19 general practitioners (GPs) evaluated using questionnaires and audit trail data. The number of pages accessed was highest in the final two months, when over half of the access trails were completed within 40 seconds. Most GPs rated the system as easy to learn, fast to use, and preferable to paper for providing information during consultations. Such tools could provide a medium for the activities of knowledge officers, help demand management, and promote sharing of information within primary care groups and across NHSnet or the Internet. PMID:10962792

Web Accessibility Knowledge and Skills for Non-Web Library Staff

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McHale, Nina

2012-01-01

Why do librarians and library staff other than Web librarians and developers need to know about accessibility? Web services staff do not--or should not--operate in isolation from the rest of the library staff. It is important to consider what areas of online accessibility are applicable to other areas of library work and to colleagues' regular job…

Proximity-based access control for context-sensitive information provision in SOA-based systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rajappan, Gowri; Wang, Xiaofei; Grant, Robert; Paulini, Matthew

2014-06-01

Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) has enabled open-architecture integration of applications within an enterprise. For net-centric Command and Control (C2), this elucidates information sharing between applications and users, a critical requirement for mission success. The Information Technology (IT) access control schemes, which arbitrate who gets access to what information, do not yet have the contextual knowledge to dynamically allow this information sharing to happen dynamically. The access control might prevent legitimate users from accessing information relevant to the current mission context, since this context may be very different from the context for which the access privileges were configured. We evaluate a pair of data relevance measures - proximity and risk - and use these as the basis of dynamic access control. Proximity is a measure of the strength of connection between the user and the resource. However, proximity is not sufficient, since some data might have a negative impact, if leaked, which far outweighs importance to the subject's mission. For this, we use a risk measure to quantify the downside of data compromise. Given these contextual measures of proximity and risk, we investigate extending Attribute-Based Access Control (ABAC), which is used by the Department of Defense, and Role-Based Access Control (RBAC), which is widely used in the civilian market, so that these standards-based access control models are given contextual knowledge to enable dynamic information sharing. Furthermore, we consider the use of such a contextual access control scheme in a SOA-based environment, in particular for net-centric C2.

Combining apps targeting professionals and senior citizens to improve housing accessibility and influence housing provision policies.

PubMed

Helle, Tina; Iwarsson, Susanne; Lunn, Tine Bieber; Iversen, Mogens Holm; Jonsson, Oskar; Mårtensson, Knut; Svarre, Tanja; Slaug, Björn

2015-01-01

Two separate apps that address the increasingly important issue of accessible housing for senior citizens have been developed in different project settings. One of the apps was developed to facilitate the process for professional raters to assess housing accessibility in the context of individual housing adaptations. The other app was developed for senior citizens to raise their awareness of possible accessibility problems in their current dwelling and in other apartments within the available housing stock. Both apps were developed with a high degree of active user involvement in processes utilizing multiple state of the art methods. The results are two well accepted prototype apps perceived as user-friendly and appropriate for the intended user groups. By combining these two apps, our ambition is for the professional raters to benefit by gaining knowledge of their clients' perceived needs and desires, and for senior citizens to benefit by getting access to a database of professionally rated dwellings. The ultimate goal is the generation of sound knowledge reflecting the needs and desires of senior citizens and professional requirements regarding accessible housing as a means to inform and influence housing provision policies.

Internationalizing the Right to Know: Conceptualizations of Access to Information in Human Rights Law

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bishop, Cheryl Ann

2009-01-01

Currently there exists a global movement promoting institutional transparency and freedom of information legislation. Conceptualizing access to government-held information as a human right is one of the latest developments in this global trend promoting access to information. The purpose of this dissertation is to identify and analyze the various…