Perception Gaps on Food Additives among Various Groups in Korea: Food Experts, Teachers, Nutrition Teachers, Nongovernmental Organization Members, and General Consumers.

PubMed

Kang, Hee-Jin; Kim, Suna; Lee, Gunyoung; Lim, Ho Soo; Yun, Sang Soon; Kim, Jeong-Weon

2017-06-01

The purpose of this study was to determine the perceptions and information needs of food experts, teachers, nutrition teachers, members of nongovernmental organizations, and general consumers concerning food additives. Questions in a survey format included perceptions, information needs, and preferred communication channels. The survey was conducted both off-line and on-line via e-mail and Google Drive in March 2015. The results indicated that most Korean consumers are concerned about the safety of using food additives in processed foods and do not recognize these additives as safe and useful materials as part of a modern diet. We also identified perception gaps among different groups regarding food additives. Nutrition teachers and members of nongovernmental organizations in Korea appeared to have a biased perception of food additives, which may cause general consumers to have a negative perception of food additives. The group of food experts did not have this bias. Governmental institutions must overcome the low confidence levels of various groups as an information provider about food additives. Based on the findings in this study, it will be possible to develop a strategy for risk communication about food additives for each group.

20 CFR 10.116 - What additional evidence is needed in cases based on occupational disease?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... based on occupational disease? 10.116 Section 10.116 Employees' Benefits OFFICE OF WORKERS' COMPENSATION... of Proof § 10.116 What additional evidence is needed in cases based on occupational disease? (a) The... occupational diseases. The medical report should also include the information specified on the checklist for...

20 CFR 10.116 - What additional evidence is needed in cases based on occupational disease?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... based on occupational disease? 10.116 Section 10.116 Employees' Benefits OFFICE OF WORKERS' COMPENSATION... of Proof § 10.116 What additional evidence is needed in cases based on occupational disease? (a) The... occupational diseases. The medical report should also include the information specified on the checklist for...

20 CFR 10.116 - What additional evidence is needed in cases based on occupational disease?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... based on occupational disease? 10.116 Section 10.116 Employees' Benefits OFFICE OF WORKERS' COMPENSATION... of Proof § 10.116 What additional evidence is needed in cases based on occupational disease? (a) The... particular occupational diseases. The medical report should also include the information specified on the...

20 CFR 10.116 - What additional evidence is needed in cases based on occupational disease?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... based on occupational disease? 10.116 Section 10.116 Employees' Benefits OFFICE OF WORKERS' COMPENSATION... of Proof § 10.116 What additional evidence is needed in cases based on occupational disease? (a) The... particular occupational diseases. The medical report should also include the information specified on the...

20 CFR 10.116 - What additional evidence is needed in cases based on occupational disease?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... based on occupational disease? 10.116 Section 10.116 Employees' Benefits OFFICE OF WORKERS' COMPENSATION... of Proof § 10.116 What additional evidence is needed in cases based on occupational disease? (a) The... particular occupational diseases. The medical report should also include the information specified on the...

Using Electronic Information Resources Centers by Faculty Members at University Education: Competencies, Needs and Challenges

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Abouelenein, Yousri

2017-01-01

This study aimed at investigating the factual situation of electronic information resources centers to faculty members at university education. Competencies that faculty members should possess regarding this issue were determined. Also their needs for (scientific research skills and teaching) were assessed. In addition, problems that hinder their…

A Management Information Systems Needs Analysis for the University of Nevada Reno.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nevada Univ., Reno.

Results of a needs assessment for administrative computing at the University of Nevada, Reno, are presented. The objectives of the Management Information Systems Task Force are identified, along with 17 problems in existing operational and management data systems, and institutional goals for future planning and management systems. In addition to…

Whats the story? Information needs of trauma teams.

PubMed

Sarcevic, Aleksandra; Burd, Randall S

2008-11-06

This paper reports on information needs of trauma teams based on an ethnographic study in an urban teaching hospital. We focus on questions posed by trauma team members during ten trauma events. We identify major categories of questions, as well as information seekers and providers. In addition to categories known from other critical care settings, we found categories unique to trauma settings. Based on these findings, we discuss implications for information technology support for trauma teams.

Towards Supporting Patient Decision-making In Online Diabetes Communities

PubMed Central

Zhang, Jing; Marmor, Rebecca; Huh, Jina

2017-01-01

As of 2014, 29.1 million people in the US have diabetes. Patients with diabetes have evolving information needs around complex lifestyle and medical decisions. As their conditions progress, patients need to sporadically make decisions by understanding alternatives and comparing options. These moments along the decision-making process present a valuable opportunity to support their information needs. An increasing number of patients visit online diabetes communities to fulfill their information needs. To understand how patients attempt to fulfill the information needs around decision-making in online communities, we reviewed 801 posts from an online diabetes community and included 79 posts for in-depth content analysis. The findings revealed motivations for posters’ inquiries related to decision-making including the changes in disease state, increased self-awareness, and conflict of information received. Medication and food were the among the most popular topics discussed as part of their decision-making inquiries. Additionally, We present insights for automatically identifying those decision-making inquiries to efficiently support information needs presented in online health communities. PMID:29854261

Health information technology knowledge and skills needed by HIT employers.

PubMed

Fenton, S H; Gongora-Ferraez, M J; Joost, E

2012-01-01

To evaluate the health information technology (HIT) workforce knowledge and skills needed by HIT employers. Statewide face-to-face and online focus groups of identified HIT employer groups in Austin, Brownsville, College Station, Dallas, El Paso, Houston, Lubbock, San Antonio, and webinars for rural health and nursing informatics. HIT employers reported needing an HIT workforce with diverse knowledge and skills ranging from basic to advanced, while covering information technology, privacy and security, clinical practice, needs assessment, contract negotiation, and many other areas. Consistent themes were that employees needed to be able to learn on the job and must possess the ability to think critically and problem solve. Many employers wanted persons with technical skills, yet also the knowledge and understanding of healthcare operations. The HIT employer focus groups provided valuable insight into employee skills needed in this fast-growing field. Additionally, this information will be utilized to develop a statewide HIT workforce needs assessment survey.

A technology ecosystem perspective on hospital management information systems: lessons from the health literature.

PubMed

Bain, Christopher A; Standing, Craig

2009-01-01

Hospital managers have a large range of information needs including quality metrics, financial reports, access information needs, educational, resourcing and decision support needs. Currently these needs involve interactions by managers with numerous disparate systems, both electronic such as SAP, Oracle Financials, PAS' (patient administration systems) like HOMER, and relevant websites; and paper-based systems. Hospital management information systems (HMIS) can be thought of sitting within a Technology Ecosystem (TE). In addition, Hospital Management Information Systems (HMIS) could benefit from a broader and deeper TE model, and the HMIS environment may in fact represents its own TE (the HMTE). This research will examine lessons from the health literature in relation to some of these issues, and propose an extension to the base model of a TE.

“What’s the Story?” Information Needs of Trauma Teams

PubMed Central

Sarcevic, Aleksandra; Burd, Randall S.

2008-01-01

This paper reports on information needs of trauma teams based on an ethnographic study in an urban teaching hospital. We focus on questions posed by trauma team members during ten trauma events. We identify major categories of questions, as well as information seekers and providers. In addition to categories known from other critical care settings, we found categories unique to trauma settings. Based on these findings, we discuss implications for information technology support for trauma teams. PMID:18999288

Identifying strategies to improve access to credible and relevant information for public health professionals: a qualitative study

PubMed Central

LaPelle, Nancy R; Luckmann, Roger; Simpson, E Hatheway; Martin, Elaine R

2006-01-01

Background Movement towards evidence-based practices in many fields suggests that public health (PH) challenges may be better addressed if credible information about health risks and effective PH practices is readily available. However, research has shown that many PH information needs are unmet. In addition to reviewing relevant literature, this study performed a comprehensive review of existing information resources and collected data from two representative PH groups, focusing on identifying current practices, expressed information needs, and ideal systems for information access. Methods Nineteen individual interviews were conducted among employees of two domains in a state health department – communicable disease control and community health promotion. Subsequent focus groups gathered additional data on preferences for methods of information access and delivery as well as information format and content. Qualitative methods were used to identify themes in the interview and focus group transcripts. Results Informants expressed similar needs for improved information access including single portal access with a good search engine; automatic notification regarding newly available information; access to best practice information in many areas of interest that extend beyond biomedical subject matter; improved access to grey literature as well as to more systematic reviews, summaries, and full-text articles; better methods for indexing, filtering, and searching for information; and effective ways to archive information accessed. Informants expressed a preference for improving systems with which they were already familiar such as PubMed and listservs rather than introducing new systems of information organization and delivery. A hypothetical ideal model for information organization and delivery was developed based on informants' stated information needs and preferred means of delivery. Features of the model were endorsed by the subjects who reviewed it. Conclusion Many critical information needs of PH practitioners are not being met efficiently or at all. We propose a dual strategy of: 1) promoting incremental improvements in existing information delivery systems based on the expressed preferences of the PH users of the systems and 2) the concurrent development and rigorous evaluation of new models of information organization and delivery that draw on successful resources already operating to deliver information to clinical medical practitioners. PMID:16597331

Technical Assistance Needs Assessments (TANAs)

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

The Technical Assistance Needs Assessment (TANA) is a process to identify whether a community requires additional support from EPA in order to understand technical information and have meaningful participation in the Superfund decision-making process.

Second medical opinions: the views of oncology patients and their physicians.

PubMed

Philip, Jennifer; Gold, Michelle; Schwarz, Max; Komesaroff, Paul

2010-09-01

Second medical opinions (SMOs) are common in oncology practice, but the nature of these consultations has received relatively little attention. This study examines the views of patients with advanced cancer and their physicians of SMOs. Parallel, concurrent surveys were developed for patients and physicians. The first was distributed to outpatients with advanced cancer-attending specialist clinics in an Australian quaternary hospital. The second survey, developed on the basis of results of exploratory interviews with medical oncologists, was distributed to medical oncologists in Australia. Seventeen of fifty two (33%) patients had sought a SMO, most commonly prompted by concerns around communication with their first doctor, the extreme and desperate nature of their medical condition and the need for reassurance. Most (94%) patients found the SMO helpful, with satisfaction related to improved communication and reassurance. Patients were concerned that seeking a second medical opinion may affect their relationship with their primary doctor. Most physicians (82%) reported seeing between one and five SMO per month, with patients being motivated by the need for additional information and reassurance. Physicians regarded SMO patients as having greater information needs (84%), greater psychosocial needs (58%) and requiring more of the physician's time and energy (77%) than other patients. SMOs are common in cancer care with most patients motivated by the need for improved communication, additional information and reassurance. Physicians identify patients who seek SMOs as having additional psychosocial needs compared with other oncology patients.

Education level, not health literacy, associated with information needs for patients with cancer.

PubMed

Matsuyama, Robin K; Wilson-Genderson, Maureen; Kuhn, Laura; Moghanaki, Drew; Vachhani, Hetal; Paasche-Orlow, Michael

2011-12-01

Cancer patients receiving adjuvant therapy encounter increasingly complex situations and decisions with each new procedure and therapy. To make informed decisions about care, they need to be able to access, process, and understand information. Individuals with limited health literacy may not be able to obtain or understand important information about their cancer and treatment. The rate of low health literacy has been shown to be higher among African Americans than among non-Hispanic Whites. This study examined the associations between race, health literacy, and self-reported needs for information about disease, diagnostic tests, treatments, physical care, and psychosocial resources. Measures assessing information needs were administered to 138 newly diagnosed cancer patients. Demographics were assessed by survey and health literacy was assessed with two commonly used measures: the Rapid Estimate Adult Literacy in Medicine (REALM) and the Short Test of Health Literacy in Adults (STOFHLA). Study findings indicate that educational attainment, rather than health literacy, is a significant predictor of information needs. Overcoming barriers to information needs may be less dependent on literacy considerations and more dependent on issues that divide across levels of educational attainment. Oncologists and hospital staff should be attentive to the fact that many patients require additional assistance to meet their information needs. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Delivering information: A descriptive study of Australian women’s information needs for decision-making about birth facility

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Little information is known about what information women want when choosing a birth facility. The objective of this study was to inform the development of a consumer decision support tool about birth facility by identifying the information needs of maternity care consumers in Queensland, Australia. Methods Participants were 146 women residing in both urban and rural areas of Queensland, Australia who were pregnant and/or had recently given birth. A cross-sectional survey was administered in which participants were asked to rate the importance of 42 information items to their decision-making about birth facility. Participants could also provide up to ten additional information items of interest in an open-ended question. Results On average, participants rated 30 of the 42 information items as important to decision-making about birth facility. While the majority of information items were valued by most participants, those related to policies about support people, other women’s recommendations about the facility, freedom to choose one’s preferred position during labour and birth, the aesthetic quality of the facility, and access to on-site neonatal intensive care were particularly widely valued. Additional items of interest frequently focused on postnatal care and support, policies related to medical intervention, and access to water immersion. Conclusions The women surveyed had significant and diverse information needs for decision-making about birth facility. These findings have immediate applications for the development of decision support tools about birth facility, and highlight the need for tools which provide a large volume of information in an accessible and user-friendly format. These findings may also be used to guide communication and information-sharing by care providers involved in counselling pregnant women and families about their options for birth facility or providing referrals to birth facilities. PMID:22708648

Delivering information: a descriptive study of Australian women's information needs for decision-making about birth facility.

PubMed

Thompson, Rachel; Wojcieszek, Aleena M

2012-06-18

Little information is known about what information women want when choosing a birth facility. The objective of this study was to inform the development of a consumer decision support tool about birth facility by identifying the information needs of maternity care consumers in Queensland, Australia. Participants were 146 women residing in both urban and rural areas of Queensland, Australia who were pregnant and/or had recently given birth. A cross-sectional survey was administered in which participants were asked to rate the importance of 42 information items to their decision-making about birth facility. Participants could also provide up to ten additional information items of interest in an open-ended question. On average, participants rated 30 of the 42 information items as important to decision-making about birth facility. While the majority of information items were valued by most participants, those related to policies about support people, other women's recommendations about the facility, freedom to choose one's preferred position during labour and birth, the aesthetic quality of the facility, and access to on-site neonatal intensive care were particularly widely valued. Additional items of interest frequently focused on postnatal care and support, policies related to medical intervention, and access to water immersion. The women surveyed had significant and diverse information needs for decision-making about birth facility. These findings have immediate applications for the development of decision support tools about birth facility, and highlight the need for tools which provide a large volume of information in an accessible and user-friendly format. These findings may also be used to guide communication and information-sharing by care providers involved in counselling pregnant women and families about their options for birth facility or providing referrals to birth facilities.

Privacy and medical information on the Internet.

PubMed

Nelson, Steven B

2006-02-01

Health-care consumers are beginning to realize the presence and value of health-care information available on the Internet, but they need to be aware of risks that may be involved. In addition to delivering information, some Web sites collect information. Though not all of the information might be classified as protected health information, consumers need to realize what is collected and how it might be used. Consumers should know a Web site\\'s privacy policy before divulging any personal information. Health-care providers have a responsibility to know what information they are collecting and why. Web servers may collect large amounts of visitor information by default, and they should be modified to limit data collection to only what is necessary. Providers need to be cognizant of the many regulations concerning collection and disclosure of information obtained from consumers. Providers should also provide an easily understood privacy policy for users.

Hydrologic-information needs for oil-shale development, northwestern Colorado

USGS Publications Warehouse

Taylor, O.J.

1982-01-01

Hydrologic information is not adequate for proper development of the large oil-shale reserves of Piceance basin in northwestern Colorado. Exploratory drilling and aquifer testing are needed to define the hydrologic system, to provide wells for aquifer testing, to design mine-drainage techniques, and to explore for additional water supplies. Sampling networks are needed to supply hydrologic data on the quantity and quality of surface water, ground water, and springs. A detailed sampling network is proposed for the White River basin because of expected impacts related to water supplies and waste disposal. Emissions from oil-shale retorts to the atmosphere need additional study because of possible resulting corrosion problems and the destruction of fisheries. Studies of the leachate materials and the stability of disposed retorted shale piles are needed to insure that these materials will not cause problems. Hazards related to in-situ retorts, and the wastes related to oil-shale development in general also need further investigation. (USGS)

When is enough evidence enough? - Using systematic decision analysis and value-of-information analysis to determine the need for further evidence.

PubMed

Siebert, Uwe; Rochau, Ursula; Claxton, Karl

2013-01-01

Decision analysis (DA) and value-of-information (VOI) analysis provide a systematic, quantitative methodological framework that explicitly considers the uncertainty surrounding the currently available evidence to guide healthcare decisions. In medical decision making under uncertainty, there are two fundamental questions: 1) What decision should be made now given the best available evidence (and its uncertainty)?; 2) Subsequent to the current decision and given the magnitude of the remaining uncertainty, should we gather further evidence (i.e., perform additional studies), and if yes, which studies should be undertaken (e.g., efficacy, side effects, quality of life, costs), and what sample sizes are needed? Using the currently best available evidence, VoI analysis focuses on the likelihood of making a wrong decision if the new intervention is adopted. The value of performing further studies and gathering additional evidence is based on the extent to which the additional information will reduce this uncertainty. A quantitative framework allows for the valuation of the additional information that is generated by further research, and considers the decision maker's objectives and resource constraints. Claxton et al. summarise: "Value of information analysis can be used to inform a range of policy questions including whether a new technology should be approved based on existing evidence, whether it should be approved but additional research conducted or whether approval should be withheld until the additional evidence becomes available." [Claxton K. Value of information entry in Encyclopaedia of Health Economics, Elsevier, forthcoming 2014.] The purpose of this tutorial is to introduce the framework of systematic VoI analysis to guide further research. In our tutorial article, we explain the theoretical foundations and practical methods of decision analysis and value-of-information analysis. To illustrate, we use a simple case example of a foot ulcer (e.g., with diabetes) as well as key references from the literature, including examples for the use of the decision-analytic VoI framework by health technology assessment agencies to guide further research. These concepts may guide stakeholders involved or interested in how to determine whether or not and, if so, which additional evidence is needed to make decisions. Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier GmbH.

Nurses and health information technology: working with and around computers.

PubMed

Peace, Jane

2011-01-01

Information technology is nearly ubiquitous in health care settings. Nurses need basic computer skills and information literacy to effectively practice nursing. In addition, nurses must be prepared not only to work around complex health information technology, but also to communicate with individuals who can address the underlying problems.

A Limited Assessment of the Curricula of Selected Information System Technology Associate Degree Programs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stange, Melissa

2012-01-01

Previous studies have examined the curricula of information systems technology (IST) programs, and some have noted a discrepancy between the stated needs of industry and the skills and attributes of graduates of 4-year programs. In addition, gaps between the 2-year curricula and the perceived needs of employers have been noted. The purpose of this…

Expressed information needs of patients with osteoporosis and/or fragility fractures: a systematic review.

PubMed

Raybould, Grace; Babatunde, Opeyemi; Evans, Amy L; Jordan, Joanne L; Paskins, Zoe

2018-05-08

This systematic review identified patients have unmet information needs about the nature of osteoporosis, medication, self-management and follow-up. Clinician knowledge and attitudes appear to be of key importance in determining whether these needs are met. Unmet information needs appear to have psychosocial consequences and result in poor treatment adherence. Patient education is an integral component of the management of osteoporosis, yet patients are dissatisfied with the information they receive and see this as an area of research priority. This study aimed to describe and summarise the specific expressed information needs of patients in previously published qualitative research. Using terms relating to osteoporosis, fragility fracture and information needs, seven databases were searched. Articles were screened using predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Full-text articles selected for inclusion underwent data extraction and quality appraisal. Findings were drawn together using narrative synthesis. The search identified 11,024 articles. Sixteen empirical studies were included in the review. Thematic analysis revealed three overarching themes relating to specific information needs, factors influencing whether information needs are met and the impact of unmet information needs. Specific information needs identified included the following: the nature of osteoporosis/fracture risk; medication; self-management and understanding the role of dual energy x-ray absorptiometry and follow-up. Perceived physician knowledge and attitudes, and the attitudes, beliefs and behaviours of patients were important factors in influencing whether information needs were met, in addition to contextual factors and the format of educational resources. Failure to elicit and address information needs appears to be associated with poor treatment adherence, deterioration of the doctor-patient relationship and important psychosocial consequences. This is the first study to describe the information needs of patients with osteoporosis and fracture, the impact of this information gap and possible solutions. Further research is needed to co-design and evaluate educational interventions with patients.

77 FR 25440 - Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-04-30

... making. Without this information, consumers would be severely hindered in their ability to assess the... accounts. Additionally, enforcement agencies and private litigants need the information in these... proposed and/or continuing information collections, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995...

Health Information Technology Knowledge and Skills Needed by HIT Employers

PubMed Central

Fenton, S.H.; Gongora-Ferraez, M.J.; Joost, E.

2012-01-01

Objective To evaluate the health information technology (HIT) workforce knowledge and skills needed by HIT employers. Methods Statewide face-to-face and online focus groups of identified HIT employer groups in Austin, Brownsville, College Station, Dallas, El Paso, Houston, Lubbock, San Antonio, and webinars for rural health and nursing informatics. Results HIT employers reported needing an HIT workforce with diverse knowledge and skills ranging from basic to advanced, while covering information technology, privacy and security, clinical practice, needs assessment, contract negotiation, and many other areas. Consistent themes were that employees needed to be able to learn on the job and must possess the ability to think critically and problem solve. Many employers wanted persons with technical skills, yet also the knowledge and understanding of healthcare operations. Conclusion The HIT employer focus groups provided valuable insight into employee skills needed in this fast-growing field. Additionally, this information will be utilized to develop a statewide HIT workforce needs assessment survey. PMID:23646090

Beneficiary survey-based feedback on new Medicare informational materials.

PubMed

McCormack, L A; Garfinkel, S A; Hibbard, J H; Kilpatrick, K E; Kalsbeek, W D

2001-01-01

In response to the Balanced Budget Act (BBA) of 1997, the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) initiated a massive information and education campaign to promote effective health plan decision-making. Early results suggest that the pilot version of the Medicare & You handbook and other new Medicare informational materials were viewed favorably overall. Despite their limitations, most beneficiaries found the information useful. The longer, more comprehensive materials were not perceived to be more useful than the shorter, less complicated version. Additional research is needed to determine which subgroups of beneficiaries may need more and, possibly less, information.

Role of information systems in public health services.

PubMed

Hartshorne, J E; Carstens, I L

1990-07-01

The purpose of this review is to establish a conceptual framework on the role of information systems in public health care. Information is indispensable for effective management and development of health services and therefore considered as an important operational asset or resource. A Health Information System is mainly required to support management and operations at four levels: namely transactional and functional; operational control; management planning and control; and strategic planning. To provide the necessary information needs of users at these levels of management in the health care system, a structured information system coupled with appropriate information technology is required. Adequate and relevant information is needed regarding population characteristics, resources available and expended, output and outcome of health care activities. Additionally information needs to be reliable, accurate, timely, easily accessible and presented in a compact and meaningful form. With a well-planned health information system health authorities would be in a position to provide a quality, cost-effective and efficient health service for as many people as need it, optimal utilisation of resources and to maintain and improve the community's health status.

Informed consent needed for sterilization or research.

PubMed

Barnett, B

1998-01-01

Informed choice involves enabling family planning clients to base their decisions about contraceptive use upon adequate information. It is a process in which clients give their permission to undergo a procedure, take a medication, or participate in a study after being fully informed. Informed consent protects an individual's freedom of choice, respects his or her autonomy, is important in both family planning programs and reproductive health research, and should always be available to clients seeking health services. Although written informed consent is not needed for most reproductive health services, it should be obtained from men and women who undergo sterilization, since that involves surgery and is considered permanent. In addition, people who volunteer to participate in contraceptive studies need to be fully informed of the risks and benefits of any new drugs or devices they receive. Volunteers should understand the potential effects of methods upon their physical health and other aspects of their lives. Ethical reviews need to be conducted before research begins.

40 CFR 221.2 - Other information.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 25 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Other information. 221.2 Section 221.2... DUMPING PERMITS UNDER SECTION 102 OF THE ACT § 221.2 Other information. In the event the Administrator... additional information is needed in order to apply the Criteria, he shall so advise the applicant in writing...

78 FR 57666 - Plan for Generic Information Collection Activity: Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-09-19

... event, whether the witness needed medical attention, and what type of assistance the witness may have..., and unambiguous terminology in its requests for information. In addition, the questionnaires are not...

From the Office of the National Coordinator: the strategy for advancing the exchange of health information.

PubMed

Williams, Claudia; Mostashari, Farzad; Mertz, Kory; Hogin, Emily; Atwal, Parmeeth

2012-03-01

Electronic health information exchange addresses a critical need in the US health care system to have information follow patients to support patient care. Today little information is shared electronically, leaving doctors without the information they need to provide the best care. With payment reforms providing a strong business driver, the demand for health information exchange is poised to grow. The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, Department of Health and Human Services, has led the process of establishing the essential building blocks that will support health information exchange. Over the coming year, this office will develop additional policies and standards that will make information exchange easier and cheaper and facilitate its use on a broader scale.

The Effects of Viewing and Preferences for Online Cancer Information Among Patients' Loved Ones.

PubMed

Lauckner, Carolyn

2016-01-01

Emotional and psychological distress is common among loved ones of cancer patients, who sometimes report more severe mental health issues than the patients themselves. In addition, many loved ones feel as though their information needs are not being met, which can lead them to seek out additional information online. This survey research examined the experiences of cancer patients' loved ones in viewing online content about the disease and the emotional outcomes of such browsing sessions. Participants (N = 191) were recruited from cancer- and caregiver-related nonprofits and online discussion boards. Results indicated that patients' loved ones were active users of online cancer Web sites. They primarily viewed and expressed a desire for information-based, rather than support-based, content. Many individuals desired in-depth treatment information, and those who viewed it had significantly more hope. Interestingly, multiple regression analysis revealed that viewing user-generated content was associated only with negative emotions, illustrating the potential dangers of social media spaces. Overall, this study shows the need for supporting patients' loved ones during their almost inevitable viewings of online cancer information. More research is needed in order to determine the best methods of mitigating potential negative effects of cancer Web sites and developing a useful online resource for this population.

77 FR 74187 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Announcement of Board Approval Under Delegated...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-12-13

...: The voluntary Retail Payments Surveys are designed to collect information needed to support the... wholesale payments, these surveys are designed to collect information on retail payments and the systems or... assisting with the survey design conducted industry outreach calls to obtain additional insights into the...

Finding online health-related information: usability issues of health portals.

PubMed

Gurel Koybasi, Nergis A; Cagiltay, Kursat

2012-01-01

As Internet and computers become widespread, health portals offering online health-related information become more popular. The most important point for health portals is presenting reliable and valid information. Besides, portal needs to be usable to be able to serve information to users effectively. This study aims to determine usability issues emerging when health-related information is searched on a health portal. User-based usability tests are conducted and eye movement analyses are used in addition to traditional performance measures. Results revealed that users prefer systematic, simple and consistent designs offering interactive tools. Moreover, content and partitions needs to be shaped according to the medical knowledge of target users.

School Help for Homeless Children with Disabilities: Information for Parents. Helping You Help Your Child: Information for Parents Brief Series

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Center for Homeless Education at SERVE, 2015

2015-01-01

Parents experiencing homelessness may be struggling to enroll and keep their children in school. If they have a child with special needs, they may have even more challenges to make sure their child receives the help she needs. This brief helps parents with the following concerns and offers resources for additional assistance: (1) not knowing who…

Objective burden, resources, and other stressors among informal cancer caregivers: a hidden quality issue?†

PubMed Central

van Ryn, Michelle; Sanders, Sara; Kahn, Katherine; van Houtven, Courtney; Griffin, Joan M.; Martin, Michelle; Atienza, Audie A.; Phelan, Sean; Finstad, Deborah; Rowland, Julia

2015-01-01

A great deal of clinical cancer care is delivered in the home by informal caregivers (e.g. family, friends), who are often untrained. Caregivers' context varies widely, with many providing care despite low levels of resources and high levels of additional demands. Background Changes in health care have shifted much cancer care to the home, with limited data to inform this transition. We studied the characteristics, care tasks, and needs of informal caregivers of cancer patients. Methods Caregivers of seven geographically and institutionally defined cohorts of newly diagnosed colorectal and lung cancer patients completed self-administered questionnaires (n = 677). We combined this information with patient survey and chart abstraction data and focused on caregivers who reported providing, unpaid, at least 50% of the patient's informal cancer care. Results Over half of caregivers (55%) cared for a patient with metastatic disease, severe comorbidity, or undergoing current treatment. Besides assisting with activities of daily living, caregivers provided cancer-specific care such as watching for treatment side effects (68%), helping manage pain, nausea or fatigue (47%), administering medicine (34%), deciding whether to call a doctor (30%), deciding whether medicine was needed (29%), and changing bandages (19%). However, half of caregivers reported not getting training perceived as necessary. In addition, 49% of caregivers worked for pay, 21% reported poor or fair health, and 21% provided unpaid care for other individuals. One in four reported low confidence in the quality of the care they provided. Conclusions Much assistance for cancer patients is delivered in the home by informal caregivers, often without desired training, with a significant minority having limited resources and high additional demands. Future research should explore the potentially high yield of addressing caregiver needs in improving quality of cancer care and both survivors' and caregivers' outcomes. PMID:20201115

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

Janka, R., E-mail: rolf.janka@idr.imed.uni-erlangen.de; Wenkel, E.; Fellner, C.

The purpose of this work was to find out how often the clinician asks for a conventional angiography (CA) in patients with peripheral arterial occlusive disease (PAOD) after a magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) has been performed and how often the CA reveals additional information for therapy planning. Quality criteria for the MRA were defined and tested to see whether they can predict the need for an additional CA. In this prospective study, 81 patients suffering from PAOD (Fontaine classification IIa, n = 13; IIb, n = 33; III, n = 10; IV, n = 25) were examined with a 1.5-Tmore » MR-scanner with dedicated coils using a step-by-step technique. The vascular surgeon decided whether he could plan the therapy on the basis of the MRA or if he needed an additional CA. The MRA was assessed in terms of the image quality of the MRA and regarding therapeutic management of the patient in a two-grade scale: sufficient and insufficient. In 27/81 (33%) patients, the clinician asked for a CA, which revealed new information in only 11 patients. The relative number of MRAs with insufficient image quality was significantly higher (p < 0.01) in the group with additional information on CA (8/11) compared to the group without additional information (0/16). The assessment of an MRA based on image quality and regarding therapeutic management of the patient might reduce the number of CAs for therapy planning in patients with PAOD.« less

A lack of vision: evidence for poor communication of visual problems and support needs in education statements/plans for children with SEN.

PubMed

Little, J-A; Saunders, K J

2015-02-01

Visual dysfunction is more common in children with neurological impairments and previous studies have recommended such children receive visual and refractive assessment. In the UK, children with neurological impairment often have educational statementing for Special Educational Needs (SEN) and the statement should detail all health care and support needs to ensure the child's needs are met during school life. This study examined the representation of visual information in statements of SEN and compared this to orthoptic visual information from school visual assessments for children in a special school in Northern Ireland, UK. The parents of 115 school children in a special school were informed about the study via written information. Participation involved parents permitting the researchers to access their child's SEN educational statement and orthoptic clinical records. Statement information was accessed for 28 participants aged between four and 19 years; 25 contained visual information. Two participants were identified in their statements as having a certification of visual impairment. An additional 10 children had visual acuity ≥ 0.3 logMAR. This visual deficit was not reported in statements in eight out of these 12 cases (67%). 11 participants had significant refractive error and wore spectacles, but only five (45%) had this requirement recorded in their statement. Overall, 10 participants (55%) had either reduced visual acuity or significant refractive error which was not recorded in their statement. Despite additional visual needs being common, and described in clinical records, the majority of those with reduced vision and/or spectacle requirements did not have this information included in their statement. If visual limitations are not recognized by educational services, the child's needs may not be met during school life. More comprehensive eye care services, embedded with stakeholder communication and links to education are necessary to improve understanding of vision for children with neurological impairments. Copyright © 2014 The Royal Society for Public Health. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Print information to inform decisions about mammography screening participation in 16 countries with population-based programs.

PubMed

Zapka, Jane G; Geller, Berta M; Bulliard, Jean-Luc; Fracheboud, Jacques; Sancho-Garnier, Helene; Ballard-Barbash, Rachel

2006-10-01

To profile and compare the content and presentation of written communications related to informed decision-making about mammography. Materials from 16 screening programs organized at the national or regional level were analyzed according to five major information domains suggested by the international literature. A majority of countries provided information on the program (interval, cost and quality). There was considerable variability in comprehensiveness of elements in the domains, e.g., test characteristics (false positive/negative) and pros and cons of screening. The majority noted the likelihood of recall for further tests, few commented on the risks of additional tests or finding unimportant tumors. The audit also found variation in presentation (words and pictures). Presentation of comprehensive, but balanced information on screening benefits and risks is complex and daunting. Issues such as framing effects, coupled with debate about screening efficacy are challenging to the design of effective information tools. The objective of increasing screening prevalence at the population level must be balanced with objectively presenting complete and clear information. Additional research is needed on how information (and mode of presentation) impact screening decisions. Public health officials need to articulate their objectives and review written communication according to important decision-making domains.

HOSPITAL MANAGERS' NEED FOR INFORMATION ON HEALTH TECHNOLOGY INVESTMENTS.

PubMed

Ølholm, Anne Mette; Kidholm, Kristian; Birk-Olsen, Mette; Christensen, Janne Buck

2015-01-01

There is growing interest in implementing hospital-based health technology assessment (HB-HTA) as a tool to facilitate decision making based on a systematic and multidisciplinary assessment of evidence. However, the decision-making process, including the informational needs of hospital decision makers, is not well described. The objective was to review empirical studies analysing the information that hospital decision makers need when deciding about health technology (HT) investments. A systematic review of empirical studies published in English or Danish from 2000 to 2012 was carried out. The literature was assessed by two reviewers working independently. The identified informational needs were assessed with regard to their agreement with the nine domains of EUnetHTA's Core Model. A total of 2,689 articles were identified and assessed. The review process resulted in 14 relevant studies containing 74 types of information that hospital decision makers found relevant. In addition to information covered by the Core Model, other types of information dealing with political and strategic aspects were identified. The most frequently mentioned types of information in the literature related to clinical, economic and political/strategic aspects. Legal, social, and ethical aspects were seldom considered most important. Hospital decision makers are able to describe their information needs when deciding on HT investments. The different types of information were not of equal importance to hospital decision makers, however, and full agreement between EUnetHTA's Core Model and the hospital decision-makers' informational needs was not observed. They also need information on political and strategic aspects not covered by the Core Model.

Follow-up Care Education and Information: Identifying Cancer Survivors in Need of More Guidance.

PubMed

O'Malley, Denalee M; Hudson, Shawna V; Ohman-Strickland, Pamela A; Bator, Alicja; Lee, Heather S; Gundersen, Daniel A; Miller, Suzanne M

2016-03-01

Cancer survivors engage in cancer screenings and protective health behaviors at suboptimal rates despite their increased risk for future illness. Survivorship care plans and other educational strategies to prepare cancer survivors to adopt engaged roles in managing long-term follow-up care and health risks are needed. In a sample of cancer survivors, we identified patient characteristics and psychosocial predictors associated with increased follow-up care informational needs. Cross-sectional surveys were administered to early-stage breast and prostate survivors (N = 278; 68 % breast) at least 2 years post treatment from four community hospital programs in New Jersey between May 2012 and July 2013. Patient demographics, medical history, psychosocial characteristics (i.e., worries about the future, fear of disease recurrence, and patient activation), and perceptions of oncology and primary care were assessed. African-American survivors (AOR = 2.69, 95 % confidence interval [CI] 1.27-5.68) and survivors with higher comorbidity (AOR =1.16, CI 1.01-1.33) were more likely to want additional information to guide follow-up care. Adjusting for race and comorbidities, survivors who wanted more information to guide their follow-up care reported greater worries about the future (p < 0.05) and fears about disease recurrence (p < 0.05) compared to those who did not want additional information. Results emphasize the need to develop cancer survivorship educational strategies that are both responsive to the needs of specific populations (e.g., African-American survivors and patients with multiple comorbidities) and the psychosocial profiles that motivate requests for more extensive follow-up guidance.

Follow-up Care Education and Information: Identifying Cancer Survivors in Need of More Guidance

PubMed Central

O’Malley, Denalee M.; Hudson, Shawna V.; Ohman-Strickland, Pamela A; Bator, Alicja; Lee, Heather S.; Gundersen, Daniel A.; Miller, Suzanne M.

2015-01-01

Background Cancer survivors engage in cancer screenings and protective health behaviors at suboptimal rates despite their increased risk for future illness. Survivorship care plans and other educational strategies to prepare cancer survivors to adopt engaged roles in managing long-term follow-up care and health risks are needed. In a sample of cancer survivors, we identified patient characteristics and psychosocial predictors associated with increased follow-up care informational needs. Methods Cross-sectional surveys were administered to early stage breast and prostate survivors (N=278; 68% breast) at least two years post-treatment from four community hospital programs in New Jersey between May 2012-July 2013. Patient demographics, medical history, psychosocial characteristics (i.e., worries about the future, fear of disease recurrence, and patient activation) and perceptions of oncology and primary care were assessed. Results African American survivors (AOR =2.69, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.27–5.68) and survivors with higher comorbidity (AOR=1.16, CI 1.01–1.33) were more likely to want additional information to guide follow-up care. Adjusting for race and comorbidities, survivors who wanted more information to guide their follow-up care reported greater worries about the future (p<0.05) and fears about disease recurrence (p<0.05) compared to those who did not want additional information. Conclusions Results emphasize the need to develop cancer survivorship educational strategies that are both responsive to the needs of specific populations (e.g., African American survivors and patients with multiple comorbidities) and the psychosocial profiles that motivate requests for more extensive follow-up guidance. PMID:25524391

Abstraction of information in repository performance assessments. Examples from the SKI project Site-94

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

Dverstorp, B.; Andersson, J.

1995-12-01

Performance Assessment of a nuclear waste repository implies an analysis of a complex system with many interacting processes. Even if some of these processes may be known to large detail, problems arise when combining all information, and means of abstracting information from complex detailed models into models that couple different processes are needed. Clearly, one of the major objectives of performance assessment, to calculate doses or other performance indicators, implies an enormous abstraction of information compared to all information that is used as input. Other problems are that the knowledge of different parts or processes is strongly variable and adjustments,more » interpretations, are needed when combining models from different disciplines. In addition, people as well as computers, even today, always have a limited capacity to process information and choices have to be made. However, because abstraction of information clearly is unavoidable in performance assessment the validity of choices made, always need to be scrutinized and judgements made need to be updated in an iterative process.« less

Child Care Training Needs Assessment: A Report on the Training Needs of Child Care Workers in Seventeen Agencies in the SUNYA Catchment Area.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Armstrong, Mary; And Others

An assessment study was conducted to compile a comprehensive view of the training needs of child care workers in eastern upstate New York. A Needs Assessment Questionnaire was distributed to 539 child care workers, and 65% were returned. The questionnaires concerned demographic, specific job-related, and training-related information. In addition,…

Contextual constraints for the design of patient-centered health IT tools.

PubMed

Gonzales, Michael J; O'Connor, Maria Francesca; Riek, Laurel D

2013-01-01

Technologists are constantly working to improve clinical practice by developing new health information technology (Health IT) tools, yet may not always consider the context of how these tools may be used. Patient preferences can vary widely as a result of demographics, health conditions, physical limitations, and personal inclinations, with healthcare providers having to adapt clinical encounters to better suit patient needs. Health IT tools, too, need to be agile across different healthcare contexts, with each stakeholder's specific needs in mind. In this paper, we discuss the challenges and limitations associated with the design and automation of contextually sensitive devices in the healthcare environment. We target the various contexts in which health information is presented in patient-provider encounters, and discuss contextual constraints that may apply to the aforementioned situations. In addition, we present a number of suggestions for informational constraints and the design of informational tools in these settings so that patient and provider informational needs can be better met in clinical communication contexts.

Battery electric vehicles - implications for the driver interface.

PubMed

Neumann, Isabel; Krems, Josef F

2016-03-01

The current study examines the human-machine interface of a battery electric vehicle (BEV) from a user-perspective, focussing on the evaluation of BEV-specific displays, the relevance of provided information and challenges for drivers due to the concept of electricity in a road vehicle. A sample of 40 users drove a BEV for 6 months. Data were gathered at three points of data collection. Participants perceived the BEV-specific displays as only moderately reliable and helpful for estimating the displayed parameters. This was even less the case after driving the BEV for 3 months. A taxonomy of user requirements was compiled revealing the need for improved and additional information, especially regarding energy consumption and efficiency. Drivers had difficulty understanding electrical units and the energy consumption of the BEV. On the background of general principles for display design, results provide implications how to display relevant information and how to facilitate drivers' understanding of energy consumption in BEVs. Practitioner Summary: Battery electric vehicle (BEV) displays need to incorporate new information. A taxonomy of user requirements was compiled revealing the need for improved and additional information in the BEV interface. Furthermore, drivers had trouble understanding electrical units and energy consumption; therefore, appropriate assistance is required. Design principles which are specifically important in the BEV context are discussed.

Communications Arts and Technology Program Needs Assessment.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oakland Community Coll., Farmington, MI. Office of Institutional Planning and Analysis.

In 1992, Oakland Community College conducted a needs assessment study to assist in reviewing and evaluating proposed changes to the college's existing Communications Arts and Technology Program. Businesses and employers in the communications field were surveyed (n=40) regarding employment requirements and opportunities. Additional information was…

A Strategy for Computing Disease and Non-Battle Injury Rates

DTIC Science & Technology

1989-12-12

information on outpatient visits, monthly morbidity reports, service history data, environment data, and deployment information. In addition, more outpatient...information from available service history records. 2 A STRATEGY FOR coKptnfl DISEASE AND N-BATTLE INJURY RATES William M. Pugh Medical planners need an...between 1968 and 1979. The population information was acquired from service history files. These data included information on the patients’ age, sex

Use of an Additional 19-G EBUS-TBNA Needle Increases the Diagnostic Yield of EBUS-TBNA.

PubMed

Garrison, Garth; Leclair, Timothy; Balla, Agnes; Wagner, Sarah; Butnor, Kelly; Anderson, Scott R; Kinsey, C Matthew

2018-06-12

Although endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) has an excellent diagnostic yield, there remain cases where the diagnosis is not obtained. We hypothesized that additional sampling with a 19-G EBUS-TBNA needle may increase diagnostic yield in a subset of cases where additional tissue sampling was required. Indications for use of the 19-G needle following 22-G sampling with rapid on-site cytologic examination were: (1) diagnostic uncertainty of the on-site cytopathologist (eg, nondiagnostic, probable lymphoma, etc.), (2) non-small cell lung cancer with probable need for molecular genetic and/or PD-L1 testing, or (3) need for a larger tissue sample for consideration of inclusion in a research protocol. A 19-G EBUS-TBNA needle was utilized following standard sampling with a 22-G needle in 48 patients (50 sites) during the same procedure. Although the diagnostic yield between the needles was equivalent, the concordance rate was only 83%. The 19-G determined a diagnosis in 4 additional patients (8%) and provided additional histopathologic information in 6 other cases (12%). Conversely, in 3 cases (6%) diagnostic information was provided only by the 22-G needle. Compared with 22-G EBUS-TBNA alone, sampling with both the 22- and 19-G EBUS needles resulted in an increase in diagnostic yield from 92% to 99% (P=0.045) and a number needed to sample of 13 patients to provide one additional diagnosis. There were no significant complications. In select cases where additional tissue may be needed, sampling with a 19-G EBUS needle following standard aspiration with a 22-G needle results in an increase in diagnostic yield.

System Engineering Concept Demonstration, System Engineering Needs. Volume 2

DTIC Science & Technology

1992-12-01

changeability, and invisibility. "Software entities are perhaps more complex for their size than any other human construct..." In addition, software is... human actions and interactions that often fail or insufficient in large organizations. Specific needs in this area include the following: " Each...needed to accomplish incremental review and critique of information. * Automi ..-’ metrics support is needed for the measuring ikey quality aspects of

Teaching Experience for School Counselors: Counselor Educators' Perceptions.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Sondra L.; Crutchfield, Lori B.; Culbreth, John R.

2001-01-01

Members of the Association of Counselor Education and Supervision were asked to provide information regarding state teaching experience requirements, their professional opinions regarding the need for teaching experience for school counselors, and the need for additional coursework for school counseling students. Many of the counselors believe…

International Business Program Needs Assessment.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oakland Community Coll., Farmington, MI. Office of Institutional Planning and Analysis.

In 1991, a study was conducted by Oakland Community College to evaluate the need for a proposed International Business program. General information was obtained from a literature search, various governmental and public interest agencies involved in international business, and other southeast Michigan community colleges. In addition, a survey was…

Using the theory of planned behavior to determine factors influencing processed foods consumption behavior.

PubMed

Seo, Sunhee; Kim, Og Yeon; Shim, Soonmi

2014-06-01

The purpose of this study is to identify how level of information affected intention, using the Theory of Planned Behavior. The study was conducted survey in diverse community centers and shopping malls in Seoul, which yielded N = 209 datasets. To compare processed foods consumption behavior, we divided samples into two groups based on level of information about food additives (whether respondents felt that information on food additives was sufficient or not). We analyzed differences in attitudes toward food additives and toward purchasing processed foods, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, and behavioral intentions to processed foods between sufficient information group and lack information group. The results confirmed that more than 78% of respondents thought information on food additives was insufficient. However, the group who felt information was sufficient had more positive attitudes about consuming processed foods and behavioral intentions than the group who thought information was inadequate. This study found people who consider that they have sufficient information on food additives tend to have more positive attitudes toward processed foods and intention to consume processed foods. This study suggests increasing needs for nutrition education on the appropriate use of processed foods. Designing useful nutrition education requires a good understanding of factors which influence on processed foods consumption.

Using the theory of planned behavior to determine factors influencing processed foods consumption behavior

PubMed Central

Kim, Og Yeon; Shim, Soonmi

2014-01-01

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES The purpose of this study is to identify how level of information affected intention, using the Theory of Planned Behavior. SUBJECTS/METHODS The study was conducted survey in diverse community centers and shopping malls in Seoul, which yielded N = 209 datasets. To compare processed foods consumption behavior, we divided samples into two groups based on level of information about food additives (whether respondents felt that information on food additives was sufficient or not). We analyzed differences in attitudes toward food additives and toward purchasing processed foods, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, and behavioral intentions to processed foods between sufficient information group and lack information group. RESULTS The results confirmed that more than 78% of respondents thought information on food additives was insufficient. However, the group who felt information was sufficient had more positive attitudes about consuming processed foods and behavioral intentions than the group who thought information was inadequate. This study found people who consider that they have sufficient information on food additives tend to have more positive attitudes toward processed foods and intention to consume processed foods. CONCLUSIONS This study suggests increasing needs for nutrition education on the appropriate use of processed foods. Designing useful nutrition education requires a good understanding of factors which influence on processed foods consumption. PMID:24944779

Additional Boundary Condition for List-Method Directed Forgetting: The Effect of Presentation Format

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hupbach, Almut; Sahakyan, Lili

2014-01-01

The attempt to forget some recently encoded information renders this information difficult to recall in a subsequent memory test. "Forget" instructions are only effective when followed by learning of new material. In the present study, we asked whether the new material needs to match the format of the to-be-forgotten information for…

76 FR 56682 - Sunscreen Drug Products for Over-the-Counter Human Use; Request for Data and Information...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-09-14

... cited the need for additional time to evaluate their available data and to organize and submit the data...-Counter Human Use; Request for Data and Information Regarding Dosage Forms; Extension of Comment Period... data and information; extension of comment period. SUMMARY: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is...

Assessment of information needs in diabetes: Development and evaluation of a questionnaire.

PubMed

Chernyak, N; Stephan, A; Bächle, C; Genz, J; Jülich, F; Icks, A

2016-08-01

To develop a questionnaire suitable for assessing the information needs of individuals with diabetes mellitus types 1 and 2 in diverse healthcare settings (e.g. primary care or long-term care) and at different time points during the course of the disease. The initial questionnaire was developed on the basis of literature search and analysis, reviewed by clinical experts, and evaluated in two focus groups. The revised version was pilot-tested on 39 individuals with diabetes type 2, type 1 and gestational diabetes. The final questionnaire reveals the most important information needs in diabetes. A choice task, a rating task and open-ended questions are combined. First, participants have to choose three topics that interest them out of a list with 12 general topics and specify in their own words their particular information needs for the chosen topics. They are then asked how informed they feel with regard to all topics (4-point Likert-scale), and whether information is currently desired (yes/no). The questionnaire ends with an open-ended question asking for additional topics of interest. Careful selection of topics and inclusion of open-ended questions seem to be essential prerequisites for the unbiased assessment of information needs. The questionnaire can be applied in surveys in order to examine patterns of information needs across various groups and changes during the course of the disease. Such knowledge would contribute to more patient-guided information, counselling and support. Copyright © 2015 Primary Care Diabetes Europe. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

"I might not have cancer if you didn't mention it": a qualitative study on information needed by culturally diverse cancer survivors.

PubMed

O'Callaghan, Clare; Schofield, Penelope; Butow, Phyllis; Nolte, Linda; Price, Melanie; Tsintziras, Spiri; Sze, Ming; Thein, Thida; Yiu, Dorothy; Mireskandari, Shab; Goldstein, David; Jefford, Michael

2016-01-01

Immigrants from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds diagnosed with cancer face multiple challenges with health systems foreign to them. There is scarce understanding about their needs following cancer treatment in the survivorship phase. Unmet needs were examined in immigrant Chinese and Greek cancer survivors in order to assist development of relevant and useful information resources for these CALD groups. Qualitative descriptive design was used. Adult cancer survivors, whose native language was Mandarin, Cantonese or Greek, were recruited through ethnic cancer support groups and cancer specialists in two Australian cities. Six focus groups were conducted, two in each native language group. Recorded responses were transcribed, translated into English, and thematically analysed. Thirty-nine CALD cancer survivors participated from Greek (11), Cantonese (14) and Mandarin (14) backgrounds. Thematic findings included as follows: ongoing cancer-related stressors, cancer misunderstandings, coping strategies, 'survivor' seldom reflects self-appraisal, and additional CALD survivorship information needed. Immigrant cancer survivors may prefer 'recovery' to 'survivorship' descriptors and need information similar to Caucasian cancer survivors alongside as follows: resources for navigating health care, financial and community entitlements; caregiver-directed information to enhance their support; explanations about differences in health care approaches between survivors' original and adopted countries; and acknowledgment of survivorship diversity within CALD groups. Immigrant cancer survivors' additional requirements to native survivors likely reflect challenges in dealing with foreign environments and varied levels of acculturation within group members. Identification of immigrant cancer survivorship issues may support development of targeted resources for promoting survivors' self-care and capacity for finding, choosing, and using existing support options.

Strategies for Learners with Special Needs in Marketing and Distributive Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Missouri Univ., Columbia. Missouri LINC.

This Vocational Instructional Management System (VIMS) module addresses general information related to the instructional/teaching strategies and cognitive/learning strategies for special needs students in marketing and distributive education. In addition, specific strategies are suggested as they relate to Access Skills objectives for some of the…

45 CFR 162.925 - Additional requirements for health plans.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... Section 162.925 Public Welfare DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES ADMINISTRATIVE DATA STANDARDS AND... data elements not needed or used by the health plan (for example, coordination of benefits information... coordination of benefits data it needs to forward the standard transaction to the other health plan (or other...

45 CFR 162.925 - Additional requirements for health plans.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... Section 162.925 Public Welfare DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES ADMINISTRATIVE DATA STANDARDS AND... data elements not needed or used by the health plan (for example, coordination of benefits information... coordination of benefits data it needs to forward the standard transaction to the other health plan (or other...

Financing Lifelong Learning for All: An International Perspective. Working Paper.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Burke, Gerald

Recent international discussions provide information on various countries' responses to lifelong learning, including the following: (1) existing unmet needs and emerging needs for education and training; (2) funds required compared with what was provided; and (3) methods for acquiring additional funds, among them efficiency measures leading to…

The Electronic School Library Resource Center: Facilities Planning for the New Information Technologies.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blodgett, Teresa; Repman, Judi

1995-01-01

Addresses the necessity of incorporating new computer technologies into school library resource centers and notes some administrative challenges. An extensive checklist is provided for assessing equipment and furniture needs, physical facilities, and rewiring needs. A glossary of 20 terms and 11 additional resources is included. (AEF)

Space station needs, attributes and architectural options study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1983-01-01

All the candidate Technology Development missions investigated during the space station needs, attributes, and architectural options study are described. All the mission data forms plus additional information such as, cost, drawings, functional flows, etc., generated in support of these mission is included with a computer generated mission data form.

Teaching Online: Where Do Faculty Spend Their Time?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mandernach, B. Jean; Holbeck, Rick

2016-01-01

An understanding of online teaching time requirements provides essential information to inform scheduling, course size and instructor workload; in addition, awareness of the distribution of time across online teaching tasks provides insight to focus faculty efforts and tailor professional development to target instructional needs. The purpose of…

Information needs, sources, and decision-making by hatching egg and broiler chicken producers: A qualitative study in Alberta, Canada.

PubMed

Anholt, R Michele; Russell, Margaret; Inglis, Tom; Mitevski, Darko; Hall, David

2017-05-01

Understanding the sources and use of information from hatching egg and broiler chicken producers, their constraints, and unmet information needs can help define future research agendas. This report presents the results from a qualitative study using interviews of 11 hatching egg producers and 12 broiler producers in Alberta, Canada. Patterns were reported and described using thematic analysis. Producers recognized that there were numerous sources of information available to them for managing disease in their flocks. Complex disease issues such as early mortality were discussed, but many producers did not believe they had any influence over the outcomes and did not see a benefit from additional information to improve outcomes. Producers described their experience, trust in the information source, and the usefulness of the information for decision-making as necessary for information uptake.

Nurses in need of additional support: web sites offering information in eldercare nursing environments.

PubMed

Matusitz, Jonathan; Breen, Gerald-Mark; Marathe, Shriram S; Wan, Thomas T H

2010-01-01

Studies have shown the usefulness of telemedicine and telecare in multiple settings. One form of telemedicine is e-health. Residents of nursing homes are a unique population that may significantly benefit from the e-health resources available to their caregivers. E-health Web sites appear to be viable, feasible, and timely interventional methods to provide the additional knowledge and support practitioners in these settings may need to provide preventative, reactive, and remedial care for frail residents.

[6-year experience with a drug information service for patients].

PubMed

Huber, Martin; Kullak-Ublick, Gerd A; Kirch, Wilhelm

2009-03-15

Many patients are inadequately informed about their drug therapy. There is thus a need for providing additional drug information to patients. The authors here report on a 6-year experience with a drug information service for patients. The information service was available by telephone, e-mail or regular mail and was addressed initially to patients in Saxony and since 2005 to patients throughout Germany. Demographic and drug therapy data of the patients were registered and analyzed using a relational database. All enquiries to the information service between August 2001 and January 2007 were evaluated. 5,587 enquiries were registered. 61.4% of the persons calling were female and 33.8% male (sex was unknown in 4.8% by anonymous calls). The most frequent reasons for an enquiry were a general need for information about drugs and therapy (27.5%) and adverse drug reactions (24.7%). The drug group most frequently enquired about were cardiovascular drugs, accounting for 34.4%, followed by neuropsychiatric drugs (15.1%). The results of this analysis show an evident need for a drug information service for patients. This need is possibly caused by the shortage of time that physicians can devote to patients. An independent and competent drug information service may improve the quality of medical care and the satisfaction of the patients involved.

Sources of information used to support quality use of medicines: findings from a national survey of nurse practitioners in Australia.

PubMed

Buckley, Thomas; Stasa, Helen; Cashin, Andrew; Stuart, Meg; Dunn, Sandra V

2015-02-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the sources, both print and electronic formats, which Australian nurse practitioners (NPs) currently use to obtain information regarding quality use of medicines (QUM). An additional aim was to document NPs' preferences for continuing education in relation to QUM. A national electronic survey of Australian NPs was conducted in 2007 and again in 2010. Eighty percent of respondents accessed information on QUM from professional literature, which may include scholarly journal articles, reports, and independent publications. There was a decrease in the percentage of respondents who obtained information from drug industry representatives. NPs prefer to receive medicines information in an electronic form, rather than a paper-based version, and over the time period more NPs are utilizing electronic sources rather than paper. These findings provide important insights into medical information products for the developers who may be able to use these results to ensure that their products meet the needs of NP clinicians. Additionally, the finding that NPs prefer to receive their continuing information related to medicines in electronic format, but also highly value conference proceedings, may help to inform future planning of NP education needs in relation to QUM. ©2014 American Association of Nurse Practitioners.

Viewing Files — EDRN Public Portal

Cancer.gov

In addition to standard HTML Web pages, our web site contain other file formats. You may need additional software or browser plug-ins to view some of the information available on our site. This document lists show each format, along with links to the corresponding freely available plug-ins or viewers.

75 FR 32911 - Notice of Informational Meeting for the i6 Challenge Under EDA's Economic Adjustment Assistance...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-06-10

... new, multi-agency innovation competition led by the Economic Development Administration (EDA), a... are in need of additional support, in order to strengthen regional innovation ecosystems. Applicants... DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE Economic Development Administration Notice of Informational Meeting for the...

Ladder Safety Live #12985

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

Chochoms, Michael

2017-02-23

This course presents information for working safely with portable ladders: specifically, stepladders, extensions ladders, and their derivations. Additionally, this course provides limited information on the safe use of stepstools and fixed ladders. The skills, techniques, and good practices needed for selecting, inspecting, setting up and securing, and using ladders are presented in this course.

Direct Certification Process. Nourishing News. Volume 4, Issue 3

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Idaho State Department of Education, 2009

2009-01-01

This newsletter discusses the Electronic Direct Certification process and provides additional insight as needed. Under this New Direct Certification process school districts compare information from their student information system to Idaho State Department of Health and Welfare database to certify children receiving Food Stamps or TAFI as…

Developing global indicators for quality of maternal and newborn care: a feasibility assessment

PubMed Central

Smith, Helen; Mathai, Matthews; Roos, Nathalie; van den Broek, Nynke

2017-01-01

Abstract Objective To assess the feasibility of applying the World Health Organization’s proposed 15 indicators of quality of care for maternal and newborn health at health-facility level in low- and middle-income settings. Methods Six of the indicators are about maternal health, five are for newborn health and four are general cross-cutting indicators. We used data collected routinely in facility registers and obtained as part of facility assessments from 963 health-care facilities specializing in maternity services in 10 countries in Africa and Asia. We made a feasibility assessment of the availability of data and the clarity of indicator definitions and identified additional information and data collection processes needed to apply the proposed indicators in real-life settings. Findings Of the indicators evaluated, 10 were clearly defined, of which four could be applied directly in the field and six would require revisions to operationalize them. The other five indicators require further development, with one of them being ready for implementation by using information readily available in registers and four requiring further information before deployment. For indicators that measure coverage of care or availability of services or products, there is a need to further strengthen measurement. Information on emergency obstetric complications was not recorded in a standard manner, thus limiting the reliability of the information. Conclusion While some of the proposed indicators can already be applied, other indicators need to be refined or will need additional sources and methods of data collection to be applied in real-world settings. PMID:28603311

The intelligent clinical laboratory as a tool to increase cancer care management productivity.

PubMed

Mohammadzadeh, Niloofar; Safdari, Reza

2014-01-01

Studies of the causes of cancer, early detection, prevention or treatment need accurate, comprehensive, and timely cancer data. The clinical laboratory provides important cancer information needed for physicians which influence clinical decisions regarding treatment, diagnosis and patient monitoring. Poor communication between health care providers and clinical laboratory personnel can lead to medical errors and wrong decisions in providing cancer care. Because of the key impact of laboratory information on cancer diagnosis and treatment the quality of the tests, lab reports, and appropriate lab management are very important. A laboratory information management system (LIMS) can have an important role in diagnosis, fast and effective access to cancer data, decrease redundancy and costs, and facilitate the integration and collection of data from different types of instruments and systems. In spite of significant advantages LIMS is limited by factors such as problems in adaption to new instruments that may change existing work processes. Applications of intelligent software simultaneously with existing information systems, in addition to remove these restrictions, have important benefits including adding additional non-laboratory-generated information to the reports, facilitating decision making, and improving quality and productivity of cancer care services. Laboratory systems must have flexibility to change and have the capability to develop and benefit from intelligent devices. Intelligent laboratory information management systems need to benefit from informatics tools and latest technologies like open sources. The aim of this commentary is to survey application, opportunities and necessity of intelligent clinical laboratory as a tool to increase cancer care management productivity.

Course and predictors of supportive care needs among Mexican breast cancer patients: A longitudinal study.

PubMed

Pérez-Fortis, Adriana; Fleer, Joke; Schroevers, Maya J; López, Patricia Alanís; Sosa, Juan José Sánchez; Eulenburg, Christine; Ranchor, Adelita V

2018-05-26

This study examined the course and predictors of supportive care needs among Mexican breast cancer patients for different cancer treatment trajectories. Data from 172 (66.4% response rate) patients were considered in this observational longitudinal study. Participants were measured after diagnosis, neoadjuvant treatment, surgery, adjuvant treatment and the first post-treatment follow-up visit. Psychological, Health System and Information, Physical and Daily Living, Patient Care and Support, Sexual, and Additional care needs were measured with the Supportive Care Needs Survey (SCNS-SF34). Linear mixed models with maximum-likelihood estimation were computed. The course of supportive care needs was similar across the different cancer treatment trajectories. Supportive care needs declined significantly from diagnosis to the first post-treatment follow-up visit. Health System and Information care needs were the highest needs over time. Depressive symptoms and time since diagnosis were the most consistent predictors of changes in course of supportive care needs of these patients. Health system and information care needs of Mexican breast cancer patients need to be addressed with priority because these needs are the least met. Furthermore, patients with high depressive symptoms at the start of the disease trajectory have greater needs for supportive care throughout the disease trajectory. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

[The development of health information with the involvement of consumers at the German Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG)].

PubMed

Zschorlich, B; Knelangen, M; Bastian, H

2011-07-01

The German Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG) began publishing free bi-lingual (German/English) evidence-based health information in February 2006 on the website, http://www.gesundheitsinformation.de http://www.informedhealthonline.org . The Institute aims to be a patient-centred and non-directive provider of health information to the public and patients. The point of view and information needs of the public are a central element in the development of health information. People can be involved implicitly or explicitly. People can participate directly or explicitly in health information, for example, by suggesting a topic, by helping shape the content and during the development process. We do this in several ways, including surveys, consultation with consumer representatives as well as through user-testing and reader online rating. In addition, implicit involvement of patients occurs indirectly through consideration of the experiences and information needs of patients via an analysis of qualitative research. A challenge here is the generalisability of information derived from research in other cultures. The Institute monitors methodological developments in the area of patient and health information, to keep its methods up-to-date. In addition, the colleagues involved in this work participate in an in-house training program on patient-centred health information. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Drug Information in Space Medicine

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bayuse, Tina M.

2009-01-01

Published drug information is widely available for terrestrial conditions. However, information on dosing, administration, drug interactions, stability, and side effects is scant as it relates to use in Space Medicine. Multinational crews on board the International Space Station present additional challenges for drug information because medication nomenclature, information available for the drug as well as the intended use for the drug is not standard across countries. This presentation will look at unique needs for drug information and how the information is managed in Space Medicine. A review was conducted of the drug information requests submitted to the Johnson Space Center Pharmacy by Space Medicine practitioners, astronaut crewmembers and researchers. The information requested was defined and cataloged. A list of references used was maintained. The wide range of information was identified. Due to the information needs for the medications in the on-board medical kits, the Drug Monograph Project was created. A standard method for answering specific drug information questions was generated and maintained by the Johnson Space Center Pharmacy. The Drug Monograph Project will be presented. Topic-centered requests, including multinational drug information, drug-induced adverse reactions, and medication events due to the environment will be highlighted. Information management of the drug information will be explained. Future considerations for drug information needs will be outlined.

Informational Needs of Head and Neck Cancer Patients.

PubMed

Fang, Carolyn Y; Longacre, Margaret L; Manne, Sharon L; Ridge, John A; Lango, Miriam N; Burtness, Barbara A

2012-04-01

Treatment for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) can lead to considerable functional impairment. As a result, HNSCC patients experience significant decrements in quality of life, high levels of emotional distress, deteriorations in interpersonal relations, and increased social isolation. Studies suggest that HNSCC patients may have extensive informational and psychosocial needs that are not being adequately addressed. However, few programs have been developed to address the needs of HNSCC patients. Therefore, we conducted a pilot study of HNSCC patients to: 1) characterize patients' informational needs; and 2) describe preferred formats and time points for receiving such information. The majority of participants desired additional information regarding treatment options, managing changes in swallowing and speaking, and staying healthy after treatment. Overall, patients with early-stage disease reported more informational needs compared to patients with advanced disease. Female patients were more likely to desire information about coping with emotional stress and anxiety than male patients. Younger patients (29-49 years) were more interested in receiving information about sexuality after cancer compared to their older (50+) counterparts. Although information was requested throughout the cancer trajectory, most patients preferred to receive such information at diagnosis or within 1-3 months post-treatment. The majority of patients reported having computer and Internet access, and they were most receptive to receiving information delivered via the Internet, from a DVD, or from pamphlets and booklets. The relatively high percentage of patients with computer and Internet access reflects a growing trend in the United States and supports the feasibility of disseminating health information to this patient population via Internet-based programs.

Information needs, sources, and decision-making by hatching egg and broiler chicken producers: A qualitative study in Alberta, Canada

PubMed Central

Anholt, R. Michele; Russell, Margaret; Inglis, Tom; Mitevski, Darko; Hall, David

2017-01-01

Understanding the sources and use of information from hatching egg and broiler chicken producers, their constraints, and unmet information needs can help define future research agendas. This report presents the results from a qualitative study using interviews of 11 hatching egg producers and 12 broiler producers in Alberta, Canada. Patterns were reported and described using thematic analysis. Producers recognized that there were numerous sources of information available to them for managing disease in their flocks. Complex disease issues such as early mortality were discussed, but many producers did not believe they had any influence over the outcomes and did not see a benefit from additional information to improve outcomes. Producers described their experience, trust in the information source, and the usefulness of the information for decision-making as necessary for information uptake. PMID:28487592

An Expertise Recommender using Web Mining

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Joshi, Anupam; Chandrasekaran, Purnima; ShuYang, Michelle; Ramakrishnan, Ramya

2001-01-01

This report explored techniques to mine web pages of scientists to extract information regarding their expertise, build expertise chains and referral webs, and semi automatically combine this information with directory information services to create a recommender system that permits query by expertise. The approach included experimenting with existing techniques that have been reported in research literature in recent past , and adapted them as needed. In addition, software tools were developed to capture and use this information.

Identification of potential surgical site infections leveraging an enterprise clinical information warehouse.

PubMed

Santangelo, Jennifer; Erdal, Selnur; Wellington, Linda; Mekhjian, Hagop; Kamal, Jyoti

2008-11-06

At The Ohio State University Medical Center (OSUMC), infection control practitioners (ICPs) need an accurate list of patients undergoing defined operative procedures to track surgical site infections. Using data from the OSUMC Information Warehouse (IW), we have created an automated report detailing required data. This report also displays associated surgical and pathology text or dictated reports providing additional information to the ICPs.

[A web-based integrated clinical database for laryngeal cancer].

PubMed

E, Qimin; Liu, Jialin; Li, Yong; Liang, Chuanyu

2014-08-01

To establish an integrated database for laryngeal cancer, and to provide an information platform for laryngeal cancer in clinical and fundamental researches. This database also meet the needs of clinical and scientific use. Under the guidance of clinical expert, we have constructed a web-based integrated clinical database for laryngeal carcinoma on the basis of clinical data standards, Apache+PHP+MySQL technology, laryngeal cancer specialist characteristics and tumor genetic information. A Web-based integrated clinical database for laryngeal carcinoma had been developed. This database had a user-friendly interface and the data could be entered and queried conveniently. In addition, this system utilized the clinical data standards and exchanged information with existing electronic medical records system to avoid the Information Silo. Furthermore, the forms of database was integrated with laryngeal cancer specialist characteristics and tumor genetic information. The Web-based integrated clinical database for laryngeal carcinoma has comprehensive specialist information, strong expandability, high feasibility of technique and conforms to the clinical characteristics of laryngeal cancer specialties. Using the clinical data standards and structured handling clinical data, the database can be able to meet the needs of scientific research better and facilitate information exchange, and the information collected and input about the tumor sufferers are very informative. In addition, the user can utilize the Internet to realize the convenient, swift visit and manipulation on the database.

Evaluating the Tradeoffs Between Dollars Spent and Lives saved in Military Settings

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-11-18

data needed , and completing and reviewing the collection of information. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this...Programs that improve workplace safety have costs. Firms may need to purchase additional equipment or protective devices, install machine guards...employers the costs may be slight. Because of the inherent dangers in production, firms in mining, logging, fishing, and construction will need to

Value measurement in health care: a new perspective.

PubMed

Michelman, J E; Rausch, P E; Barton, T L

1999-08-01

Vital to the success of any healthcare organization is the ability to obtain useful information and feedback about its performance. In particular, healthcare organizations need to begin to understand how non-value-adding work activities detract from their bottom lines. Additionally, financial managers and information systems need to provide data and reports throughout the continuum of care. Overall, healthcare organizations must align the management information and control systems with the planning and decision-making processes. The horizontal information system is a tool to manage three common problems facing today's healthcare managers: (1) the use of existing information to focus on control rather than improve business, (2) failure to focus on satisfying the customer, and (3) failure to combine their efforts with those of the employees by developing trust and a common focus.

Ovrseas Real Property: State Department Needs to Improve Guidance and Records Management

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-09-25

next to two additional unneeded properties they had been attempting to sell since 2011, would possibly depress the disposal price if Page 15...for additional information. Connect with GAO on Facebook, Flickr, Twitter, and YouTube . Subscribe to our RSS Feeds or E-mail Updates. Listen to our

78 FR 32392 - Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection; Comment Request; Requirements for...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-05-30

... community library. In addition, there should be no additional costs associated with obtaining the... explained in the January 8, 2009, Federal Register notice. A digital certificate is needed to use the ESG. The digital certificate binds together the owner's name and a pair of electronic keys (a public key...

Evidence on Private Sector Training. Background Paper No. 7b.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mangum, Stephen L.

Today's postindustrial or information age requires a different mix and a more advanced level of basic employability skills than those needed in the industrial age. As a result, the workplace is now demanding a higher entrance level of employability skills than the schools have previously been asked to provide. In addition, information technology…

Presentation and Analysis of Financial Management Information. 2nd Edition.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kenton, Jay D.

This book is designed to help financial and other managers of colleges and universities in identifying and responding to the needs of individuals and groups requesting management information. The book attempts to facilitate the communication process through management reports. In addition to guidance on report preparation and data analysis, the…

Trustee Essentials: A Handbook for Wisconsin Public Library Trustees.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wisconsin State Dept. of Public Instruction, Madison.

This handbook for Trustees of the Wisconsin Public Library describes in detail the tasks involved in being a library trustee. The handbook comprises a number of "Trustee Essentials" that cover the basic essential information needed by Trustees, as well as sources of additional information. Contents include: The Trustee Job Description;…

77 FR 11589 - Advice Concerning Possible Modifications to the U.S. Generalized System of Preferences, 2011...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-02-27

... Modifications to the U.S. Generalized System of Preferences, 2011 Review of Additions and Competitive Need..., Advice Concerning Possible Modifications to the U.S. Generalized System of Preferences, 2011 Review of... electronic docket (EDIS) at http://edis.usitc.gov . FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Information specific to...

The College Handbook for Transfer Students, 1991.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

College Board, New York, NY.

The directory provides current information designed to assist college students desiring to transfer in the selection of their new college or university. The handbook provides the specific information needed about transfer policies at 2,800 two-year and four-year U.S. colleges. College descriptions are alphabetical by state. In addition to general…

The International Student Office at the University of Akron: From People Processing to People Changing.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dalili, Farid

The services provided by The University of Akron's International Student Office (ISO) are described, along with additional programming needs. The ISO provides immigration counseling, academic advising, orientation programs, and the English Language Institute. Information and referral services for foreign students and information on study/travel…

76 FR 60086 - Proposed Extension of the Approval of Information Collection Requirements

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-09-28

... of an employee and necessary accommodations; first aid and safety personnel may be informed, when... circumstances of the particular case. When an employee seeks leave for the first time for an FMLA-qualifying... qualifying exigency to certify the need for leave. In addition, the first time an employee requests leave for...

Adaptive trials for tuberculosis: early reflections on theory and practice.

PubMed

Montgomery, C M

2016-08-01

Adaptive designs (ADs) have been proposed for anti-tuberculosis treatment trials. This call for innovation occurs against the backdrop of fundamental changes in the acceptable evidence base in anti-tuberculosis treatment. To contextualise ADs for tuberculosis (TB) and explore early responses from those working in the field. In this qualitative study investigating processes of theoretical and practical change in randomised controlled trials, 24 interviews were conducted with professionals involved in AD trials, half of whom worked in the TB field. Clinical trialists working on AD trials in TB are positive about the efficiency these designs offer, but remain cautious about their suitability. In addition to technical concerns, informants discussed the challenges of implementing AD in developing countries, including limited regulatory capacity to evaluate proposals, investments needed in infrastructure and site capacity, and challenges regarding informed consent. Respondents identified funding, interdisciplinary communication and regulatory and policy responses as additional concerns potentially affecting the success of AD for TB. Empirical research is needed into patient experiences of AD, including informed consent. Further consideration of the contexts of innovation in trial design is needed. These are fundamental to the successful translation of theory into practice.

Concept-based query language approach to enterprise information systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Niemi, Timo; Junkkari, Marko; Järvelin, Kalervo

2014-01-01

In enterprise information systems (EISs) it is necessary to model, integrate and compute very diverse data. In advanced EISs the stored data often are based both on structured (e.g. relational) and semi-structured (e.g. XML) data models. In addition, the ad hoc information needs of end-users may require the manipulation of data-oriented (structural), behavioural and deductive aspects of data. Contemporary languages capable of treating this kind of diversity suit only persons with good programming skills. In this paper we present a concept-oriented query language approach to manipulate this diversity so that the programming skill requirements are considerably reduced. In our query language, the features which need technical knowledge are hidden in application-specific concepts and structures. Therefore, users need not be aware of the underlying technology. Application-specific concepts and structures are represented by the modelling primitives of the extended RDOOM (relational deductive object-oriented modelling) which contains primitives for all crucial real world relationships (is-a relationship, part-of relationship, association), XML documents and views. Our query language also supports intensional and extensional-intensional queries, in addition to conventional extensional queries. In its query formulation, the end-user combines available application-specific concepts and structures through shared variables.

Water-resources programs and hydrologic-information needs, Marion County, Indiana, 1987

USGS Publications Warehouse

Duwelius, R.F.

1990-01-01

Water resources are abundant in Marion County, Indiana, and have been developed for public and industrial supply, energy generation, irrigation, and recreation. The largest water withdrawals are from surface water, and the two largest water uses are public supply and cooling water for electrical-generating plants. Water-resources programs in the county are carried out by Federal, State and local agencies to address issues of surface and groundwater availability and quality. The programs of each agency are related to the functions and goals of the agency. Although each agency has specific information needs to fulfill its functions, sometimes these needs overlap, and there are times when the same hydrologic information benefits all. Overlapping information needs and activities create opportunities for interagency coordination and cooperation. Such cooperation could lead to a savings of dollars spent on water-resources programs and could assure an improved understanding of the water resources of the county. Representatives from four agencies-- the Indiana Department of Environmental Management, the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, the Indianapolis Department of Public Works, and the U.S. Geological Survey--met four times in 1987 to describe their own water-resources programs, to identify hydrologic-information needs, and to contact other agencies with related programs. This report presents the interagency findings and is intended to further communication among water resource agencies by identifying current programs and common needs for hydrologic information. Hydrologic information needs identified by the agency representatives include more precise methods for determining the volume of water withdrawals and for determining the volume of industrial and municipal discharges to surface water. Maps of flood-prone areas need to be updated as more of the county is developed. Improved aquifer maps of the inter-till aquifers are needed, and additional observation wells are needed in the inter-till and bedrock aquifers. Finally, immediate access to instantaneous precipitation data is needed to assess flooding potential. (USGS)

Closing the gap between knowledge and clinical application: challenges for genomic translation.

PubMed

Burke, Wylie; Korngiebel, Diane M

2015-01-01

Despite early predictions and rapid progress in research, the introduction of personal genomics into clinical practice has been slow. Several factors contribute to this translational gap between knowledge and clinical application. The evidence available to support genetic test use is often limited, and implementation of new testing programs can be challenging. In addition, the heterogeneity of genomic risk information points to the need for strategies to select and deliver the information most appropriate for particular clinical needs. Accomplishing these tasks also requires recognition that some expectations for personal genomics are unrealistic, notably expectations concerning the clinical utility of genomic risk assessment for common complex diseases. Efforts are needed to improve the body of evidence addressing clinical outcomes for genomics, apply implementation science to personal genomics, and develop realistic goals for genomic risk assessment. In addition, translational research should emphasize the broader benefits of genomic knowledge, including applications of genomic research that provide clinical benefit outside the context of personal genomic risk.

Influences of deep learning, need for cognition and preparation time on open- and closed-book test performance.

PubMed

Heijne-Penninga, Marjolein; Kuks, Jan B M; Hofman, W H Adriaan; Cohen-Schotanus, Janke

2010-09-01

The ability to master discipline-specific knowledge is one of the competencies medical students must acquire. In this context, 'mastering' means being able to recall and apply knowledge. A way to assess this competency is to use both open- and closed-book tests. Student performance on both tests can be influenced by the way the student processes information. Deep information processing is expected to influence performance positively. The personal preferences of students in relation to how they process information in general (i.e. their level of need for cognition) may also be of importance. In this study, we examined the inter-relatedness of deep learning, need for cognition and preparation time, and scores on open- and closed-book tests. This study was conducted at the University Medical Centre Groningen. Participants were Year 2 students (n = 423). They were asked to complete a questionnaire on deep information processing, a scale for need for cognition on a questionnaire on intellectualism and, additionally, to write down the time they spent on test preparation. We related these measures to the students' scores on two tests, both consisting of open- and closed-book components and used structural equation modelling to analyse the data. Both questionnaires were completed by 239 students (57%). The results showed that need for cognition positively influenced both open- and closed-book test scores (beta-coefficients 0.05 and 0.11, respectively). Furthermore, study outcomes measured by open-book tests predicted closed-book test results better than the other way around (beta-coefficients 0.72 and 0.11, respectively). Students with a high need for cognition performed better on open- as well as closed-book tests. Deep learning did not influence their performance. Adding open-book tests to the regularly used closed-book tests seems to improve the recall of knowledge that has to be known by heart. Need for cognition may provide a valuable addition to existing theories on learning.

Adaptive control based on retrospective cost optimization

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bernstein, Dennis S. (Inventor); Santillo, Mario A. (Inventor)

2012-01-01

A discrete-time adaptive control law for stabilization, command following, and disturbance rejection that is effective for systems that are unstable, MIMO, and/or nonminimum phase. The adaptive control algorithm includes guidelines concerning the modeling information needed for implementation. This information includes the relative degree, the first nonzero Markov parameter, and the nonminimum-phase zeros. Except when the plant has nonminimum-phase zeros whose absolute value is less than the plant's spectral radius, the required zero information can be approximated by a sufficient number of Markov parameters. No additional information about the poles or zeros need be known. Numerical examples are presented to illustrate the algorithm's effectiveness in handling systems with errors in the required modeling data, unknown latency, sensor noise, and saturation.

NASA's Applied Sciences: Natural Disasters Program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kessler, Jason L.

2010-01-01

Fully utilize current and near-term airborne and spaceborne assets and capabilities. NASA spaceborne instruments are for research but can be applied to natural disaster response as appropriate. NASA airborne instruments can be targeted specifically for disaster response. Could impact research programs. Better flow of information improves disaster response. Catalog capability, product, applicable disaster, points of contact. Ownership needs to come from the highest level of NASA - unpredictable and irregular nature of disasters requires contingency funding for disaster response. Build-in transfer of applicable natural disaster research capabilities to operational functionality at other agencies (e.g., USFS, NOAA, FEMA...) at the outset, whenever possible. For the Decadal Survey Missions, opportunities exist to identify needs and requirements early in the mission design process. Need to understand additional needs and commitments for meeting the needs of the disaster community. Opportunity to maximize disaster response and mitigation from the Decadal Survey Missions. Additional needs or capabilities may require agency contributions.

77 FR 36983 - Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-06-20

..., electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection techniques and other forms of information... and base ranch property and the need for additional grazing to round out year long ranching operations...

Clinical information seeking in traumatic brain injury: a survey of Veterans Health Administration polytrauma care team members.

PubMed

Hogan, Timothy; Martinez, Rachael; Evans, Charlesnika; Saban, Karen; Proescher, Eric; Steiner, Monica; Smith, Bridget

2018-03-01

The polytraumatic nature of traumatic brain injury (TBI) makes diagnosis and treatment difficult. To (1) characterise information needs among Veterans Health Administration (VHA) polytrauma care team members engaged in the diagnosis and treatment of TBI; (2) identify sources used for TBI related information; and (3) identify barriers to accessing TBI related information. Cross-sectional online survey of 236 VHA polytrauma care team members. Most respondents (95.8%) keep at least somewhat current regarding TBI, but 31.5% need more knowledge on diagnosing TBI and 51.3% need more knowledge on treating TBI. Respondents use VHA affiliated sources for information, including local colleagues (81.7%), VHA offsite conferences/meetings (78.3%) and onsite VHA educational offerings (73.6%); however, limited time due to administrative responsibilities (50.9%), limited financial resources (50.4%) and patient care (50.4%) were prominent barriers. Medical librarians are in a unique position to develop information services, resources and other electronic tools that reflect the clinical context in which polytrauma care team members practice, and the different tasks they perform. Polytrauma care team members could benefit from additional information regarding the diagnosis and treatment of TBI. Addressing their information needs and supporting their information seeking requires a mulit-pronged approach to time and financial constraints. Published 2017. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

The global status of freshwater fish age validation studies and a prioritization framework for future research

USGS Publications Warehouse

Pope, Kevin L.; Hamel, Martin J.; Pegg, Mark A.; Spurgeon, Jonathan J.

2016-01-01

Age information derived from calcified structures is commonly used to estimate recruitment, growth, and mortality for fish populations. Validation of daily or annual marks on age structures is often assumed, presumably due to a lack of general knowledge concerning the status of age validation studies. Therefore, the current status of freshwater fish age validation studies was summarized to show where additional effort is needed, and increase the accessibility of validation studies to researchers. In total, 1351 original peer-reviewed articles were reviewed from freshwater systems that studied age in fish. Periodicity and age validation studies were found for 88 freshwater species comprising 21 fish families. The number of age validation studies has increased over the last 30 years following previous calls for more research; however, few species have validated structures spanning all life stages. In addition, few fishes of conservation concern have validated ageing structures. A prioritization framework, using a combination of eight characteristics, is offered to direct future age validation studies and close the validation information gap. Additional study, using the offered prioritization framework, and increased availability of published studies that incorporate uncertainty when presenting research results dealing with age information are needed.

The EHR-ARCHE project: satisfying clinical information needs in a Shared Electronic Health Record system based on IHE XDS and Archetypes.

PubMed

Duftschmid, Georg; Rinner, Christoph; Kohler, Michael; Huebner-Bloder, Gudrun; Saboor, Samrend; Ammenwerth, Elske

2013-12-01

While contributing to an improved continuity of care, Shared Electronic Health Record (EHR) systems may also lead to information overload of healthcare providers. Document-oriented architectures, such as the commonly employed IHE XDS profile, which only support information retrieval at the level of documents, are particularly susceptible for this problem. The objective of the EHR-ARCHE project was to develop a methodology and a prototype to efficiently satisfy healthcare providers' information needs when accessing a patient's Shared EHR during a treatment situation. We especially aimed to investigate whether this objective can be reached by integrating EHR Archetypes into an IHE XDS environment. Using methodical triangulation, we first analysed the information needs of healthcare providers, focusing on the treatment of diabetes patients as an exemplary application domain. We then designed ISO/EN 13606 Archetypes covering the identified information needs. To support a content-based search for fine-grained information items within EHR documents, we extended the IHE XDS environment with two additional actors. Finally, we conducted a formative and summative evaluation of our approach within a controlled study. We identified 446 frequently needed diabetes-specific information items, representing typical information needs of healthcare providers. We then created 128 Archetypes and 120 EHR documents for two fictive patients. All seven diabetes experts, who evaluated our approach, preferred the content-based search to a conventional XDS search. Success rates of finding relevant information was higher for the content-based search (100% versus 80%) and the latter was also more time-efficient (8-14min versus 20min or more). Our results show that for an efficient satisfaction of health care providers' information needs, a content-based search that rests upon the integration of Archetypes into an IHE XDS-based Shared EHR system is superior to a conventional metadata-based XDS search. Copyright © 2013 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.. All rights reserved.

The EHR-ARCHE project: Satisfying clinical information needs in a Shared Electronic Health Record System based on IHE XDS and Archetypes☆

PubMed Central

Duftschmid, Georg; Rinner, Christoph; Kohler, Michael; Huebner-Bloder, Gudrun; Saboor, Samrend; Ammenwerth, Elske

2013-01-01

Purpose While contributing to an improved continuity of care, Shared Electronic Health Record (EHR) systems may also lead to information overload of healthcare providers. Document-oriented architectures, such as the commonly employed IHE XDS profile, which only support information retrieval at the level of documents, are particularly susceptible for this problem. The objective of the EHR-ARCHE project was to develop a methodology and a prototype to efficiently satisfy healthcare providers’ information needs when accessing a patient's Shared EHR during a treatment situation. We especially aimed to investigate whether this objective can be reached by integrating EHR Archetypes into an IHE XDS environment. Methods Using methodical triangulation, we first analysed the information needs of healthcare providers, focusing on the treatment of diabetes patients as an exemplary application domain. We then designed ISO/EN 13606 Archetypes covering the identified information needs. To support a content-based search for fine-grained information items within EHR documents, we extended the IHE XDS environment with two additional actors. Finally, we conducted a formative and summative evaluation of our approach within a controlled study. Results We identified 446 frequently needed diabetes-specific information items, representing typical information needs of healthcare providers. We then created 128 Archetypes and 120 EHR documents for two fictive patients. All seven diabetes experts, who evaluated our approach, preferred the content-based search to a conventional XDS search. Success rates of finding relevant information was higher for the content-based search (100% versus 80%) and the latter was also more time-efficient (8–14 min versus 20 min or more). Conclusions Our results show that for an efficient satisfaction of health care providers’ information needs, a content-based search that rests upon the integration of Archetypes into an IHE XDS-based Shared EHR system is superior to a conventional metadata-based XDS search. PMID:23999002

[Not Available].

PubMed

González Pérez, Rocío; Teresa Gijón Sánchez, M; José Escudero Carretero, M; Angeles Prieto Rodríguez, M; Carles March Cerdá, Joan; Ruiz Azarola, Ainhoa

2008-05-01

Patients' need for health information is widely recognized. The aim of this study was to determine how patients currently receive and rate this information. Additionally, we aimed to identify the needs and expectations of citizens of the autonomous region of Andalusia in this regard. We performed a qualitative research study involving semi-structured telephone interviews with participants. A total of 48 interviews were performed in people with different social and health profiles from a structural sample. The final selection of persons to be interviewed was made using the snow-ball sampling method. Interview material was analyzed by means of NUDIST vivo 1.1 software-aided content analysis. The interviewees reported receiving health information mainly from healthcare personnel. Supplementary information sources were the internet, associations and publications. The interviewees expressed different degrees of satisfaction with the health information received, depending on its understandability and the amount of detail provided. The persons interviewed reported that they would like to receive all the information possible on their health-illness-care process and would prefer this information to come mainly from physicians. Information about the health-illness-care process should center on practical issues. Physicians are the first and principal source of medical information and consequently communication skills should be promoted in this collective through training courses. Additionally, alternative sources of information used by citizens should be strengthened to provide high-quality health information. Copyright © 2008 Sociedad Española de Calidad Asistencial. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

77 FR 24684 - Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; 2013-2015 American Community Survey Methods...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-04-25

... program that is designed to address and respond to survey issues and needs. During the 2013-2015 period... Design Test, a 2015 ACS Content Test, and a series of Internet tests. Since the ACS Methods Panel is designed to address emerging issues, we may conduct additional testing as needed. Testing would focus on...

Lightning threat to aircraft: Do we know all we need to know?

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mazur, Vladislav

1991-01-01

The problem of lightning threat to aircraft has two aspects: strike avoidance and aircraft protection. These two issues are addressed under the following topics: (1) lightning strikes, weather conditions, and natural lightning rate; (2) the engineering vs. scientific approach to aircraft protection; and (3) the additional information needed to understand lightning threat to aircraft.

Pediatric information seeking behaviour, information needs, and information preferences of health care professionals in general emergency departments: Results from the Translating Emergency Knowledge for Kids (TREKK) Needs Assessment.

PubMed

Scott, Shannon D; Albrecht, Lauren; Given, Lisa M; Hartling, Lisa; Johnson, David W; Jabbour, Mona; Klassen, Terry P

2018-01-01

The majority of children requiring emergency care are treated in general emergency departments (EDs) with variable levels of pediatric care expertise. The goal of the Translating Emergency Knowledge for Kids (TREKK) initiative is to implement the latest research in pediatric emergency medicine in general EDs to reduce clinical variation. To determine national pediatric information needs, seeking behaviours, and preferences of health care professionals working in general EDs. An electronic cross-sectional survey was conducted with health care professionals in 32 Canadian general EDs. Data were collected in the EDs using the iPad and in-person data collectors. Total of 1,471 surveys were completed (57.1% response rate). Health care professionals sought information on children's health care by talking to colleagues (n=1,208, 82.1%), visiting specific medical/health websites (n=994, 67.7%), and professional development opportunities (n=941, 64.4%). Preferred child health resources included protocols and accepted treatments for common conditions (n=969, 68%), clinical pathways and practice guidelines (n=951, 66%), and evidence-based information on new diagnoses and treatments (n=866, 61%). Additional pediatric clinical information is needed about multisystem trauma (n=693, 49%), severe head injury (n=615, 43%), and meningitis (n=559, 39%). Health care professionals preferred to receive child health information through professional development opportunities (n=1,131, 80%) and printed summaries (n=885, 63%). By understanding health care professionals' information seeking behaviour, information needs, and information preferences, knowledge synthesis and knowledge translation initiatives can be targeted to improve pediatric emergency care. The findings from this study will inform the following two phases of the TREKK initiative to bridge the research-practice gap in Canadian general EDs.

Activities of information retrieval in Daicel Corporation : The roles and efforts of information retrieval team

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yamazaki, Towako

In order to stabilize and improve quality of information retrieval service, the information retrieval team of Daicel Corporation has given some efforts on standard operating procedures, interview sheet for information retrieval, structured format for search report, and search expressions for some technological fields of Daicel. These activities and efforts will also lead to skill sharing and skill tradition between searchers. In addition, skill improvements are needed not only for a searcher individually, but also for the information retrieval team totally when playing searcher's new roles.

Adapting forest health assessments to changing perspectives on threats--a case example from Sweden.

PubMed

Wulff, Sören; Lindelöw, Åke; Lundin, Lars; Hansson, Per; Axelsson, Anna-Lena; Barklund, Pia; Wijk, Sture; Ståhl, Göran

2012-04-01

A revised Swedish forest health assessment system is presented. The assessment system is composed of several interacting components which target information needs for strategic and operational decision making and accommodate a continuously expanding knowledge base. The main motivation for separating information for strategic and operational decision making is that major damage outbreaks are often scattered throughout the landscape. Generally, large-scale inventories (such as national forest inventories) cannot provide adequate information for mitigation measures. In addition to broad monitoring programs that provide time-series information on known damaging agents and their effects, there is also a need for local and regional inventories adapted to specific damage events. While information for decision making is the major focus of the health assessment system, the system also contributes to expanding the knowledge base of forest conditions. For example, the integrated monitoring programs provide a better understanding of ecological processes linked to forest health. The new health assessment system should be able to respond to the need for quick and reliable information and thus will be an important part of the future monitoring of Swedish forests.

'What do patients want?' Tailoring medicines information to meet patients' needs.

PubMed

Young, Amber; Tordoff, June; Smith, Alesha

2017-11-01

Medicines information leaflets can equip patients to be in control of their own healthcare and support the safe and effective use of medicines. The design and content of leaflets influences patients' willingness to read them, and poor examples can cause patient confusion and anxiety. Researchers examined the literature over the past 8 years to determine the content and design of medicine information leaflets that patients prefer in order to read, understand, and use them effectively. It was found that existing leaflets do not meet patients' needs and appear ineffective. Leaflets lack the information patients seek and may contain non-essential material, affecting patients' perception of, and willingness to read them. Additionally, the acceptable leaflet length varies between patients. Application of good design principles improves readability, comprehension, and ability to locate information. Medicine information leaflets must meet patients' needs and be well designed. Tailoring information leaflets to patient characteristics and requirements would enhance effectiveness. Passive provision of pre-printed leaflets is outdated, unvalued and ineffective. Using automated computer systems for leaflet tailoring with the ability to further adapt patients' information might be the best way forward. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Information adaptive system of NEEDS. [of NASA End to End Data System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Howle, W. M., Jr.; Kelly, W. L.

1979-01-01

The NASA End-to-End Data System (NEEDS) program was initiated by NASA to improve significantly the state of the art in acquisition, processing, and distribution of space-acquired data for the mid-1980s and beyond. The information adaptive system (IAS) is a program element under NEEDS Phase II which addresses sensor specific processing on board the spacecraft. The IAS program is a logical first step toward smart sensors, and IAS developments - particularly the system components and key technology improvements - are applicable to future smart efforts. The paper describes the design goals and functional elements of the IAS. In addition, the schedule for IAS development and demonstration is discussed.

5 CFR 339.302 - Authority to offer examinations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... the agency needs additional medical documentation to make an informed management decision. This may... reemployment on the basis of full or partial recovery from a medical condition) or where the individual has a...

5 CFR 339.302 - Authority to offer examinations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... the agency needs additional medical documentation to make an informed management decision. This may... reemployment on the basis of full or partial recovery from a medical condition) or where the individual has a...

5 CFR 339.302 - Authority to offer examinations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... the agency needs additional medical documentation to make an informed management decision. This may... reemployment on the basis of full or partial recovery from a medical condition) or where the individual has a...

5 CFR 339.302 - Authority to offer examinations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... the agency needs additional medical documentation to make an informed management decision. This may... reemployment on the basis of full or partial recovery from a medical condition) or where the individual has a...

Strategic Transit Automation Research Plan

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2018-01-01

Transit bus automation could deliver many potential benefits, but transit agencies need additional research and policy guidance to make informed deployment decisions. Although funding and policy constraints may play a role, there is also a reasonable...

1989 Exclusive Economic Zone Symposium: summary and recommendations

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lockwood, M.; Hill, G.W.

1989-01-01

Issues discussed relate to digital seafloor mapping projects, cooperative federal-state programs, and requirements for additional data and information. Symposium recommendations included the need for increased surveying in coastal waters, development of standards for digital data dissemination, increased coordination with coastal states and federal agencies, and additional geophysical measurement systems abroad all mapping ships. -from Authors

77 FR 47688 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Request and Comment Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-08-09

... Security number (SSN). In addition, the employee's name and SSN must match SSA's records for SSA to post... information either through the Internet or via telephone. The respondents are employers who need to verify SSN... Security payments to Canada and (2) mandate the reclamation of funds paid erroneously to a Canadian bank or...

The Guide to Simulations/Games For Education and Training. Second Edition.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zuckerman, David W.; Horn, Robert E.

This guide gives complete information on 613 games and simulation games. In addition, there is a supplementary list of 473 more items which are in development, discontinued, or about which more information is needed. The book is edited for the potential game user, rather than the theoretician or creator. Games are organized by subject, including…

Integrated Approach To Design And Analysis Of Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Patterson-Hine, F. A.; Iverson, David L.

1993-01-01

Object-oriented fault-tree representation unifies evaluation of reliability and diagnosis of faults. Programming/fault tree described more fully in "Object-Oriented Algorithm For Evaluation Of Fault Trees" (ARC-12731). Augmented fault tree object contains more information than fault tree object used in quantitative analysis of reliability. Additional information needed to diagnose faults in system represented by fault tree.

Academic & Technical Skills + Life/Work Skills + Career Information & Guidance = Success in Career Building.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jarvis, Phillip S.

There has been a renaissance in the thinking about career development. It is becoming accepted that information is not enough; in addition to academic and technical skills, youth and adults need to learn life/work designing and building skills to become healthy, productive, and self-reliant citizens. Despite the fact that Canadian students have…

75 FR 57020 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Final Collection; Comment Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-09-17

... use only in those cases where the company chooses to make use of some aspects of the additional... the option of ``Ex-Im Bank Sole Risk'' as an obligor type; added the option ``CAD or SDDP'' to the...: 3048-0021. Type of Review: Regular. Need and Use: The information collected enables Ex-Im Bank to...

Prairie dogs as ecosystem regulators on the northern High Plains

Treesearch

Daniel W. Uresk; Ardell J. Bjugstad

1983-01-01

The increase in prairie dog populations on the northern High Plains has emphasized the need for additional information on cattle-prairie dog forage relationships. To obtain information on cattle-prairie dog forage relationships, 4 treatments were evaluated over 4 growing seasons. These treatments were: 1) no grazing (prairie dogs eliminated and cattle excluded), 2)...

New Influenza A/H1N1 (“Swine Flu”): information needs of airport passengers and staff

PubMed Central

Dickmann, P.; Rubin, G. J.; Gaber, W.; Wessely, S.; Wicker, S.; Serve, H.; Gottschalk, R.

2010-01-01

Please cite this paper as: Dickmann et al. (2010) New Influenza A/H1N1 (“Swine Flu”): information needs of airport passengers and staff. . Influenza and Other Respiratory Viruses 5(1), 39–46. Background  Airports are the entrances of infectious diseases. Particularly at the beginning of an outbreak, information and communication play an important role to enable the early detection of signs or symptoms and to encourage passengers to adopt appropriate preventive behaviour to limit the spread of the disease. Objectives  To determine the adequacy of the information provided to airport passengers and staff in meeting their information needs in relation to their concerns. Methods  At the start of the influenza A/H1N1 epidemic (29–30 April 2009), qualitative semi‐structured interviews (N = 101) were conducted at Frankfurt International Airport with passengers who were either returning from or going to Mexico and with airport staff who had close contact with these passengers. Interviews focused on knowledge about swine flu, information needs and fear or concern about the outbreak. Results  The results showed that a desire for more information was associated with higher concern – the least concerned participants did not want any additional information, while the most concerned participants reported a range of information needs. Airport staff in contact with passengers travelling from the epicentre of the outbreak showed the highest levels of fear or concern, coupled with a desire to be adequately briefed by their employer. Conclusions  Our results suggest that information strategies should address not only the exposed or potentially exposed but also groups that feel at risk. Identifying what information these different passenger and staff groups wish to receive will be an important task in any future infectious disease outbreak. PMID:21138539

JSC almanac

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1993-01-01

During America's space shuttle flights, press and public attention focuses on the Johnson Space Center in Houston. The press and public often put questions to JSC technical and management staff. This fourth JSC Almanac supplies answers for many such questions, and provide an informational resource for speeches to general interest groups. This Almanac is not necessarily comprehensive or definitive. It is not intended as a statement of JSC or NASA policy. However, it does provide a much needed compilation of information from diverse sources. These sources are given as references, permitting the reader to obtain additional information as required. While every effort has been made to ensure accuracy and to reconcile statistics, users requiring the most up-to-date and accurate information should contact the office supplying the information at issue. The Almanac is updated periodically as needed. The following offices were responsible for supplying material for this update.

Capturing patients' needs in casemix: a systematic literature review on the value of adding functioning information in reimbursement systems.

PubMed

Hopfe, Maren; Stucki, Gerold; Marshall, Ric; Twomey, Conal D; Üstün, T Bedirhan; Prodinger, Birgit

2016-02-03

Contemporary casemix systems for health services need to ensure that payment rates adequately account for actual resource consumption based on patients' needs for services. It has been argued that functioning information, as one important determinant of health service provision and resource use, should be taken into account when developing casemix systems. However, there has to date been little systematic collation of the evidence on the extent to which the addition of functioning information into existing casemix systems adds value to those systems with regard to the predictive power and resource variation explained by the groupings of these systems. Thus, the objective of this research was to examine the value of adding functioning information into casemix systems with respect to the prediction of resource use as measured by costs and length of stay. A systematic literature review was performed. Peer-reviewed studies, published before May 2014 were retrieved from CINAHL, EconLit, Embase, JSTOR, PubMed and Sociological Abstracts using keywords related to functioning ('Functioning', 'Functional status', 'Function*, 'ICF', 'International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health', 'Activities of Daily Living' or 'ADL') and casemix systems ('Casemix', 'case mix', 'Diagnosis Related Groups', 'Function Related Groups', 'Resource Utilization Groups' or 'AN-SNAP'). In addition, a hand search of reference lists of included articles was conducted. Information about study aims, design, country, setting, methods, outcome variables, study results, and information regarding the authors' discussion of results, study limitations and implications was extracted. Ten included studies provided evidence demonstrating that adding functioning information into casemix systems improves predictive ability and fosters homogeneity in casemix groups with regard to costs and length of stay. Collection and integration of functioning information varied across studies. Results suggest that, in particular, DRG casemix systems can be improved in predicting resource use and capturing outcomes for frail elderly or severely functioning-impaired patients. Further exploration of the value of adding functioning information into casemix systems is one promising approach to improve casemix systems ability to adequately capture the differences in patient's needs for services and to better predict resource use.

DOD Commissaries and Exchanges: Plan and Additional Information Needed on Cost Savings and Metrics for DOD Efforts to Achieve Budget Neutrality

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-11-14

the best practices in project management related to the establishment of goals and time frames.9 We obtained documentary and testimonial evidence...have created new incentives for DOD to assess its approach for managing the commissaries and exchanges. Congress identified $1.3 billion in fiscal...have relevant and reliable information to help management make informed decisions.8 We also reviewed relevant information in the report compared with

2 CFR Appendix C to Part 225 - State/Local-Wide Central Service Cost Allocation Plans

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... Requirements. 1. Each State will submit a plan to the Department of Health and Human Services for each year in... certain additional information is needed, and will likely be needed in future years, it may be routinely.... (1) For each internal service fund or similar activity with an operating budget of $5 million or more...

2 CFR Appendix C to Part 225 - State/Local-Wide Central Service Cost Allocation Plans

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... Requirements. 1. Each State will submit a plan to the Department of Health and Human Services for each year in... certain additional information is needed, and will likely be needed in future years, it may be routinely.... (1) For each internal service fund or similar activity with an operating budget of $5 million or more...

2 CFR Appendix C to Part 225 - State/Local-Wide Central Service Cost Allocation Plans

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... Requirements. 1. Each State will submit a plan to the Department of Health and Human Services for each year in... certain additional information is needed, and will likely be needed in future years, it may be routinely.... (1) For each internal service fund or similar activity with an operating budget of $5 million or more...

"Fahrenheit 9-11," Need for Closure and the Priming of Affective Ambivalence: An Assessment of Intra-Affective Structures by Party Identification

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Holbert, R. Lance; Hansen, Glenn J.

2006-01-01

This study extends priming research in political communication by focusing on an alternative political information source (i.e., Michael Moore's Fahrenheit 9-11), affect rather than cognitions, and the existence of intra-affective ambivalence. In addition, two moderator variables are analyzed: political party identification and need for closure.…

[Development and validation of the Inventory of Needs in Memory Impairment (BIG-65): illness-related needs in people with cognitive impairment and dementia].

PubMed

Schmid, R; Eschen, A; Rüegger-Frey, B; Martin, M

2013-06-01

There is growing evidence that individuals with cognitive impairment and dementia require systematic assessment of needs for the selection of optimal treatments. Currently no valid instrument is applicable for illness-related need assessment in this growing population. The purpose of this study was to develop and validate a new instrument ("Bedürfnisinventar bei Gedächtnisstörungen", BIG-65) that systematically assesses illness-related needs. The development was based on an adequate theoretical framework and standardised procedural guidelines and validated to an appropriate sample of individuals attending a Swiss memory clinic (n = 83). The BIG-65 provides a comprehensive range of biopsychosocial and environmental needs items and offers a dementia-friendly structure for the assessment of illness-related needs. The BIG-65 has high face validity and very high test-retest reliability (rtt = 0,916). On average 3.5 (SD = 3.7) unmet needs were assessed. Most frequently mentioned needs were: "forget less" (50%), "better concentration" (23.2%), "information on illness" (20.7%), "information on treatments" (17.1%), "less worry", "less irritable", "improve mood", "improve orientation" (13.4% each). Needs profiles differed between patients with preclinical (subjective cognitive impairment, mild cognitive impairment) and clinical (dementia) diagnosis. The BIG-65 reliably assesses illness-related needs in individuals with moderate dementia. With decreasing cognitive functions or an MMSE <20 points, additional methods such as observation of the emotional expression may be applied. According to our results, individuals with cognitive impairment and dementia pursue individual strategies to stabilize their quality of life level. In addition to the assessment of objective illness symptoms the selection of optimal treatments may profit from a systematic needs assessment to optimally support patients in their individual quality of life strategies.

Eutrophication of Water Bodies: Insights for an Age-Old Problem

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, G. Fred; And Others

1978-01-01

Reviews the current state of information on the significance of phosphate as a water pollutant and the relationship between phosphorus loads and water quality. Areas that need additional research are discussed. (Author/BB)

Access to and value of information to support good practice for staff in Kenyan hospitals

PubMed Central

Muinga, Naomi; Sen, Barbara; Ayieko, Philip; Todd, Jim; English, Mike

2015-01-01

Background Studies have sought to define information needs of health workers within very specific settings or projects. Lacking in the literature is how hospitals in low-income settings are able to meet the information needs of their staff and the use of information communication technologies (ICT) in day-to-day information searching. Objective The study aimed to explore where professionals in Kenyan hospitals turn to for work-related information in their day-to-day work. Additionally, it examined what existing solutions are provided by hospitals with regard to provision of best practice care. Lastly, the study explored the use of ICT in information searching. Design Data for this study were collected in July 2012. Self-administered questionnaires (SAQs) were distributed across 22 study hospitals with an aim to get a response from 34 health workers per hospital. Results SAQs were collected from 657 health workers. The most popular sources of information to guide work were fellow health workers and printed guidelines while the least popular were scientific journals. Of value to health workers were: national treatment policies, new research findings, regular reports from surveillance data, information on costs of services and information on their performance of routine clinical tasks; however, hospitals only partially met these needs. Barriers to accessing information sources included: ‘not available/difficult to get’ and ‘difficult to understand’. ICT use for information seeking was reported and with demographic specific differences noted from the multivariate logistic regression model; nurses compared to medical doctors and older workers were less likely to use ICT for health information searching. Barriers to accessing Internet were identified as: high costs and the lack of the service at home or at work. Conclusions Hospitals need to provide appropriate information by improving information dissemination efforts and providing an enabling environment that allows health workers find the information they need for best practice. PMID:25979113

Access to and value of information to support good practice for staff in Kenyan hospitals.

PubMed

Muinga, Naomi; Sen, Barbara; Ayieko, Philip; Todd, Jim; English, Mike

2015-01-01

Studies have sought to define information needs of health workers within very specific settings or projects. Lacking in the literature is how hospitals in low-income settings are able to meet the information needs of their staff and the use of information communication technologies (ICT) in day-to-day information searching. The study aimed to explore where professionals in Kenyan hospitals turn to for work-related information in their day-to-day work. Additionally, it examined what existing solutions are provided by hospitals with regard to provision of best practice care. Lastly, the study explored the use of ICT in information searching. Data for this study were collected in July 2012. Self-administered questionnaires (SAQs) were distributed across 22 study hospitals with an aim to get a response from 34 health workers per hospital. SAQs were collected from 657 health workers. The most popular sources of information to guide work were fellow health workers and printed guidelines while the least popular were scientific journals. Of value to health workers were: national treatment policies, new research findings, regular reports from surveillance data, information on costs of services and information on their performance of routine clinical tasks; however, hospitals only partially met these needs. Barriers to accessing information sources included: 'not available/difficult to get' and 'difficult to understand'. ICT use for information seeking was reported and with demographic specific differences noted from the multivariate logistic regression model; nurses compared to medical doctors and older workers were less likely to use ICT for health information searching. Barriers to accessing Internet were identified as: high costs and the lack of the service at home or at work. Hospitals need to provide appropriate information by improving information dissemination efforts and providing an enabling environment that allows health workers find the information they need for best practice.

A Virtual Information-Action Workspace for Command and Control

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lintern, Gavan; Naikar, Neelam

2002-10-01

Information overload has become a critical challenge within military Command and Control. However, the problem is not so much one of too much information but of abundant information that is poorly organized and poorly represented. In addition, the capabilities to test the effects of decisions before they are implemented and to monitor the progress of events after a decision is implemented are primitive. A virtual information-action workspace could be designed to resolve these issues. The design of such a space would require a detailed understanding of the specific information needed to support decision making in Command and Control. That information can be obtained with the use of knowledge acquisition and knowledge representation tools from the field of applied cognitive psychology. In addition, it will be necessary to integrate forms for perception and action into a virtual space that will support access to the information and that will provide means for testing and implementing decisions. This paper presents a rationale for a virtual information-action workspace and outlines an approach to its design.

Corporate use of information regarding natural resources and environmental quality

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

Train, R.E.

1984-01-01

This report presents findings and recommendations from a one-year study of the corporate use of information regarding natural resources and environmental quality. Personal interviews were conducted with 229 information users at 45 of America's largest corporations, trade associations, and private information companies. In addition, 110 information users participated in a written survey. Our principal findings are: (1) US corporations urgently need more international data; (2) US corporations feel that the government's natural resource forecasts are not credible; (3) US corporations need upgraded and expanded data on environmental quality; (4) US corporations believe that government information is not timely; (5) informationmore » on natural resources and environmental quality is vital to the success of US corporations; (6) US corporations depend on a large body of this information in making decisions regarding capacity, siting, marketing, production, and strategic planning among others; and (7) the US government is the principal source of information on natural resources and environmental quality.« less

EARLY PARENTING SUPPORT AND INFORMATION: A CONSUMER PERSPECTIVE.

PubMed

Morawska, Alina; Weston, Kate; Bowd, Courtney

2018-03-01

The transition to parenthood is a period of both joy and challenge for most parents. There is a recognized need to support parents during this period, yet existing interventions have shown limited evidence of efficacy. This study takes a consumer-focused approach to examine the needs and preferences of parents both prenatally (n = 77) and postnatally (n = 123) for parenting support. The study used a cross-sectional design with a purpose-built online survey. Parents were recruited via online forums, Facebook and parenting blogs, childcare centers, and playgroups. In general, all parents were satisfied with their current levels of both formal and informal support, and about one fourth of parents had accessed a parenting intervention. Parents expressed a moderate level of interest in additional parenting information, and parents expecting their first baby indicated preferences for information about basic baby care needs whereas postnatally, parents expressed more interest in topics around self-care and behavior management. The implications for developing interventions and engaging families are discussed. © 2018 Michigan Association for Infant Mental Health.

76 FR 9329 - Efficiency Initiative Effort To Reduce Non-Value-Added Costs Imposed on Industry by Department of...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-02-17

..., backed by specific, credible, convincing data. DoD's goal is to develop a fact-based program to reform... changes that can only be made over the longer term or require additional follow-up data before they are... data that it needs along with information about some additional areas of non-value- added cost...

Is there room in the DSM for consideration of deaf people?

PubMed

Lala, F J

1998-10-01

Recent changes to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, or DSM (4th ed., American Psychiatric Association, 1994), show recognition that cultural factors are relevant to assessment; thus, including specific information relevant to Deaf culture should help DSM users understand their deaf clients. For the present article, literature was surveyed on the psychological needs of the Deaf, and specifically how the Deaf views those needs. The review focused on four articles (Carver, 1995, 1997; Chapman, 1994; Dolnick, 1993). These articles suggest consensus on the thesis that the Deaf, as a minority culture, should provide information on Deaf culture to members of the helping professions. In addition to enhancing care providers' understanding, this would help society do a better job of including the Deaf in planning relevant to their needs. In particular, culturally deaf people should urge inclusion of relevant information about the Deaf in the next DSM revision.

Needs Assessment for the Use of NASA Remote Sensing Data in the Development and Implementation of Estuarine and Coastal Water Quality Standards

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Spiering, Bruce; Underwood, Lauren; Ellis, Chris; Lehrter, John; Hagy, Jim; Schaeffer, Blake

2010-01-01

The goals of the project are to provide information from satellite remote sensing to support numeric nutrient criteria development and to determine data processing methods and data quality requirements to support nutrient criteria development and implementation. The approach is to identify water quality indicators that are used by decision makers to assess water quality and that are related to optical properties of the water; to develop remotely sensed data products based on algorithms relating remote sensing imagery to field-based observations of indicator values; to develop methods to assess estuarine water quality, including trends, spatial and temporal variability, and seasonality; and to develop tools to assist in the development and implementation of estuarine and coastal nutrient criteria. Additional slides present process, criteria development, typical data sources and analyses for criteria process, the power of remote sensing data for the process, examples from Pensacola Bay, spatial and temporal variability, pixel matchups, remote sensing validation, remote sensing in coastal waters, requirements for remotely sensed data products, and needs assessment. An additional presentation examines group engagement and information collection. Topics include needs assessment purpose and objectives, understanding water quality decision making, determining information requirements, and next steps.

Knowledge exchange throughout the dementia care journey by Canadian rural community-based health care practitioners, persons with dementia, and their care partners: an interpretive descriptive study.

PubMed

Forbes, Dorothy A; Finkelstein, Sara; Blake, Catherine M; Gibson, Maggie; Morgan, Debra G; Markle-Reid, Maureen; Culum, Ivan; Thiessen, Emily

2012-10-01

Accessing, assessing, exchanging, and applying dementia care information can be challenging in rural communities for healthcare practitioners (HCPs), persons with dementia (PWD), and their care partners. The overall purpose of this research was to enable HCPs, care partners, and PWD to use dementia care information more effectively by examining their information needs, how these change over time, and how they access, assess, and apply the knowledge. A qualitative interpretive descriptive approach was used. A convenience sample was initially recruited through study collaborators in Southwestern Ontario, followed by purposive sampling. Nine rural dementia care networks consisting of PWD (n = 5), care partners (n = 14), and HCPs (n = 14) were recruited and 80 interviews were conducted at three time points. Transcripts were coded using Lubrosky's thematic analysis. Six stages of the dementia care journey were identified: (1) recognizing the symptoms; (2) receiving a diagnosis; (3) loss of independence; (4) initiating and using home care and respite services; (5) long-term care (LTC) placement; and (6) decisions related to end-of-life care. Rural care partners identified the need for different types of knowledge during each of these critical decision points of the dementia care journey. They accessed information from family members, friends, local organizations, and dementia internet sites. Persons with dementia tended not to identify the need for dementia care information. The HCPs accessed dementia care information from their own organization, other organizations, and internet sites. Care partners and HCPs assessed the trustworthiness of the information based on whether the source was a well-known agency or their own organization. Barriers to knowledge exchange included: lack of rural community-based services for dementia care; care partners reluctant to seek help and had limited energy; and lack of integration of dementia-related services and supports. Facilitators of knowledge exchange included: rural care partners with healthcare experience who were actively seeking information; development of trusting relationships between HCPs, care partners, and PWD; and formal mechanisms for exchanging information within and across rural community-based organizations. This research illustrates the stages of the dementia care journey, and the types of information typically needed, accessed, assessed, and applied at each stage. Healthcare practitioners can use these findings to support rural care partners in navigating their dementia care journey. Support is needed as care partners often do not have the time, energy, skills, or knowledge to seek out dementia care information independently. In addition, PWD typically do not recognize the need for this knowledge, leaving care partners potentially isolated in this journey. Developing formal linkages within and across rural organizations will facilitate knowledge exchange and the delivery of cost-effective, quality dementia care. However, additional rural community-based resources are urgently needed to implement these recommendations. This may require a redistribution of resources from acute care to rural community care.

Awareness of diagnosis, and information-seeking behavior of hospitalized cancer patients in Greece.

PubMed

Brokalaki, Eirini I; Sotiropoulos, Georgios C; Tsaras, Konstantinos; Brokalaki, Hero

2005-11-01

The goal of our study was to evaluate the extent of disease-related knowledge and the need for further information of cancer patients in Greece. We evaluated 203 mentally competent adult cancer patients hospitalized in general and oncological hospitals in the city of Athens and its suburbs. Data were collected by means of semistructured interviews. Patients were evaluated as to whether they had awareness of their diagnosis. Those who did so (n = 83) were further questioned about additional disease-related information. The majority of patients (59%) claimed to have no knowledge of their diagnosis. Women (p = 0.004) as well as high school and university graduates (p = 0.024) showed significantly superior levels of information when compared to men and graduates of elementary schools, respectively. Age was also a factor that influenced the level of the awareness of the diagnosis and the request for additional information: patients who were informed about the diagnosis and patients who asked for more information were significantly younger than their counterparts who ignored the diagnosis (p < 0.001) and those who didn't ask for further information, respectively (p = 0.03). Hospital specialization (oncological versus general, p < 0.001) and department specialization (medical versus surgical, p = 0.004) were associated with significantly increased levels of information. The patient's educational level was associated with increased request for additional information (p = 0.006). Most patients with knowledge of their diagnosis requested detailed information about severity of their disease and prognosis. Only 13% of those in the informed group claimed they would have benefited psychologically by having been unaware of their diagnosis. Although Greek patients with diagnoses of malignancies want and need to be adequately informed, the amount of information they receive is inadequate. Over half of those patients evaluated were not aware of their diagnosis. Attitudes of health care professionals, preestablished family beliefs, "mind-set" difficulties, and organizational issues should not become barriers to the patients' right to be fully informed of their diagnoses and choices of potential therapies.

Foods of white-tailed deer in the Upper Great Lakes Region -- a review.

Treesearch

Lynn L. Rogers; Jack J. Mooty; Deanna Dawson

1981-01-01

Available information on year-round food habits of white-tailed deer in the Upper Great Lakes Region (UGLR) is summarized. Problems of deer in that region are discussed. There is a need for additional information on year-round diet, but new study techniques must be developed if a complete picture of diet is to be obtained.

Understanding Spanish-Language Response in a National Health Communication Survey: Implications for Health Communication Research.

PubMed

Ramírez, A Susana; Willis, Gordon; Rutten, Lila Finney

2017-05-01

Spanish-speaking Latinos account for 13% of the U.S. population yet are chronically under-represented in national surveys; additionally, the response quality suffers from low literacy rates and translation challenges. These are the same issues that health communicators face when understanding how best to communicate important health information to Latinos. The Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS) offers a unique opportunity to understand the health communication landscape and information needs of the U.S. We describe the challenges in recruiting Spanish-speaking HINTS respondents and strategies used to improve rates and quality of responses among Spanish-speaking Latinos. Cognitive interviewing techniques helped to better understand how Spanish-speaking Latinos were interpreting the survey questions, and the extent to which these interpretations matched English-speaking respondents' interpretations. Some Spanish-speaking respondents had difficulty with the questions because of a lack of access to health care. Additionally, Spanish-speaking respondents had a particularly hard time answering questions that were presented in a grid format. We describe the cognitive interview process, and consider the impact of format changes on Spanish-speaking people's responses and response quality. We discuss challenges that remain in understanding health information needs of non-English-speakers.

Understanding Spanish-language Response in a National Health Communication Survey: Implications for Health Communication Research

PubMed Central

Ramírez, A Susana; Willis, Gordon; Rutten, Lila Finney

2017-01-01

Spanish-speaking Latinos account for 13% of the US population yet are chronically under-represented in national surveys; additionally, response quality suffers from low literacy rates and translation challenges. These are the same issues that health communicators face when understanding how best to communicate important health information to Latinos. The Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS) offers a unique opportunity to understand the health communication landscape and information needs of the U.S. population. We describe the challenges in recruiting Spanish-speaking HINTS respondents and strategies used to improve rates and quality of responses among Spanish-speaking Latinos. Cognitive interviewing techniques helped to better understand how Spanish-speaking Latinos were interpreting the survey questions, and the extent to which these interpretations matched English-speaking respondents’ interpretations. Some Spanish-speaking respondents had difficulty with the questions because of a lack of access to health care. Additionally, Spanish-speaking respondents had a particularly hard time answering questions that were presented in a grid format. We describe the cognitive interview process, and consider the impact of format changes on Spanish-speaking people’s responses and response quality. We discuss challenges that remain in understanding health information needs of non-English-speakers. PMID:28414618

Decision making around dialysis options.

PubMed

Mooney, Andrew

2009-01-01

We have previously shown that information given to patients approaching end stage renal failure to make an informed decision about dialysis modality is frequently incomplete and difficult to comprehend [1]. We have now studied whether there are differences in decisions made about dialysis modality according to the method employed to deliver this information. In an online study, 784 participants viewed treatment information about hemodialysis (HD) and continuous cycling peritoneal dialysis (CCPD) and completed a questionnaire. A control group saw only basic information, but otherwise treatment information was varied by format (written or videotaped) and who presented the information (male or female; 'patient' or 'doctor'). The information was carefully controlled to ensure comparable content and comprehensibility. In addition to collection of demographic data, measures included: treatment choice, reasons for treatment choice, decisional conflict, need for affect, need for cognition, decision regret, quality of information, previous knowledge of end-stage renal failure and social comparison. There were a number of differences in choices made among subjects who viewed written or video information presented as if by doctors or patients. There was a statistically significant effect that subjects chose the dialysis modality recommended by the patient (whether CCPD or HD). There was no significant effect of the gender of the person presenting information on the modality chosen. However, among participants, females were more satisfied with the information presented, and more likely to choose CCPD (compared to male participants). Subjects' style of information processing (need for cognition/need for affect) had no significant effect on choice of dialysis modality. There was a higher drop-out rate among subjects viewing videotaped information. The use of testimonials might bias patients decision making regarding dialysis options and until these effects are understood, they should be used with caution.

An Efficient Workflow Environment to Support the Collaborative Development of Actionable Climate Information Using the NCAR Climate Risk Management Engine (CRMe)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ammann, C. M.; Vigh, J. L.; Lee, J. A.

2016-12-01

Society's growing needs for robust and relevant climate information have fostered an explosion in tools and frameworks for processing climate projections. Many top-down workflows might be employed to generate sets of pre-computed data and plots, frequently served in a "loading-dock style" through a metadata-enabled search and discovery engine. Despite these increasing resources, the diverse needs of applications-driven projects often result in data processing workflow requirements that cannot be fully satisfied using past approaches. In parallel to the data processing challenges, the provision of climate information to users in a form that is also usable represents a formidable challenge of its own. Finally, many users do not have the time nor the desire to synthesize and distill massive volumes of climate information to find the relevant information for their particular application. All of these considerations call for new approaches to developing actionable climate information. CRMe seeks to bridge the gap between the diversity and richness of bottom-up needs of practitioners, with discrete, structured top-down workflows typically implemented for rapid delivery. Additionally, CRMe has implemented web-based data services capable of providing focused climate information in usable form for a given location, or as spatially aggregated information for entire regions or countries following the needs of users and sectors. Making climate data actionable also involves summarizing and presenting it in concise and approachable ways. CRMe is developing the concept of dashboards, co-developed with the users, to condense the key information into a quick summary of the most relevant, curated climate data for a given discipline, application, or location, while still enabling users to efficiently conduct deeper discovery into rich datasets on an as-needed basis.

Genomic selection needs to be carefully assessed to meet specific requirements in livestock breeding programs

PubMed Central

Jonas, Elisabeth; de Koning, Dirk-Jan

2015-01-01

Genomic selection is a promising development in agriculture, aiming improved production by exploiting molecular genetic markers to design novel breeding programs and to develop new markers-based models for genetic evaluation. It opens opportunities for research, as novel algorithms and lab methodologies are developed. Genomic selection can be applied in many breeds and species. Further research on the implementation of genomic selection (GS) in breeding programs is highly desirable not only for the common good, but also the private sector (breeding companies). It has been projected that this approach will improve selection routines, especially in species with long reproduction cycles, late or sex-limited or expensive trait recording and for complex traits. The task of integrating GS into existing breeding programs is, however, not straightforward. Despite successful integration into breeding programs for dairy cattle, it has yet to be shown how much emphasis can be given to the genomic information and how much additional phenotypic information is needed from new selection candidates. Genomic selection is already part of future planning in many breeding companies of pigs and beef cattle among others, but further research is needed to fully estimate how effective the use of genomic information will be for the prediction of the performance of future breeding stock. Genomic prediction of production in crossbreeding and across-breed schemes, costs and choice of individuals for genotyping are reasons for a reluctance to fully rely on genomic information for selection decisions. Breeding objectives are highly dependent on the industry and the additional gain when using genomic information has to be considered carefully. This review synthesizes some of the suggested approaches in selected livestock species including cattle, pig, chicken, and fish. It outlines tasks to help understanding possible consequences when applying genomic information in breeding scenarios. PMID:25750652

Genomic selection needs to be carefully assessed to meet specific requirements in livestock breeding programs.

PubMed

Jonas, Elisabeth; de Koning, Dirk-Jan

2015-01-01

Genomic selection is a promising development in agriculture, aiming improved production by exploiting molecular genetic markers to design novel breeding programs and to develop new markers-based models for genetic evaluation. It opens opportunities for research, as novel algorithms and lab methodologies are developed. Genomic selection can be applied in many breeds and species. Further research on the implementation of genomic selection (GS) in breeding programs is highly desirable not only for the common good, but also the private sector (breeding companies). It has been projected that this approach will improve selection routines, especially in species with long reproduction cycles, late or sex-limited or expensive trait recording and for complex traits. The task of integrating GS into existing breeding programs is, however, not straightforward. Despite successful integration into breeding programs for dairy cattle, it has yet to be shown how much emphasis can be given to the genomic information and how much additional phenotypic information is needed from new selection candidates. Genomic selection is already part of future planning in many breeding companies of pigs and beef cattle among others, but further research is needed to fully estimate how effective the use of genomic information will be for the prediction of the performance of future breeding stock. Genomic prediction of production in crossbreeding and across-breed schemes, costs and choice of individuals for genotyping are reasons for a reluctance to fully rely on genomic information for selection decisions. Breeding objectives are highly dependent on the industry and the additional gain when using genomic information has to be considered carefully. This review synthesizes some of the suggested approaches in selected livestock species including cattle, pig, chicken, and fish. It outlines tasks to help understanding possible consequences when applying genomic information in breeding scenarios.

Assessing Commercially Available Personal Health Records for Home Health: Recommendations for Design.

PubMed

Kneale, Laura; Choi, Yong; Demiris, George

2016-01-01

Home health nurses and clients experience unmet information needs when transitioning from hospital to home health. Personal health records (PHRs) support consumer-centered information management activities. Previous work has assessed PHRs associated with healthcare providers, but these systems leave home health nurses unable to access necessary information. To evaluate the ability of publically available PHRs to accept, manage, and share information from a home health case study. Two researchers accessed the publically available PHRs on myPHR.com, and attempted to enter, manage, and share the case study data. We qualitatively described the PHR features, and identified gaps between the case study information and PHR functionality. Eighteen PHRs were identified in our initial search. Seven systems met our inclusion criteria, and are included in this review. The PHRs were able to accept basic medical information. Gaps occurred when entering, managing, and/or sharing data from the acute care and home health episodes. The PHRs that were reviewed were unable to effectively manage the case study information. Therefore, increasing consumer health literacy through these systems may be difficult. The PHRs that we reviewed were also unable to electronically share their data. The gap between the existing functionality and the information needs from the case study may make these PHRs difficult to use for home health environments. Additional work is needed to increase the functionality of the PHR systems to better fit the data needs of home health clients.

What patients with pulmonary fibrosis and their partners think: a live, educative survey in the Netherlands and Germany

PubMed Central

van Manen, Mirjam J.G.; Kreuter, Michael; van den Blink, Bernt; Oltmanns, Ute; Palmowski, Karin; Brunnemer, Eva; Hummler, Simone; Tak, Nelleke C.; van den Toorn, Leon; Miedema, Jelle; Hoogsteden, Henk C.

2017-01-01

Pulmonary fibrosis greatly impacts patients and their partners. Unmet needs of patients are increasingly acknowledged; the needs of partners often remain unnoticed. Little is known about the best way to educate patients and partners. We investigated pulmonary fibrosis patients' and partners' perspectives and preferences in care, and the differences in these between the Netherlands and Germany. Additionally, we evaluated whether interactive interviewing could be a novel education method in this population. Patients and partners were interviewed during pulmonary fibrosis patient information meetings. In the Netherlands, voting boxes were used and results were projected directly. In Germany, questionnaires were used. In the Netherlands, 278 patients and partners participated; in Germany, 51. Many participants experienced anxiety. Almost all experienced misunderstanding, because people do not know what pulmonary fibrosis is. All expressed a need for information, psychological support and care for partners. Use of the interactive voting system was found to be pleasant (70%) and informative (94%). This study improves the knowledge of care needs of patients with pulmonary fibrosis and their partners. There were no major differences between the Netherlands and Germany. Interactive interviewing could be an attractive method to acquire insights into the needs and preferences of patients and partners, while providing them with information at the same time. PMID:28229083

What patients with pulmonary fibrosis and their partners think: a live, educative survey in the Netherlands and Germany.

PubMed

van Manen, Mirjam J G; Kreuter, Michael; van den Blink, Bernt; Oltmanns, Ute; Palmowski, Karin; Brunnemer, Eva; Hummler, Simone; Tak, Nelleke C; van den Toorn, Leon; Miedema, Jelle; Hoogsteden, Henk C; Wijsenbeek, Marlies S

2017-01-01

Pulmonary fibrosis greatly impacts patients and their partners. Unmet needs of patients are increasingly acknowledged; the needs of partners often remain unnoticed. Little is known about the best way to educate patients and partners. We investigated pulmonary fibrosis patients' and partners' perspectives and preferences in care, and the differences in these between the Netherlands and Germany. Additionally, we evaluated whether interactive interviewing could be a novel education method in this population. Patients and partners were interviewed during pulmonary fibrosis patient information meetings. In the Netherlands, voting boxes were used and results were projected directly. In Germany, questionnaires were used. In the Netherlands, 278 patients and partners participated; in Germany, 51. Many participants experienced anxiety. Almost all experienced misunderstanding, because people do not know what pulmonary fibrosis is. All expressed a need for information, psychological support and care for partners. Use of the interactive voting system was found to be pleasant (70%) and informative (94%). This study improves the knowledge of care needs of patients with pulmonary fibrosis and their partners. There were no major differences between the Netherlands and Germany. Interactive interviewing could be an attractive method to acquire insights into the needs and preferences of patients and partners, while providing them with information at the same time.

Hospital managers' need for information in decision-making--An interview study in nine European countries.

PubMed

Kidholm, Kristian; Ølholm, Anne Mette; Birk-Olsen, Mette; Cicchetti, Americo; Fure, Brynjar; Halmesmäki, Esa; Kahveci, Rabia; Kiivet, Raul-Allan; Wasserfallen, Jean-Blaise; Wild, Claudia; Sampietro-Colom, Laura

2015-11-01

Assessments of new health technologies in Europe are often made at the hospital level. However, the guidelines for health technology assessment (HTA), e.g. the EUnetHTA Core Model, are produced by national HTA organizations and focus on decision-making at the national level. This paper describes the results of an interview study with European hospital managers about their need for information when deciding about investments in new treatments. The study is part of the AdHopHTA project. Face-to-face, structured interviews were conducted with 53 hospital managers from nine European countries. The hospital managers identified the clinical, economic, safety and organizational aspects of new treatments as being the most relevant for decision-making. With regard to economic aspects, the hospital managers typically had a narrower focus on budget impact and reimbursement. In addition to the information included in traditional HTAs, hospital managers sometimes needed information on the political and strategic aspects of new treatments, in particular the relationship between the treatment and the strategic goals of the hospital. If further studies are able to verify our results, guidelines for hospital-based HTA should be altered to reflect the information needs of hospital managers when deciding about investments in new treatments. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Event-Driven Technology to Generate Relevant Collections of Near-Realtime Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Graves, S. J.; Keiser, K.; Nair, U. S.; Beck, J. M.; Ebersole, S.

2017-12-01

Getting the right data when it is needed continues to be a challenge for researchers and decision makers. Event-Driven Data Delivery (ED3), funded by the NASA Applied Science program, is a technology that allows researchers and decision makers to pre-plan what data, information and processes they need to have collected or executed in response to future events. The Information Technology and Systems Center at the University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) has developed the ED3 framework in collaboration with atmospheric scientists at UAH, scientists at the Geological Survey of Alabama, and other federal, state and local stakeholders to meet the data preparedness needs for research, decisions and situational awareness. The ED3 framework supports an API that supports the addition of loosely-coupled, distributed event handlers and data processes. This approach allows the easy addition of new events and data processes so the system can scale to support virtually any type of event or data process. Using ED3's underlying services, applications have been developed that monitor for alerts of registered event types and automatically triggers subscriptions that match new events, providing users with a living "album" of results that can continued to be curated as more information for an event becomes available. This capability can allow users to improve capacity for the collection, creation and use of data and real-time processes (data access, model execution, product generation, sensor tasking, social media filtering, etc), in response to disaster (and other) events by preparing in advance for data and information needs for future events. This presentation will provide an update on the ED3 developments and deployments, and further explain the applicability for utilizing near-realtime data in hazards research, response and situational awareness.

How to structure and prioritize information needs in support of monitoring design for Integrated Coastal Management

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vugteveen, Pim; van Katwijk, Marieke M.; Rouwette, Etiënne; Hanssen, Lucien

2014-02-01

Integrated Coastal Management cannot operate effectively without reliable information and knowledge on changes in the environment and on the causes of those changes. Monitoring is essential to provide data needed for a real understanding of socio-economic and ecological functioning in multi-user nature areas. We present a web-based and comprehensive assessment methodology to articulate, structure and prioritize information needs and ensuing monitoring needs. We applied this methodology in the Dutch Wadden Sea Region, which includes a designated UNESCO World Heritage nature reserve. The methodology consists of the following steps: i) exploring social-ecological issues of concern and defining the monitoring scope; ii) articulating information needs expressed as tractable questions; iii) elaborating monitoring needs; iv) grounding in scientific models and current monitoring; v) synthesizing assessment findings into target entities, i.e. analysis variables for monitoring. In this paper we focus on the first three steps. As part of our methodology we performed two online surveys amongst a broad range of stakeholders and amongst monitoring professionals. In the case of the Dutch Wadden Sea Region, main monitoring questions were related to biodiversity and food web relations; effects of fisheries and its pressures on the ecosystem; channel and port dredging; spatial planning and multifunctional use; sustainable energy production; and effects of changing storm regimes due to climate change. Subsequently we elaborated these general issues into analysis variables within five themes. The presented methodology enables large scale and unbiased involvement of stakeholders in articulating information needs in a multi-user nature reserve like the Wadden Sea. In addition the methodology facilitates the input and feedback of monitoring professionals by providing a detailed elaboration of monitoring needs.

76 FR 23353 - Public Meeting: U.S. Registration of Aircraft in the Name of Owner Trustees

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-04-26

... resident alien, imposes additional requirements and limitations with respect to the power of such... above in need of amendment? 7. Which, if any, knowledge and information requirements (e.g., address of...

5 CFR 1216.203 - Filing requirements for litigants seeking documents or testimony.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... outweighs any need to maintain the confidentiality of the information and outweighs the burden on the MSPB... travel, and for attendance in the legal proceeding. (c) The MSPB reserves the right to require additional...

Beginning Bayes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Erickson, Tim

2017-01-01

Understanding a Bayesian perspective demands comfort with conditional probability and with probabilities that appear to change as we acquire additional information. This paper suggests a simple context in conditional probability that helps develop the understanding students would need for a successful introduction to Bayesian reasoning.

21 CFR 99.305 - Exemption from the requirement to file a supplemental application.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... are not less expensive ways to obtain the needed information; or (2) It would be unethical to conduct... would be unethical to conduct clinical studies, the agency shall consider, in addition to the...

Expected net present value of sample information: from burden to investment.

PubMed

Hall, Peter S; Edlin, Richard; Kharroubi, Samer; Gregory, Walter; McCabe, Christopher

2012-01-01

The Expected Value of Information Framework has been proposed as a method for identifying when health care technologies should be immediately reimbursed and when any reimbursement should be withheld while awaiting more evidence. This framework assesses the value of obtaining additional evidence to inform a current reimbursement decision. This represents the burden of not having the additional evidence at the time of the decision. However, when deciding whether to reimburse now or await more evidence, decision makers need to know the value of investing in more research to inform a future decision. Assessing this value requires consideration of research costs, research time, and what happens to patients while the research is undertaken and after completion. The investigators describe a development of the calculation of the expected value of sample information that assesses the value of investing in further research, including an only-in-research strategy and an only-with-research strategy.

Card sorting to evaluate the robustness of the information architecture of a protocol website.

PubMed

Wentzel, J; Müller, F; Beerlage-de Jong, N; van Gemert-Pijnen, J

2016-02-01

A website on Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus, MRSA-net, was developed for Health Care Workers (HCWs) and the general public, in German and in Dutch. The website's content was based on existing protocols and its structure was based on a card sort study. A Human Centered Design approach was applied to ensure a match between user and technology. In the current study we assess whether the website's structure still matches user needs, again via a card sort study. An open card sort study was conducted. Randomly drawn samples of 100 on-site search queries as they were entered on the MRSA-net website (during one year of use) were used as card input. In individual sessions, the cards were sorted by each participant (18 German and 10 Dutch HCWs, and 10 German and 10 Dutch members of the general public) into piles that were meaningful to them. Each participant provided a label for every pile of cards they created. Cluster analysis was performed on the resulting sorts, creating an overview of clusters of items placed together in one pile most frequently. In addition, pile labels were qualitatively analyzed to identify the participants' mental models. Cluster analysis confirmed existing categories and revealed new themes emerging from the search query samples, such as financial issues and consequences for the patient. Even though MRSA-net addresses these topics, they are not prominently covered in the menu structure. The label analysis shows that 7 of a total of 44 MRSA-net categories were not reproduced by the participants. Additional themes such as information on other pathogens and categories such as legal issues emerged. This study shows that the card sort performed to create MRSA-net resulted in overall long-lasting structure and categories. New categories were identified, indicating that additional information needs emerged. Therefore, evaluating website structure should be a recurrent activity. Card sorting with ecological data as input for the cards is useful to identify changes in needs and mental models. By combining qualitative and quantitative analysis we gained insight into additional information needed by the target group, including their view on the domain and related themes. The results show differences between the four user groups in their sorts, which can mostly be explained by the groups' background. These findings confirm that HCD is a valuable approach to tailor information to the target group. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Supportive care needs of women with breast cancer in rural Scotland.

PubMed

Hubbard, Gill; Venning, Christine; Walker, Alison; Scanlon, Karen; Kyle, Richard G

2015-06-01

The aim of this study was to identify the supportive care needs and unmet needs of women with breast cancer (BC) in rural Scotland. In 2013, a survey of supportive care needs of rural women with BC was conducted using the short-form Supportive Care Needs Survey (SCNS-SF34). Semi-structured interviews were subsequently conducted with a purpose sample of questionnaire respondents. Forty-four women with BC completed the survey and ten were interviewed. Over half of participants reported at least one moderate to high unmet need (56.8 %, n = 25), a tenth reported low needs (11.4 %, n = 5), and around a third reported no unmet needs for all 34 items (31.8 %, n = 14). The most prevalent moderate to high needs were 'being informed about cancer in remission' (31.8 %, n = 14), 'fears about the cancer spreading' (27.3 %, n = 12), 'being adequately informed about the benefits and side-effects of treatment' and 'concerns about the worries of those close to you' (both 25.0 %, n = 11). Interviews highlighted the following unmet needs: information about treatment and side effects, overview of care, fear of recurrence, impact on family and distance from support. Rural women with BC report similar unmet needs to their urban counterparts. Fear of recurrence is a key unmet need that should be addressed for all women with BC. However, they also report unique unmet needs because of rural location. Thus, it is critical that cancer services address the additional unmet needs of rural women with BC and, in particular, needs relating to distance from services.

[Trends in the utilization of food additives].

PubMed

Szűcs, Viktória; Bánáti, Diána

2013-11-17

The frequent media reports on food additives weakened consumers' trust in food producers and food control authorities as well. Furthermore, consumers' uncertainty is also raised by the fact that they obtain their information from inadequate, mistrustful sources and, therefore, consumers might avoid the consumption of certain foodstuffs. While food producers may react by replacing artificial components by natural ones, they try to emphasize the favourable characteristics of their products. The authors describe the main trends and efforts related to food additives. On the basis of the overview it can be concluded that - besides taking into consideration consumers' needs - product development and research directions are promising. Food producers' efforts may help to restore consumer confidence and trust and they may help them to have informed choice.

Patient Information Needs and Breast Reconstruction After Mastectomy: A Qualitative Meta-Synthesis.

PubMed

Carr, Tracey L; Groot, Gary; Cochran, David; Holtslander, Lorraine

2018-04-27

Although many women benefit from breast reconstruction after mastectomy, several studies report women's dissatisfaction with the level of information they were provided with before reconstruction. The present meta-synthesis examines the qualitative literature that explores women's experiences of breast reconstruction after mastectomy and highlights women's healthcare information needs. After a comprehensive search of 6 electronic databases (CINAHL, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, and Scopus), we followed the methodology for synthesizing qualitative research. The search produced 423 studies, which were assessed against 5 inclusion criteria. A meta-synthesis methodology was used to analyze the data through taxonomic classification and constant targeted comparison. Some 17 studies met the inclusion criteria, and findings from 16 studies were synthesized. The role of the healthcare practitioner is noted as a major influence on women's expectations, and in some instances, women did not feel adequately informed about the outcomes of surgery and the recovery process. In general, women's desire for normality and effective emotional coping shapes their information needs. The information needs of women are better understood after considering women's actual experiences with breast reconstruction. It is important to inform women of the immediate outcomes of reconstruction surgery and the recovery process. In an attempt to better address women's information needs, healthcare practitioners should discover women's initial expectations of reconstruction as a starting point in the consultation. In addition, the research revealed the importance of the nurse navigator in terms of assisting women through the recovery process.This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives License 4.0 (CCBY-NC-ND), where it is permissible to download and share the work provided it is properly cited. The work cannot be changed in any way or used commercially without permission from the journal.

The LHEA PDP 11/70 graphics processing facility users guide

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1978-01-01

A compilation of all necessary and useful information needed to allow the inexperienced user to program on the PDP 11/70. Information regarding the use of editing and file manipulation utilities as well as operational procedures are included. The inexperienced user is taken through the process of creating, editing, compiling, task building and debugging his/her FORTRAN program. Also, documentation on additional software is included.

Defense Logistics: DOD Needs to Take Additional Actions to Address Challenges in Supply Chain Management

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-07-01

Jack E. Edwa appendix III. t rds Director, Defense Capabilities and Managemen Page 36 GAO-11-569 Defense Logistics List of Committees...Washington Headquarters Services, Directorate for Information Operations and Reports, 1215 Jefferson Davis Highway, Suite 1204, Arlington VA 22202-4302... operations . DOD faces asset visibility challenges due, in part, to a lack of interoperability among information technology

Genetic testing for the BRCA1 gene and the need for protection from discrimination: an evolving legislative and social issue.

PubMed

Dressler, L

1998-04-01

Genetic testing for the BRCA1 gene is available commercially and clinically. The information gained from this test impacts not only on the individual tested, but on family members as well. The test can offer an individual and their family the opportunity to gain valuable information about their risks of developing certain forms of inherited breast cancer and other inherited cancers. In addition to its emotional and psychological impact, this information is associated with significant social and economic issues. This includes the potential for denial, loss, or increased rates for health insurance as well as denial and loss of employment based on genetic test information. The risk for such discrimination can lead to fear of seeking testing and can discourage participation in and potential benefit from prevention, screening, and treatment programs. Therefore, misuse of this information carries significant risk for the individual being tested and for their family members. It is imperative that the potential benefits of genetic testing and genetic information be afforded to all without this risk and fear. In addition to protecting all individuals from genetic discrimination, there is a need to protect the confidentiality of genetic information and an individual's right to privacy. This article discusses protection currently available through legislation at the federal and state level, focusing on the experience in North Carolina in developing and passing a genetic antidiscrimination bill. Although progress has been made, troublesome issues still remain.

Information processing in the primate visual system - An integrated systems perspective

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Van Essen, David C.; Anderson, Charles H.; Felleman, Daniel J.

1992-01-01

The primate visual system contains dozens of distinct areas in the cerebral cortex and several major subcortical structures. These subdivisions are extensively interconnected in a distributed hierarchical network that contains several intertwined processing streams. A number of strategies are used for efficient information processing within this hierarchy. These include linear and nonlinear filtering, passage through information bottlenecks, and coordinated use of multiple types of information. In addition, dynamic regulation of information flow within and between visual areas may provide the computational flexibility needed for the visual system to perform a broad spectrum of tasks accurately and at high resolution.

IONIO Project: Computer-mediated Decision Support System and Communication in Ocean Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oddo, Paolo; Acierno, Arianna; Cuna, Daniela; Federico, Ivan; Galati, Maria Barbara; Awad, Esam; Korres, Gerasimos; Lecci, Rita; Manzella, Giuseppe M. R.; Merico, Walter; Perivoliotis, Leonidas; Pinardi, Nadia; Shchekinova, Elena; Mannarini, Gianandrea; Vamvakaki, Chrysa; Pecci, Leda; Reseghetti, Franco

2013-04-01

A decision Support System is composed by four main steps. The first one is the definition of the problem, the issue to be covered, decisions to be taken. Different causes can provoke different problems, for each of the causes or its effects it is necessary to define a list of information and/or data that are required in order to take the better decision. The second step is the determination of sources from where information/data needed for decision-making can be obtained and who has that information. Furthermore it must be possible to evaluate the quality of the sources to see which of them can provide the best information, and identify the mode and format in which the information is presented. The third step is relying on the processing of knowledge, i.e. if the information/data are fitting for purposes. It has to be decided which parts of the information/data need to be used, what additional data or information is necessary to access, how can information be best presented to be able to understand the situation and take decisions. Finally, the decision making process is an interactive and inclusive process involving all concerned parties, whose different views must be taken into consideration. A knowledge based discussion forum is necessary to reach a consensus. A decision making process need to be examined closely and refined, and modified to meet differing needs over time. The report is presenting legal framework and knowledge base for a scientific based decision support system and a brief exploration of some of the skills that enhances the quality of decisions taken.

[The informed consent in international clinical trials including developing countries].

PubMed

Montenegro Surís, Alexander; Monreal Agüero, Magda Elaine

2008-01-01

The informed consent procedure has been one of the most important controversies of ethical debates about clinical trials in developing countries. In this essay we present our recommendations about important aspects to consider in the informed consent procedure for clinical trials in developing countries. We performed a full publications review identified by MEDLINE using these terms combinations: informed consent, developing countries, less developed countries and clinical trials. To protect volunteers in less developed countries should be valuated the importance of the community in the informed consent proceeding. The signing and dating of the informed consent form is not always the best procedure to document the informed consent. The informed consent form should be written by local translators. Alternative medias of communications could be needed for communicatios of the information to volunteers. Comparing with developed countries the informed consent proceeding in clinical trials in developing countries frequently require additional efforts. The developing of pragmatic researches is needed to implement informed consent proceedings assuring subjects voluntarily in each developing country. The main aspects to define in each clinical trial for each country are the influence of the community, the effective communication of the information, the documentation of the informed consent and local authority's control.

Collaborating to optimize nursing students' agency information technology use.

PubMed

Fetter, Marilyn S

2009-01-01

As the learning laboratory for gaining actual patient care experience, clinical agencies play an essential role in nursing education. With an information technology revolution transforming healthcare, nursing programs are eager for their students to learn the latest informatics systems and technologies. However, many healthcare institutions are struggling to meet their own information technology needs and report limited resources and other as barriers to nursing student training. In addition, nursing students' information technology access and use raise security and privacy concerns. With the goal of a fully electronic health record by 2014, it is imperative that agencies and educational programs collaborate. They need to establish educationally sound, cost-effective, and secure policies and procedures for managing students' use of information technology systems. Strategies for evaluating options, selecting training methods, and ensuring data security are shared, along with strategies that may reap clinical, economic, and educational benefits. Students' information technology use raises numerous issues that the nursing profession must address to participate in healthcare's transformation into the digital age.

Department of Defense, Department of the Navy FY 1995 Budget Estimates Submission Report on Information Technology Systems

DTIC Science & Technology

1994-02-01

awarded in 1984 to Martin Marietta Data System. A one-year extension to this contract has been approved, with the option of an additional year, if needed...remaining enhancements currently available with the Increment I software. B. Contracts: Martin Marietta , Information Systems Group is the systems...0016-Boeing Information Services Inc. DCA100-94-D-0017-Electronic Data Systems Corporation DCA100-94-D-0018- Martin Marietta Technical Svcs, Inc. DCA100

Time Manager Software for a Flight Processor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zoerne, Roger

2012-01-01

Data analysis is a process of inspecting, cleaning, transforming, and modeling data to highlight useful information and suggest conclusions. Accurate timestamps and a timeline of vehicle events are needed to analyze flight data. By moving the timekeeping to the flight processor, there is no longer a need for a redundant time source. If each flight processor is initially synchronized to GPS, they can freewheel and maintain a fairly accurate time throughout the flight with no additional GPS time messages received. How ever, additional GPS time messages will ensure an even greater accuracy. When a timestamp is required, a gettime function is called that immediately reads the time-base register.

A qualitative exploration of the perceptions and information needs of public health inspectors responsible for food safety

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background In Ontario, local public health inspectors play an important frontline role in protecting the public from foodborne illness. This study was an in-depth exploration of public health inspectors' perceptions of the key food safety issues in public health, and their opinions and needs with regards to food safety information resources. Methods Four focus group discussions were conducted with public health inspectors from the Central West region of Ontario, Canada during June and July, 2008. A questioning route was used to standardize qualitative data collection. Audio recordings of sessions were transcribed verbatim and data-driven content analysis was performed. Results A total of 23 public health inspectors participated in four focus group discussions. Five themes emerged as key food safety issues: time-temperature abuse, inadequate handwashing, cross-contamination, the lack of food safety knowledge by food handlers and food premise operators, and the lack of food safety information and knowledge about specialty foods (i.e., foods from different cultures). In general, participants reported confidence with their current knowledge of food safety issues and foodborne pathogens. Participants highlighted the need for a central source for food safety information, access to up-to-date food safety information, resources in different languages, and additional food safety information on specialty foods. Conclusions The information gathered from these focus groups can provide a basis for the development of resources that will meet the specific needs of public health inspectors involved in protecting and promoting food safety. PMID:20553592

[Information needs and internet use in patients with breast cancer in Spain].

PubMed

Abt Sacks, Analía; Pablo Hernando, Susana; Serrano Aguilar, Pedro; Fernández Vega, Enrique; Martín Fernández, Roberto

2013-01-01

To analyze information needs and search strategies among women with breast cancer in Spain. An additional aim was to explore how the internet, as a source of health information, influences the autonomy and active management of this disease among patients. The research was conducted in 2010 and 2011. This study forms part of a broader qualitative study that focuses on describing patients' experiences of breast cancer and the trajectory of the disease, with the aim of creating a platform of integrated information resources for patients, relatives and healthcare professionals (PyDEsalud: http://www.pydesalud.com). We carried out 41 in-depth, semi-structured interviews with breast cancer patients in different stage of the disease, who were aged between 32 and 69 years. The interviewees' were selected by intentional sampling, which included 15 Spanish regions. The field work was carried out from June to August, 2010. The interviews were recorded on videotape or audio. Based on patients' narratives of their disease, a thematic-inductive analysis was performed of the information gathered. The findings show the importance of the internet as a source of health information. Moreover, the internet is a resource that is able to promote the empowerment process among patients and, consequently, to aid improvement in disease management. Users need access to web sites with high quality health information, adapted to their needs and objectives. Copyright © 2012 SESPAS. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

The Need for and Feasibility of a National Study of Intercollegiate Athletics. A Report to the American Council on Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hanford, George H.

This document is the introduction to the main body of a report on the inquiry into the need for and feasibility of a national study of intercollegiate athletics. In addition to outlining the organization of the report on the findings of the inquiry, it consists of five sections designed to provide background information regarding the approach…

Think Global, Document Local: Using Data and Information Technologies To Move the Early Childhood Agenda. Starting Points: Meeting the Needs of Our Youngest Children.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Watson, Sara; Squires, Barbara; Schafer, Peter

Child advocacy groups have become increasingly sophisticated about using data to mobilize public opinion and motivate greater public investment in young children and their families. The lesson emerging from this work is that state and local data are needed in addition to national data to build a more powerful case for change. This policy brief…

Aspen wood characteristics, properties and uses: a review of recent literature.

Treesearch

Fred M. Lamb

1967-01-01

Summarizes information on wood properties and uses of quaking aspen from recent literature. Includes current data on the growth and production of aspen in the Lake States. Outlines additional research needs concerning aspen wood properties and uses.

20 CFR 627.430 - Grant payments.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... disbursement needs for an initial period, generally geared to the subrecipient's disbursing cycle. In no event... of expanding the opportunities for minority business enterprises, each recipient and subrecipient is...). Additional information may be obtained from the Minority Business Development Agency, Department of Commerce...

Risks, benefits, and issues in creating a behind-the-counter category of medications.

PubMed

Ried, L Douglas; Huston, Sally A; Kucukarslan, Suzan N; Sogol, Elliott M; Schafermeyer, Kenneth W; Sansgiry, Sujit S

2011-01-01

To examine the issues surrounding the development and implementation of a behind-the-counter (BTC) category of medications. Testimony from organizations submitting comments to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) panel hearings in November 2007, the 2009 final report of the U. S. General Accounting Office regarding a BTC drug category, literature review of research that has been conducted, experiences from other countries, and publically available information from agencies in charge of regulating medications similar to BTC. Based on evidence attained from the current work, the following six recommendations regarding a BTC category of medications are provided. (1) Demonstration needs to occur that the risks and/or costs of BTC are outweighed by benefits, positive measurable outcomes, and financial savings to society. (2) Sufficient resources, including personnel, equipment, and facilities, need to be available for the appropriate provision of BTC services and to ensure ongoing monitoring and controls. (3) An appropriate compensation structure needs to be developed. (4) Encounters and outcomes should be documented in an electronic record, the information should be shared with other health care providers involved in patients' care, and interprofessional collaboration and communication should occur. (5) Criteria for designating candidates for transition, ongoing review for safety, and reverse transition must be developed. (6) Applicable lessons learned from other countries should be incorporated into BTC strategies. In addition to implementation recommendations, we also summarize additional evidence that needs to be gathered to optimize the BTC model. Based on the accumulated evidence, comments to FDA's request, and information from other countries, implementation of a BTC model probably is feasible in the United States. However, the optimal model remains uncertain and various aspects of a program need to be prioritized and rigorously tested.

Ready or not? School preparedness for California's new personal beliefs exemption law.

PubMed

Wheeler, Marissa; Buttenheim, Alison M

2014-05-07

This paper describes elementary school officials' awareness of and preparedness for the implementation of California's new exemption law that went into effect on January 1, 2014. The new law prescribes stricter requirements for claiming a personal beliefs exemption from mandated school-entry immunizations. We used cross-sectional data collected from a stratified random sample of 315 schools with low, middle, and high rates of personal beliefs exemptions. We described schools' awareness and specific knowledge of the new legislation and tested for differences across school types. We additionally tested for associations between outcome variables and school and respondent characteristics using ordered logit and negative binomial regression. Finally, we described schools' plans and needs for implementing the new legislation. Elementary school staff reported an overall low level of awareness and knowledge about the new legislation and could identify few of its features. We observed, however, that across the exemption-level strata, respondents from high-PBE schools reported significantly higher awareness, knowledge and feature identification compared to respondents from low-PBE schools. Multivariate analyses revealed only one significant association with awareness, knowledge and identification: respondent role. Support staff roles were associated with lower odds of having high self-rated awareness or knowledge compared to health workers, as well as with a reduced log count of features identified. Though most school officials were able to identify a communication plan, schools were still in need of resources and support for successful implementation, in particular, the need for information on the new law. Schools need additional information and support from state and local agencies in order to successfully implement and enforce California's new school immunization law. In particular, our results suggest the need to ensure information on the new law reaches all levels of school staff. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Preparation for birth and beyond: giving birth and meeting our baby.

PubMed

Nolan, Mary

2012-06-01

A key part of the transition to parenthood is giving birth and mothers and fathers need to be carefully prepared for this life changing experience. The time generally available for parent education means that it may not be possible or desirable to give detailed information about anatomy and physiology and the management of labour. Instead, the focus in PBB is on helping group members understand what the experience of labour might be like and on helping them maximise their personal resources for coping. Additional information is given in response to individual or group need and parents are signposted to further resources.

Attributed community mining using joint general non-negative matrix factorization with graph Laplacian

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Zigang; Li, Lixiang; Peng, Haipeng; Liu, Yuhong; Yang, Yixian

2018-04-01

Community mining for complex social networks with link and attribute information plays an important role according to different application needs. In this paper, based on our proposed general non-negative matrix factorization (GNMF) algorithm without dimension matching constraints in our previous work, we propose the joint GNMF with graph Laplacian (LJGNMF) to implement community mining of complex social networks with link and attribute information according to different application needs. Theoretical derivation result shows that the proposed LJGNMF is fully compatible with previous methods of integrating traditional NMF and symmetric NMF. In addition, experimental results show that the proposed LJGNMF can meet the needs of different community minings by adjusting its parameters, and the effect is better than traditional NMF in the community vertices attributes entropy.

Conceptual Model of Iodine Behavior in the Subsurface at the Hanford Site

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

Truex, Michael J.; Lee, Brady D.; Johnson, Christian D.

The fate and transport of 129I in the environment and potential remediation technologies are currently being studied as part of environmental remediation activities at the Hanford Site. A conceptual model describing the nature and extent of subsurface contamination, factors that control plume behavior, and factors relevant to potential remediation processes is needed to support environmental remedy decisions. Because 129I is an uncommon contaminant, relevant remediation experience and scientific literature are limited. Thus, the conceptual model also needs to both describe known contaminant and biogeochemical process information and to identify aspects about which additional information needed to effectively support remedy decisions.more » this document summarizes the conceptual model of iodine behavior relevant to iodine in the subsurface environment at the Hanford site.« less

[Analysis of the factors related to the needs of patients with cancer].

PubMed

Lee, Jung A; Lee, Sun Hee; Park, Jong Hyock; Park, Jae Hyun; Kim, Sung Gyeong; Seo, Ju Hyun

2010-05-01

Limited research has investigated the specific needs of patients with cancer. This study was performed to explore patients needs and the related factors. The data were collected by 1 National Cancer Center and 9 regional cancer centers in Korea. An interview survey was performed with using a structured questionnaire for the subjects (2,661 patients who gave written informed consent to participate) survey 4 months after diagnosis and review of medical records. Data were analyzed using t-test, ANOVA and multiple regression analysis. When comparing the relating factors related with patient needs to the sociodemographic characteristics, the female group showed a higher level of recognition for physical symptoms, social support needs. The younger group showed a significantly higher level of recognition for health care staff, psychological problems, information and education, social support, hospital services needs. In addition, the higher educated group showed a higher level of recognition for health care staff, physical symptoms, social support needs. The higher income and office workers group showed a higher level of recognition for hospital services needs. When comparing the relating factors related with patient needs to the cancer, the breast cancer group showed a higher level of recognition for all needs excluding physical symptoms, accessibility and financial support needs. The combined radiotherapy with surgery and chemotherapy group showed a higher level of recognition for psychological problems, information and education, social support needs. This study showed that needs on patient with cancer was significantly influenced by female, higher education, lower income, having religion, office worker, liver cancer, breast cancer, colon cancer, chemotherapy, and combined therapy.

Economic evidence in intellectual disabilities: a review.

PubMed

Romeo, Renée; Molosankwe, Iris

2010-09-01

There has been a drive to meet the needs of people with intellectual disabilities in an environment of resource scarcity. It is also recognized that intervention has the potential to improve social and economic welfare. Economic analyses can be used to inform decision makers about what additional investment is needed (if any) and the impacts on a range of stakeholders of intervention. There is a paucity of economic studies in intellectual disability. The lack of economic studies is a barrier to making policy and practice decisions for people with intellectual disabilities. In the period of review, 10 economic studies were found. Information on resource and cost implications of various treatments and support for people with intellectual disabilities is needed. Economic evaluation techniques can be used to inform decision making. We conducted a systematic review of the literature from January 2006 to February 2010. There was a paucity of economic studies in the field. Analyses assessing a wide range of outcomes alongside costs were the most widely used evaluation method in the review. There is a need for more economic studies in this area.

Proceedings: Panel on Information Dissemination for Wind Energy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weis, P.

1980-04-01

A program for coordinating and strengthening technical information activities related to the commercialization of solar energy research and development results is described. The program contains a project for each of the following technologies: biomass; ocean thermal energy conversion; photovoltaics; solar thermal power; and wind energy conversion systems. In addition to the production and dissemination of several types of information materials, the wind energy project aims to support efforts of others in the field. The meeting is the first attempt to acquaint people with the information activities of others, to discuss information needs as an aid to planning, and to promote cooperation in disseminating information on wind energy.

Localized prostate cancer treatment decision-making information online: improving its effectiveness and dissemination for nonprofit and government-supported organizations.

PubMed

Silk, Kami J; Perrault, Evan K; Nazione, Samantha; Pace, Kristin; Hager, Polly; Springer, Steven

2013-12-01

The current study reports findings from evaluation research conducted to identify how online prostate cancer treatment decision-making information can be both improved and more effectively disseminated to those who need it most. A multi-method, multi-target approach was used and guided by McGuire's Communication Matrix Model. Focus groups (n = 31) with prostate cancer patients and their family members, and in-depth interviews with physicians (n = 8), helped inform a web survey (n = 89). Results indicated that physicians remain a key information source for medical advice and the Internet is a primary channel used to help make informed prostate cancer treatment decisions. Participants reported a need for more accessible information related to treatment options and treatment side effects. Additionally, physicians indicated that the best way for agencies to reach them with new information to deliver to patients is by contacting them directly and meeting with them one-on-one. Advice for organizations to improve their current prostate cancer web offerings and further ways to improve information dissemination are discussed.

Converging research needs across framework convention on tobacco control articles: making research relevant to global tobacco control practice and policy.

PubMed

Leischow, Scott J; Ayo-Yusuf, Olalekan; Backinger, Cathy L

2013-04-01

Much of the research used to support the ratification of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) was conducted in high-income countries or in highly controlled environments. Therefore, for the global tobacco control community to make informed decisions that will continue to effectively inform policy implementation, it is critical that the tobacco control community, policy makers, and funders have updated information on the state of the science as it pertains to provisions of the FCTC. Following the National Cancer Institute's process model used in identifying the research needs of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's relatively new tobacco law, a core team of scientists from the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco identified and commissioned internationally recognized scientific experts on the topics covered within the FCTC. These experts analyzed the relevant sections of the FCTC and identified critical gaps in research that is needed to inform policy and practice requirements of the FCTC. This paper summarizes the process and the common themes from the experts' recommendations about the research and related infrastructural needs. Research priorities in common across Articles include improving surveillance, fostering research communication/collaboration across organizations and across countries, and tracking tobacco industry activities. In addition, expanding research relevant to low- and middle-income countries (LMIC), was also identified as a priority, including identification of what existing research findings are transferable, what new country-specific data are needed, and the infrastructure needed to implement and disseminate research so as to inform policy in LMIC.

ADHERENCE TO ANTIRETROVIRAL THERAPY AMONG HIV-INFECTED ADULTS IN THE UNITED STATES

PubMed Central

Beer, Linda; Skarbinski, Jacek

2015-01-01

National estimates of antiretroviral therapy (ART) adherence and adherence support services utilization are needed to inform efforts to improve the health of HIV-infected persons in the United States. In a nationally representative sample of HIV-infected adults receiving medical care, 86% self-reported taking all ART doses in the past 72 hours. Overall, 20% reported using adherence support services and 2% reported an unmet need for services. If all nonadherent persons not receiving adherence support and all persons with a self-perceived unmet need for adherence support accessed services, resources to support ~42,673 additional persons would be needed. Factors associated with lower adherence included younger age, female gender, depression, stimulant use, binge alcohol use, greater than once-daily dosing, longer time since HIV diagnosis, and patient beliefs. Predictors of adherence are multifactorial so multiple targeted strategies to improve adherence are warranted. Providing adherence support services to all those in need may require additional resources. PMID:25490733

Laboratory Spectroscopy of Ices of Astrophysical Interest

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hudson, Reggie; Moore, M. H.

2011-01-01

Ongoing and future NASA and ESA astronomy missions need detailed information on the spectra of a variety of molecular ices to help establish the identity and abundances of molecules observed in astronomical data. Examples of condensed-phase molecules already detected on cold surfaces include H2O, CO, CO2, N2, NH3, CH4, SO2, O2, and O3. In addition, strong evidence exists for the solid-phase nitriles HCN, HC3N, and C2N2 in Titan's atmosphere. The wavelength region over which these identifications have been made is roughly 0.5 to 100 micron. Searches for additional features of complex carbon-containing species are in progress. Existing and future observations often impose special requirements on the information that comes from the laboratory. For example, the measurement of spectra, determination of integrated band strengths, and extraction of complex refractive indices of ices (and icy mixtures) in both amorphous and crystalline phases at relevant temperatures are all important tasks. In addition, the determination of the index of refraction of amorphous and crystalline ices in the visible region is essential for the extraction of infrared optical constants. Similarly, the measurement of spectra of ions and molecules embedded in relevant ices is important. This laboratory review will examine some of the existing experimental work and capabilities in these areas along with what more may be needed to meet current and future NASA and ESA planetary needs.

Children with new onset seizures: A prospective study of parent variables, child behavior problems, and seizure occurrence.

PubMed

Austin, Joan K; Haber, Linda C; Dunn, David W; Shore, Cheryl P; Johnson, Cynthia S; Perkins, Susan M

2015-12-01

Parent variables (stigma, mood, unmet needs for information and support, and worry) are associated with behavioral difficulties in children with seizures; however, it is not known how this relationship is influenced by additional seizures. This study followed children (ages 4-14 years) and their parents over a 24-month period (with data collected at baseline and 6, 12, and 24 months) and investigated the effect of an additional seizure on the relationship between parenting variables and child behavior difficulties. The sample was parents of 196 children (104 girls and 92 boys) with a first seizure within the past 6 weeks. Child mean age at baseline was 8 years, 3 months (SD 3 years). Data were analyzed using t-tests, chi-square tests, and repeated measures analyses of covariance. Relationships between parent variables, additional seizures, and child behavior problems were consistent across time. Several associations between parent variables and child behavior problems were stronger in the additional seizure group than in the no additional seizure group. Findings suggest that interventions that assist families to respond constructively to the reactions of others regarding their child's seizure condition and to address their needs for information and support could help families of children with continuing seizures to have an improved quality of life. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Children with New Onset Seizures: A Prospective Study of Parent Variables, Child Behavior Problems, and Seizure Occurrence

PubMed Central

Austin, Joan K.; Haber, Linda C.; Dunn, David W.; Shore, Cheryl P.; Johnson, Cynthia S.; Perkins, Susan M.

2015-01-01

Objective Parent variables (stigma, mood, unmet needs for information and support, and worry) are associated with behavioral difficulties in children with seizures, however, it is not known how this relationship is influenced by additional seizures. This study followed children (ages 4 – 14 years) and their parents over a 24-month period (with data collected at baseline, 6, 12, and 24 months) and investigated the effect of an additional seizure on the relationship between parenting variables and child behavior difficulties. Methods The sample was parents of 196 children (104 girls and 92 boys) with a first seizure within the past 6 weeks. Child mean age at baseline was 8 years, 3 months (SD 3 years). Data were analyzed using t-tests, chi-square tests, and repeated measures analyses of covariance. Results Relationships between parent variables, additional seizures, and child behavior problems were consistent across time. Several associations between parent variables and child behavior problems were stronger in the additional seizure group than in the no additional seizures group. Conclusions Findings suggest that interventions that assist families to respond constructively to the reactions of others regarding their child's seizure condition and to address their needs for information and support could help families of children with continuing seizures to have an improved quality of life. PMID:26520879

Listening to the consumer voice: developing multilingual cancer information resources for people affected by liver cancer.

PubMed

Robotin, Monica C; Porwal, Mamta; Hopwood, Max; Nguyen, Debbie; Sze, Minglo; Treloar, Carla; George, Jacob

2017-02-01

In Australia, liver cancer incidence is rising, particularly among people born in hepatitis B-endemic countries. We sought to build an understanding of the information needs of people affected by liver cancer, to inform the design of in-language consumer information resources. We searched the World Wide Web for available in-language consumer information and conducted a literature search on consumers' information needs and their preferred means of accessing it. Qualitative data collection involved bilingual researchers conducting focus group discussions (26 participants) and in-depth interviews (22 participants) with people affected by liver cancer in English, Vietnamese, Cantonese and Mandarin. Sessions were audio-recorded, transcribed, translated and thematically analysed. The key themes and salient findings informed the development of in-language multimedia information resources. Many consumer resources did not cater for people with low literacy levels. The participants wanted more information on cancer diagnostic and treatment options, nutrition and Chinese Medicine and experienced communication challenges speaking to health professionals. While Vietnamese speakers relied entirely on information provided by their doctors, other participants actively searched for additional treatment information and commonly used the Internet to source it. We developed multilingual, multimedia consumer information resources addressing identified consumer information needs through an iterative process, in collaboration with our multilingual consumer panel. These resources are available in four languages, as separate modules accessible online and in DVD format. This process enabled the development of user-friendly patient resources, which complement health-care provider information and supports informed patient decision making. © 2016 The Authors. Health Expectations Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Prevalence and Correlates of Functional Status in an Older Community-Representative Sample in Brazil

PubMed Central

Blay, Sergio L; Andreoli, Sergio B; Gastal, Fábio L

2013-01-01

Objective Information on dependency level of elderly in rapidly aging developing countries is limited, but is needed to ascertain extent of need for help with activities of daily living (ADLs). Methods In-person information was obtained in 1995 from a statewide survey of representative community residents ≥60 years of age in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil (N=7040), on demographic characteristics, health conditions, social ties, health behaviors, and ADL performance. Results Nearly 40% needed help with one or more ADLs. In controlled analyses, need for help approximately doubled with each succeeding decade. Increased education and income and regular physical activity reduced risk. Selected health conditions (stroke, depression, poor self-rated health) were consistently associated with need for help, Discussion A large proportion of noninstitutionalized elderly have ADL problems. In addition to health care, interventions promoting equity of access to education and economic opportunity could reduce ADL dependency in coming generations. PMID:20147651

After Childhood Cancer: a Qualitative Study of Family Physician, Parent/Guardian, and Survivor Information Needs and Perspectives on Long-Term Follow-up and Survivorship Care Plans.

PubMed

Keats, Melanie R; Shea, Kelsey; Parker, Louise; Stewart, Samuel A; Flanders, Annette; Bernstein, Mark

2018-03-19

Despite support for the provision of a survivorship care plan (SCP) to every cancer survivor, there is a lack of understanding of the needs and preferences of key stakeholders. We examined perspectives of a novel personalized SCP for childhood cancer survivors (CCS), their family, and family physicians (FP). We conducted semi-structured telephone interviews with a purposefully selected sample of CCS, parents/guardians, and FPs. Data included responses to stakeholder cancer care information needs, concerns with or gaps in communication, the perceived role of the FP in the long-term management of CCS care, utility of the SCP, preferred format, and suggestions for improvement. A deductive content analysis was conducted. Twenty-four participants including 8 CCS, 10 parents/guardians, and 6 FPs completed an interview. Four main and several sub-categories emerged. Core categories were coded as (1) informative reference, (2) coordination of follow-up, (3) barriers to follow-up care, and (4) suggestions for improvement and future implementation. The majority of participants preferred an electronic- or web-based format. Overall, the SCP was seen as an informative and concise resource. The SCP was thought to be a valuable tool to foster communication and empower CCSs to become more fully engaged in their own cancer-related health care. FPs viewed the SCP as a useful resource to facilitate and guide the long-term management of the CCS. In addition to the treatment summary, a comprehensive follow-up timeline, personalized lifestyle information, and details on how to access additional psychosocial support were highlighted as important components.

Ontario: linking nursing outcomes, workload and staffing decisions in the workplace: the Dashboard Project.

PubMed

Fram, Nancy; Morgan, Beverley

2012-03-01

Research shows that nurses want to provide more input into assessing patient acuity, changes in patient needs and staffing requirements. The Dashboard Project involved the further development and application of an electronic monitoring tool that offers a single source of nursing, patient and organizational information. It is designed to help inform nurse staffing decisions within a hospital setting. The Dashboard access link was installed in computers in eight nursing units within the Hamilton Health Sciences (HHS) network. The Dashboard indicators are populated from existing information/patient databases within the Decision Support Department at HHS. Committees composed of the unit manager, staff nurses, project coordinator, financial controller and an information controller met regularly to review the Dashboard indicators. Participants discussed the ability of the indicators to reflect their patients' needs and the feasibility of using the indicators to inform their clinical staffing plans. Project findings suggest that the Dashboard is a work in progress. Many of the indicators that had originally been incorporated were refined and will continue to be revised based on suggestions from project participants and further testing across HHS. Participants suggested the need for additional data, such as the time that nurses are off the unit (for code blue response, patient transfers and accompanying patients for tests); internal transfers/bed moves to accommodate patient-specific issues and particularly to address infection control issues; deaths and specific unit-centred data in addition to the generic indicators. The collaborative nature of the project enabled staff nurses and management to work together on a matter of high importance to both, providing valuable recommendations for shared nursing and interprofessional planning, further Dashboard development and project management.

The ICSI+ Multilingual Sentence Segmentation System

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-01-01

these steps the ASR output needs to be enriched with information additional to words, such as speaker diarization , sentence segmentation, or story...and the out- of a speaker diarization is considered as well. We first detail extraction of the prosodic features, and then describe the clas- ation...also takes into account the speaker turns that estimated by the diarization system. In addition to the Max- 1) model speaker turn unigrams, trigram

Predictors of Online Cancer Prevention Information Seeking Among Patients and Caregivers Across the Digital Divide: A Cross-Sectional, Correlational Study.

PubMed

Ginossar, Tamar

2016-03-09

The digital divide is a recognized public health problem caused by social determinants that exacerbate health disparities. Despite the "tectonic shift" in how most of the public obtains cancer information, underserved communities are at increased risk of being digitally marginalized. However, research that examines factors underlying eHealth information seeking in diverse health contexts is lacking. The aim of this paper is to explore preferences and use of eHealth cancer prevention information (CPI) among patients and caregivers attending a minority-serving oncology clinic using the comprehensive model of information seeking as a theoretical framework. Specifically, the study examined the role of social determinants and prevention orientation in differences in preference and use of the Internet for CPI seeking among this diverse sample. Survey methodology was used to identify social determinants and behavioral factors, including prevention orientation as correlates and predictors of respondents' (n=252) preferences and use of eHealth for CPI seeking. Less than half (112/252, 44.4%) of respondents said that if faced with the need to seek CPI, they would seek this information online. In the final logistic regression model, education, ethnicity, age, and prevention orientation made significant contributions to the model (P<.05). Specifically, for each year increase in age, participants were 3% less likely to use the Internet for CPI seeking (P=.011). Compared to college graduates, respondents who did not complete high school were 11.75 times less likely to cite the Internet as a CPI carrier (P<.001) and those with a high school education were 3 times (2.99, P=.015) less likely. In addition, the odds that a Spanish speaker would cite the Internet as a CPI carrier were one-fifth (22%) of non-Hispanic whites (P=.032) and about one-quarter (26%) of English-speaking Latinos (P=.036). Finally, with each one point increase on the prevention orientation scale, respondents were 1.83 times less likely to cite online CPI seeking (P=.05). Social determinants to health have profound influence on eHealth CPI seeking. Providers and policy makers should focus on meeting patients and family members' CPI needs following diagnosis and increase eHealth accessibility and availability of evidence-based CPI to diverse populations. Future research is needed to unravel further differences in eHealth CPI seeking, including those among Native Americans that emerged as an additional digitally underserved racial/ethnic group. Finally, additional factors underlying these differences should be explored to better tailor CPI eHealth information to diverse communities' information needs. ©Tamar Ginossar. Originally published in JMIR Cancer (http://cancer.jmir.org), 09.03.2016.

What information do parents need when facing end-of-life decisions for their child? A meta-synthesis of parental feedback.

PubMed

Xafis, Vicki; Wilkinson, Dominic; Sullivan, Jane

2015-04-30

The information needs of parents facing end-of-life decisions for their child are complex due to the wide-ranging dimensions within which such significant events unfold. While parents acknowledge that healthcare professionals are their main source of information, they also turn to a variety of additional sources of written information in an attempt to source facts, discover solutions, and find hope. Much has been written about the needs of parents faced with end-of-life decisions for their child but little is known about the written information needs such parents have. Research in the adult intensive care context has shown that written resources impact positively on the understanding of medical facts, including diagnoses and prognoses, communication between families and healthcare professionals, and the emotional wellbeing of families after their relative's death. A meta-synthesis of predominantly empirical research pertaining to features which assist or impede parental end-of-life decisions was undertaken to provide insight and guidance in our development of written resources (short print and online comprehensive version) for parents. The most prominently cited needs in the literature related to numerous aspects of information provision; the quantity, quality, delivery, and timing of information and its provision impacted not only on parents' ability to make end-of-life decisions but also on their emotional wellbeing. The meta-synthesis supports the value of written materials, as these provide guidance for both parents and healthcare professionals in pertinent content areas. Further research is required to determine the impact that written resources have on parental end-of-life decision-making and on parents' wellbeing during and after their experience and time in the hospital environment.

Promoting information sharing for multijurisdictional public health emergency preparedness.

PubMed

Grier, Nancy L; Homish, Gregory G; Rowe, Donald W; Barrick, Christopher

2011-01-01

The objective was to assess the planning needs of emergency management and public health professionals to provide a flexible and comprehensive planning tool. This study first assessed the needs of emergency management and public health professionals via an online survey. On the basis of results of the assessment, pertinent information was collected and organized into an online resource tool. The assessment was designed to address the needs of local, state, and federal government administrators working in emergency management and public health. The online tool was designed for use by any entity that functions to promote public health in the event of an emergency. Sixty-four participants completed the assessment survey. Seven states were represented. Most participants were senior-level administrators or management-level employees and were employed in public health, emergency, or bioterrorism preparedness, or in emergency medical services. Needs assessment for preparedness tools. The results of the survey identified a need for increased access to information (especially concerning liability issues and authority to enter into agreements) and high levels of interest in the availability of an online planning tool. The majority (80.7%) of respondents indicated an ability to locate and quantify resources within their own jurisdiction but only about half (42.9%) could do the same for resources outside of their jurisdiction. Finally, 71.9% reported having no assessment tool to measure emergency capacity and limitations. Planning for cross-border and multijurisdictional emergencies depends on access to pertinent information and the feasibility of attaining such information. The creation of a comprehensive guide to multijurisdictional collaborations, with its self-assessment checklists, can easily provide such information to emergency. In addition, information sharing and increased collaboration can lead to increased utilization of emergency preparedness best practices.

The Future of the Internet

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-07-01

also a large Internet service provider and an operator of two of the 13 root zone servers that provide the basic information for locating Internet ...routing and address information to assure continued connectivity and speed? In addition, exchange point technology needs to be improved and there are...alternative technology will come along that will make the Internet outmoded in the same way the Internet has begun to make the Public Switched Telephone

DOD Financial Management: Actions Under Way Need to Be Successfully Completed to Address Long-standing Funds Control Weaknesses

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-04-01

FISCAM Federal Information System Controls Audit Manual FMFIA Federal Managers’ Financial Integrity Act FMR Financial Management Regulation GAAP ...rules are incorporated into generally accepted accounting principles ( GAAP ) for the federal government. For additional information on the two methods of...to hold executive branch officials accountable for proper use of budgetary resources, and to ensure proper stewardship and transparency of the use

Combating Terrorism: Additional Steps Needed to Enhance Foreign Partners’ Capacity to Prevent Terrorist Travel

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-06-01

identified enhancing the capacity of partner nations as one of two pillars supporting that strategy. The attempted attack on a Detroit-bound airliner on...not have reciprocal relationships to share such information or other travel-related information, such as airline passenger lists, with other...Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs • Negotiations to share Passenger Name Records data to prescreen airline passengers against terrorist

School nurse perceptions and knowledge of pediatric toileting.

PubMed

Arlen, Angela M; Boyt, Margaret A; Cooper, Christopher S

2012-04-01

We surveyed school nurses on toileting conditions in schools, their level of understanding related to normal toileting patterns in school-age children, and whether they are in need of additional resources to promote healthy toilet habits for their students. An Institutional Review Board approved web-based survey with 34 questions was employed; 562 nurses completed the survey and 97% were currently employed as school nurses. Participants were invited via email blasts through national school nursing associations and the Iowa Department of Education. Only 48% and 33% of respondents suspected an underlying health problem in children with frequent urination and bladder or bowel accidents, respectively. Despite 61% reporting never receiving information about children's normal elimination patterns, 43% had been asked to provide such information to teachers. Only 42% felt they had adequate resources to respond to such requests. School nurses requested information about treatment of dysfunctional elimination (67%), health effects of childhood toileting habits (65%), fluid intake guidelines (44%) and improvement of bathroom facilities (39%); 70% were unaware of local providers specially trained to treat children with these problems. Our survey results suggest that school nurses need additional information and resources in order to promote healthy elimination patterns in school children. Copyright © 2011 Journal of Pediatric Urology Company. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Web-based learning in professional development: experiences of Finnish nurse managers.

PubMed

Korhonen, Teija; Lammintakanen, Johanna

2005-11-01

The aim of this article is to describe the nurse managers' expectations, attitudes and experiences on web-based learning before and after participation in a web-based course. Information technology has rapidly become more common in health care settings. However, little is known about nurse managers' experiences on web-based learning, although they have a crucial role in promoting the professional development of their staff. Diagnostic assignments (n = 18) written before and interviews (n = 8) taken after the web-based education. The data were analysed by inductive content analysis. Nurse managers found web-based education to be a suitable and modern method of learning. On the basis of their experience they found multiple ways to utilize web-based learning environments in health care. Information technology skills, equipment, support and time were considered essential in web-based learning. Additionally, they found that their own experience might lead to more widespread implementation of web-based learning in health care settings. Information technology skills of nurse managers and staff need to be developed in order to use information technology effectively. In order to learn in a web-based environment, everyone needs the opportunity and access to required resources. Additionally, nurse managers' own experiences are important to promote wider utilization of web-based learning.

Public health financial management needs: report of a national survey.

PubMed

Costich, Julia F; Honoré, Peggy A; Scutchfield, F Douglas

2009-01-01

The work reported here builds on the identification of public health financial management practice competencies by a national expert panel. The next logical step was to provide a validity check for the competencies and identify priority areas for educational programming. We developed a survey for local public health finance officers based on the public health finance competencies and field tested it with a convenience sample of officials. We asked respondents to indicate the importance of each competency area and the need for training to improve performance; we also requested information regarding respondent education, jurisdiction size, and additional comments. Our local agency survey sample drew on the respondent list from the National Association of County and City Health Officials 2005 local health department survey, stratified by agency size and limited to jurisdiction populations of 25,000 to 1,000,000. Identifying appropriate respondents was a major challenge. The survey was fielded electronically, yielding 112 responses from 30 states. The areas identified as most important and needing most additional training were knowledge of budget activities, financial data interpretation and communication, and ability to assess and correct the organization's financial status. The majority of respondents had some postbaccalaureate education. Many provided additional comments and recommendations. Health department finance officers demonstrated a high level of general agreement regarding the importance of finance competencies in public health and the need for training. The findings point to a critical need for additional training opportunities that are accessible, cost-effective, and targeted to individual needs.

Aviation security : TSA has completed key activities associated with implementing secure flight, but additional actions are needed to mitigate risks.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2009-05-01

To enhance aviation security, the Department of Homeland Securitys (DHS) Transportation Security Administration (TSA) developed a programknown as Secure Flightto assume from air carriers the function of matching passenger information against...

12 CFR 310.10 - Disclosure of record to person other than the individual to whom it pertains.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

...) To those officers and employees of the Corporation who have a need for the record in the performance... disagreement, the Corporation will transmit such additional information to any person or agency to whom the...

Crayfish for Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Poulos, C. Jean

1977-01-01

This article describes how Robert LeBleu's interest in aquatic life developed and that today he owns a large hydroculture operation supplying research crayfish nationwide. Suggested laboratory experiments with crayfish are described, as well as information on additional studies, equipment needs, and tours of the hatchery. (MA)

Astrobiology Science and Technology: A Path to Future Discovery

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Meyer, M. A.; Lavaery, D. B.

2001-01-01

The Astrobiology Program is described. However, science-driven robotic exploration of extreme environments is needed for a new era of planetary exploration requiring biologically relevant instrumentation and extensive, autonomous operations on planetary surfaces. Additional information is contained in the original extended abstract.

Developing an evidence-based public health informatics course.

PubMed

Yu, Xinyu; Xie, Yue; Pan, Xuequn; Mayfield-Johnson, Susan; Whipple, Jessica; Azadbakht, Elena

2015-10-01

This study assessed the need to develop a public health informatics (PHI) introductory course and determine contents of such a course. Community assessments employing focus group interviews and an online survey were utilized to determine course need and content. Results revealed a need to provide PHI training to graduate public health students and suggested broad course content requirements. Results indicated lack of awareness of libraries and librarians as sources of public health information. A graduate PHI course was developed and delivered. Additionally, implementation of a subject guide increased the library's profile.

Incomplete and inconsistent information provided to men making decisions for treatment of early-stage prostate cancer.

PubMed

Snow, Stephanie L; Panton, Rachel L; Butler, Lorna J; Wilke, Derek R; Rutledge, Robert D H; Bell, David G; Rendon, Ricardo A

2007-05-01

To determine whether there is a gap between what patients know about early-stage prostate cancer and what they need to know to make treatment decisions, and whether the information patients receive varies depending on their treating physician. Needs assessment was performed using a questionnaire consisting of 41 statements about early-stage prostate cancer. Statements were divided into six thematic subsets. Participants used a 5-point Likert scale to rate statements in terms of knowledge of the information and importance to a treatment decision. Information gaps were defined as significant difference between the importance and knowledge of an item. Descriptive statistics were used to describe demographic subscale scores. The information gap was analyzed by a paired t test for each thematic subset. One-way analyses of variance were used to detect any differences on the basis of treating physician. Questionnaires were distributed to 270 men (135 treated by radical prostatectomy, 135 by external beam radiotherapy). The return rate was 51% (138 questionnaires). A statistically significant information gap was found among all six thematic subsets, with five of the six P values less than 0.0001. Statistically significant variation was observed in the amount of information patients received from their treating physicians among four of the thematic subsets. There is an information gap between what early-stage prostate cancer patients need to know and the information they receive. Additionally there is a difference in the amount of information provided by different physicians.

An Empirical Study of the Volkswagen Crisis in China: Customers' Information Processing and Behavioral Intentions.

PubMed

Wei, Jiuchang; Zhao, Ming; Wang, Fei; Cheng, Peng; Zhao, Dingtao

2016-01-01

Product-harm crises usually lead to product recalls, which may cause consumers concern about the product quality and safety. This study systematically examines customers' immediate responses to the Volkswagen product recall crisis in China. Particular attention was given to customers' responses to the risk information influencing their behavioral intentions. By combining the protective action decision model and the heuristic-systematic model, we constructed a hypothetical model to explore this issue. A questionnaire survey was conducted to collect data involving 467 participants drawn from the customers of Volkswagen. We used structural equation modeling to explore the model. The results show that customers' product knowledge plays an important role in their responses to the crisis. Having more knowledge would make them perceive a lower risk, but they might need even more information, making them more likely to seek and process information, and subsequently increasing their positive behavioral intentions toward the firm (that is pro-firm behavioral intentions). Risk perception increased customers' information needs, information seeking, and information processing but decreased their pro-firm behavioral intentions. In addition to promoting information seeking, information needed to also facilitate customers' systematic processing and thus increase their behavioral intentions to take corrective action. Customers' behavioral intentions were also spurred by systematic processing, but failed to be predicted by information seeking. In summary, theoretical and practical implications and suggestions for further research are also discussed. © 2015 Society for Risk Analysis.

Complex ambulatory settings demand scheduling systems.

PubMed

Ross, K M

1998-01-01

Practice management systems are becoming more and more complex, as they are asked to integrate all aspects of patient and resource management. Although patient scheduling is a standard expectation in any ambulatory environment, facilities and equipment resource scheduling are additional functionalities of scheduling systems. Because these functions were not typically managed in manual patient scheduling, often the result was resource mismanagement, along with a potential negative impact on utilization, patient flow and provider productivity. As ambulatory organizations have become more seasoned users of practice management software, the value of resource scheduling has become apparent. Appointment scheduling within a fully integrated practice management system is recognized as an enhancement of scheduling itself and provides additional tools to manage other information needs. Scheduling, as one component of patient information management, provides additional tools in these areas.

What’s Important to the Patient?: Informational Needs of Patients Making Decisions about Hepatitis C Treatment

PubMed Central

Evon, Donna M.; Golin, Carol E.; Stoica, Teodora; Jones, Rachel; Willis, Sarah; Galanko, Joseph; Fried, Michael W.

2017-01-01

Background & Objectives Multiple treatment options with direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) are now available for hepatitis C virus (HCV). Study aims were to understand (1) The informational topics patients want to have to make informed treatment decisions; (2) The importance patients place on each topic; and (3) The topics patients prioritize as most important. Methods Mixed methods study utilizing two samples recruited from an academic liver center. Participants were not currently on treatment. Sample I (n=45) free-listed all informational topics deemed important to decision-making. Raw responses were coded into several broad and subcategories. Sample II (n=38) rated the importance of the subcategories from Sample I and ranked their highest priorities on two surveys, one containing topics for which sufficient research existed to inform patients (“static”), and the other containing topics that would require additional research. Results The topics listed by Sample I fell into 6 broad categories with 17 total subcategories. The most oft-cited informational topics were harms of treatment (100%), treatment benefits (62%) and treatment regimen details (84%). Sample II rated 16 of 17 subcategories as “pretty important’ or “extremely important.” Sample II prioritized (1) viral cure, (2) long-term survival, and (3) side effects on the survey of topics requiring additional research, and (1) liver disease, (2) lifestyle changes, and (3) medication details on the second survey of the most important static topics patients needed. Conclusions Patients weighed several informational topics to make an informed decision about HCV treatment. These findings lay the groundwork for future patient-centered outcomes research in HCV and patient-provider communication to enhance patients’ informed decision-making regarding DAA treatment options. PMID:27882509

How the new web generations are changing library and information services.

PubMed

Miranda, Giovanna F; Gualtieri, Francesca; Coccia, Paolo

2010-04-01

The new Web generations are influencing the minds and changing the habits of software developers and end users. Users, librarians, and information services professionals can interact more efficiently, creating additional information and content and generating knowledge. This new scenario is also changing the behavior of information providers and users in health sciences libraries. This article reviews the new Web environments and tools that give librarians opportunities to tailor their services better, and gives some examples of the advantages and disadvantages for them and their users. Librarians need to adapt to the new mindset of users, linking new technologies, information, and people.

Pediatric acute gastroenteritis: understanding caregivers' experiences and information needs.

PubMed

Albrecht, Lauren; Hartling, Lisa; Scott, Shannon D

2017-05-01

Pediatric acute gastroenteritis (AGE) is a common condition with high health care utilization, persistent practice variation, and substantial family burden. An initial approach to resolve these issues is to understand the patient/caregiver experience of this illness. The objective of this study was to describe caregivers' experiences of pediatric AGE and identify their information needs, preferences, and priorities. A qualitative, descriptive study was conducted. Caregivers of a child with AGE were recruited for this study in the pediatric emergency department (ED) at a tertiary hospital in a major urban centre. Individual interviews were conducted (n=15), and a thematic analysis of interview transcripts was completed using a hybrid inductive/deductive approach. Five major themes were identified and described: 1) caregiver management strategies; 2) reasons for going to the ED; 3) treatment and management of AGE in the ED; 4) caregivers' information needs; and 5) additional factors influencing caregivers' experiences and decision-making. A number of subthemes within each major theme were identified and described. This qualitative descriptive study has identified caregiver information needs, preferences, and priorities regarding pediatric AGE. This study also identified inconsistencies in the treatment and management of pediatric AGE at home and in the ED that influence health care utilization and patient outcomes related to pediatric AGE.

Report: Enhanced Controls Needed to Prevent Further Abuse of Religious Compensatory Time

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Report #16-P-0333, September 27, 2016. Inadequate controls for Religious Compensatory Time resulted in payouts to employees of $73,514, and may result in additional payouts of up to $81,927. For more information, please click on the link above.

Defense Satellite Communications: DOD Needs Additional Information to Improve Procurements

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-07-01

Acquisition of Services, GAO-02- 230 (Washington, D.C: Jan. 18, 2002); Strategic Sourcing: Improved and Expanded Use Could Save Billions in Annual...Gallegos, Assistant Director; William Allbritton; Claire Buck; James Haynes ; John Krump; Katherine Lenane; Jay Tallon; and Gwyneth Woolwine made key

GEOTHERMAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT: AN APPROACH TO GROUNDWATER IMPACTS FROM DEVELOPMENT, CONVERSION, AND WASTE DISPOSAL

EPA Science Inventory

Groundwater monitoring for the impacts of geothermal energy development, conversion and waste disposal is similar to groundwater monitoring for other purposes except that additional information is needed concerning the geothermal reservoir. The research described here developed a...

The GEOSS User Requirement Registry (URR): A Cross-Cutting Service-Oriented Infrastructure Linking Science, Society and GEOSS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Plag, H.-P.; Foley, G.; Jules-Plag, S.; Ondich, G.; Kaufman, J.

2012-04-01

The Group on Earth Observations (GEO) is implementing the Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS) as a user-driven service infrastructure responding to the needs of users in nine interdependent Societal Benefit Areas (SBAs) of Earth observations (EOs). GEOSS applies an interdisciplinary scientific approach integrating observations, research, and knowledge in these SBAs in order to enable scientific interpretation of the collected observations and the extraction of actionable information. Using EOs to actually produce these societal benefits means getting the data and information to users, i.e., decision-makers. Thus, GEO needs to know what the users need and how they would use the information. The GEOSS User Requirements Registry (URR) is developed as a service-oriented infrastructure enabling a wide range of users, including science and technology (S&T) users, to express their needs in terms of EOs and to understand the benefits of GEOSS for their fields. S&T communities need to be involved in both the development and the use of GEOSS, and the development of the URR accounts for the special needs of these communities. The GEOSS Common Infrastructure (GCI) at the core of GEOSS includes system-oriented registries enabling users to discover, access, and use EOs and derived products and services available through GEOSS. In addition, the user-oriented URR is a place for the collection, sharing, and analysis of user needs and EO requirements, and it provides means for an efficient dialog between users and providers. The URR is a community-based infrastructure for the publishing, viewing, and analyzing of user-need related information. The data model of the URR has a core of seven relations for User Types, Applications, Requirements, Research Needs, Infrastructure Needs, Technology Needs, and Capacity Building Needs. The URR also includes a Lexicon, a number of controlled vocabularies, and

Internet and social media use for antibiotic-related information seeking: Findings from a survey among adult population in Italy.

PubMed

Zucco, Rossella; Lavano, Francesco; Anfosso, Rosa; Bianco, Aida; Pileggi, Claudia; Pavia, Maria

2018-03-01

The Internet represents an increasingly common source of health-related information. Internet and Social Media can be used to promote a prudent use of antibiotics. To establish the extent of Internet and Social Media use to search for antibiotic related information and the potential implications in health care among adult population in Italy. This cross-sectional study was conducted from March to May 2017, among a sample of parents of public school students. A 2-stage cluster sample design was planned. An informed consent form and a questionnaire were given to selected students to deliver to their parents. The questionnaire included questions on knowledge, attitudes, and behavior toward antibiotic use, and questions about Internet use to gather information about antibiotics. A total of 913 parents completed the questionnaire, with a 67.4% response rate; 22.1% did not know when it was appropriate to use antibiotics. 32.3% of parents reported self-medication with antibiotics. 73.4% of respondents used the Internet to search for information about antibiotic use. Among social networks users, 46.5% reported the use of these media to get information about antibiotics and 45% of instant messaging app users share information about antibiotics. The results of the multiple logistic regression analysis showed that Internet use to search for antibiotic-related information was higher among females, younger subjects, with a higher level of education, in those who reported self-medication with antibiotics and in those who needed additional information on side effects of antibiotics from the GP compared with those who did not need any additional information. Internet use was significantly less likely in participants with cardiovascular diseases and cancer compared with those without chronic conditions, and in those who reported to strongly agree/agree, or were uncertain about antibiotic use without a GP prescription, compared with those who reported to be disagree/strongly disagree. Internet and social media are widely used for antibiotic-related information seeking in the Italian population. Health organizations must consider social media within their communication strategy to promote the appropriate Web use for antibiotic-related information seeking in the general population, although more evidence is needed regarding the optimal mix of communication interventions. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Informal Caregiving of Hospice Patients

PubMed Central

Pottie, Colin G.; Burch, Karen A.; Irwin, Scott A.

2014-01-01

Abstract Background: Informal caregivers play a critical role in the provision of care to hospice patients. The care they provide often impacts their physical and psychological well-being. Objective: This study synthesized 58 articles pertaining to informal hospice caregiving, focusing on caregivers' satisfaction with hospice services, the physical and psychological well-being of caregivers, the predictors of caregivers' well-being, the direct impact of hospice services on caregivers, and the effectiveness of targeted interventions for hospice caregivers. Method: A systematic literature review of journal articles published between 1985 and 2012 was conducted. Results: The studies reviewed found hospice caregivers to experience clinically significant levels of anxiety, depression, and stress; however, results for caregiver burden and quality of life were mixed. Caregivers' perceptions regarding the meaningfulness of care as well as their levels of social support were associated with enhanced psychological outcomes. Conclusions: Beyond satisfaction with hospice services, the direct impact of standard hospice care on caregivers remains uncertain. Caregiver intervention studies have demonstrated promising outcomes signifying a need for additional investigations into hospice-specific interventions that improve caregiver outcomes. Additional research and resources are needed to assist hospice caregivers, with the ultimate goal of minimizing their psychiatric and physical morbidity and enhancing their caregiving and subsequent bereavement processes. PMID:24992371

Great Lakes restoration success through science: U.S. Geological Survey accomplishments 2010 through 2013

USGS Publications Warehouse

,

2014-01-01

Tracking progress and working with partners. As of August 2013, the GLRI had funded more than 1,500 projects and programs of the highest priority to meet immediate cleanup, restoration, and protection needs. These projects use scientific analyses as the basis for identifying the restoration needs and priorities for the GLRI. Results from the science, monitoring, and other on-the-ground actions by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) provide the scientific information needed to help guide the Great Lakes restoration efforts. This document highlights a selection of USGS projects for each of the five focus areas through 2013, demonstrating the importance of science for restoration success. Additional information for these and other USGS projects that are important for Great Lakes restoration is available at http://cida.usgs.gov/glri/glri-catalog/.

Contamination Assessment Report Sanitary Sewer - Railyard and Administration Areas Version 3.2

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-08-01

DOCUMENTATION PAGE Form . ,ovod I 0MB No ):04 -0188 1 . AGENCY JSE ONLY ýLedve aianx) 2. REPORT .3. REPORT TPE AND DATES COVERED 4.C&’t.AWfIbWkfIl’SMENT REPORT...DETERMINES THAT ADDITIONAL INFORMATION IS NEEDED, THE ADDITIONAL WORK WILL CONSIST OF 1 ) EXCAVATION STUDY BETWEEN MANHOLES 60 AND 61, 2) BORINGS IN...1.1 LOCATION AND DESCRIPTION ........... ................... ... 1 1.2 GEOLOGY

Use of technology to support information needs for continuity of operations planning in public health: a systematic review.

PubMed

Reeder, Blaine; Turner, Anne; Demiris, George

2010-01-01

Continuity of operations planning focuses on an organization's ability to deliver essential services before, during and after an emergency. Public health leaders must make decisions based on information from many sources and their information needs are often facilitated or hindered by technology. The aim of this study is to provide a systematic review of studies of technology projects that address public health continuity of operations planning information needs and to discuss patterns, themes, and challenges to inform the design of public health continuity of operations information systems. To return a comprehensive results set in an under-explored area, we searched broadly in the Medline and EBSCOHost bibliographic databases using terms from prior work in public health emergency management and continuity of operations planning in other domains. In addition, we manually searched the citation lists of publications included for review. A total of 320 publications were reviewed. Twenty studies were identified for inclusion (twelve risk assessment decision support tools, six network and communications-enabled decision support tools, one training tool and one dedicated video-conferencing tool). Levels of implementation for information systems in the included studies range from proposed frameworks to operational systems. There is a general lack of documented efforts in the scientific literature for technology projects about public health continuity of operations planning. Available information about operational information systems suggest inclusion of public health practitioners in the design process as a factor in system success.

Task-technology fit of video telehealth for nurses in an outpatient clinic setting.

PubMed

Cady, Rhonda G; Finkelstein, Stanley M

2014-07-01

Incorporating telehealth into outpatient care delivery supports management of consumer health between clinic visits. Task-technology fit is a framework for understanding how technology helps and/or hinders a person during work processes. Evaluating the task-technology fit of video telehealth for personnel working in a pediatric outpatient clinic and providing care between clinic visits ensures the information provided matches the information needed to support work processes. The workflow of advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) care coordination provided via telephone and video telehealth was described and measured using a mixed-methods workflow analysis protocol that incorporated cognitive ethnography and time-motion study. Qualitative and quantitative results were merged and analyzed within the task-technology fit framework to determine the workflow fit of video telehealth for APRN care coordination. Incorporating video telehealth into APRN care coordination workflow provided visual information unavailable during telephone interactions. Despite additional tasks and interactions needed to obtain the visual information, APRN workflow efficiency, as measured by time, was not significantly changed. Analyzed within the task-technology fit framework, the increased visual information afforded by video telehealth supported the assessment and diagnostic information needs of the APRN. Telehealth must provide the right information to the right clinician at the right time. Evaluating task-technology fit using a mixed-methods protocol ensured rigorous analysis of fit within work processes and identified workflows that benefit most from the technology.

Distributed Mobile Device Based Shooter Detection Simulation

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-09-01

three signatures of a gunshot ( muzzle flash [optical], muzzle blast [auditory], and shock wave [auditory]), we focus only on information from the...bullet, while this proximity is important when using information from the shock wave. Detecting and using the muzzle flash would require accurate...Additionally, the mobile device would need to be aimed towards the blast to even have a chance detect the muzzle flash . 2.1 Single Microphone When a sound is

Defense Inventory: DOD Needs Additional Information for Managing War Reserve Levels of Meals Ready to Eat

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-05-01

to provide operational ration manufacturers with two types of machines to assist with the cooking and filling and sealing process for operational...and (3) any strategies DLA pursues to balance cost with readiness in supplying WRM. GAO obtained information from the services on their processes ...for identifying WRM requirements, reviewed DLA’s inventory-management processes and related guidance, and interviewed DLA and military service

Undertaking an information-needs analysis of the emergency-care physician to inform the role of the clinical librarian: a Greek perspective.

PubMed

Lappa, E

2005-06-01

The primary focus of this pilot study was to gain a better understanding of the information needs of emergency-care clinicians. The secondary focus was to compare the traditional current practice of information provision within other emergency departments in Greek hospitals, with the new model of clinical librarianship (CL). Clinical staff in the emergency department deal with a variety of cases, they have no time to visit the library, but need information instantly in their place of work. Clinical decision making in the emergency department setting frequently requires the clinician to obtain additional sources of information and clinical librarians may facilitate this. The present study focused on two professional groups: medical librarians (group A) and clinicians (consultants, senior registrars, registrars, nurses (group B), working in the emergency departments of two Greek hospitals. The study was organized through a questionnaire survey and some in-depth interviews. This study showed that, for 100% of the clinicians in daily practice, the main information needs arise while treating patients, and that information would help in making patient-care decisions. Clinicians made little use of hospital libraries because they are usually under tremendous time pressure. The main outcome of the study was the use of a clinical librarian as an information provider. Clinical librarians supply information to assist decisions, based on this model. This extends the librarian's role in evidence-based medicine, giving much stronger attention to the relevant evidence in clinical practice. Nowadays, health services are facing organizational change. The introduction of new technology, and rapid growth of medical knowledge creates a demand for new ways of providing information. Clinical librarian programmes may deliver patients specific information in a timely manner. The mission of the clinical librarian is to facilitate access to quality information which is necessary for improving health, and to act as an informationist in the emergency department.

Data gaps in toxicity testing of chemicals allowed in food in the United States.

PubMed

Neltner, Thomas G; Alger, Heather M; Leonard, Jack E; Maffini, Maricel V

2013-12-01

In the United States, chemical additives cannot be used in food without an affirmative determination that their use is safe by FDA or additive manufacturer. Feeding toxicology studies designed to estimate the amount of a chemical additive that can be eaten safely provide the most relevant information. We analyze how many chemical additives allowed in human food have feeding toxicology studies in three toxicological information sources including the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) database. Less than 38% of FDA-regulated additives have a published feeding study. For chemicals directly added to food, 21.6% have feeding studies necessary to estimate a safe level of exposure and 6.7% have reproductive or developmental toxicity data in FDA's database. A program is needed to fill these significant knowledge gaps by using in vitro and in silico methods complemented with targeted in vivo studies to ensure public health is protected. Copyright © 2013 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Getting the most out of additional guidance information in deformable image registration by leveraging multi-objective optimization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alderliesten, Tanja; Bosman, Peter A. N.; Bel, Arjan

2015-03-01

Incorporating additional guidance information, e.g., landmark/contour correspondence, in deformable image registration is often desirable and is typically done by adding constraints or cost terms to the optimization function. Commonly, deciding between a "hard" constraint and a "soft" additional cost term as well as the weighting of cost terms in the optimization function is done on a trial-and-error basis. The aim of this study is to investigate the advantages of exploiting guidance information by taking a multi-objective optimization perspective. Hereto, next to objectives related to match quality and amount of deformation, we define a third objective related to guidance information. Multi-objective optimization eliminates the need to a-priori tune a weighting of objectives in a single optimization function or the strict requirement of fulfilling hard guidance constraints. Instead, Pareto-efficient trade-offs between all objectives are found, effectively making the introduction of guidance information straightforward, independent of its type or scale. Further, since complete Pareto fronts also contain less interesting parts (i.e., solutions with near-zero deformation effort), we study how adaptive steering mechanisms can be incorporated to automatically focus more on solutions of interest. We performed experiments on artificial and real clinical data with large differences, including disappearing structures. Results show the substantial benefit of using additional guidance information. Moreover, compared to the 2-objective case, additional computational cost is negligible. Finally, with the same computational budget, use of the adaptive steering mechanism provides superior solutions in the area of interest.

The role of community-based and philanthropic organizations in meeting cancer patient and caregiver needs.

PubMed

Shelby, Rebecca A; Taylor, Kathryn L; Kerner, Jon F; Coleman, Ellen; Blum, Diane

2002-01-01

We examined information from community-based and philanthropic organizations to document the cancer-related services that are currently available, establish which services are still needed, and determine who utilizes these formal support networks. In Phase I, 32 of 41 eligible organizations participated in a survey conducted from December 1999 to March 2000. The most common mission focus among participating organizations was information/referral-centered. The most common services provided were referrals to information resources and provision of cancer-related information. Only two of the organizations in Phase I provided client demographic information and both indicated that client populations were predominantly white, female, and over age 40. Phase II of the study involved analyzing patient data from Cancer Care, Inc., a national service organizations for cancer patients. Between 1983 and 1997, there were 2,714 prostate cancer patients and 9,451 breast cancer patients included in the Cancer Care database. Their most commonly reported problems were related to personal adjustment to illness, financial, home care, and transportation needs. There were significant differences in problems reported depending upon age and disease status. In addition, the results of this study support the idea that those at highest risk for developing and dying of cancer are the least likely to utilize formal support networks. Further, a gap in service provision for assistance with practical needs (e.g., transportation, home care, child care, psychosocial support) was identified. Due to the increasing use of outpatient care for cancer patients, a greater demand for practical assistance can be expected in the future. The availability of practical services will need to be increased in order to effectively meet cancer patient needs.

2DB: a Proteomics database for storage, analysis, presentation, and retrieval of information from mass spectrometric experiments.

PubMed

Allmer, Jens; Kuhlgert, Sebastian; Hippler, Michael

2008-07-07

The amount of information stemming from proteomics experiments involving (multi dimensional) separation techniques, mass spectrometric analysis, and computational analysis is ever-increasing. Data from such an experimental workflow needs to be captured, related and analyzed. Biological experiments within this scope produce heterogenic data ranging from pictures of one or two-dimensional protein maps and spectra recorded by tandem mass spectrometry to text-based identifications made by algorithms which analyze these spectra. Additionally, peptide and corresponding protein information needs to be displayed. In order to handle the large amount of data from computational processing of mass spectrometric experiments, automatic import scripts are available and the necessity for manual input to the database has been minimized. Information is in a generic format which abstracts from specific software tools typically used in such an experimental workflow. The software is therefore capable of storing and cross analysing results from many algorithms. A novel feature and a focus of this database is to facilitate protein identification by using peptides identified from mass spectrometry and link this information directly to respective protein maps. Additionally, our application employs spectral counting for quantitative presentation of the data. All information can be linked to hot spots on images to place the results into an experimental context. A summary of identified proteins, containing all relevant information per hot spot, is automatically generated, usually upon either a change in the underlying protein models or due to newly imported identifications. The supporting information for this report can be accessed in multiple ways using the user interface provided by the application. We present a proteomics database which aims to greatly reduce evaluation time of results from mass spectrometric experiments and enhance result quality by allowing consistent data handling. Import functionality, automatic protein detection, and summary creation act together to facilitate data analysis. In addition, supporting information for these findings is readily accessible via the graphical user interface provided. The database schema and the implementation, which can easily be installed on virtually any server, can be downloaded in the form of a compressed file from our project webpage.

Diverter Decision Aiding for In-Flight Diversions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rudolph, Frederick M.; Homoki, David A.; Sexton, George A.

1990-01-01

It was determined that artificial intelligence technology can provide pilots with the help they need in making the complex decisions concerning en route changes in a flight plan. A diverter system should have the capability to take all of the available information and produce a recommendation to the pilot. Phase three illustrated that using Joshua to develop rules for an expert system and a Statice database provided additional flexibility by permitting the development of dynamic weighting of diversion relevant parameters. This increases the fidelity of the AI functions cited as useful in aiding the pilot to perform situational assessment, navigation rerouting, flight planning/replanning, and maneuver execution. Additionally, a prototype pilot-vehicle interface (PVI) was designed providing for the integration of both text and graphical based information. Advanced technologies were applied to PVI design, resulting in a hierarchical menu based architecture to increase the efficiency of information transfer while reducing expected workload. Additional efficiency was gained by integrating spatial and text displays into an integrated user interface.

Guided Iterative Substructure Search (GI-SSS) - A New Trick for an Old Dog.

PubMed

Weskamp, Nils

2016-07-01

Substructure search (SSS) is a fundamental technique supported by various chemical information systems. Many users apply it in an iterative manner: they modify their queries to shape the composition of the retrieved hit sets according to their needs. We propose and evaluate two heuristic extensions of SSS aimed at simplifying these iterative query modifications by collecting additional information during query processing and visualizing this information in an intuitive way. This gives the user a convenient feedback on how certain changes to the query would affect the retrieved hit set and reduces the number of trial-and-error cycles needed to generate an optimal search result. The proposed heuristics are simple, yet surprisingly effective and can be easily added to existing SSS implementations. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Laser velocimetry in highly three-dimensional and vortical flows

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Novak, C. J.; Huie, C. R.; Cornelius, K. C.

1986-01-01

The need for experimentally determined 3-D velocity information is crucial to the understanding of highly 3-dimensional and vortical flow fields. In addition to gaining an understanding of the physics of flow fields, a correlation of velocity data is needed for advanced computational modelling. A double pass method for acquiring 3-D flow field information using a 2-D laser velocimeter (LV) is described. The design and implementation of a 3-D LV with expanded capabilities to acquire real-time 3-D flow field information are also described. Finally, the use of such an instrument in a wind tunnel study of a generic fighter configuration is described. The results of the wind tunnel study highlight the complexities of 3-D flow fields, particularly when the vortex behavior is examined over a range of angles of attack.

Hydrologic evaluation of a hypothetical coal-mining site near Chrisney, Spencer County, Indiana

USGS Publications Warehouse

Zogorski, John S.; Ramey, Daniel S.; Lambert, Paul W.; Martin, Jeffrey D.; Warner, Robert E.

1980-01-01

was completed to improve the understanding of the kinds of information needed to make such assessments by: (a) reviewing the regulations to determine what hydrologic information is required; (b) preparing an example hydrologic assessment based on the regulations; and (c) using the experience gained in (a) and (b) to identify areas lacking or needing additional data to make the required assessment. Hydrologic data for the study area were obtained from published and unpublished reports, maps, aerial photographs, personal interviews with residents in the area of the hypothetical mine site, and discussions with experts in the field. Where data were unavailable, "synthetic" data were generated by extrapolation from proximate or similar watersheds and (or) by assumptions based on experience or theory. Some field data were collected to corroborate and augment information originating from all these sources.

Issues in Biomedical Research Data Management and Analysis: Needs and Barriers

PubMed Central

Anderson, Nicholas R.; Lee, E. Sally; Brockenbrough, J. Scott; Minie, Mark E.; Fuller, Sherrilynne; Brinkley, James; Tarczy-Hornoch, Peter

2007-01-01

Objectives A. Identify the current state of data management needs of academic biomedical researchers. B. Explore their anticipated data management and analysis needs. C. Identify barriers to addressing those needs. Design A multimodal needs analysis was conducted using a combination of an online survey and in-depth one-on-one semi-structured interviews. Subjects were recruited via an e-mail list representing a wide range of academic biomedical researchers in the Pacific Northwest. Measurements The results from 286 survey respondents were used to provide triangulation of the qualitative analysis of data gathered from 15 semi-structured in-depth interviews. Results Three major themes were identified: 1) there continues to be widespread use of basic general-purpose applications for core data management; 2) there is broad perceived need for additional support in managing and analyzing large datasets; and 3) the barriers to acquiring currently available tools are most commonly related to financial burdens on small labs and unmet expectations of institutional support. Conclusion Themes identified in this study suggest that at least some common data management needs will best be served by improving access to basic level tools such that researchers can solve their own problems. Additionally, institutions and informaticians should focus on three components: 1) facilitate and encourage the use of modern data exchange models and standards, enabling researchers to leverage a common layer of interoperability and analysis; 2) improve the ability of researchers to maintain provenance of data and models as they evolve over time though tools and the leveraging of standards; and 3) develop and support information management service cores that could assist in these previous components while providing researchers with unique data analysis and information design support within a spectrum of informatics capabilities. PMID:17460139

Communication/Placement Research Project: Communication Needs for Employment.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Feinberg, Lilian O.

This report, undertaken to secure data to facilitate employment of Iowa State University graduates, summarizes information gathered from visits to 30 businesses and corporations in Iowa and Illinois. Comments address the following aspects of application and employment: additional studies required, general and communication skills, style of…

NUCLEAR SCIENCE, AN INTRODUCTORY COURSE.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

SULCOSKI, JOHN W.

THIS CURRICULUM GUIDE DESCRIBES A TWELFTH-GRADE INTERDISCIPLINARY, INTRODUCTORY NUCLEAR SCIENCE COURSE. IT IS BELIEVED TO FILL THE NEED FOR AN ADVANCED COURSE THAT IS TIMELY, CHALLENGING, AND APPROPRIATE AS A SEQUENTIAL ADDITION TO THE BIOLOGY-CHEMISTRY-PHYSICS SEQUENCE. PRELIMINARY INFORMATION COVERS SUCH MATTERS AS (1) RADIOISOTOPE WORK AREAS,…

ASSOCIATE IN APPLIED SCIENCE IN NURSING.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Milwaukee Inst. of Tech., WI.

THE PROGRAM FOR ESTABLISHING AN ASSOCIATE IN APPLIED SCIENCE DEGREE IN NURSING AT THE MILWAUKEE INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY IS DESCRIBED. INFORMATION COVERS--(1) REASONS FOR ESTABLISHING THE PROGRAM, (2) THE NEED FOR ADDITIONAL PROGRAMS IN NURSING, (3) CHARACTERISTICS, ADVANTAGES, AND GENERAL PHILOSOPHY OF ASSOCIATE DEGREE PROGRAMS, (3) THE PHILOSOPHY…

Automatic Selective Documentation Services.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

George, Ray L.

User needs studies often present figures indicating that documentation services systems which rely on the mails are inherently incapable of effectively supporting more than half of all research and development tasks. In addition to investigating faster ways of transmitting information, DDC has also been developing and testing systems based on…

44 CFR 206.440 - Appeals.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

...) Format and Content. The applicant or subgrantee will make the appeal in writing through the grantee to... subgrantee, with a written recommendation, to the Regional Administrator within 60 days of receipt. (3... writing of the disposition of the appeal or of the need for additional information. A request by the...

Plug-In Electric Vehicle Handbook for Consumers (Spanish Version); Clean Cities, Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy (EERE)

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

None

This is a Spanish-language handbook designed to answer a consumer's basic questions, as well as point them to additional information they need, to make the best decision about whether an electric-drive vehicle is right for them.

Effects of Toluene, Acrolein and Vinyl Chloride on Motor Activity of Drosophila Melanogaster

EPA Science Inventory

The data generated by current high-throughput assays for chemical toxicity require information to link effects at molecular targets to adverse outcomes in whole animals. In addition, more efficient methods for testing volatile chemicals are needed. Here we begin to address these ...

75 FR 45093 - Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-08-02

...; student tracker database updates, 16 hours. Burden Hours: 11,328. Needs and Uses: Under the authority of... application, by academic professors/advisors. NOAA OEd student scholar alumni are also requested to provide... tracker database with the required student information. In addition, the collected student data supports...

Electronic Books: Towards a Theoretical Framework for Research.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yeaman, Andrew R. J.

In an increasingly technological society, there is a social need for designing communication technology around the perceptual abilities and cognitive strategies of people. A growing demand for information has created additional pressure on emerging communication technologies to provide electronic alternatives to the printed page. Design depends…

Iowa Supplement...For Commercial Applicators. IC-427.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Iowa State Univ. of Science and Technology, Ames. Cooperative Extension Service.

This manual provides information needed to meet specific standards for certification as a pesticide applicator. The text outlines the procedures to be followed for certification. Additionally, a general overview of important data such as toxicity of pesticides, poison control centers, record keeping, equipment maintenance and liability is…

Nanodiamond in Colloidal Suspension: Electrophoresis; Other Observations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Meshik, A. P.; Pravdivtseva, O. V.; Hohenberg, C. M.

2002-01-01

Selective laser extraction has demonstrated that meteoritic diamonds may consist of subpopulations with different optical absorption properties, but it is not clear what makes them optically different. More work is needed to understand the mechanism for selective laser extraction. Additional information is contained in the original extended abstract.

Experiences of Pioneers Facilitating Teacher Networks for Professional Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hanraets, Irene; Hulsebosch, Joitske; de Laat, Maarten

2011-01-01

This study presents an exploration into facilitation practices of teacher professional development networks. Stimulating networked learning amongst teachers is a powerful way of creating an informal practice-based learning space driven by teacher needs. As such, it presents an additional channel (besides more formal traditional professional…

Transforming user needs into functional requirements for an antibiotic clinical decision support system: explicating content analysis for system design.

PubMed

Bright, T J

2013-01-01

Many informatics studies use content analysis to generate functional requirements for system development. Explication of this translational process from qualitative data to functional requirements can strengthen the understanding and scientific rigor when applying content analysis in informatics studies. To describe a user-centered approach transforming emergent themes derived from focus group data into functional requirements for informatics solutions and to illustrate these methods to the development of an antibiotic clinical decision support system (CDS). THE APPROACH CONSISTED OF FIVE STEPS: 1) identify unmet therapeutic planning information needs via Focus Group Study-I, 2) develop a coding framework of therapeutic planning themes to refine the domain scope to antibiotic therapeutic planning, 3) identify functional requirements of an antibiotic CDS system via Focus Group Study-II, 4) discover informatics solutions and functional requirements from coded data, and 5) determine the types of information needed to support the antibiotic CDS system and link with the identified informatics solutions and functional requirements. The coding framework for Focus Group Study-I revealed unmet therapeutic planning needs. Twelve subthemes emerged and were clustered into four themes; analysis indicated a need for an antibiotic CDS intervention. Focus Group Study-II included five types of information needs. Comments from the Barrier/Challenge to information access and Function/Feature themes produced three informatics solutions and 13 functional requirements of an antibiotic CDS system. Comments from the Patient, Institution, and Domain themes generated required data elements for each informatics solution. This study presents one example explicating content analysis of focus group data and the analysis process to functional requirements from narrative data. Illustration of this 5-step method was used to develop an antibiotic CDS system, resolving unmet antibiotic prescribing needs. As a reusable approach, these techniques can be refined and applied to resolve unmet information needs with informatics interventions in additional domains.

Transforming User Needs into Functional Requirements for an Antibiotic Clinical Decision Support System

PubMed Central

Bright, T.J.

2013-01-01

Summary Background Many informatics studies use content analysis to generate functional requirements for system development. Explication of this translational process from qualitative data to functional requirements can strengthen the understanding and scientific rigor when applying content analysis in informatics studies. Objective To describe a user-centered approach transforming emergent themes derived from focus group data into functional requirements for informatics solutions and to illustrate these methods to the development of an antibiotic clinical decision support system (CDS). Methods The approach consisted of five steps: 1) identify unmet therapeutic planning information needs via Focus Group Study-I, 2) develop a coding framework of therapeutic planning themes to refine the domain scope to antibiotic therapeutic planning, 3) identify functional requirements of an antibiotic CDS system via Focus Group Study-II, 4) discover informatics solutions and functional requirements from coded data, and 5) determine the types of information needed to support the antibiotic CDS system and link with the identified informatics solutions and functional requirements. Results The coding framework for Focus Group Study-I revealed unmet therapeutic planning needs. Twelve subthemes emerged and were clustered into four themes; analysis indicated a need for an antibiotic CDS intervention. Focus Group Study-II included five types of information needs. Comments from the Barrier/Challenge to information access and Function/Feature themes produced three informatics solutions and 13 functional requirements of an antibiotic CDS system. Comments from the Patient, Institution, and Domain themes generated required data elements for each informatics solution. Conclusion This study presents one example explicating content analysis of focus group data and the analysis process to functional requirements from narrative data. Illustration of this 5-step method was used to develop an antibiotic CDS system, resolving unmet antibiotic prescribing needs. As a reusable approach, these techniques can be refined and applied to resolve unmet information needs with informatics interventions in additional domains. PMID:24454586

Integration of the CLS doctorate into the healthcare organization.

PubMed

Montoya, Isaac; Kimball, Olive

2009-01-01

A review of how the doctorally prepared CLS fits into the healthcare organization. Literature review. Numerous national studies have called for a reshaping of the health care delivery system and the need to improve patient outcomes. Because of unprecedented advances in laboratory related technology as well as the need for economic retrenchment strategies in health care, with its significant influence on patient care, the laboratory has become the subject of intensive study. It has been concluded that the traditional organizational structure of the laboratory information process and the required personnel skills both need rethinking. In order to foster change in the laboratory, an advanced degreed CLS laboratory professional is needed, one already equipped with a broad scientific base developed via a baccalaureate/masters level of education. With the addition of advanced technical expertise, basic medical skills, data interpretation skills and patient interaction abilities, and medical research experience, this laboratory professional can enhance the effective and efficient use of laboratory information and ultimately improve patient care. The clinical doctorates in CLS are educationally and experientially prepared to recommend support and enhance appropriate testing. They translate and transform complex laboratory data into an understandable product necessary for clinicians to be able to assess the validity of current and new assays to ensure better patient care. In addition, they assist in reducing questionable test usage, thereby reducing costs for both the patient and the laboratory.

Patient education about treatment in cancer care: an overview of the literature on older patients' needs.

PubMed

Jansen, Jesse; van Weert, Julia; van Dulmen, Sandra; Heeren, Thea; Bensing, Jozien

2007-01-01

An increasing number of older people are treated for cancer. Several factors, such as comorbidity and sensory deficits, occur more frequently in older patients than in younger patients. In addition, their life circumstances, values, and preferences may differ. These factors ask for tailored nurse-older patient communication. This article reviews recent literature on the specific needs of older patients with cancer in the treatment phase of the disease. No studies addressed treatment-related needs of older patients specifically. Seventeen studies controlled for age showed that many older patients want as much information on disease and treatment as possible, but they are less interested in details than younger patients. Furthermore, older patients reported less need for information on sexual consequences and psychosocial support. The results remain difficult to interpret because of variation in study designs and questionnaires. Moreover, none of the studies controlled for age-related variables. Studies that illuminate the unique needs of older patients with cancer in the treatment phase of the disease are strikingly limited given the demographics of cancer in our society. Research is needed that explicitly investigates these needs and the influence of age-related changes in cognitive, physical, and psychosocial functioning.

Characterizing Health Information for Different Target Audiences.

PubMed

Sun, Yueping; Hou, Zhen; Hou, Li; Li, Jiao

2015-01-01

Different groups of audiences in health care: health professionals and health consumers, each have different information needs. Health monographs targeting different audiences are created by leveraging readers' background knowledge. The NCI's Physician Data Query (PDQ®) Cancer Information Summaries provide parallel cancer information and education resources with different target audiences. In this paper, we used targeted audience-specific cancer information PDQs to measure characteristic differences on the element level between audiences. In addition, we compared vocabulary coverage. Results show a significant difference between the professional and patient version of cancer monographs in both content organization and vocabulary. This study provides a new view to assess targeted audience-specific health information, and helps editors to improve the quality and readability of health information.

Developing rapid methods for analyzing upland riparian functions and values.

PubMed

Hruby, Thomas

2009-06-01

Regulators protecting riparian areas need to understand the integrity, health, beneficial uses, functions, and values of this resource. Up to now most methods providing information about riparian areas are based on analyzing condition or integrity. These methods, however, provide little information about functions and values. Different methods are needed that specifically address this aspect of riparian areas. In addition to information on functions and values, regulators have very specific needs that include: an analysis at the site scale, low cost, usability, and inclusion of policy interpretations. To meet these needs a rapid method has been developed that uses a multi-criteria decision matrix to categorize riparian areas in Washington State, USA. Indicators are used to identify the potential of the site to provide a function, the potential of the landscape to support the function, and the value the function provides to society. To meet legal needs fixed boundaries for assessment units are established based on geomorphology, the distance from "Ordinary High Water Mark" and different categories of land uses. Assessment units are first classified based on ecoregions, geomorphic characteristics, and land uses. This simplifies the data that need to be collected at a site, but it requires developing and calibrating a separate model for each "class." The approach to developing methods is adaptable to other locations as its basic structure is not dependent on local conditions.

Health literacy and the readability of written information for hormone therapies.

PubMed

Charbonneau, Deborah H

2013-01-01

Health education and counseling are important elements of the care provided by clinicians. Counseling efforts may involve helping women to understand their options for symptom management related to various reproductive life transitions. In light of this, the need for information during the menopausal transition is critical for assisting women with their health care decisions. Yet the Institute of Medicine estimates that approximately half the adult population in the United States has difficulty understanding and using health information. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) mandates the distribution of written information for estrogen-containing products; however, the readability of information for these pharmaceutical products has not been widely studied. To address this gap, this study examined the readability of written information for FDA-approved prescription menopausal hormone therapies (N = 31). Readability of the written information about hormone therapies from 31 hormone therapy products was assessed using the Flesch Reading Ease and Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level formulas. The reading level ranged from 6.70 to 12.30, with an average grade level of 9.33 (ninth-grade reading level). All but one of the hormone therapy products evaluated in this study exceeded the recommended sixth-grade reading level for written health information. In addition, only 48% of the written information instructions in the study sample (n = 15) included illustrations. Assessment of written information about menopausal hormone therapies showed that the majority of the materials are written at a high reading level. These findings have implications for health literacy and counseling efforts when helping women to understand their options for menopausal symptom management. Midwives, nurses, and other health care providers may need to supplement written information with additional consumer-friendly written information, utilize illustrations, and use verbal instructions more frequently to help support women in evaluating their treatment options. © 2013 by the American College of Nurse-Midwives.

The Massive Online Needs Assessment (MONA) to inform the development of an emergency haematology educational blog series.

PubMed

Chan, Teresa M; Jo, David; Shih, Andrew W; Bhagirath, Vinai C; Castellucci, Lana A; Yeh, Calvin; Thoma, Brent; Tseng, Eric K; de Wit, Kerstin

2018-06-01

Online educational resources are criticized as being teacher-centred, failing to address learner's needs. Needs assessments are an important precursor to inform curriculum development, but these are often overlooked or skipped by developers of online educational resources due to cumbersome measurement tools. Novel methods are required to identify perceived and unperceived learning needs to allow targeted development of learner-centred curricula. To evaluate the feasibility of performing a novel technique dubbed the Massive Online Needs Assessment (MONA) for the purpose of emergency haematology online educational curricular planning, within an online learning community (affiliated with the Free Open Access Medical education movement). An online survey was launched on CanadiEM.org using an embedded Google Forms survey. Participants were recruited using the study website and a social media campaign (utilizing Twitter, Facebook, Blogs, and a poster) targeting a specific online community. Web analytics were used to monitor participation rates in addition to survey responses. The survey was open from 20 September to 10 December 2016 and received 198 complete responses representing 6 medical specialties from 21 countries. Most survey respondents identified themselves as staff physicians (n = 109) and medical trainees (n = 75). We identified 17 high-priority perceived needs, 17 prompted needs, and 10 topics with unperceived needs through our MONA process. A MONA is a feasible, novel method for collecting data on perceived, prompted, and unperceived learning needs to inform an online emergency haematology educational blog. This methodology could be useful to the developers of other online education resources.

Expertise Development With Different Types of Automation: A Function of Different Cognitive Abilities.

PubMed

Jipp, Meike

2016-02-01

I explored whether different cognitive abilities (information-processing ability, working-memory capacity) are needed for expertise development when different types of automation (information vs. decision automation) are employed. It is well documented that expertise development and the employment of automation lead to improved performance. Here, it is argued that a learner's ability to reason about an activity may be hindered by the employment of information automation. Additional feedback needs to be processed, thus increasing the load on working memory and decelerating expertise development. By contrast, the employment of decision automation may stimulate reasoning, increase the initial load on information-processing ability, and accelerate expertise development. Authors of past research have not investigated the interrelations between automation assistance, individual differences, and expertise development. Sixty-one naive learners controlled simulated air traffic with two types of automation: information automation and decision automation. Their performance was captured across 16 trials. Well-established tests were used to assess information-processing ability and working-memory capacity. As expected, learners' performance benefited from expertise development and decision automation. Furthermore, individual differences moderated the effect of the type of automation on expertise development: The employment of only information automation increased the load on working memory during later expertise development. The employment of decision automation initially increased the need to process information. These findings highlight the importance of considering individual differences and expertise development when investigating human-automation interaction. The results are relevant for selecting automation configurations for expertise development. © 2015, Human Factors and Ergonomics Society.

Vacuum ultraviolet light production by nuclear irradiation of liquid and gaseous xenon

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Baldwin, G. C.

1981-01-01

Recent Los Alamos investigations suggest that a liquefied noble element may be the long-sought medium for a nuclear-excited laser or flashlamp. Research is needed to confirm this finding and to provide a basis for design and application studies. Quantitative and qualitative information are needed on the nature and behavior of the excited species, the effects of impurities and additives in the liquid phase under nuclear excitation, and the existence and magnitudes of nonlinear effects. Questions that need to be addressed and the most appropriate types of facilities for this task are identified.

Evaluation of three point-of-care healthcare databases: BMJ Point-of-Care, Clin-eguide and Nursing Reference Centre.

PubMed

Chan, Rachel; Stieda, Vivian

2011-03-01

  Point of care resources make it easier for clinicians to find answers to questions that arise during a clinical encounter. In order to make informed purchase decisions in times of tight budgets, librarians need to have a better understanding of which resources will meet their patrons' clinical information needs.   The goal of this study was to assess the content, interface and usability of three point-of-care tools: BMJ Point-of-Care, Clin-eguide and Nursing Reference Centre.   A questionnaire designed to gather quantitative and qualitative data was created using Survey Monkey. The survey was distributed to healthcare practitioners in Alberta's two largest health regions, and the data were analysed for emergent themes.   The themes that arose--ease of use, validated content, relevancy to practice--generally echoed those stated in the literature. No one database fared significantly better, due to differing features, content and client preference.   Despite the limitations of the survey, the themes that emerged provide a springboard for future research on the efficacy of information resources used at the point of care, and the need for deeper analysis of these recent additions to the medical information market. © 2010 The authors. Health Information and Libraries Journal © 2010 Health Libraries Group.

Creating a Regional Drought Early Warning System (DEWS) for California and Nevada: Building Off of Information Gathered and Lessons Learned after 5 Years of Drought

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sheffield, A. M.; Marrs, A.; Wall, T. U.; Cayan, D.; Kalansky, J.; Redmond, K. T.; Huntington, J. L.; McEvoy, D.

2016-12-01

In California and Nevada, a diverse set of sectors and regional variation amidst a 5-year spell of drought presents multiple needs, gaps and challenges in providing usable available information for drought preparedness. In response to the findings of Governor Sandoval's Nevada Drought Forum and a series of stakeholder meetings and drought and climate outlooks in California, NOAA's National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS) has created the California-Nevada DEWS to leverage the activities of the existing California DEWS to better reflect the needs of the region after five years of unprecedented drought. In addition to presenting timely drought status and outlooks, these stakeholder-oriented meetings and listening sessions explored local drought impacts and drought informational needs. The information gathered will be integrated into a strategic plan for California-Nevada DEWS. This strategic plan will provide a roadmap of planned research and activities to enhance the ability of stakeholders in the region to better plan, prepare for and mitigate the impacts of drought. The implementation will involve key partners from a diverse network of federal, regional, tribal, state and local agencies and interests and will result in regionally specific deliverables to advance the California-Nevada DEWS.

76 FR 53660 - Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards; Seat Belt Assemblies

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-08-29

... further require integration of electrical signals from existing front and side crash sensor information... require additional crash sensors for rollover and rear-end crash events for vehicles without such sensors. Crash imminent sensors, or sensors that detect an impending crash, may also be needed. It is also...

Evaluator Training: Content and Topic Valuation in University Evaluation Courses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Davies, Randall; MacKay, Kathryn

2014-01-01

Quality training opportunities for evaluators will always be important to the evaluation profession. While studies have documented the number of university programs providing evaluation training, additional information is needed concerning what content is being taught in current evaluation courses. This article summarizes the findings of a survey…

Technology: An Additional Tool for Learners.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smart, Linda; Fennessy, Ben

It is increasingly necessary to encourage lifelong learning in order to keep pace with the Information Age. As learners increasingly take charge of their own learning, however, they will require support to enable them to achieve their goals--and a variety of learning opportunities will need to be created. Learners' interests, imagination, and…

Career Development of Single Parents. Information Series No. 324.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Burge, Penny L.

The number of single-parent families has increased dramatically. These families are subject to extreme economic problems and thus are in special need of career development and vocational preparation. Displaced homemakers are at a disadvantage inasmuch as they must reenter the work force; moreover, they face the additional career development…

78 FR 28189 - Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-05-14

... help them to balance the need for more effective fishery management with social, economic and cultural...-economic impacts of federal regulatory actions. In addition, the information will be used to strengthen... 20230 (or via the Internet at [email protected] ). Written comments and recommendations for the proposed...

Handbook of Reference Sources. Third Edition.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nichols, Margaret Irby

This third edition of popular and useful reference works, which emphasizes the needs of small libraries, contains 975 annotated entries and lists 201 additional titles (most with bibliographic and order information) in the annotations, representing an expansion of 30 percent over the second edition. The appendix lists 116 basic or core reference…

Appropriate Programs for Foreign Students in U.S. Chemical Engineering Curricula.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Findley, M. E.

Chemical engineers in developing countries may need abilities in a number of diverse areas including management, planning, chemistry, equipment, processes, politics, and improvisation. Chemical engineering programs for foreign students can be arranged by informed advisers with student input for inclusion of some of these areas in addition to…

Impact of acetic acid concentration, application volume, and adjuvants on weed control efficacy

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Vinegar has been identified as a potential organic herbicide, yet additional information is needed to determine the influence of acetic acid concentration, application volume, and adjuvants on weed control. Acetic acid is a contact herbicide, injuring and killing plants by first destroying the cell ...

Classroom Activities and Demonstrations for Use in Behavioral Science Courses.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cology, Lorry J.

This compilation provides descriptions of and resource materials for 25 classroom activities or demonstrations for behavioral science courses. For each activity, the following information is provided: subject area, source, time required and materials needed. In addition, discussion questions and comments on the value and use of the activities are…

Formation of Mesosiderites: Fragmentation and Reaccretion of a Large Differentiated Asteroid

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Scott, Edward R. D.; Haack, Henning; Love, Stanley G.

2001-01-01

We propose that these stony-iron meteorites formed when a 50-150 km diameter projectile disrupted a 200-400 km diameter asteroid with a molten core. Several mineralogical features of mesosiderites need reinterpreting if our model is correct. Additional information is contained in the original extended abstract.

78 FR 44287 - Department Regulatory Agenda; Semiannual Summary

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-07-23

... continue to meet the needs for which they originally were designed. To view additional information about... the next year 23 CFR part 620--Engineering 23 CFR part 625--Design Standards for Highways 23 CFR part 626--Pavement Policy 23 CFR part 627--Value Engineering 23 CFR part 630--Preconstruction Procedures 23...

Needed: More Attention Paid to Operators.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carmichael, Gregory M.

1978-01-01

This article profiles sewage treatment plant operators in northern California and common problems such as pay, self-esteem, and lack of public recognition of operators in general. The information gained can be helpful in curriculum and program development, as a rationale for affirmative action, or as a basis for additional studies. (CS)

Modeling Interdependence: Productive Parenting for Gifted Adolescents.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rhodes, Celeste

1994-01-01

This article offers a theoretical framework of the parenting role as applied to the unique needs and characteristics of gifted adolescents. In addition, a theory of parental modeling of interdependence is presented. Composite examples are made from informal observations of parents who have been successful in promoting the growth of their highly…

12 CFR 620.11 - Content of quarterly report to shareholders.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... modification of existing financing agreements; and the reporting entity resulting from business combinations or... section. Such additional information as is needed to enable the reader to assess material changes in... statements of changes in protected borrower capital and at-risk capital for the period between the end of the...

77 FR 57096 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection: Comment Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-09-17

...: Workforce Recruitment in Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)--Funded Health Centers (OMB No... recruitment, and recommendations on whether additional training or technical assistance might be needed to... recruitment. The annual estimate of burden is as follows: Number of Responses per Total Hours per Total burden...

50 CFR 600.815 - Contents of Fishery Management Plans.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... stage. (2) Level 2: Habitat-related densities of the species are available. At this level, quantitative... activities. Additionally, the evaluation should consider the establishment of research closure areas or other... the habitat type. (iv) The rarity of the habitat type. (9) Research and information needs. Each FMP...

50 CFR 600.815 - Contents of Fishery Management Plans.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... stage. (2) Level 2: Habitat-related densities of the species are available. At this level, quantitative... activities. Additionally, the evaluation should consider the establishment of research closure areas or other... the habitat type. (iv) The rarity of the habitat type. (9) Research and information needs. Each FMP...

50 CFR 600.815 - Contents of Fishery Management Plans.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... stage. (2) Level 2: Habitat-related densities of the species are available. At this level, quantitative... activities. Additionally, the evaluation should consider the establishment of research closure areas or other... the habitat type. (iv) The rarity of the habitat type. (9) Research and information needs. Each FMP...

50 CFR 600.815 - Contents of Fishery Management Plans.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... stage. (2) Level 2: Habitat-related densities of the species are available. At this level, quantitative... activities. Additionally, the evaluation should consider the establishment of research closure areas or other... the habitat type. (iv) The rarity of the habitat type. (9) Research and information needs. Each FMP...

50 CFR 600.815 - Contents of Fishery Management Plans.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... stage. (2) Level 2: Habitat-related densities of the species are available. At this level, quantitative... activities. Additionally, the evaluation should consider the establishment of research closure areas or other... the habitat type. (iv) The rarity of the habitat type. (9) Research and information needs. Each FMP...

24 CFR 50.31 - The EA.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 24 Housing and Urban Development 1 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false The EA. 50.31 Section 50.31 Housing and Urban Development Office of the Secretary, Department of Housing and Urban Development PROTECTION... assistance from professional experts and other HUD staff as needed. Additional information may also be...

24 CFR 50.31 - The EA.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 24 Housing and Urban Development 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false The EA. 50.31 Section 50.31 Housing and Urban Development Office of the Secretary, Department of Housing and Urban Development PROTECTION... assistance from professional experts and other HUD staff as needed. Additional information may also be...

50 CFR 216.74 - Cooperation with Federal officials.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... research on the Pribilof Islands who may need assistance in recording tag or other data and collecting tissue or other fur seal samples for research purposes. In addition, Pribilovians who take fur seals for... Pribilof Islands who are responsible for compiling the following information on a daily basis: (a) The...

50 CFR 216.74 - Cooperation with Federal officials.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... research on the Pribilof Islands who may need assistance in recording tag or other data and collecting tissue or other fur seal samples for research purposes. In addition, Pribilovians who take fur seals for... Pribilof Islands who are responsible for compiling the following information on a daily basis: (a) The...

Post-Mission Assessment for Tactical Training-Trends Analysis (PMATT-TA): Usability Analysis Report

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-07-01

information, PMATT-TA also supports data calls to understand fleet readiness and proficiency. Additionally, PMATT-TA addresses a need for a digitally based...Software Quality Journal, 4(2), 115-130. Gray, W. D., & Salzman, M. C. (1998). Damaged merchandise ? A review of experiments that compare usability

Woodcock reovirus

USGS Publications Warehouse

Docherty, D.E.

1999-01-01

This chapter provides information on a recently identified disease of the American woodcock. Little is known about the disease or the virus that causes it. It has been included in this Manual to enhance awareness that such a disease exists and to stimulate additional interest in further investigations to define the importance of woodcock reovirus. More information about this disease is needed because it is not known whether or not this virus is a factor in the decline of woodcock populations within the United States.

Providing Common Access Mechanisms for Dissimilar Network Interconnection Nodes

DTIC Science & Technology

1991-02-01

Network management involves both maintaining adequate data transmission capabilities in the face of growing and changing needs and keeping the network...Display Only tools are able to obtain information from an IN or a set of INs and display this information, but are not able to change the...configuration or state of an IN. 2. Display and Control tools have the same capabilities as Display Only tools, but in addition are capable of changing the

Department of Defense Joint Technical Architecture, Version 6.0. Volume 2

DTIC Science & Technology

2003-10-03

information needs of our warfighters and the DoD enterprise. Information assurance will be integral to the GIG, and data management strategy initiatives will...IT investment strategy , and integration JTA Version 6.0, Final 3 October 2003 Vol. II–iv Executive Summaryoversight. DoDD 8100.1 establishes the GIG as... Strategy (May 9, 2003). In addition, numerous standards have been marked sunset, indicating deletion from the JTA on a future date to be determined by a

Specialty food safety concerns and multilingual resource needs: an online survey of public health inspectors.

PubMed

Pham, Mai T; Jones, Andria Q; Sargeant, Jan M; Marshall, Barbara J; Dewey, Catherine E

2010-12-01

The province of Ontario, Canada, has a highly diverse and multicultural population. Specialty foods (i.e., foods from different cultures) are becoming increasingly available at retail food outlets and foods service establishments across the province; as a result, public health inspectors (PHIs) are increasingly required to assess the safety of foods with which they may be unfamiliar. The aim of this study was to investigate the concerns, perceptions, and self-identified needs of PHIs in Ontario with regard to specialty foods and food safety information resources in languages other than English. A cross-sectional online survey of 239 PHIs was conducted between April and June 2009. The study found that while some food safety information resources were available in languages other than English, fewer than 25% of respondents (56/239) were satisfied with the current availability of these resources. With regard to specialty foods, 60% of respondents (143/239) reported at least one specialty food with which they were not confident about their current food safety knowledge, and 64% of respondents (153/239) reported at least one specialty food with which they were dissatisfied with the current availability of food safety information. Therefore, the development of additional food safety information resources for specialty foods, and food safety resources in additional languages may provide enhanced support to PHIs involved in protecting and promoting a safe food supply.

Road Extraction from AVIRIS Using Spectral Mixture and Q-Tree Filter Techniques

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gardner, Margaret E.; Roberts, Dar A.; Funk, Chris; Noronha, Val

2001-01-01

Accurate road location and condition information are of primary importance in road infrastructure management. Additionally, spatially accurate and up-to-date road networks are essential in ambulance and rescue dispatch in emergency situations. However, accurate road infrastructure databases do not exist for vast areas, particularly in areas with rapid expansion. Currently, the US Department of Transportation (USDOT) extends great effort in field Global Positioning System (GPS) mapping and condition assessment to meet these informational needs. This methodology, though effective, is both time-consuming and costly, because every road within a DOT's jurisdiction must be field-visited to obtain accurate information. Therefore, the USDOT is interested in identifying new technologies that could help meet road infrastructure informational needs more effectively. Remote sensing provides one means by which large areas may be mapped with a high standard of accuracy and is a technology with great potential in infrastructure mapping. The goal of our research is to develop accurate road extraction techniques using high spatial resolution, fine spectral resolution imagery. Additionally, our research will explore the use of hyperspectral data in assessing road quality. Finally, this research aims to define the spatial and spectral requirements for remote sensing data to be used successfully for road feature extraction and road quality mapping. Our findings will facilitate the USDOT in assessing remote sensing as a new resource in infrastructure studies.

The engagement of children with disabilities in health-related technology design processes: identifying methodology.

PubMed

Allsop, Matthew J; Holt, Raymond J; Levesley, Martin C; Bhakta, Bipinchandra

2010-01-01

This review aims to identify research methodology that is suitable for involving children with disabilities in the design of healthcare technology, such as assistive technology and rehabilitation equipment. A review of the literature included the identification of methodology that is available from domains outside of healthcare and suggested a selection of available methods. The need to involve end users within the design of healthcare technology was highlighted, with particular attention to the need for greater levels of participation from children with disabilities within all healthcare research. Issues that may arise when trying to increase such involvement included the need to consider communication via feedback and tailored information, the need to measure levels of participation occurring in current research, and caution regarding the use of proxy information. Additionally, five suitable methods were highlighted that are available for use with children with disabilities in the design of healthcare technology. The methods identified in the review need to be put into practice to establish effective and, if necessary, novel ways of designing healthcare technology when end users are children with disabilities.

Travel immunization update for older adults.

PubMed

Spain, Margaret P; Edlund, Barbara J

2010-04-01

Older Americans are among the most widely traveled group in our society. Recent trends point to more international travel, more travel to Third World countries, and more travel by older adults with significant health problems. Regardless of the reason for travel, older adults need to plan for healthy travel. Primary care providers need to inquire at routine visits if patients have plans for international travel. If travel to other countries or regions is being considered, patients must be advised of the importance of early travel preparation. To begin with, older adults should be up to date on all routine immunizations. Those planning on international travel may need additional required and/or recommended immunizations, depending on the individual's health status, travel itinerary, length of stay, and health risks associated with destination sites. Primary care providers should be knowledgeable about travel medicine resources in the community to make referrals for travelers requiring additional immunizations and health information. Copyright 2010, SLACK Incorporated.

Chemists, Access, Statistics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Holmes, Jon L.

2000-06-01

New JCE Internet Feature at JCE Online Biographical Snapshots of Famous Chemists is a new JCE Internet feature on JCE Online. Edited by Barbara Burke, this feature provides biographical information on leading chemists, especially women and minority chemists, fostering the attitude that the practitioners of chemistry are as human as those who endeavor to learn about it. Currently, the column features biographical "snapshots" of 30 chemists. Each snapshot includes keywords and bibliography and several contain links to additional online information about the chemist. More biographical snapshots will appear in future installments. In addition, a database listing over 140 women and minority chemists is being compiled and will be made available online with the snapshots in the near future. The database includes the years of birth and death, gender and ethnicity, major and minor discipline, keywords to facilitate searching, and references to additional biographical information. We welcome your input into what we think is a very worthwhile resource. If you would like to provide additional biographical snapshots, see additional chemists added to the database, or know of additional references for those that are already in the database, please contact JCE Online or the feature editor. Your feedback is welcome and appreciated. You can find Biographical Snapshots of Famous Chemists starting from the JCE Online home page-- click the Features item under JCE Internet and then the Chemist Bios item. Access JCE Online without Name and Password We have recently been swamped by libraries requesting IP-number access to JCE Online. With the great benefit IP-number authentication gives to librarians (no user names and passwords to administer) and to their patrons (no need to remember and enter valid names and passwords) this is not surprising. If you would like access to JCE Online without the need to remember and enter a user name and password, you should tell your librarian about our IP-number access. Current subscriptions can be upgraded to IP-number access at little additional cost. We are pleased to be able to offer to institutions and libraries this convenient mode of access to subscriber only resources at JCE Online. JCE Online Usage Statistics We are continually amazed by the activity at JCE Online. So far, the year 2000 has shown a marked increase. Given the phenomenal overall growth of the Internet, perhaps our surprise is not warranted. However, during the months of January and February 2000, over 38,000 visitors requested over 275,000 pages. This is a monthly increase of over 33% from the October-December 1999 levels. It is good to know that people are visiting, but we would very much like to know what you would most like to see at JCE Online. Please send your suggestions to JCEOnline@chem.wisc.edu. For those who are interested, JCE Online year-to-date statistics are available. Biographical Snapshots of Famous Chemists: Mission Statement Feature Editor: Barbara Burke Chemistry Department, California State Polytechnic University-Pomona, Pomona, CA 91768 phone: 909/869-3664 fax: 909/869-4616 email: baburke@csupomona.edu The primary goal of this JCE Internet column is to provide information about chemists who have made important contributions to chemistry. For each chemist, there is a short biographical "snapshot" that provides basic information about the person's chemical work, gender, ethnicity, and cultural background. Each snapshot includes links to related websites and to a biobibliographic database. The database provides references for the individual and can be searched through key words listed at the end of each snapshot. All students, not just science majors, need to understand science as it really is: an exciting, challenging, human, and creative way of learning about our natural world. Investigating the life experiences of chemists can provide a means for students to gain a more realistic view of chemistry. In addition students, especially women and minorities, need more scientist role models. When teachers weave biographical information into their conceptual lectures, they are using an effective pedagogical tool that will enhance students' understanding of chemical facts. Linking chemical ideas to real people provides a stronger infrastructure than facts alone: students need more than just the facts--they need to know the stories of the people behind the "magic". Without these stories, our students miss the wonderful, exciting, human side of our chemical sciences. Acknowledgments National Science Foundation, Alliance for Minority Progress Grant (HRD 9353276); Chemical Heritage Foundation, Philadelphia, PA; Huntington Library, San Marino, CA.

A mobile/web app for long distance caregivers of older adults: functional requirements and design implications from a user centered design process.

PubMed

Williamson, Steven S; Gorman, Paul N; Jimison, Holly B

2014-01-01

Recent trends of population aging and globalization have required an increasing number of individuals to act as long distance caregivers (LDCs) to aging family members. Information technology solutions may ease the burden placed on LDCs by providing remote monitoring, easier access to information and enhanced communication. While some technology tools have been introduced, the information and technology needs of LDCs in particular are not well understood. Consequently, a needs assessment was performed by using video conferencing software to conduct semi-structured interviews with 10 LDCs. Interviews were enriched through the use of stimulus materials that included the demonstration of a prototype LDC health management web/mobile app. Responses were recorded, transcribed and then analyzed. Subjects indicated that information regarding medication regimens and adherence, calendaring, and cognitive health were most needed. Participants also described needs for video calling, activity data regarding sleep and physical exercise, asynchronous communication, photo sharing, journaling, access to online health resources, real-time monitoring, an overall summary of health, and feedback/suggestions to help them improve as caregivers. In addition, all respondents estimated their usage of a LDC health management website would be at least once per week, with half indicating a desire to access the website from a smartphone. These findings are being used to inform the design of a LDC health management website to promote the meaningful involvement of distant family members in the care of older adults.

Developing a post-treatment survivorship care plan to help breast cancer survivors understand their fertility.

PubMed

Gorman, Jessica R; Julian, Anne K; Roberts, Samantha A; Romero, Sally A D; Ehren, Jennifer L; Krychman, Michael L; Boles, Sarah G; Mao, Jun; Irene Su, H

2018-02-01

Reproductive-aged breast cancer survivors (BCS) who have completed initial cancer treatment frequently want to know about their future fertility potential. The purpose of this qualitative study was to assess if the fertility-related content presented in the survivorship care plan prototype met the informational needs of post-treatment BCS and to provide an opportunity for the target audience to review and react to the proposed content and design. We conducted and analyzed transcripts from seven focus groups with BCS to evaluate their reactions to the survivorship care plan prototype. We independently coded transcripts for consistent themes and sub-themes and used a consensus-building approach to agree on interpretation of results. We identified five themes that describe the post-treatment BCS' responses to the prototype survivorship care plan in the context of their informational needs and experiences: (1) the prototype's fertility-related information is relevant; (2) desire for clinical parameters to help survivors understand their infertility risk; (3) fertility-related information is important throughout survivorship; (4) evidence-based content from a neutral source is trustworthy; and (5) the recommendation to see a fertility specialist is helpful, but cost is a barrier. BCS have concerns and needs related to their fertility potential after initial breast cancer treatment. The evidence-based information offered in our prototype survivorship care plan was acceptable to BCS and has significant potential to address these needs. Additional primary data that identify post-cancer treatment indicators of fertility would advance this effort.

The Information System at CeSAM

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Agneray, F.; Gimenez, S.; Moreau, C.; Roehlly, Y.

2012-09-01

Modern large observational programmes produce important amounts of data from various origins, and need high level quality control, fast data access via easy-to-use graphic interfaces, as well as possibility to cross-correlate informations coming from different observations. The Centre de donnéeS Astrophysique de Marseille (CeSAM) offer web access to VO compliant Information Systems to access data of different projects (VVDS, HeDAM, EXODAT, HST-COSMOS,…), including ancillary data obtained outside Laboratoire d'Astrophysique de Marseille (LAM) control. The CeSAM Information Systems provides download of catalogues and some additional services like: search, extract and display imaging and spectroscopic data by multi-criteria and Cone Search interfaces.

A database paradigm for the management of DICOM-RT structure sets using a geographic information system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shao, Weber; Kupelian, Patrick A.; Wang, Jason; Low, Daniel A.; Ruan, Dan

2014-03-01

We devise a paradigm for representing the DICOM-RT structure sets in a database management system, in such way that secondary calculations of geometric information can be performed quickly from the existing contour definitions. The implementation of this paradigm is achieved using the PostgreSQL database system and the PostGIS extension, a geographic information system commonly used for encoding geographical map data. The proposed paradigm eliminates the overhead of retrieving large data records from the database, as well as the need to implement various numerical and data parsing routines, when additional information related to the geometry of the anatomy is desired.

A maximally informative version of inelastic scattering of electromagnetic waves by Langmuir waves

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Erofeev, V. I.

2015-09-01

The concept of informativeness of nonlinear plasma physics scenarios is explained. Natural ideas of developing highly informative models of plasma kinetics are spelled out. A maximally informative version of inelastic scattering of electromagnetic waves by Langmuir waves in a weakly turbulent inhomogeneous plasma is developed with consideration of possible changes in wave polarization. In addition, a new formula for wave drift in spatial positions and wave vectors is derived. New scenarios of the respective wave drift and inelastic scattering are compared with the previous visions. The results indicate the need for further revision of the traditional understanding of nonlinear plasma phenomena.

INFORM: An interactive data collection and display program with debugging capability

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cwynar, D. S.

1980-01-01

A computer program was developed to aid ASSEMBLY language programmers of mini and micro computers in solving the man machine communications problems that exist when scaled integers are involved. In addition to producing displays of quasi-steady state values, INFORM provides an interactive mode for debugging programs, making program patches, and modifying the displays. Auxiliary routines SAMPLE and DATAO add dynamic data acquisition and high speed dynamic display capability to the program. Programming information and flow charts to aid in implementing INFORM on various machines together with descriptions of all supportive software are provided. Program modifications to satisfy the individual user's needs are considered.

Identifying a base network of federally funded streamgaging stations

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ries, Kernell G.; Kolva, J.R.; Stewart, D.W.

2004-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has completed a preliminary analysis to identify streamgaging stations needed in a base network that would satisfy five primary Federal goals for collecting streamflow information. The five goals are (1) determining streamflow at interstate and international borders and at locations mandated by court decrees, (2) determining the streamflow component of water budgets for the major river basins of the Nation, (3) providing real-time streamflow information to the U.S. National Weather Service to support flood-forecasting activities, (4) providing streamflow information at locations of monitoring stations included in USGS national water-quality networks, and (5) providing streamflow information necessary for regionalization of streamflow characteristics and assessing potential long-term trends in streamflow associated with changes in climate. The analysis was done using a Geographic Information System. USGS headquarters staff made initial selections of stations that satisfied at least one of the five goals, and then staff in each of the 48 USGS district offices reviewed the selections, making suggestions for additions or changes based on detailed local knowledge of the streams in the area. The analysis indicated that 4,242 streamgaging stations are needed in the base network to meet the 5 Federal goals for streamflow information. Of these, 2,692 stations (63.5 percent) are currently operated by the USGS, 277 stations (6.5 percent) are currently operated by other agencies, 865 (20.4 percent) are discontinued USGS stations that need to be reactivated, and 408 (9.6 percent) are locations where new stations are needed. Copyright ASCE 2004.

Refocusing and Evolving Subseasonal-to-Seasonal Services in NOAA's National Weather Service

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Timofeyeva-Livezey, M. M.; Horsfall, F. M. C.; Silva, V.; Mangan, M. R.; Meyers, J. C.; Zdrojewski, J.

2017-12-01

NOAA's National Weather Service (NWS) recently completed a reorganization to better support its goal to build a Weather-Ready Nation. As part of the reorganization, NWS streamlined its 11 national service programs, including climate services, to provide a more structured approach to supporting service delivery needs. As the American public increasingly requests information at sub-seasonal and seasonal time scales for decision making, the NWS Climate Services Program is striving to meet those needs by accelerating transition of research to operations, improving delivery of products and services, and enhancing partnerships to facilitate provision of seamless weather, water, and climate products and services at regional and local scales. Additionally, NWS forecasters are requesting more tools to be able to put severe weather and water events into a climate context to provide more effective impact-based decision support services (IDSS). This paper will describe the activities to more effectively integrate climate services into the NWS suite of environmental information, the roles of the NWS offices supporting or delivering sub-seasonal and seasonal information to the US public, and engaging NWS core and deep-core partners in provision of information on climatological risks and preparedness as a part of IDSS. We will discuss the process by which we collect user requests and/or needs and the NWS process that allows us to move these requests and needs through a formal requirements validation process and thus place the requirement on a path to identify a potential solution for implementation. The validation of a NWS climate-related requirement is also key to identify research, development, and transition mission delivery needs that are supported through the Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR) Climate Program Office (CPO). In addition, we will present the outcomes of key actions of the first ever NWS National Climate Services Meeting (NCSM) that was held in May 2016 with the participation of more than 250 NWS climate services staff and key partners from across the country. The key actions include understanding core and deep-core partners, advancing training for NWS staff focused on IDSS, and better organization of service delivery at regional and local levels.

What do providers, payers and patients need from comparative effectiveness research on diagnostics? The case of HER2/Neu testing in breast cancer.

PubMed

Trosman, Julia R; Weldon, Christine B; Schink, Julian C; Gradishar, William J; Benson, Al B

2013-07-01

Comparing effectiveness of diagnostic tests is one of the highest priorities for comparative effectiveness research (CER) set by the Institute of Medicine. Our study aims to identify what information providers, payers and patients need from CER on diagnostics, and what challenges they encounter implementing comparative information on diagnostic alternatives in practice and policy. Using qualitative research methods and the example of two alternative protocols for HER2 testing in breast cancer, we conducted interviews with 45 stakeholders: providers (n = 25) from four academic and eight nonacademic institutions, executives (n = 13) from five major US private payers and representatives (n = 7) from two breast cancer patient advocacies. The need for additional scientific evidence to determine the preferred HER2 protocol was more common for advocates than payers (100 vs 54%; p = 0.0515) and significantly more common for advocates than providers (100 vs 40%; p = 0.0077). The availability of information allowing assessment of the implementation impact from alternative diagnostic protocols on provider institutions may mitigate the need for additional scientific evidence for some providers and payers (24 and 46%, respectively). The cost-effectiveness of alternative protocols from the societal perspective is important to payers and advocates (69 and 71%, respectively) but not to providers (0%; p = 0.0001 and p = 0.0001). The lack of reporting laboratory practices is a more common implementation challenge for payers and advocates (77 and 86%, respectively) than for providers (32%). The absence of any mechanism for patient involvement was recognized as a challenge by payers and advocates (69 and 100%, respectively) but not by providers (0%; p = 0.0001 and p = 0.0001). Comparative implementation research is needed to inform the stakeholders considering diagnostic alternatives. Transparency of laboratory practices is an important factor in enabling implementation of CER on diagnostics in practice and policy. The incongruent views of providers versus patient advocates and payers on involving patients in diagnostic decisions is a concerning challenge to utilizing the results of CER.

Care and support for older adults in The Netherlands living independently.

PubMed

Verver, Didi; Merten, Hanneke; Robben, Paul; Wagner, Cordula

2018-05-01

The growth in the numbers of older adults needing long-term care has resulted in rising costs which have forced the Dutch government to change its long-term care system. Now, the local authorities have greater responsibility for supporting older adults and in prolonging independent living with increased support provided by the social network. However, it is unclear whether these older adults have such a network to rely upon. The objective of this study was to gain insight into the providers of formal and informal care to older adults, and to assess possible differences between older adults who are frail and those who are not. In addition, we investigated their care and support needs. We used data from a quantitative survey using a cross-sectional design in different regions of the Netherlands from July until September 2014 (n = 181). Frailty was measured using the Tilburg Frailty indicator. To analyse the data chi-square tests, crosstabs and odds ratios were used for dichotomous data and the Mann-Whitney U-Test for nominal data. The number of formal care providers involved was significantly higher (median = 2) for those deemed frail than for those not deemed frail (median = 1), U = 2,130, p < .005. However, more than one-third of the respondents deemed frail did not get the care or support they needed (33.7%). There was a significant positive association between being frail and having an informal care provider (χ 2  = 18.78, df = 1, p < .005). However, more than one-third of those deemed frail did not have an informal care provider (36.8%). One-third of older adults deemed to be frail did not have their needs sufficiently addressed by their care network. For a substantial part of this group of older adults, the informal network seems to be unable to support them sufficiently. Additional attention for their needs and wishes is required to implement the policy reforms successfully. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Managing Nicaraguan Water Resources Definition and Relative Importance of Information Needs

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

Engi, D.; Guillen, S.M.; Vammen, K.

1999-01-01

This report provides an overview of the results of the Vital the Nicaraguan Water Resources Management Initiative, Issues process as implemented for a collaborative effort between the Nicaraguan Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources and Sandia National Laboratories. This initiative is being developed to assist in the development of an efficient and sustainable water resources management system for Nicamgua. The Vital Issues process was used to provide information for developing a project that will develop and implement an advanced information system for managing Nicaragua's water resources. Three Vital Issues panel meetings were convened to 1) develop a mission statement andmore » evaluation criteria for identifying and ranking the issues vital to water resources management in Nicaragua 2) define and rank the vital issues; and 3) identify a preliminary list of information needed to address the vital issues. The selection of panelists from the four basic institutional perspectives- government, industiy, academe, and citizens' groups (through nongovernmental organizations (NGOs))-ensured a high level of stakeholder representation on the panels. The already existing need for a water resource management information system has been magnified in the aftemnath of Hurricane Mitch. This information system would be beneficial for an early warning system in emergencies, and the modeling and simulation capabilities of the system would allow for advanced planning. Additionally, the outreach program will provide education to help Nicaraguan improve their water hygiene practices.« less

Isothermal titration calorimetry for measuring macromolecule-ligand affinity.

PubMed

Duff, Michael R; Grubbs, Jordan; Howell, Elizabeth E

2011-09-07

Isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) is a useful tool for understanding the complete thermodynamic picture of a binding reaction. In biological sciences, macromolecular interactions are essential in understanding the machinery of the cell. Experimental conditions, such as buffer and temperature, can be tailored to the particular binding system being studied. However, careful planning is needed since certain ligand and macromolecule concentration ranges are necessary to obtain useful data. Concentrations of the macromolecule and ligand need to be accurately determined for reliable results. Care also needs to be taken when preparing the samples as impurities can significantly affect the experiment. When ITC experiments, along with controls, are performed properly, useful binding information, such as the stoichiometry, affinity and enthalpy, are obtained. By running additional experiments under different buffer or temperature conditions, more detailed information can be obtained about the system. A protocol for the basic setup of an ITC experiment is given.

Isothermal Titration Calorimetry for Measuring Macromolecule-Ligand Affinity

PubMed Central

Duff,, Michael R.; Grubbs, Jordan; Howell, Elizabeth E.

2011-01-01

Isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) is a useful tool for understanding the complete thermodynamic picture of a binding reaction. In biological sciences, macromolecular interactions are essential in understanding the machinery of the cell. Experimental conditions, such as buffer and temperature, can be tailored to the particular binding system being studied. However, careful planning is needed since certain ligand and macromolecule concentration ranges are necessary to obtain useful data. Concentrations of the macromolecule and ligand need to be accurately determined for reliable results. Care also needs to be taken when preparing the samples as impurities can significantly affect the experiment. When ITC experiments, along with controls, are performed properly, useful binding information, such as the stoichiometry, affinity and enthalpy, are obtained. By running additional experiments under different buffer or temperature conditions, more detailed information can be obtained about the system. A protocol for the basic setup of an ITC experiment is given. PMID:21931288

Strengthening the dementia care triad: identifying knowledge gaps and linking to resources.

PubMed

Jensen, Christine J; Inker, Jennifer

2015-05-01

This article describes a project to identify the needs of family caregivers and health care providers caring for persons with dementia. Participants included 128 caregivers, who completed a survey, and 27 health care providers, who participated in a focus group and completed a survey. Caregivers reported their primary source of information about the disease was the doctor; however, the majority also reported they were primarily informed of medications and not about needed resources. Health care providers identified limited time with patients and families, and lack of awareness of community services, as their main challenges. Recommendations include strengthening the partnership between physicians, patients, and caregivers (the dementia care triad) through additional support and training for physicians and caregivers, increasing awareness of the Alzheimer's Association, and utilization of technology for families and professionals to track the needs of persons with dementia. © The Author(s) 2014.

What Do Informal Educators Need To Be Successful In Teaching Planetary Science And Engineering?: Results From The PLANETS Out-Of-School Time Educator Needs Assessment (NASA NNX16AC53A)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Clark, J.; Bloom, N.

2016-12-01

Planetary Learning that Advances the Nexus of Engineering, Technology, and Science (PLANETS) is five-year interdisciplinary and cross-institutional partnership to develop and disseminate out-of-school time curricular and professional development modules that integrate planetary science, technology, and engineering. The Center for Science Teaching and Learning (CSTL) at Northern Arizona University (NAU), the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Astrogeology Science Center (Astrogeology), and the Museum of Science (MOS) Boston are partners in developing, piloting, and researching the impact of three out of school time planetary science and engineering curriculum and related professional development units over the life of the project. Critical to the success of out-of-school time curriculum implementation is to consider the needs of the informal education leaders. The CSTL at NAU is conducting a needs-assessment of OST educators nationwide to identify the gaps between current knowledge and abilities of OST educators and the knowledge and abilities necessary in order to facilitate effective STEM educational experiences for youth. The research questions are: a. What are current conditions of OST programs and professional development for OST educators? b. What do OST educators and program coordinators already know and think about facilitating meaningful and high quality STEM instruction? c. What are perceived needs of OST educators and program coordinators in order to implement meaningful and high quality STEM instruction? d. What design decisions will make professional development experiences more accessible, acceptable and useful to OST educators and program coordinators? In this presentation we will share the preliminary results of the national survey. The information about the needs of informal STEM educators can inform other NASA Science Mission Directorate educational partners in their program development in addition to AGU members designing informal education outreach.

Association of eHealth literacy with cancer information seeking and prior experience with cancer screening.

PubMed

Park, Hyejin; Moon, Mikyung; Baeg, Jung Hoon

2014-09-01

Cancer is a critical disease with a high mortality rate in the US. Although useful information exists on the Internet, many people experience difficulty finding information about cancer prevention because they have limited eHealth literacy. This study aimed to identify relationships between the level of eHealth literacy and cancer information seeking experience or prior experience with cancer screening tests. A total of 108 adults participated in this study through questionnaires. Data covering demographics, eHealth literacy, cancer information seeking experience, educational needs for cancer information searching, and previous cancer screening tests were obtained. Study findings show that the level of eHealth literacy influences cancer information seeking. Individuals with low eHealth literacy are likely to be less confident about finding cancer information. In addition, people who have a low level of eHealth literacy need more education about seeking information than do those with a higher level of eHealth literacy. However, there is no significant relationship between eHealth literacy and cancer screening tests. More people today are using the Internet for access to information to maintain good health. It is therefore critical to educate those with low eHealth literacy so they can better self-manage their health.

[What preoperative information do the parents of children undergoing surgery want?].

PubMed

Sartori, Josefina; Espinoza, Pilar; Díaz, María Soledad; Ferdinand, Constanza; Lacassie, Héctor J; González, Alejandro

2015-01-01

Parents feel fear and anxiety before surgery is performed on their child, and those feelings could obstruct their preparation for the surgery. Preoperative information could relieve those feelings. To determine the preoperative information needs of parents of children undergoing elective surgery. A study was conducted on the parents of children who underwent elective surgery. Demographic data of parents were recorded. Preoperative information received or would like to have received was assessed in terms of contents, methods, opportunity, place and informant. Descriptive statistics were used. Thirteen hundred parents were surveyed. More than 80% of them want preoperative information about anaesthesia, surgery, preoperative fasting, drugs and anaesthetic complications, monitoring, intravenous line management, pain treatment, postoperative feeding, anxiety control, hospitalisation room, recovery room, and entertainment in recovery room. Most want to be informed verbally, one to two weeks in advance and not on the same day of surgery. The informant should be the surgeon and in his office. In addition, they want information through leaflets, videos and simulation workshops, or guided tours. Parents need complete preoperative information about anesthesia, surgery and postoperative care, received verbally and in advance. Copyright © 2015 Sociedad Chilena de Pediatría. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Substance abuse treatment management information systems: balancing federal, state, and service provider needs.

PubMed

Camp, J M; Krakow, M; McCarty, D; Argeriou, M

1992-01-01

There is increased interest in documenting the characteristics and treatment outcomes of clients served with Alcohol, Drug Abuse, and Mental Health Block Grant funds. The evolution of federal client-based management systems for substance abuse treatment services demonstrates that data collection systems are important but require continued support. A review of the Massachusetts substance abuse management information system illustrates the utility of a client-based data set. The development and implementation of a comprehensive information system require overcoming organizational barriers and project delays, fostering collaborative efforts among staff from diverse agencies, and employing considerable resources. In addition, the need to develop mechanisms for increasing the reliability of the data and ongoing training for the users is presented. Finally, three applications of the management information system's role in shaping policy are reviewed: developing services for special populations (communities of color, women, and pregnant substance abusers, and injection drug users), utilizing MIS data for evaluation purposes, and determining funding allocations.

Teaching Family Caregivers to Assist Safely with Mobility.

PubMed

Powell-Cope, Gail; Pippins, Karla M; Young, Heather M

2017-12-01

: This article is part of a series, Supporting Family Caregivers: No Longer Home Alone, published in collaboration with the AARP Public Policy Institute. Results of focus groups, conducted as part of the AARP Public Policy Institute's No Longer Home Alone video project, supported evidence that family caregivers aren't given the information they need to manage the complex care regimens of family members. This series of articles and accompanying videos aims to help nurses provide caregivers with the tools they need to manage their family member's health care at home.The articles in this new installment of the series explain principles for promoting safe mobility that nurses should reinforce with family caregivers. Each article also includes an informational tear sheet-Information for Family Caregivers-that contains links to instructional videos. To use this series, nurses should read the article first, so they understand how best to help family caregivers, and then encourage the caregivers to watch the videos and ask questions. For additional information, see Resources for Nurses.

Caring for Aging Skin.

PubMed

Kirkland-Kyhn, Holly; Zaratkiewicz, Sunniva; Teleten, Oleg; Young, Heather M

2018-02-01

: This article is part of a series, Supporting Family Caregivers: No Longer Home Alone, published in collaboration with the AARP Public Policy Institute. Results of focus groups, conducted as part of the AARP Public Policy Institute's No Longer Home Alone video project, supported evidence that family caregivers aren't given the information they need to manage the complex care regimens of family members. This series of articles and accompanying videos aims to help nurses provide caregivers with the tools they need to manage their family member's health care at home.The articles in this new installment of the series provide simple and useful instructions that nurses should reinforce with family caregivers who perform wound care tasks. Each article also includes an informational tear sheet-Information for Family Caregivers-that contains links to instructional videos. To use this series, nurses should read the article first, so they understand how best to help family caregivers, and then encourage caregivers to watch the videos and ask questions. For additional information, see Resources for Nurses.

Ostomy Care at Home.

PubMed

Kirkland-Kyhn, Holly; Martin, Sanaz; Zaratkiewicz, Sunniva; Whitmore, Morgan; Young, Heather M

2018-04-01

: This article is part of a series, Supporting Family Caregivers: No Longer Home Alone, published in collaboration with the AARP Public Policy Institute. Results of focus groups, conducted as part of the AARP Public Policy Institute's No Longer Home Alone video project, supported evidence that family caregivers aren't given the information they need to manage the complex care regimens of family members. This series of articles and accompanying videos aims to help nurses provide caregivers with the tools they need to manage their family member's health care at home.The articles in this new installment of the series provide simple and useful instructions that nurses should reinforce with family caregivers who perform wound care tasks. Each article also includes an informational tear sheet-Information for Family Caregivers-that contains links to instructional videos. To use this series, nurses should read the article first, so they understand how best to help family caregivers, and then encourage caregivers to watch the videos and ask questions. For additional information, see Resources for Nurses.

Teaching Wound Care to Family Caregivers.

PubMed

Kirkland-Kyhn, Holly; Generao, Stephanie Anne; Teleten, Oleg; Young, Heather M

2018-03-01

: This article is part of a series, Supporting Family Caregivers: No Longer Home Alone, published in collaboration with the AARP Public Policy Institute. Results of focus groups, conducted as part of the AARP Public Policy Institute's No Longer Home Alone video project, supported evidence that family caregivers aren't given the information they need to manage the complex care regimens of family members. This series of articles and accompanying videos aims to help nurses provide caregivers with the tools they need to manage their family member's health care at home.The articles in this new installment of the series provide simple and useful instructions that nurses should reinforce with family caregivers who perform wound care tasks. Each article also includes an informational tear sheet-Information for Family Caregivers-that contains links to instructional videos. To use this series, nurses should read the article first, so they understand how best to help family caregivers, and then encourage caregivers to watch the videos and ask questions. For additional information, see Resources for Nurses.

Preventing Falls and Fall-Related Injuries at Home.

PubMed

Powell-Cope, Gail; Thomason, Susan; Bulat, Tatjana; Pippins, Karla M; Young, Heather M

2018-01-01

: This article is part of a series, Supporting Family Caregivers: No Longer Home Alone, published in collaboration with the AARP Public Policy Institute. Results of focus groups, conducted as part of the AARP Public Policy Institute's No Longer Home Alone video project, supported evidence that family caregivers aren't given the information they need to manage the complex care regimens of family members. This series of articles and accompanying videos aims to help nurses provide caregivers with the tools they need to manage their family member's health care at home.The articles in this new installment of the series explain principles for promoting safe mobility that nurses should reinforce with family caregivers. Each article also includes an informational tear sheet-Information for Family Caregivers-that contains links to instructional videos. To use this series, nurses should read the article first, so they understand how best to help family caregivers, and then encourage the caregivers to watch the videos and ask questions. For additional information, see Resources for Nurses.

Development of a Prototype Continuity of Care Record with Context-Specific Links to Meet the Information Needs of Case Managers for Persons Living with HIV

PubMed Central

Cimino, James J.; Bakken, Suzanne

2012-01-01

Objectives (1) To develop a prototype Continuity of Care Record (CCR) with context-specific links to electronic HIV information resources; and (2) to assess case managers’ perceptions regarding the usability of the prototype. Methods We integrated context-specific links to HIV case management information resources into a prototype CCR using the Infobutton Manager and Librarian Infobutton Tailoring Environment (LITE). Case managers (N=9) completed a think-aloud protocol and the Computer System Usability Questionnaire (CSUQ) to evaluate the usability of the prototype. Verbalizations from the think-aloud protocol were summarized using thematic analysis. CSUQ data were analyzed with descriptive statistics. Results Although participants expressed positive comments regarding the usability of the prototype, the think-aloud protocol also identified the need for improvement in resource labels and for additional resources. On a scale ranging from 1 (strongly agree) to 7 (strongly disagree), the average CSUQ overall satisfaction was 2.25 indicating that users (n=9) were generally satisfied with the system. Mean CSUQ factor scores were: System Usefulness (M=2.13), Information Quality (M=2.46), and Interface Quality (M=2.26). Conclusion Our novel application of the Infobutton Manager and LITE in the context of case management for persons living with HIV in community-based settings resulted in a prototype CCR with infobuttons that met the majority of case managers’ information needs and received relatively positive usability ratings. Findings from this study inform future integration of context-specific links into CCRs and electronic health records and support their use for meeting end-users information needs. PMID:22632821

Information Infrastructure, Information Environments, and Long-Term Collaboration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baker, K. S.; Pennington, D. D.

2009-12-01

Information infrastructure that supports collaborative science is a complex system of people, organizational arrangements, and tools that require co-management. Contemporary studies are exploring how to establish and characterize effective collaborative information environments. Collaboration depends on the flow of information across the human and technical system components through mechanisms that create linkages, both conceptual and technical. This transcends the need for requirements solicitation and usability studies, highlighting synergistic interactions between humans and technology that can lead to emergence of group level cognitive properties. We consider the ramifications of placing priority on establishing new metaphors and new types of learning environments located near-to-data-origin for the field sciences. In addition to changes in terms of participant engagement, there are implications in terms of innovative contributions to the design of information systems and data exchange. While data integration occurs in the minds of individual participants, it may be facilitated by collaborative thinking and community infrastructure. Existing learning frameworks - from Maslow’s hierarchy of needs to organizational learning - require modification and extension if effective approaches to decentralized information management and systems design are to emerge. Case studies relating to data integration include ecological community projects: development of cross-disciplinary conceptual maps and of a community unit registry.

Fusion materials high energy-neutron studies. A status report

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

Doran, D.G.; Guinan, M.W.

1980-01-01

The objectives of this paper are (1) to provide background information on the US Magnetic Fusion Reactor Materials Program, (2) to provide a framework for evaluating nuclear data needs associated with high energy neutron irradiations, and (3) to show the current status of relevant high energy neutron studies. Since the last symposium, the greatest strides in cross section development have been taken in those areas providing FMIT design data, e.g., source description, shielding, and activation. In addition, many dosimetry cross sections have been tentatively extrapolated to 40 MeV and integral testing begun. Extensive total helium measurements have been made inmore » a variety of neutron spectra. Additional calculations are needed to assist in determining energy dependent cross sections.« less

End of life care for frail older patients in family practice (ELFOP)--protocol of a longitudinal qualitative study on needs, appropriateness and utilisation of services.

PubMed

Müller-Mundt, Gabriele; Bleidorn, Jutta; Geiger, Karin; Klindtworth, Katharina; Pleschberger, Sabine; Hummers-Pradier, Eva; Schneider, Nils

2013-05-03

Frail elderly people represent a major patient group in family practice. Little is known about the patients' needs, and how their needs evolve over time with increasing frailty towards the end of life. This study will address end-of-life care needs, service utilisation, and experiences of frail elderly patients and their informal caregivers, with regard to family practice. This paper aims to introduce the research protocol. The study uses a multiple perspective approach qualitative design. The first study part consists of serial six-monthly in-depth interviews with 30 community-dwelling elderly patients (≥70 years) with moderate to severe frailty and their key informal caregivers, over a period of 18 months. Additionally, semi-structured interviews with the patients' family physician will be conducted. The serial interviews will be analysed with grounded theory and narrative approaches. Special attention will be paid to the comparison of distinct views of the patients', informal caregivers', and family physicians' as well as on chronological aspects. In the second study part, five focus groups with experts in family medicine, geriatrics, palliative medicine, and nursing will be conducted. Finally, the implications for family practice and health care policy will be discussed in an expert workshop. To our knowledge, this is the first prospective, longitudinal qualitative study on the needs of elderly patients with advanced frailty towards the end of life in German family practice, which integrates the perspectives of patients, informal caregivers, family physicians and other health professionals. The study will contribute to the understanding of the clinical, psychosocial and information needs of patients and their caregivers, and of respective changes of experiences and needs along the illness/frailty trajectory including the last phase of life. It will provide an empirical basis for improving patient-centred care for this increasingly relevant target group.

SNPit: a federated data integration system for the purpose of functional SNP annotation.

PubMed

Shen, Terry H; Carlson, Christopher S; Tarczy-Hornoch, Peter

2009-08-01

Genome wide association studies can potentially identify the genetic causes behind the majority of human diseases. With the advent of more advanced genotyping techniques, there is now an explosion of data gathered on single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). The need exists for an integrated system that can provide up-to-date functional annotation information on SNPs. We have developed the SNP Integration Tool (SNPit) system to address this need. Built upon a federated data integration system, SNPit provides current information on a comprehensive list of SNP data sources. Additional logical inference analysis was included through an inference engine plug in. The SNPit web servlet is available online for use. SNPit allows users to go to one source for up-to-date information on the functional annotation of SNPs. A tool that can help to integrate and analyze the potential functional significance of SNPs is important for understanding the results from genome wide association studies.

Procedural Pain: Systematic Review of Parent Experiences and Information Needs.

PubMed

Gates, Allison; Shave, Kassi; Featherstone, Robin; Buckreus, Kelli; Ali, Samina; Scott, Shannon D; Hartling, Lisa

2018-06-01

Parents wish to reduce their child's pain during medical procedures but may not know how to do so. We systematically reviewed the literature on parents' experiences and information needs related to managing their child's pain for common medical procedures. Of 2678 records retrieved through database searching, 5 were included. Three additional records were identified by scanning reference lists. Five studies were qualitative, and 3 were quantitative. Most took place in North America or Europe (n = 7) and described neonatal intensive care unit experiences (n = 5). Procedures included needle-related medical procedures (eg, venipuncture, phlebotomy, intravenous insertion), sutures, and wound repair and treatment, among others. Generally, parents desired being present during procedures, wanted to remain stoic for their child, and thought that information would be empowering and relieve stress but felt unsupported in taking an active role. Supporting and educating parents may empower them to lessen pain for their children while undergoing medical procedures.

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

Not Available

Small Wind Electric Systems: A Colorado Consumer's Guide provides consumers with information to help them determine whether a small wind electric system can provide all or a portion of the energy they need for their home or business based on their wind resource, energy needs, and economics. Topics include how to make a home more energy efficient, how to choose the correct turbine size, the parts of a wind electric system, how to determine whether enough wind resource exists, how to choose the best site for a turbine, how to connect a system to the utility grid, and whether it'smore » possible to become independent of the utility grid using wind energy. In addition, the cover of the guide contains a list of contacts for more information.« less

Identifying state resources and support programs on e-government websites for persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

PubMed

Fisher, Kathleen M; Peterson, Justin D; Albert, Jon D

2015-01-01

This descriptive cross-sectional study identified resources and programs that are available nationwide on the Internet to support individuals and families with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD), with a focus on intellectual disability. This evaluation included easily identifiable information on specific resources and highlighted unique programs found in individual states that were linked from e-government websites. Researchers documented the ease of access and available information for all 50 states and the District of Columbia. A number of disparities and areas for improvement were recorded for states and I/DD websites. The researchers conclude that a number of additional health and support services will be needed to address the growing needs of this vulnerable population.

World Health Organization's Mental Health Atlas 2005:implications for policy development

PubMed Central

SAXENA, SHEKHAR; SHARAN, PRATAP; GARRIDO, MARCO; SARACENO, BENEDETTO

2006-01-01

In 2005, the World Health Organization (WHO) launched the second edition of the Mental Health Atlas, consisting of revised and updated information on mental health from countries. The sources of information included the mental health focal points in the Ministries of Health, published literature and unpublished reports available to WHO. The results show that global mental health resources remain low and grossly inadequate to respond to the high level of need. In addition, the revised Atlas shows that the improvements over the period 2001 to 2004 are very small. Imbalances across income groups of countries remain largely the same. Enhancement in resources devoted to mental health is urgently needed, especially in low- and middle-income countries. PMID:17139355

Infrastructure for Reaching Disadvantaged Consumers

PubMed Central

Hovenga, Evelyn J. S.; Hovel, Joe; Klotz, Jeanette; Robins, Patricia

1998-01-01

Both consumers and health service providers need access to up-to-date information, including patient and practice guidelines, that allows them to make decisions in partnership about individual and public health in line with the primary health care model of health service delivery. Only then is it possible for patient preferences to be considered while the health of the general population is improved. The Commonwealth Government of Australia has allocated $250 million over five years, starting July 1, 1997, to support activities and projects designed to meet a range of telecommunication needs in regional, rural, and remote Australia. This paper defines rural and remote communities, then reviews rural and remote health services, information, and telecommunication technology infrastructures and their use in Australia to establish the current state of access to information tools by rural and remote communities and rural health workers in Australia today. It is argued that a suitable telecommunication infrastructure is needed to reach disadvantaged persons in extremely remote areas and that intersectoral support is essential to build this infrastructure. In addition, education will make its utilization possible. PMID:9609497

The EPA's human exposure research program for assessing cumulative risk in communities.

PubMed

Zartarian, Valerie G; Schultz, Bradley D

2010-06-01

Communities are faced with challenges in identifying and prioritizing environmental issues, taking actions to reduce their exposures, and determining their effectiveness for reducing human health risks. Additional challenges include determining what scientific tools are available and most relevant, and understanding how to use those tools; given these barriers, community groups tend to rely more on risk perception than science. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Research and Development, National Exposure Research Laboratory (NERL) and collaborators are developing and applying tools (models, data, methods) for enhancing cumulative risk assessments. The NERL's "Cumulative Communities Research Program" focuses on key science questions: (1) How to systematically identify and prioritize key chemical stressors within a given community?; (2) How to develop estimates of exposure to multiple stressors for individuals in epidemiologic studies?; and (3) What tools can be used to assess community-level distributions of exposures for the development and evaluation of the effectiveness of risk reduction strategies? This paper provides community partners and scientific researchers with an understanding of the NERL research program and other efforts to address cumulative community risks; and key research needs and opportunities. Some initial findings include the following: (1) Many useful tools exist for components of risk assessment, but need to be developed collaboratively with end users and made more comprehensive and user-friendly for practical application; (2) Tools for quantifying cumulative risks and impact of community risk reduction activities are also needed; (3) More data are needed to assess community- and individual-level exposures, and to link exposure-related information with health effects; and (4) Additional research is needed to incorporate risk-modifying factors ("non-chemical stressors") into cumulative risk assessments. The products of this research program will advance the science for cumulative risk assessments and empower communities with information so that they can make informed, cost-effective decisions to improve public health.

Implementing a balanced scorecard as a strategic management tool in a long-term care organization.

PubMed

Schalm, Corinne

2008-01-01

The Capital Care Group, the largest public sector continuing care organization in Canada, had no ready access to information on its own performance and therefore was limited in its pursuit of evidence-informed decision-making. To remedy this, it was decided to introduce a balanced scorecard. A literature review was conducted together with interviews with 10 other health care organizations which had implemented balanced scorecards. With this information, a workshop was held that resulted in a framework and about 120 potential indicators. Subsequently the number of indicators was reduced to 29, using pre-determined criteria. Development of a corporate balanced scorecard facilitated executive strategic thinking and clarified the organization's strategic direction. In parallel, scorecards were developed at the level of care centres. These had a common core of indicators, plus some site-specific ones. Development of the corporate scorecard took three years and an additional six months for the care centre scorecards. A formal implementation plan has been accepted by the executive team. Key to this is communicating to staff the role of scorecards for strategic management and not just performance measurement. Traditional thinking needs to change from a short-term operational focus to long-term strategy. In addition, champions need to be identified in each care centre and they need to be networked together. Finally, the scorecard is being integrated into existing operational management as a routine component together with resources to support its use. The balanced scorecard has focused on its role as a strategic management tool. The indicators and dimensions need to be customized to the organization. Senior management must be seen to be driving its introduction. It is worth spending sufficient time developing and implementing a scorecard rather than trying to rush its introduction. The scorecard needs to be integrated with existing management processes and sufficient resources must be assigned. However, success will ultimately depend on the culture of the organization being appropriate and receptive.

Risk management perspective for climate service development - Results from a study on Finnish organizations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harjanne, Atte; Haavisto, Riina; Tuomenvirta, Heikki; Gregow, Hilppa

2017-10-01

Weather, climate and climate change can cause significant risks to businesses and public administration. However, understanding these processes can also create opportunities. Information can help to manage these risks and opportunities, but in order to do so, it must be in line with how risk management and decision making works. To better understand how climate risks and opportunities are reflected in different organizational processes and what types of information is needed and used, we conducted a study on the perceptions and management of weather and climate risks in Finnish organizations and on their use of weather and climate information. In addition, we collected feedback on how the existing climate information tools should be developed. Data on climate risk management was collected in an online survey and in one full-day workshop. The survey was aimed to the Finnish public and private organizations who use weather and climate data and altogether 118 responses were collected. The workshop consisted of two parts: weather and climate risk management processes in general and the development of the current information tools to further address user needs.

We found that climate risk management in organizations is quite diverse and often de-centralized and that external experts are considered the most useful sources of information. Consequently, users emphasize the need for networks of expertise and sector-specific information tools. Creating such services requires input and information sharing from the user side as well. Better temporal and spatial accuracy is naturally asked for, but users also stressed the need for transparency when it comes to communicating uncertainties, and the availability and up-to-datedness of information. Our results illustrate that weather and climate risks compete and blend in with other risks and changes perceived by the organizations and supporting information is sought from different types of sources. Thus the design and evaluation of climate services should take into account the context of existing and developing processes in organizational risk management.

Do Health Professionals Need Additional Competencies for Stratified Cancer Prevention Based on Genetic Risk Profiling?

PubMed Central

Chowdhury, Susmita; Henneman, Lidewij; Dent, Tom; Hall, Alison; Burton, Alice; Pharoah, Paul; Pashayan, Nora; Burton, Hilary

2015-01-01

There is growing evidence that inclusion of genetic information about known common susceptibility variants may enable population risk-stratification and personalized prevention for common diseases including cancer. This would require the inclusion of genetic testing as an integral part of individual risk assessment of an asymptomatic individual. Front line health professionals would be expected to interact with and assist asymptomatic individuals through the risk stratification process. In that case, additional knowledge and skills may be needed. Current guidelines and frameworks for genetic competencies of non-specialist health professionals place an emphasis on rare inherited genetic diseases. For common diseases, health professionals do use risk assessment tools but such tools currently do not assess genetic susceptibility of individuals. In this article, we compare the skills and knowledge needed by non-genetic health professionals, if risk-stratified prevention is implemented, with existing competence recommendations from the UK, USA and Europe, in order to assess the gaps in current competences. We found that health professionals would benefit from understanding the contribution of common genetic variations in disease risk, the rationale for a risk-stratified prevention pathway, and the implications of using genomic information in risk-assessment and risk management of asymptomatic individuals for common disease prevention. PMID:26068647

Advanced Nuclear Technology. Using Technology for Small Modular Reactor Staff Optimization, Improved Effectiveness, and Cost Containment, 3002007071

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

Loflin, Leonard

Through this grant, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) will review several functional areas within a nuclear power plant, including fire protection, operations and operations support, refueling, training, procurement, maintenance, site engineering, and others. Several functional areas need to be examined since there appears to be no single staffing area or approach that alone has the potential for significant staff optimization at new nuclear power plants. Several of the functional areas will require a review of technology options such as automation, remote monitoring, fleet wide monitoring, new and specialized instrumentation, human factors engineering, risk informed analysis and PRAs, component andmore » system condition monitoring and reporting, just in time training, electronic and automated procedures, electronic tools for configuration management and license and design basis information, etc., that may be applied to support optimization. Additionally, the project will require a review key regulatory issues that affect staffing and could be optimized with additional technology input. Opportunities to further optimize staffing levels and staffing functions by selection of design attributes of physical systems and structures need also be identified. A goal of this project is to develop a prioritized assessment of the functional areas, and R&D actions needed for those functional areas, to provide the best optimization« less

Additives in plastics.

PubMed Central

Deanin, R D

1975-01-01

The polymers used in plastics are generally harmless. However, they are rarely used in pure form. In almost all commercial plastics, they are "compounded" with monomeric ingredients to improve their processing and end-use performance. In order of total volume used, these monomeric additives may be classified as follows: reinforcing fibers, fillers, and coupling agents; plasticizers; colorants; stabilizers (halogen stabilizers, antioxidants, ultraviolet absorbers, and biological preservatives); processing aids (lubricants, others, and flow controls); flame retardants, peroxides; and antistats. Some information is already available, and much more is needed, on potential toxicity and safe handling of these additives during processing and manufacture of plastics products. PMID:1175566

Extension algorithm for generic low-voltage networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marwitz, S.; Olk, C.

2018-02-01

Distributed energy resources (DERs) are increasingly penetrating the energy system which is driven by climate and sustainability goals. These technologies are mostly connected to low- voltage electrical networks and change the demand and supply situation in these networks. This can cause critical network states. Network topologies vary significantly and depend on several conditions including geography, historical development, network design or number of network connections. In the past, only some of these aspects were taken into account when estimating the network investment needs for Germany on the low-voltage level. Typically, fixed network topologies are examined or a Monte Carlo approach is used to quantify the investment needs at this voltage level. Recent research has revealed that DERs differ substantially between rural, suburban and urban regions. The low-voltage network topologies have different design concepts in these regions, so that different network topologies have to be considered when assessing the need for network extensions and investments due to DERs. An extension algorithm is needed to calculate network extensions and investment needs for the different typologies of generic low-voltage networks. We therefore present a new algorithm, which is capable of calculating the extension for generic low-voltage networks of any given topology based on voltage range deviations and thermal overloads. The algorithm requires information about line and cable lengths, their topology and the network state only. We test the algorithm on a radial, a loop, and a heavily meshed network. Here we show that the algorithm functions for electrical networks with these topologies. We found that the algorithm is able to extend different networks efficiently by placing cables between network nodes. The main value of the algorithm is that it does not require any information about routes for additional cables or positions for additional substations when it comes to estimating network extension needs.

Task–Technology Fit of Video Telehealth for Nurses in an Outpatient Clinic Setting

PubMed Central

Finkelstein, Stanley M.

2014-01-01

Abstract Background: Incorporating telehealth into outpatient care delivery supports management of consumer health between clinic visits. Task–technology fit is a framework for understanding how technology helps and/or hinders a person during work processes. Evaluating the task–technology fit of video telehealth for personnel working in a pediatric outpatient clinic and providing care between clinic visits ensures the information provided matches the information needed to support work processes. Materials and Methods: The workflow of advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) care coordination provided via telephone and video telehealth was described and measured using a mixed-methods workflow analysis protocol that incorporated cognitive ethnography and time–motion study. Qualitative and quantitative results were merged and analyzed within the task–technology fit framework to determine the workflow fit of video telehealth for APRN care coordination. Results: Incorporating video telehealth into APRN care coordination workflow provided visual information unavailable during telephone interactions. Despite additional tasks and interactions needed to obtain the visual information, APRN workflow efficiency, as measured by time, was not significantly changed. Analyzed within the task–technology fit framework, the increased visual information afforded by video telehealth supported the assessment and diagnostic information needs of the APRN. Conclusions: Telehealth must provide the right information to the right clinician at the right time. Evaluating task–technology fit using a mixed-methods protocol ensured rigorous analysis of fit within work processes and identified workflows that benefit most from the technology. PMID:24841219

Overcoming inertia: increasing public health departments' access to evidence-based information and promoting usage to inform practice.

PubMed

LaPelle, Nancy R; Dahlen, Karen; Gabella, Barbara A; Juhl, Ashley L; Martin, Elaine

2014-01-01

In 2010, the New England Region-National Network of Libraries of Medicine at University of Massachusetts Medical School received funding to improve information access for public health departments in 6 New England states and Colorado. Public health departments were provided with desktop digital access to licensed e-resources available through special pricing. In January through mid-April 2012, we evaluated the effectiveness of providing access to and training for using e-resources to public health department staff to motivate usage in practice. We found that additional strategies are needed to accomplish this.

Consumer health information seeking in social media: a literature review.

PubMed

Zhao, Yuehua; Zhang, Jin

2017-12-01

The objective of this literature review was to summarise current research regarding how consumers seek health-related information from social media. Primarily, we hope to reveal characteristics of existing studies investigating the health topics that consumers have discussed in social media, ascertaining the roles social media have played in consumers' information-seeking processes and discussing the potential benefits and concerns of accessing consumer health information in social media. The Web of Science Core Collection database was searched for existing literature on consumer health information seeking in social media. The search returned 214 articles, of which 21 met the eligibility criteria following review of full-text documents. Between 2011 and 2016, twenty-one studies published explored various topics related to consumer information seeking in social media. These ranged from online discussions on specific diseases (e.g. diabetes) to public health concerns (e.g. pesticide residues). Consumers' information needs vary depending on the health issues of interest. Benefits of health seeking on social media, in addition to filling a need for health information, include the social and emotional support health consumers gain from peer-to-peer interactions. These benefits, however, are tempered by concerns of information quality and authority and lead to decreased consumer engagement. © 2017 Health Libraries Group.

Earth science information: Planning for the integration and use of global change information

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lousma, Jack R.

1992-01-01

The Consortium for International Earth Science Information Network (CIESIN) was founded in 1989 as a non-profit corporation dedicated to facilitating access to, use and understanding of global change information worldwide. The Consortium was created to cooperate and coordinate with organizations and researchers throughout the global change community to further access the most advanced technology, the latest scientific research, and the best information available for critical environmental decision making. CIESIN study efforts are guided by Congressional mandates to 'convene key present and potential users to assess the need for investment in integration of earth science information,' to 'outline the desirable pattern of interaction with the scientific and policy community,' and to 'develop recommendations and draft plans to achieve the appropriate level of effort in the use of earth science data for research and public policy purposes.' In addition, CIESIN is tasked by NASA to develop a data center that would extend the benefits of Earth Observing System (EOS) to the users of global change information related to human dimensions issues. For FY 1991, CIESIN focused on two main objectives. The first addressed the identification of information needs of global change research and non-research user groups worldwide. The second focused on an evaluation of the most efficient mechanisms for making this information available in usable forms.

An application of Social Values for Ecosystem Services (SolVES) to three national forests in Colorado and Wyoming

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sherrouse, Benson C.; Semmens, Darius J.; Clement, Jessica M.

2014-01-01

Despite widespread recognition that social-value information is needed to inform stakeholders and decision makers regarding trade-offs in environmental management, it too often remains absent from ecosystem service assessments. Although quantitative indicators of social values need to be explicitly accounted for in the decision-making process, they need not be monetary. Ongoing efforts to map such values demonstrate how they can also be made spatially explicit and relatable to underlying ecological information. We originally developed Social Values for Ecosystem Services (SolVES) as a tool to assess, map, and quantify nonmarket values perceived by various groups of ecosystem stakeholders. With SolVES 2.0 we have extended the functionality by integrating SolVES with Maxent maximum entropy modeling software to generate more complete social-value maps from available value and preference survey data and to produce more robust models describing the relationship between social values and ecosystems. The current study has two objectives: (1) evaluate how effectively the value index, a quantitative, nonmonetary social-value indicator calculated by SolVES, reproduces results from more common statistical methods of social-survey data analysis and (2) examine how the spatial results produced by SolVES provide additional information that could be used by managers and stakeholders to better understand more complex relationships among stakeholder values, attitudes, and preferences. To achieve these objectives, we applied SolVES to value and preference survey data collected for three national forests, the Pike and San Isabel in Colorado and the Bridger–Teton and the Shoshone in Wyoming. Value index results were generally consistent with results found through more common statistical analyses of the survey data such as frequency, discriminant function, and correlation analyses. In addition, spatial analysis of the social-value maps produced by SolVES provided information that was useful for explaining relationships between stakeholder values and forest uses. Our results suggest that SolVES can effectively reproduce information derived from traditional statistical analyses while adding spatially explicit, social-value information that can contribute to integrated resource assessment, planning, and management of forests and other ecosystems.

Searching Online for Information About Vaccination: Assessing the Influence of User-Specific Cognitive Factors Using Eye-Tracking.

PubMed

Kessler, Sabrina Heike; Zillich, Arne Freya

2018-04-20

In Germany, the Internet is gaining increasing importance for laypeople as a source of health information, including information about vaccination. While previous research has focused on the characteristics of online information about vaccination, this study investigated the influence of relevant user-specific cognitive factors on users' search behavior for online information about vaccination. Additionally, it examined how searching online for information about vaccination influences users' attitudes toward vaccination. We conducted an experimental study with 56 undergraduate students from a German university that consisted of a survey and eye-tracking while browsing the Internet, followed by a content analysis of the eye-tracking data. The results show that the users exposed themselves to balanced and diverse online information about vaccination. However, none of the examined cognitive factors (attitude toward vaccination, attitude salience, prior knowledge about vaccination, need for cognition, and cognitive involvement) influenced the amount of time users spent searching the Internet for information about vaccination. Our study was not able to document any effects of attitude-consistent selective exposure to online information about vaccination. In addition, we found no effect on attitude change after having searched the Internet for vaccine-related information. Thus, users' search behavior regarding vaccination seems to be relatively stable.

CARA Risk Assessment Thresholds

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hejduk, M. D.

2016-01-01

Warning remediation threshold (Red threshold): Pc level at which warnings are issued, and active remediation considered and usually executed. Analysis threshold (Green to Yellow threshold): Pc level at which analysis of event is indicated, including seeking additional information if warranted. Post-remediation threshold: Pc level to which remediation maneuvers are sized in order to achieve event remediation and obviate any need for immediate follow-up maneuvers. Maneuver screening threshold: Pc compliance level for routine maneuver screenings (more demanding than regular Red threshold due to additional maneuver uncertainty).

Beef cattle welfare in the USA: identification of priorities for future research.

PubMed

Tucker, Cassandra B; Coetzee, Johann F; Stookey, Joseph M; Thomson, Daniel U; Grandin, Temple; Schwartzkopf-Genswein, Karen S

2015-12-01

This review identifies priorities for beef cattle welfare research in the USA. Based on our professional expertise and synthesis of existing literature, we identify two themes in intensive aspects of beef production: areas where policy-based actions are needed and those where additional research is required. For some topics, considerable research informs best practice, yet gaps remain between scientific knowledge and implementation. For example, many of the risk factors and management strategies to prevent respiratory disease are understood, but only used by a relatively small portion of the industry. This is an animal health issue that will require leadership and discussion to gain widespread adoption of practices that benefit cattle welfare. There is evidence of success when such actions are taken, as illustrated by the recent improvements in handling at US slaughter facilities. Our highest priorities for additional empirical evidence are: the effect of technologies used to either promote growth or manage cattle in feedlots, identification of management risk factors for disease in feedlots, and management decisions about transport (rest stops, feed/water deprivation, climatic conditions, stocking density). Additional research is needed to inform science-based recommendations about environmental features such as dry lying areas (mounds), shade, water and feed, as well as trailer design.

Report of the 1st Planning Workshop for CELSS Flight Experimentation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tremor, John W.; Macelroy, Robert D.

1988-01-01

A workshop held March 23 and 24, 1987 to establish a base upon which a CELSS flight experiment program will be developed, is summarized. The kind of information necessary for productivity assessment was determined. In addition, generic experiments necessary to gather that information were identified and prioritized. General problems of hardware and equipment were defined. The need for the hardware to provide a stress-free environment, not only for productivity, but also to make more readily identifiable disturbing mission factors, was recognized.

Fizeau Fourier transform imaging spectroscopy: missing data reconstruction.

PubMed

Thurman, Samuel T; Fienup, James R

2008-04-28

Fizeau Fourier transform imaging spectroscopy yields both spatial and spectral information about an object. Spectral information, however, is not obtained for a finite area of low spatial frequencies. A nonlinear reconstruction algorithm based on a gray-world approximation is presented. Reconstruction results from simulated data agree well with ideal Michelson interferometer-based spectral imagery. This result implies that segmented-aperture telescopes and multiple telescope arrays designed for conventional imaging can be used to gather useful spectral data through Fizeau FTIS without the need for additional hardware.

Quantitative benefit-harm assessment for setting research priorities: the example of roflumilast for patients with COPD.

PubMed

Puhan, Milo A; Yu, Tsung; Boyd, Cynthia M; Ter Riet, Gerben

2015-07-02

When faced with uncertainties about the effects of medical interventions regulatory agencies, guideline developers, clinicians, and researchers commonly ask for more research, and in particular for more randomized trials. The conduct of additional randomized trials is, however, sometimes not the most efficient way to reduce uncertainty. Instead, approaches such as value of information analysis or other approaches should be used to prioritize research that will most likely reduce uncertainty and inform decisions. In situations where additional research for specific interventions needs to be prioritized, we propose the use of quantitative benefit-harm assessments that illustrate how the benefit-harm balance may change as a consequence of additional research. The example of roflumilast for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease shows that additional research on patient preferences (e.g., how important are exacerbations relative to psychiatric harms?) or outcome risks (e.g., what is the incidence of psychiatric outcomes in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease without treatment?) is sometimes more valuable than additional randomized trials. We propose that quantitative benefit-harm assessments have the potential to explore the impact of additional research and to identify research priorities Our approach may be seen as another type of value of information analysis and as a useful approach to stimulate specific new research that has the potential to change current estimates of the benefit-harm balance and decision making.

Towards Socially-Responsible Management of Personal Information in Social Networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morin, Jean-Henry

Considering the increasing number of Personal Information (PI) used and shared in our now common social networked interactions, privacy issues, retention and how such information are manages have become important. Most approaches rely on one-way disclaimers and policies, often complex, hard to find and lacking ease of understanding for ordinary users of such common networks. Thus leaving little room for users to actually retain any control how the released information is actually used and managed once it has been put online. Additionally, personal information (PI) may include digital artifacts and contributions for which people would legitimately like to retain some rights over their use and their lifetime. Of particular interest in this category is the notion of the "right to forget" we no longer have control over, given the persistent nature of the Internet and its ability to retain information forever. This paper examines this issue from the point of view of the user and social responsibility, arguing for the need to augment information with an additional set of metadata about its usage and management. We discuss the use of DRM technologies in this context as a possible direction.

Covalent Modifiers: A Chemical Perspective on the Reactivity of α,β-Unsaturated Carbonyls with Thiols via Hetero-Michael Addition Reactions.

PubMed

Jackson, Paul A; Widen, John C; Harki, Daniel A; Brummond, Kay M

2017-02-09

Although Michael acceptors display a potent and broad spectrum of bioactivity, they have largely been ignored in drug discovery because of their presumed indiscriminate reactivity. As such, a dearth of information exists relevant to the thiol reactivity of natural products and their analogues possessing this moiety. In the midst of recently approved acrylamide-containing drugs, it is clear that a good understanding of the hetero-Michael addition reaction and the relative reactivities of biological thiols with Michael acceptors under physiological conditions is needed for the design and use of these compounds as biological tools and potential therapeutics. This Perspective provides information that will contribute to this understanding, such as kinetics of thiol addition reactions, bioactivities, as well as steric and electronic factors that influence the electrophilicity and reversibility of Michael acceptors. This Perspective is focused on α,β-unsaturated carbonyls given their preponderance in bioactive natural products.

How people think about the chemicals in cigarette smoke: a systematic review.

PubMed

Morgan, Jennifer C; Byron, M Justin; Baig, Sabeeh A; Stepanov, Irina; Brewer, Noel T

2017-08-01

Laws and treaties compel countries to inform the public about harmful chemicals (constituents) in cigarette smoke. To encourage relevant research by behavioral scientists, we provide a primer on cigarette smoke toxicology and summarize research on how the public thinks about cigarette smoke chemicals. We systematically searched PubMed in July 2016 and reviewed citations from included articles. Four central findings emerged across 46 articles that met inclusion criteria. First, people were familiar with very few chemicals in cigarette smoke. Second, people knew little about cigarette additives, assumed harmful chemicals are added during manufacturing, and perceived cigarettes without additives to be less harmful. Third, people wanted more information about constituents. Finally, well-presented chemical information increased knowledge and awareness and may change behavior. This research area is in urgent need of behavioral science. Future research should investigate whether educating the public about these chemicals increases risk perceptions and quitting.

Serendipia: Castilla-La Mancha telepathology network

PubMed Central

Peces, Carlos; García-Rojo, Marcial; Sacristán, José; Gallardo, Antonio José; Rodríguez, Ambrosio

2008-01-01

Nowadays, there is no standard solution for acquiring, archiving and communication of Pathology digital images. In addition, there does not exist any commercial Pathology Information System (LIS) that can manage the relationship between the reports generated by the pathologist and their corresponding images. Due to this situation, the Healthcare Service of Castilla-La Mancha decided to create a completely digital Pathology Department, the project is called SERENDIPIA. SERENDIPIA project provides all the necessary image acquiring devices needed to cover all kind of images that can be generated in a Pathology Department. In addition, in the SERENDIPIA project an Information System was developed that allows, on the one hand, it to cover the daily workflow of a Pathology Department (including the storage and the manage of the reports and its images), and, on the other hand, the Information System provides a WEB telepathology portal with collaborative tools like second opinion. PMID:18673519

Rates of trauma-informed counseling at substance abuse treatment facilities: reports from over 10,000 programs.

PubMed

Capezza, Nicole M; Najavits, Lisa M

2012-04-01

Trauma-informed treatment increasingly is recognized as an important component of service delivery. This study examined differences in treatment-related characteristics of facilities that offer moderate or high levels of trauma-informed counseling versus those that offer no or low levels of such counseling. Responses from 13,223 substance abuse treatment facilities surveyed in 2009 by the National Survey of Substance Abuse Treatment Services (NSSATS) were used. A majority (66.6%) of facilities reported using trauma counseling sometimes or always or often. Facilities that provided moderate or high levels of trauma counseling were more likely to provide additional treatment services, such as disease testing and specialized group therapy, as well as child care, employment counseling, and other ancillary services. A majority of facilities reported provision of trauma counseling. Additional training and resources may be needed for programs that reported low rates of trauma counseling.

Crop classification using multidate/multifrequency radar data. [Colby, Kansas

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ulaby, F. T. (Principal Investigator); Shanmugam, K. S.; Narayanan, V.; Dobson, C.

1981-01-01

Both C- and L-band radar data acquired over a test site near Colby, Kansas during the summer of 1978 were used to identify three types of vegetation cover and bare soil. The effects of frequency, polarization, and the look angle on the overall accuracy of recognizing the four types of ground cover were analyzed. In addition, multidate data were used to study the improvement in recognition accuracy possible with the addition of temporal information. The soil moisture conditions had changed considerably during the temporal sequence of the data; hence, the effects of soil moisture on the ability to discriminate between cover types were also analyzed. The results provide useful information needed for selecting the parameters of a radar system for monitoring crops.

Aural Skills: At the Juncture of Research in Early Reading and Music Literacy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hansen, Dee; Milligan, Sarah A.

2012-01-01

Pressure on music educators to accommodate reading initiatives in their schools continues to challenge genuine music-learning experiences. Children are taken out of music classrooms for additional reading time, although mounting research informs us of the value of music as a formidable avenue for developing crucial auditory skills needed for…

Chapter 1: The cactus ferruginous pygmy-owl: Taxonomy, distribution, and natural history

Treesearch

Jean-Luc E. Cartron; W. Scott Richardson; Glenn A. Proudfoot

2000-01-01

The cactus ferruginous pygmy-owl (Glaucidium brasilianum cactorum) is a small, cryptic owl that is often difficult to observe. Its natural history and conservation needs are poorly understood. Despite ongoing research in Texas and Arizona, the available information remains limited. In addition, factors influencing demographics (e.g., habitat...

Dimension yields from yellow-poplar lumber

Treesearch

R. C. Gilmore; J. D. Danielson

1984-01-01

The available supply of yellow poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera L.), its potential for new uses, and its continuing importance to the furniture industry have created a need to accumulate additional information about this species. As an aid to better utilization of this species, charts for determining cutting stock yields from yellow poplar lumber are presented for each...

Problem-Based Learning in Formal and Informal Learning Environments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shimic, Goran; Jevremovic, Aleksandar

2012-01-01

Problem-based learning (PBL) is a student-centered instructional strategy in which students solve problems and reflect on their experiences. Different domains need different approaches in the design of PBL systems. Therefore, we present one case study in this article: A Java Programming PBL. The application is developed as an additional module for…

Transition to School from Pacific Islands Early Childhood Services.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sauvao, Le'autuli'ilagi M.; Mapa, Lia; Podmore, Valerie N.

Noting the need for additional information on the transition of children from Pacific Islands early childhood services to primary school, this exploratory study was designed to provide an account of the experiences of children, parents, and teachers, focusing on language and other aspects of children's move from Pacific Islands early childhood…

Drug Control: Additional Performance Information Is Needed to Oversee the National Guard’s State Counterdrug Program

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-10-01

analysis General support a. Domestic cannabis suppression and eradication b. Transportation Reconnaissance and observation a. Ground...mapping analysis n/a n/a n/a 433 433 Training or administrative 5,321 1,431 3,650 2,878 13,281 General support Cannabis eradication 23,679

78 FR 72688 - Information Collection Activities: Application for Permit To Drill; Proposed Collection; Comment...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-12-03

... and natural gas resources in a manner that is consistent with the need to make such resources... prevent or minimize the likelihood of blowouts, loss of well control, fires, spillages, physical... the environment or to property or endanger life or health.'' In addition to the general rulemaking...

78 FR 38064 - Submission for OMB review; 30-day comment request: NLM PEOPLE LOCATOR® System

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-06-25

... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES National Institutes of Health Submission for OMB review... to allow an additional 30 days for public comment. The National Library of Medicine (NLM), National..., National Library of Medicine (NLM), National Institutes of Health (NIH). Need and Use of Information...

Parental Perceptions and Recommendations of Computing Majors: A Technology Acceptance Model Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Powell, Loreen; Wimmer, Hayden

2017-01-01

Currently, there are more technology related jobs then there are graduates in supply. The need to understand user acceptance of computing degrees is the first step in increasing enrollment in computing fields. Additionally, valid measurement scales for predicting user acceptance of Information Technology degree programs are required. The majority…

Self-Selection, Optimal Income Taxation, and Redistribution

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Amegashie, J. Atsu

2009-01-01

The author makes a pedagogical contribution to optimal income taxation. Using a very simple model adapted from George A. Akerlof (1978), he demonstrates a key result in the approach to public economics and welfare economics pioneered by Nobel laureate James Mirrlees. He shows how incomplete information, in addition to the need to preserve…

Prevalence of Pathogens Associated with Eggs and the Environment of Conventional Cage and Free Range Egg Production

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Alternative egg production methods are becoming more popular with US consumers. As the drive to expand the retail shell egg market to accommodate consumer shifts proceeds, a need arises for additional information to ensure processing methodologies result in safe eggs from all egg sources. A study ...

Are College Rankings an Indicator of Quality Education?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schmidt, William; Burroughs, Nathan; Cogan, Lee; Houang, Richard

2011-01-01

Educators need a way of determining how much additional knowledge has been gained by students in a given educational program in comparison with other programs. From the U.S. Teacher Education Study in Mathematics (TEDS), they now have such information. The TEDS yields empirical data on the educational experiences and content knowledge gains of a…

75 FR 51242 - Fisheries of the South Atlantic; Southeast Data, Assessment, and Review (SEDAR); Public Meeting

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-08-19

... benchmarks, projects future population conditions, and recommends research and monitoring needs. Participants....--4 p.m. Assessment panelists will discuss data inputs to the stock assessment model and make recommendations for additional years of data to be updated in the model. New information on black sea bass life...

76 FR 28224 - Science Advisory Board Staff Office; Notification of a Public Teleconference of the Science...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-05-16

... Advisory Board can be found at the EPA SAB Web site at http://www.epa.gov/sab . SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION..., and human health effects. The Deep Water Horizon spill identified the need for additional research on alternative spill response technologies; environmental impacts of chemical dispersants under deep sea...

St. Vincent's Home telehealth for congestive heart failure patients.

PubMed

Whitten, Pamela; Bergman, Alicia; Meese, Mary Ann; Bridwell, Karin; Jule, Kim

2009-03-01

St. Vincent's Homecare implemented a remote monitoring project in which researchers studied whether the telehome health patients exhibit enhanced clinical outcomes and patient perceptions of telehome healthcare. Fifty congestive heart failure patients (n = 50) participated in this program. Data collection included pre and post Outcome and Assessment Information Set items, 12-Item Short-Form Health Survey and Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire, and data from patient charts were used to capture demographic information. In addition, interviews were conducted in order to assess overall perceptions and attitudes. Results indicate significant changes occurring among respondents in three important aspects that impact their quality of life, namely, physical, behavioral, and emotional improvements. Specifically, statistical significance was documented at the 0.05 level regarding improvement for home telehealth patients in shortness of breath, management of oral medications, ability to engage in moderate activities, amount of energy, swelling in legs/ankles, need to sit/lie down during day, fatigue, need for hospitalization, side effects from treatment, and worry. Additionally, patients found the service easy to use and perceived the care they received via telehealth to be as good as regular in-person care.

Food additives: an ethical evaluation.

PubMed

Mepham, Ben

2011-01-01

Food additives are an integral part of the modern food system, but opinion polls showing most Europeans have worries about them imply an urgent need for ethical analysis of their use. The existing literature on food ethics, safety assessment and animal testing. Food additives provide certain advantages in terms of many people's lifestyles. There are disagreements about the appropriate application of the precautionary principle and of the value and ethical validity of animal tests in assessing human safety. Most consumers have a poor understanding of the relative benefits and risks of additives, but concerns over food safety and animal testing remain high. Examining the impacts of food additives on consumer sovereignty, consumer health and on animals used in safety testing should allow a more informed debate about their appropriate uses.

Determining Type I and Type II Errors when Applying Information Theoretic Change Detection Metrics for Data Association and Space Situational Awareness

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wilkins, M.; Moyer, E. J.; Hussein, Islam I.; Schumacher, P. W., Jr.

Correlating new detections back to a large catalog of resident space objects (RSOs) requires solving one of three types of data association problems: observation-to-track, track-to-track, or observation-to-observation. The authors previous work has explored the use of various information divergence metrics for solving these problems: Kullback-Leibler (KL) divergence, mutual information, and Bhattacharrya distance. In addition to approaching the data association problem strictly from the metric tracking aspect, we have explored fusing metric and photometric data using Bayesian probabilistic reasoning for RSO identification to aid in our ability to correlate data to specific RS Os. In this work, we will focus our attention on the KL Divergence, which is a measure of the information gained when new evidence causes the observer to revise their beliefs. We can apply the Principle of Minimum Discrimination Information such that new data produces as small an information gain as possible and this information change is bounded by ɛ. Choosing an appropriate value for ɛ for both convergence and change detection is a function of your risk tolerance. Small ɛ for change detection increases alarm rates while larger ɛ for convergence means that new evidence need not be identical in information content. We need to understand what this change detection metric implies for Type I α and Type II β errors when we are forced to make a decision on whether new evidence represents a true change in characterization of an object or is merely within the bounds of our measurement uncertainty. This is unclear for the case of fusing multiple kinds and qualities of characterization evidence that may exist in different metric spaces or are even semantic statements. To this end, we explore the use of Sequential Probability Ratio Testing where we suppose that we may need to collect additional evidence before accepting or rejecting the null hypothesis that a change has occurred. In this work, we will explore the effects of choosing ɛ as a function of α and β. Our intent is that this work will help bridge understanding between the well-trodden grounds of Type I and Type II errors and changes in information theoretic content.

What women want: qualitative analysis of consumer evaluations of maternity care in Queensland, Australia.

PubMed

McKinnon, Loretta C; Prosser, Samantha J; Miller, Yvette D

2014-10-26

Maternity care reform plans have been proposed at state and national levels in Australia, but the extent to which these respond to maternity care consumers' expressed needs is unclear. This study examines open-text survey comments to identify women's unmet needs and priorities for maternity care. It is then considered whether these needs and priorities are addressed in current reform plans. Women who had a live single or multiple birth in Queensland, Australia, in 2010 (n 3,635) were invited to complete a retrospective self-report survey. In addition to questions about clinical and interpersonal maternity care experiences from pregnancy to postpartum, women were asked an open-ended question "Is there anything else you'd like to tell us about having your baby?" This paper describes a detailed thematic analysis of open-ended responses from a random selection of 150 women (10% of 1,510 who responded to the question). Four broad themes emerged relevant to improving women's experiences of maternity care: quality of care (interpersonal and technical); access to choices and involvement in decision-making; unmet information needs; and dissatisfaction with the care environment. Some of these topics are reflected in current reform goals, while others provide evidence of the need for further reforms. The findings reinforce the importance of some existing maternity reform objectives, and describe how these might best be met. Findings affirm the importance of information provision to enable informed choices; a goal of Queensland and national reform agendas. Improvement opportunities not currently specified in reform agendas were also identified, including the quality of interpersonal relationships between women and staff, particular unmet information needs (e.g., breastfeeding), and concerns regarding the care environment (e.g., crowding and long waiting times).

Women's maternity care needs and related service models in rural areas: A comprehensive systematic review of qualitative evidence.

PubMed

Hoang, Ha; Le, Quynh; Ogden, Kathryn

2014-12-01

Understanding the needs of rural women in maternity care and service models available to them is significant for the development of effective policies and the sustainability of rural communities. Nevertheless, no systematic review of studies addressing these needs has been conducted. To synthesise the best available evidence on the experiences of women's needs in maternity care and existing service models in rural areas. Literature search of ten electronic databases, digital theses, and reference lists of relevant studies applying inclusion/exclusion criteria was conducted. Selected papers were assessed using standardised critical appraisal instruments from JBI-QARI. Data extracted from these studies were synthesised using thematic synthesis. 12 studies met the inclusion criteria. There were three main themes and several sub-themes identified. A comprehensive set of the maternity care expectations of rural women was reported in this review including safety (7), continuity of care (6) and quality of care (6), and informed choices needs (4). In addition, challenges in accessing maternity services also emerged from the literature such as access (6), risk of travelling (9) and associated cost of travel (9). Four models of maternity care examined in the literature were medically led care (5), GP-led care (4), midwifery-led care (7) and home birth (6). The systematic review demonstrates the importance of including well-conducted qualitative studies in informing the development of evidence-based policies to address women's maternity care needs and inform service models. Synthesising the findings from qualitative studies offers important insight for informing effective public health policy. Copyright © 2014 Australian College of Midwives. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Use of the Blue Button Online Tool for Sharing Health Information: Qualitative Interviews With Patients and Providers.

PubMed

Klein, Dawn M; Fix, Gemmae M; Hogan, Timothy P; Simon, Steven R; Nazi, Kim M; Turvey, Carolyn L

2015-08-18

Information sharing between providers is critical for care coordination, especially in health systems such as the United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), where many patients also receive care from other health care organizations. Patients can facilitate this sharing by using the Blue Button, an online tool that promotes patients' ability to view, print, and download their health records. The aim of this study was to characterize (1) patients' use of Blue Button, an online information-sharing tool in VA's patient portal, My HealtheVet, (2) information-sharing practices between VA and non-VA providers, and (3) how providers and patients use a printed Blue Button report during a clinical visit. Semistructured qualitative interviews were conducted with 34 VA patients, 10 VA providers, and 9 non-VA providers. Interviews focused on patients' use of Blue Button, information-sharing practices between VA and non-VA providers, and how patients and providers use a printed Blue Button report during a clinical visit. Qualitative themes were identified through iterative rounds of coding starting with an a priori schema based on technology adoption theory. Information sharing between VA and non-VA providers relied primarily on the patient. Patients most commonly used Blue Button to access and share VA laboratory results. Providers recognized the need for improved information sharing, valued the Blue Button printout, and expressed interest in a way to share information electronically across settings. Consumer-oriented technologies such as Blue Button can facilitate patients sharing health information with providers in other health care systems; however, more education is needed to inform patients of this use to facilitate care coordination. Additional research is needed to explore how personal health record documents, such as Blue Button reports, can be easily shared and incorporated into the clinical workflow of providers.

[Information transmission to the community pharmacist after a patient's discharge from the hospital: setting up of a written medication discharge form, prospective evaluation of its impact, and survey of the information needs of the pharmacists].

PubMed

Claeys, C; Dufrasne, M; De Vriese, C; Nève, J; Tulkens, P M; Spinewine, A

2015-03-01

Discharge from the hospital is a period at risk for the continuity of patient's medication (seamless pharmaceutical care). The community pharmacist is often the first health care professional seen by the patient after hospital discharge. The clinical pharmacist has potentially a key role in establishing an efficient information transfer from the hospital to the community pharmacy. (1) To develop and, (2) to evaluate the impact of a structured discharge medication form prepared at hospital discharge by the clinical pharmacist and containing information items related to the medication regimen for the community pharmacist, and (3) to survey the information needs of the Belgian community pharmacists to ensure continuity of care after hospitalization. (1) A structured discharge medication form has been developed based on a Literature review and on opinions expressed by community and clinical pharmacists, members of the Belgian Pharmaceutical Union (Association Pharmaceutique Belge) and an ethical committee. (2) A prospective study has been conducted with patients from geriatrics and orthopaedics wards of the University Hospital Dinant-Godinne returning home after hospital discharge with the discharge medication form to be given to their commuiity pharmacist; its use, the reasons for non-use, the perceived impact and the satisfaction of the community pharmacist have been assessed. (3) An on-line survey addressed to all Belgian community pharmacists evaluated their information needs. (1) The final version of the discharge medication form included key information items concerning the hospital, the patient, the discharge treatment (including the type of modifications made as compared to medications taken before admission), and on medication management at home. Some items were excluded because of Lack of perceived utility by pharmacists, confidentiality issues, and respect of patient's freedom of choice. (2) From the 71 medication forms given to patients, 48 were received by the community pharmacist. One quarter of respondents stated that they did not use the form, the main reason being that it was received after dispensing of the discharge treatment (n=6/11). The majority of the community pharmacists considered most of the information items as useful and the discharge medication form as being valuable for continuity of care. Requests for additional information were made (e.g., reason of admission and of treatment modifications, etc.). (3) The utility, benefits, and need for additional information items beyond what was included in the discharge medication form were highlighted by the respondents (n=309) of the national survey. Most of these respondents confirmed the value of the different information items included in the discharge medication form. The transmission of a structured medication form containing information about the medication regimen upon hospital discharge is of real interest and value for the community pharmacist because it goes beyond what is usually provided on a medical prescription. However, this discharge medication form should include more information items for effective pharmaceutical care.

Trapping self-propelled micromotors with microfabricated chevron and heart-shaped chips† †Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available: Supporting videos (S1; S2 and S3). See DOI: 10.1039/c3lc51419f Click here for additional data file. Click here for additional data file. Click here for additional data file. Click here for additional data file.

PubMed Central

Restrepo-Pérez, Laura; Soler, Lluís; Martínez-Cisneros, Cynthia S.; Schmidt, Oliver G.

2014-01-01

We demonstrate that catalytic micromotors can be trapped in microfluidic chips containing chevron and heart-shaped structures. Despite the challenge presented by the reduced size of the traps, microfluidic chips with different trapping geometries can be fabricated via replica moulding. We prove that these microfluidic chips can capture micromotors without the need for any external mechanism to control their motion. PMID:24643940

Projector-Based Augmented Reality for Quality Inspection of Scanned Objects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kern, J.; Weinmann, M.; Wursthorn, S.

2017-09-01

After scanning or reconstructing the geometry of objects, we need to inspect the result of our work. Are there any parts missing? Is every detail covered in the desired quality? We typically do this by looking at the resulting point clouds or meshes of our objects on-screen. What, if we could see the information directly visualized on the object itself? Augmented reality is the generic term for bringing virtual information into our real environment. In our paper, we show how we can project any 3D information like thematic visualizations or specific monitoring information with reference to our object onto the object's surface itself, thus augmenting it with additional information. For small objects that could for instance be scanned in a laboratory, we propose a low-cost method involving a projector-camera system to solve this task. The user only needs a calibration board with coded fiducial markers to calibrate the system and to estimate the projector's pose later on for projecting textures with information onto the object's surface. Changes within the projected 3D information or of the projector's pose will be applied in real-time. Our results clearly reveal that such a simple setup will deliver a good quality of the augmented information.

Earth observing system. Data and information system. Volume 2A: Report of the EOS Data Panel

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1986-01-01

The purpose of this report is to provide NASA with a rationale and recommendations for planning, implementing, and operating an Earth Observing System data and information system that can evolve to meet the Earth Observing System's needs in the 1990s. The Earth Observing System (Eos), defined by the Eos Science and Mission Requirements Working Group, consists of a suite of instruments in low Earth orbit acquiring measurements of the Earth's atmosphere, surface, and interior; an information system to support scientific research; and a vigorous program of scientific research, stressing study of global-scale processes that shape and influence the Earth as a system. The Eos data and information system is conceived as a complete research information system that would transcend the traditional mission data system, and include additional capabilties such as maintaining long-term, time-series data bases and providing access by Eos researchers to relevant non-Eos data. The Working Group recommends that the Eos data and information system be initiated now, with existing data, and that the system evolve into one that can meet the intensive research and data needs that will exist when Eos spacecraft are returning data in the 1990s.

Information behaviour of French-speaking speech-language therapists in Belgium: results of a questionnaire survey.

PubMed

Durieux, Nancy; Pasleau, Françoise; Piazza, Aurelie; Donneau, Anne-Françoise; Vandenput, Sandrina; Maillart, Christelle

2016-03-01

Speech-language therapists (SLTs) are encouraged to implement evidence-based practice (EBP). Nevertheless, EBP use by practitioners can be questioned. The objective of this study was to explore Belgian French-speaking SLTs' information behaviour and their awareness of EBP. The collected data allow one to determine how far they have embraced this approach. The two Belgian French-speaking SLT professional associations promoted an online questionnaire survey by email. Additionally, clinical supervisors of students were asked to participate. In March 2012, 2068 emails were sent. The participation rate was at least 20% (n = 415). The reported information needs mainly concerned treatment or diagnosis. Most of the time, to attempt to fulfil their information needs, SLTs relied on their own resources (personal experience and libraries) and on colleagues in the workplace. When they searched on the Internet, they preferred to use a general search engine rather than a specialised bibliographic database. Barriers to obtaining scientific information are highlighted. Only 12% of the respondents had already heard about EBP. This study provides the first overview of the information behaviour of SLTs working in the French community of Belgium. Several recommendations are suggested for SLTs and librarians. © 2015 Health Libraries Group.

Patient and staff assessment of an audiovisual education tool for head and neck radiation therapy.

PubMed

Morley, Lyndon; McAndrew, Alison; Tse, Karen; Rakaric, Peter; Cummings, Bernard; Cashell, Angela

2013-09-01

The purpose of this study was to understand and compare patient and staff perceptions of a video-based preparatory education tool for head and neck radiotherapy. Patients and staff completed a questionnaire assessing their perceptions of whether the education tool was relevant, clear, complete and reassuring. Staff rated the video's accuracy and anticipated impact on future patient information needs. Demographic information was collected. Open-ended questions were used to elicit additional feedback. Quantitative responses from 50 patients and 48 staff were very positive and not significantly different between the two groups. Content analysis of the qualitative data provided insight into the information and approaches valued by patients and staff and how these differed. Staff members were more critical of the production quality and completeness of information related to procedures and treatment side effects. Patients valued seeing procedures acted out and desired more information about what these experiences would feel like and how to engage in self-care. Although staff-driven development may be an effective method of designing the content and approach of a preparatory education video, care should be taken to consider differences between patient and staff perceptions of information needs.

Modeling the Impact of School-based Universal Depression Screening on Additional Service Capacity Needs: A System Dynamics Approach

PubMed Central

Lyon, Aaron R.; Maras, Melissa A.; Pate, Christina M.; Igusa, Takeru; Stoep, Ann Vander

2016-01-01

Although it is widely known that the occurrence of depression increases over the course of adolescence, symptoms of mood disorders frequently go undetected. While schools are viable settings for conducting universal screening to systematically identify students in need of services for common health conditions, particularly those that adversely affect school performance, few school districts routinely screen their students for depression. Among the most commonly referenced barriers are concerns that the number of students identified may exceed schools’ service delivery capacities, but few studies have evaluated this concern systematically. System dynamics (SD) modeling may prove a useful approach for answering questions of this sort. The goal of the current paper is therefore to demonstrate how SD modeling can be applied to inform implementation decisions in communities. In our demonstration, we used SD modeling to estimate the additional service demand generated by universal depression screening in a typical high school. We then simulated the effects of implementing “compensatory approaches” designed to address anticipated increases in service need through (1) the allocation of additional staff time and (2) improvements in the effectiveness of mental health interventions. Results support the ability of screening to facilitate more rapid entry into services and suggest that improving the effectiveness of mental health services for students with depression via the implementation of an evidence-based treatment protocol may have a limited impact on overall recovery rates and service availability. In our example, the SD approach proved useful in informing systems’ decision-making about the adoption of a new school mental health service. PMID:25601192

3D voxel modelling of the marine subsurface: the Belgian Continental Shelf case

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hademenos, Vasileios; Kint, Lars; Missiaen, Tine; Stafleu, Jan; Van Lancker, Vera

2017-04-01

The need for marine space grows bigger by the year. Dredging, wind farms, aggregate extraction and many other activities take up more space than ever before. As a result, the need for an accurate model that describes the properties of the areas in use is a priority. To address this need a 3D voxel model of the subsurface of the Belgian part of the North Sea has been created in the scope of the Belgian Science Policy project TILES ('Transnational and Integrated Long-term Marine Exploitation Strategies'). Since borehole data in the marine environment are a costly endeavour and therefore relatively scarce, seismic data have been incorporated in order to improve the data coverage. Lithostratigraphic units have been defined and lithoclasses are attributed to the voxels using a stochastic interpolation. As a result each voxel contains a unique value of one of 7 lithological classes (spanning in grain size from clay to gravel) in association with the geological layer it belongs to. In addition other forms of interpolation like sequential indicator simulation have allowed us to calculate the probability occurrence of each lithoclass, thus providing additional info from which the uncertainty of the model can be derived. The resulting 3D voxel model gives a detailed image of the distribution of different sediment types and provides valuable insight on the different geological settings. The voxel model also allows to estimate resource volumes (e.g. the availability of particular sand classes), enabling a more targeted exploitation. The primary information of the model is related to geology, but the model can additionally host any type of information.

Autonomous Information Unit for Fine-Grain Data Access Control and Information Protection in a Net-Centric System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chow, Edward T.; Woo, Simon S.; James, Mark; Paloulian, George K.

2012-01-01

As communication and networking technologies advance, networks will become highly complex and heterogeneous, interconnecting different network domains. There is a need to provide user authentication and data protection in order to further facilitate critical mission operations, especially in the tactical and mission-critical net-centric networking environment. The Autonomous Information Unit (AIU) technology was designed to provide the fine-grain data access and user control in a net-centric system-testing environment to meet these objectives. The AIU is a fundamental capability designed to enable fine-grain data access and user control in the cross-domain networking environments, where an AIU is composed of the mission data, metadata, and policy. An AIU provides a mechanism to establish trust among deployed AIUs based on recombining shared secrets, authentication and verify users with a username, X.509 certificate, enclave information, and classification level. AIU achieves data protection through (1) splitting data into multiple information pieces using the Shamir's secret sharing algorithm, (2) encrypting each individual information piece using military-grade AES-256 encryption, and (3) randomizing the position of the encrypted data based on the unbiased and memory efficient in-place Fisher-Yates shuffle method. Therefore, it becomes virtually impossible for attackers to compromise data since attackers need to obtain all distributed information as well as the encryption key and the random seeds to properly arrange the data. In addition, since policy can be associated with data in the AIU, different user access and data control strategies can be included. The AIU technology can greatly enhance information assurance and security management in the bandwidth-limited and ad hoc net-centric environments. In addition, AIU technology can be applicable to general complex network domains and applications where distributed user authentication and data protection are necessary. AIU achieves fine-grain data access and user control, reducing the security risk significantly, simplifying the complexity of various security operations, and providing the high information assurance across different network domains.

Dr Google Is Here to Stay but Health Care Professionals Are Still Valued: An Analysis of Health Care Consumers' Internet Navigation Support Preferences.

PubMed

Lee, Kenneth; Hoti, Kreshnik; Hughes, Jeffery David; Emmerton, Lynne

2017-06-14

The Internet offers great opportunities for consumers to be informed about their health. However, concerns have been raised regarding its impact on the traditional health consumer-health professional relationship. Our recent survey of 400 Australian adults identified that over half of consumers required some form of navigational support in locating appropriate Web-based health information. We propose that support provided by health professionals would be preferred by consumers; this preference is regardless of whether consumers have a need for navigational support. Secondary analysis of the survey dataset is presented here to quantify consumer-reported support preferences and barriers when navigating Web-based health information. We aimed to quantitatively identify consumers' support preferences for locating Web-based health information and their barriers when navigating Web-based health information. We also aimed to compare such preferences and barriers between consumers identified as needing and not needing support when locating Web-based health information. Chi-square (χ 2 ) tests identified whether each listed support preference differed between subgroups of consumers classified as needing (n=205, 51.3%) or not needing (n=195, 48.8%) navigational support; degree of association, via phi coefficient (φ) tests, were also considered to ascertain the likely practical significance of any differences. This was repeated for each listed barrier. Free-text responses regarding additional support preferences were descriptively analyzed and compared with the quantitative findings to provide a richer understanding of desired support for health information searches. Of the 400 respondents, the most preferred mode of navigational support was involvement of health professionals; this was reported by participants identified as needing and not needing navigational support. While there was a significant difference between groups, the degree of association was small (χ 2 1 [N=400]=13.2; P<.001; φ=.18). Qualitative data from the free-text responses supported consumers' desire for health professional involvement. The two most commonly reported barriers when navigating desired Web-based health information were (1) volume of available information and (2) inconsistency of information between sources; these were reported by participants with and without a need for navigational support. While participants identified with a need for navigational support were more likely to report volume (χ 2 1 [N=387]= 4.40; P=.04; φ=.11) and inconsistency of information (χ 2 1 [N=387]= 16.10, P<.001, φ=.20) as barriers, the degrees of association were small to moderate. Despite concerns in the literature that the popularity of the Internet could compromise the health consumer-health professional relationship, our findings suggest the contrary. Our findings showed that health professionals were found to be the most commonly preferred mode of navigational support, even among consumers classified as not needing navigational support. Further research into how health professionals could assist consumers with Web-based health information seeking could strengthen the health consumer-health professional relationship amidst the growing use of "Dr Google." ©Kenneth Lee, Kreshnik Hoti, Jeffery David Hughes, Lynne Emmerton. Originally published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research (http://www.jmir.org), 14.06.2017.

Dr Google Is Here to Stay but Health Care Professionals Are Still Valued: An Analysis of Health Care Consumers’ Internet Navigation Support Preferences

PubMed Central

Hoti, Kreshnik; Hughes, Jeffery David; Emmerton, Lynne

2017-01-01

Background The Internet offers great opportunities for consumers to be informed about their health. However, concerns have been raised regarding its impact on the traditional health consumer-health professional relationship. Our recent survey of 400 Australian adults identified that over half of consumers required some form of navigational support in locating appropriate Web-based health information. We propose that support provided by health professionals would be preferred by consumers; this preference is regardless of whether consumers have a need for navigational support. Secondary analysis of the survey dataset is presented here to quantify consumer-reported support preferences and barriers when navigating Web-based health information. Objective We aimed to quantitatively identify consumers’ support preferences for locating Web-based health information and their barriers when navigating Web-based health information. We also aimed to compare such preferences and barriers between consumers identified as needing and not needing support when locating Web-based health information. Methods Chi-square (χ2) tests identified whether each listed support preference differed between subgroups of consumers classified as needing (n=205, 51.3%) or not needing (n=195, 48.8%) navigational support; degree of association, via phi coefficient (φ) tests, were also considered to ascertain the likely practical significance of any differences. This was repeated for each listed barrier. Free-text responses regarding additional support preferences were descriptively analyzed and compared with the quantitative findings to provide a richer understanding of desired support for health information searches. Results Of the 400 respondents, the most preferred mode of navigational support was involvement of health professionals; this was reported by participants identified as needing and not needing navigational support. While there was a significant difference between groups, the degree of association was small (χ21 [N=400]=13.2; P<.001; φ=.18). Qualitative data from the free-text responses supported consumers’ desire for health professional involvement. The two most commonly reported barriers when navigating desired Web-based health information were (1) volume of available information and (2) inconsistency of information between sources; these were reported by participants with and without a need for navigational support. While participants identified with a need for navigational support were more likely to report volume (χ21 [N=387]= 4.40; P=.04; φ=.11) and inconsistency of information (χ21 [N=387]= 16.10, P<.001, φ=.20) as barriers, the degrees of association were small to moderate. Conclusions Despite concerns in the literature that the popularity of the Internet could compromise the health consumer-health professional relationship, our findings suggest the contrary. Our findings showed that health professionals were found to be the most commonly preferred mode of navigational support, even among consumers classified as not needing navigational support. Further research into how health professionals could assist consumers with Web-based health information seeking could strengthen the health consumer-health professional relationship amidst the growing use of “Dr Google.” PMID:28615156

Scale-Up Information for Gas-Phase Ammonia Treatment of Uranium in the Vadose Zone at the Hanford Site Central Plateau

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

Truex, Michael J.; Szecsody, James E.; Zhong, Lirong

Uranium is present in the vadose zone at the Hanford Central Plateau and is of concern for protection of groundwater. The Deep Vadose Zone Treatability Test Plan for the Hanford Central Plateau identified gas-phase treatment and geochemical manipulation as potentially effective treatment approaches for uranium and technetium in the Hanford Central Plateau vadose zone. Based on laboratory evaluation, use of ammonia vapor was selected as the most promising uranium treatment candidate for further development and field testing. While laboratory tests have shown that ammonia treatment effectively reduces the mobility of uranium, additional information is needed to enable deployment of thismore » technology for remediation. Of importance for field applications are aspects of the technology associated with effective distribution of ammonia to a targeted treatment zone, understanding the fate of injected ammonia and its impact on subsurface conditions, and identifying effective monitoring approaches. In addition, information is needed to select equipment and operational parameters for a field design. As part of development efforts for the ammonia technology for remediation of vadose zone uranium contamination, field scale-up issues were identified and have been addressed through a series of laboratory and modeling efforts. This report presents a conceptual description for field application of the ammonia treatment process, engineering calculations to support treatment design, ammonia transport information, field application monitoring approaches, and a discussion of processes affecting the fate of ammonia in the subsurface. The report compiles this information from previous publications and from recent research and development activities. The intent of this report is to provide technical information about these scale-up elements to support the design and operation of a field test for the ammonia treatment technology.« less

Efficacy of the epilepsy nurse: Results of a randomized controlled study.

PubMed

Pfäfflin, Margarete; Schmitz, Bettina; May, Theodor W

2016-07-01

We investigated the efficacy of epilepsy nurses on satisfaction with counseling about epilepsy in a randomized, controlled, prospective trial. Patients with epilepsy treated by neurologists in outpatient clinics were consecutively enrolled and randomly allocated to either the epilepsy nurse (EN) group (n = 92) or the control group (n = 95). Patients in the EN group were advised according to their needs by epilepsy nurses. The control group received routine care without additional counseling. The EN group completed the questionnaires before the first consultation (T1) and 6 months later (T2); the control group completed the questionnaires twice with an interval of 6 months. Primary outcome measure was satisfaction of patients with information and support. Secondary outcome measures were satisfaction with patient-doctor relationship, organization of treatment, epilepsy knowledge, coping, and restrictions in daily life. Anxiety and depression (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale) and global Quality of Life (item from QOLIE-31) were also assessed. Statistical analysis included generalized estimating equation (GEE) and nonparametric tests. Satisfaction with information and support improved significantly in the EN group compared to the control group (GEE, interaction group × time, p = 0.001). In addition, Epilepsy Knowledge (p = 0.014) and Coping (subscale Information Seeking) (p = 0.023) improved. Increase in satisfaction with counseling was dependent on patients' needs for information and on the amount of received information (Jonckheere-Terpstra test, p < 0.001). No differences between the groups were observed on other epilepsy-specific scales. A reliable questionnaire for satisfaction with epilepsy care has been developed. Epilepsy nurses improve the satisfaction of patients with counseling and information about epilepsy and concomitant problems. Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 International League Against Epilepsy.

Estimating the Economic Value of Information for Screening in Disseminating and Targeting Effective School-based Preventive Interventions: An Illustrative Example.

PubMed

Johnston, Stephen S; Salkever, David S; Ialongo, Nicholas S; Slade, Eric P; Stuart, Elizabeth A

2017-11-01

When candidates for school-based preventive interventions are heterogeneous in their risk of poor outcomes, an intervention's expected economic net benefits may be maximized by targeting candidates for whom the intervention is most likely to yield benefits, such as those at high risk of poor outcomes. Although increasing amounts of information about candidates may facilitate more accurate targeting, collecting information can be costly. We present an illustrative example to show how cost-benefit analysis results from effective intervention demonstrations can help us to assess whether improved targeting accuracy justifies the cost of collecting additional information needed to make this improvement.

Borehole geophysics applied to ground-water investigations

USGS Publications Warehouse

Keys, W.S.

1988-01-01

The purpose of this manual is to provide hydrologists, geologists, and others who have the necessary training with the basic information needed to apply the most useful borehole-geophysical-logging techniques to the solution of problems in ground-water hydrology. Geophysical logs can provide information on the construction of wells and on the character of the rocks and fluids penetrated by those wells, in addition to changes in the character of these factors with time. The response of well logs is caused by: petrophysical factors; the quality; temperature, and pressure of interstitial fluids; and ground-water flow. Qualitative and quantitative analysis of the analog records and computer analysis of digitized logs are used to derive geohydrologic information. This information can then be extrapolated vertically within a well and laterally to other wells using logs.The physical principles by which the mechanical and electronic components of a logging system measure properties of rocks, fluids and wells, and the principles of measurement need to be understood to correctly interpret geophysical logs. Planning the logging operation involves selecting the equipment and the logs most likely to provide the needed information. Information on well construction and geohydrology are needed to guide this selection. Quality control of logs is an important responsibility of both the equipment operator and log analyst and requires both calibration and well-site standardization of equipment.Logging techniques that are widely used in ground-water hydrology or that have significant potential for application to this field include: spontaneous potential, resistance, resistivity, gamma, gamma spectrometry, gamma-gamma, neutron, acoustic velocity, acoustic televiewer, caliper, and fluid temperature, conductivity, and flow. The following topics are discussed for each of these techniques: principles and instrumentation, calibration and standardization, volume of investigation, extraneous effects, and interpretation and applications.

Initial Design of Culturally Informed Behavioral Intervention Technologies: Developing an mHealth Intervention for Young Sexual Minority Men With Generalized Anxiety Disorder and Major Depression

PubMed Central

Montague, Enid; Mohr, David C

2013-01-01

Background To our knowledge, there is no well-articulated process for the design of culturally informed behavioral intervention technologies. Objective This paper describes the early stages of such a process, illustrated by the methodology for the ongoing development of a behavioral intervention technology targeting generalized anxiety disorder and major depression among young sexual minority men. Methods We integrated instructional design for Internet behavioral intervention technologies with greater detail on information sources that can identify user needs in understudied populations, as well as advances in the understanding of technology-specific behavioral intervention technology dimensions that may need to be culturally tailored. Results General psychological theory describing how to effect change in the clinical target is first integrated with theory describing potentially malleable factors that help explain the clinical problem within the population. Additional information sources are then used to (1) evaluate the theory, (2) identify population-specific factors that may affect users’ ability to relate to and benefit from the behavioral intervention technology, and (3) establish specific skills, attitudes, knowledge, etc, required to change malleable factors posited in the theory. User needs result from synthesis of this information. Product requirements are then generated through application of the user needs to specific behavioral intervention technology dimensions (eg, technology platform). We provide examples of considerations relevant to each stage of this process and how they were applied. Conclusions This process can guide the initial design of other culturally informed behavioral intervention technologies. This first attempt to create a systematic design process can spur development of guidelines for design of behavioral intervention technologies aimed to reduce health disparities. PMID:24311444

Designing the Monitoring of Water-Related Sustainable Development Goals Based on Value of Information

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, R. S.; Levy, M. A.; de Sherbinin, A. M.; Fischer, A.

2015-12-01

The proposed Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) represent an unprecedented international commitment to collective action and targeted interventions at global, regional, and national scales. Existing monitoring and data infrastructures are inadequate for producing the variety of environmental and socioeconomic information needed to ensure efficient and effective outcomes across the range of interlinked SDGs and targets. The scientific community needs to take a lead in developing new tools and approaches that, at reasonable cost, provide monitoring data of sufficient quality and spatial and temporal coverage to support informed decision making by diverse stakeholders. The expanded SDGs related to water offer the opportunity to explore potential new monitoring approaches and data system architectures in a key sector, building on existing water monitoring capabilities and incorporating new technologies and methods. Since additional investments in monitoring will undoubtedly be limited, it is important to assess carefully the value of information produced by different options and their associated risks and tradeoffs. We review here the existing set of water monitoring systems, known gaps and limitations, stakeholder inputs on data needs, and the potential value of information in light of alternative water sector interventions. Of particular interest are opportunities to share investments in monitoring across sectors and stakeholders (e.g., public and private entities) and to identify where incremental improvements in water monitoring could have significant benefits for other SDGs (e.g., related to health, energy, agriculture, and climate change). Value of information is also driven by the numbers of people affected by decisions or able to take advantage of improved data, which implies the need not only to collect and archive data, but also to invest in making data accessible and usable to diverse and geographically dispersed users.

Parents' perceptions of counselling following prenatal diagnosis of congenital anomalies of the kidney and urinary tract: a qualitative study.

PubMed

Marokakis, Sarah; Kasparian, Nadine A; Kennedy, Sean E

2017-03-01

To explore parents' experiences of counselling after prenatal diagnosis of congenital anomalies of the kidney and urinary tract. Parents of a child born between September 2012 and March 2015 with posterior urethral valves (PUV) or multicystic dysplastic kidney (MCDK) completed a semi-structured telephone interview, demographic survey, and the 21-item self-report Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scales questionnaire. Qualitative data were analysed thematically using NVivo10 software. In all, 17 parents (PUV, eight; MCDK, nine) participated (response rate 40%), and most were offered counselling during pregnancy (14/17). Parents described feelings of shock, fear and uncertainty after diagnosis, and desired early information on all aspects of their child's condition. Most participants were satisfied with the information received; however, unmet information needs relating to treatment and prognosis were identified, particularly amongst fathers and parents in the PUV group. Some parents felt relieved after counselling (12/17); however, emotional distress often persisted long after diagnosis. Parents described a need for written and web-based information resources, specialised psychological services, and parent support groups. While parents valued counselling, many continued to report unmet informational and psychological needs. Early counselling addressing topics important to parents and provision of additional resources and support services may improve parents' adjustment to their baby's diagnosis. © 2016 The Authors BJU International © 2016 BJU International Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

You have been framed! How antecedents of information need mediate the effects of risk communication messages.

PubMed

Terpstra, T; Zaalberg, R; de Boer, J; Botzen, W J W

2014-08-01

This study investigates the processes that mediate the effects of framing flood risks on people's information needs. Insight into the effects of risk frames is important for developing balanced risk communication that explains both risks and benefits of living near water. The research was inspired by the risk information seeking and processing model and related models. In a web-based survey, respondents (n = 1,457) were randomly assigned to one of three communication frames or a control frame (experimental conditions). Each frame identically explained flood risk and additionally refined the message by emphasizing climate change, the quality of flood risk management, or the amenities of living near water. We tested the extent to which risk perceptions, trust, and affective responses mediate the framing effects on information need. As expected, the frames on average resulted in higher information need than the control frame. Attempts to lower fear appeal by stressing safety or amenities instead of climate change were marginally successful, a phenomenon that is known as a "negativity bias." Framing effects were mediated by negative attributes (risk perception and negative affect) but not by positive attributes (trust and positive affect). This finding calls for theoretical refinement. Practically, communication messages will be more effective when they stimulate risk perceptions and evoke negative affect. However, arousal of fear may have unwanted side effects. For instance, fear arousal could lead to lower levels of trust in risk management among citizens. Regular monitoring of citizens' attitudes is important to prevent extreme levels of distrust or cynicism. © 2014 Society for Risk Analysis.

Information needs for siting new, and evaluating current, nuclear facilities: ecology, fate and transport, and human health.

PubMed

Burger, Joanna; Clarke, James; Gochfeld, Michael

2011-01-01

The USA is entering an era of energy diversity, and increasing nuclear capacity and concerns focus on accidents, security, waste, and pollution. Physical buffers that separate outsiders from nuclear facilities often support important natural ecosystems but may contain contaminants. The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) licenses nuclear reactors; the applicant provides environmental assessments that serve as the basis for Environmental Impact Statements developed by NRC. We provide a template for the types of information needed for safe siting of nuclear facilities with buffers in three categories: ecological, fate and transport, and human health information that can be used for risk evaluations. Each item on the lists is an indicator for evaluation, and individual indicators can be selected for specific region. Ecological information needs include biodiversity (species, populations, communities) and structure and functioning of ecosystems, habitats, and landscapes, in addition to common, abundant, and unique species and endangered and rare ones. The key variables of fate and transport are sources of release for radionuclides and other chemicals, nature of releases (atmospheric vapors, subsurface liquids), features, and properties of environmental media (wind speed, direction and atmospheric stability, hydraulic gradient, hydraulic conductivity, groundwater chemistry). Human health aspects include receptor populations (demography, density, dispersion, and distance), potential pathways (drinking water sources, gardening, fishing), and exposure opportunities (lifestyle activities). For each of the three types of information needs, we expect that only a few of the indicators will be applicable to a particular site and that stakeholders should agree on a site-specific suite.

Regulation of animal biotechnology: research needs.

PubMed

Rexroad, C E; Green, R D; Wall, R J

2007-09-01

Livestock that result from biotechnology have been a part of agricultural science for over 30 years but have not entered the market place as food or fiber. Two biotechnologies are at the forefront as challenges to the world's systems for regulating the market place: animal clones and transgenic animals. Both technologies have come before the Food and Drug Administration in the United States and it appears that action is imminent for clones. The FDA has asserted principles for evaluation of clones and asserts that "... remaining hazard(s) from cloning are likely to be subtle in nature." The science-based principles recognize that in some areas related to developmental biology and gene expression in clones, additional scientific information would be useful. The role of science then is to use the genomic tools that we have available to answer questions about epigenetic regulation of development and reprogramming of genes to the state found in germ cells. Transgenics pose additional challenges to regulators. If the transgenics are produced using cloning from modified cells then the additional scientific information needed will be related to the effects of insertion and expression of the transgenes. Other approaches such as retrovirally vectored transgenesis will elicit additional questions. These questions will be challenging because the science will have to be related to the expression and function of each gene or class of genes. For the promises of animal biotechnology to be fulfilled, scientists will have to resolve many questions for regulators and the public but tools to answer those questions are rapidly becoming available.

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.)

Information management to enable personalized medicine: stakeholder roles in building clinical decision support.

PubMed

Downing, Gregory J; Boyle, Scott N; Brinner, Kristin M; Osheroff, Jerome A

2009-10-08

Advances in technology and the scientific understanding of disease processes are presenting new opportunities to improve health through individualized approaches to patient management referred to as personalized medicine. Future health care strategies that deploy genomic technologies and molecular therapies will bring opportunities to prevent, predict, and pre-empt disease processes but will be dependent on knowledge management capabilities for health care providers that are not currently available. A key cornerstone to the potential application of this knowledge will be effective use of electronic health records. In particular, appropriate clinical use of genomic test results and molecularly-targeted therapies present important challenges in patient management that can be effectively addressed using electronic clinical decision support technologies. Approaches to shaping future health information needs for personalized medicine were undertaken by a work group of the American Health Information Community. A needs assessment for clinical decision support in electronic health record systems to support personalized medical practices was conducted to guide health future development activities. Further, a suggested action plan was developed for government, researchers and research institutions, developers of electronic information tools (including clinical guidelines, and quality measures), and standards development organizations to meet the needs for personalized approaches to medical practice. In this article, we focus these activities on stakeholder organizations as an operational framework to help identify and coordinate needs and opportunities for clinical decision support tools to enable personalized medicine. This perspective addresses conceptual approaches that can be undertaken to develop and apply clinical decision support in electronic health record systems to achieve personalized medical care. In addition, to represent meaningful benefits to personalized decision-making, a comparison of current and future applications of clinical decision support to enable individualized medical treatment plans is presented. If clinical decision support tools are to impact outcomes in a clear and positive manner, their development and deployment must therefore consider the needs of the providers, including specific practice needs, information workflow, and practice environment.

Information management to enable personalized medicine: stakeholder roles in building clinical decision support

PubMed Central

2009-01-01

Background Advances in technology and the scientific understanding of disease processes are presenting new opportunities to improve health through individualized approaches to patient management referred to as personalized medicine. Future health care strategies that deploy genomic technologies and molecular therapies will bring opportunities to prevent, predict, and pre-empt disease processes but will be dependent on knowledge management capabilities for health care providers that are not currently available. A key cornerstone to the potential application of this knowledge will be effective use of electronic health records. In particular, appropriate clinical use of genomic test results and molecularly-targeted therapies present important challenges in patient management that can be effectively addressed using electronic clinical decision support technologies. Discussion Approaches to shaping future health information needs for personalized medicine were undertaken by a work group of the American Health Information Community. A needs assessment for clinical decision support in electronic health record systems to support personalized medical practices was conducted to guide health future development activities. Further, a suggested action plan was developed for government, researchers and research institutions, developers of electronic information tools (including clinical guidelines, and quality measures), and standards development organizations to meet the needs for personalized approaches to medical practice. In this article, we focus these activities on stakeholder organizations as an operational framework to help identify and coordinate needs and opportunities for clinical decision support tools to enable personalized medicine. Summary This perspective addresses conceptual approaches that can be undertaken to develop and apply clinical decision support in electronic health record systems to achieve personalized medical care. In addition, to represent meaningful benefits to personalized decision-making, a comparison of current and future applications of clinical decision support to enable individualized medical treatment plans is presented. If clinical decision support tools are to impact outcomes in a clear and positive manner, their development and deployment must therefore consider the needs of the providers, including specific practice needs, information workflow, and practice environment. PMID:19814826

Needs of informal caregivers across the caregiving course in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: a qualitative analysis

PubMed Central

Carney, Sile; Corr, Bernie; Mays, Iain; Pender, Niall; Hardiman, Orla

2018-01-01

Objectives Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as motor neuron disease (MND), is a debilitating terminal condition. Informal caregivers are key figures in ALS care provision. The physical, psychological and emotional impact of providing care in the home requires appropriate assistance and support. The objective of this analysis is to explore the needs of informal ALS caregivers across the caregiving course. Design In an open-ended question as part of a semistructured interview, caregivers were asked what would help them in their role. Interviews took place on three occasions at 4-month to 6-month intervals. Demographic, burden and quality of life data were collected, in addition to the open-ended responses. We carried out descriptive statistical analysis and thematic analysis of qualitative data. Setting and participants Home interviews at baseline (n=81) and on two further occasions (n=56, n=41) with informal caregivers of people with ALS attending the National ALS/MND Clinic at Beaumont Hospital, Dublin, Ireland. Results The majority of caregivers were family members. Hours of care provided and caregiver burden increased across the interview series. Thematic analysis identified what would help them in their role, and needs related to external support and services, psychological-emotional factors, patient-related behaviours, a cure and ‘nothing’. Themes were interconnected and their prevalence varied across the interview time points. Conclusion This study has shown the consistency and adaptation in what caregivers identified as helpful in their role, across 12–18 months of a caregiving journey. Support needs are clearly defined, and change with time and the course of caregiving. Caregivers need support from family, friends and healthcare professionals in managing their tasks and the emotional demands of caregiving. Identifying the specific needs of informal caregivers should enable health professionals to provide tailored supportive interventions. PMID:29374665

Initiatives and resources to promote antimicrobial stewardship.

PubMed

Paño-Pardo, José Ramón; Campos, José; Natera Kindelán, Clara; Ramos, Antonio

2013-09-01

The development of an antimicrobial stewardship program (ASP) requires institutional support. However, obtaining sufficient institutional support is often a complex task that requires convincing the hospital's managers of the benefits of these programs. Additionally, in the design and implementation of an ASP, antimicrobial stewardship (AS) leaders need tools for diverse purposes, such as measuring antimicrobial consumption, education and training and designing protocols. In this review we provide useful information for AS promoters to facilitate the task of designing and implementing an ASP. First, we summarize information about various institutions that promote AS and include evidence that supports the need for and benefits of these programs. Then, several campaigns promoting AS are described. Finally, online resources for professionals dealing with AS are briefly summarized. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier España, S.L. All rights reserved.

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

Not Available

This Spanish version of the popular Small Wind Electric Systems: A U.S. Consumer's Guide provides consumers with information to help them determine whether a small wind electric system can provide all or a portion of the energy they need for their home or business based on their wind resource, energy needs, and economics. Topics include how to make a home more energy efficient, how to choose the correct turbine size, the parts of a wind electric system, how to determine whether enough wind resource exists, how to choose the best site for a turbine, how to connect a system tomore » the utility grid, and whether it's possible to become independent of the utility grid using wind energy. In addition, the cover of the guide contains a list of contacts for more information.« less

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

Not Available

This Spanish version of the popular Small Wind Electric Systems: A New Mexico Consumer's Guide provides consumers with information to help them determine whether a small wind electric system can provide all or a portion of the energy they need for their home or business based on their wind resource, energy needs, and economics. Topics include how to make a home more energy efficient, how to choose the correct turbine size, the parts of a wind electric system, how to determine whether enough wind resource exists, how to choose the best site for a turbine, how to connect a systemmore » to the utility grid, and whether it's possible to become independent of the utility grid using wind energy. In addition, the cover of the guide contains a list of contacts for more information.« less

Using patient experiences on Dutch social media to supervise health care services: exploratory study.

PubMed

van de Belt, Tom H; Engelen, Lucien J L P G; Verhoef, Lise M; van der Weide, Marian J A; Schoonhoven, Lisette; Kool, Rudolf B

2015-01-15

Social media has become mainstream and a growing number of people use it to share health care-related experiences, for example on health care rating sites. These users' experiences and ratings on social media seem to be associated with quality of care. Therefore, information shared by citizens on social media could be of additional value for supervising the quality and safety of health care services by regulatory bodies, thereby stimulating participation by consumers. The objective of the study was to identify the added value of social media for two types of supervision by the Dutch Healthcare Inspectorate (DHI), which is the regulatory body charged with supervising the quality and safety of health care services in the Netherlands. These were (1) supervision in response to incidents reported by individuals, and (2) risk-based supervision. We performed an exploratory study in cooperation with the DHI and searched different social media sources such as Twitter, Facebook, and healthcare rating sites to find additional information for these incidents and topics, from five different sectors. Supervision experts determined the added value for each individual result found, making use of pre-developed scales. Searches in social media resulted in relevant information for six of 40 incidents studied and provided relevant additional information in 72 of 116 cases in risk-based supervision of long-term elderly care. The results showed that social media could be used to include the patient's perspective in supervision. However, it appeared that the rating site ZorgkaartNederland was the only source that provided information that was of additional value for the DHI, while other sources such as forums and social networks like Twitter and Facebook did not result in additional information. This information could be of importance for health care inspectorates, particularly for its enforcement by risk-based supervision in care of the elderly. Further research is needed to determine the added value for other health care sectors.

Using Patient Experiences on Dutch Social Media to Supervise Health Care Services: Exploratory Study

PubMed Central

Engelen, Lucien JLPG; Verhoef, Lise M; van der Weide, Marian JA; Schoonhoven, Lisette; Kool, Rudolf B

2015-01-01

Background Social media has become mainstream and a growing number of people use it to share health care-related experiences, for example on health care rating sites. These users’ experiences and ratings on social media seem to be associated with quality of care. Therefore, information shared by citizens on social media could be of additional value for supervising the quality and safety of health care services by regulatory bodies, thereby stimulating participation by consumers. Objective The objective of the study was to identify the added value of social media for two types of supervision by the Dutch Healthcare Inspectorate (DHI), which is the regulatory body charged with supervising the quality and safety of health care services in the Netherlands. These were (1) supervision in response to incidents reported by individuals, and (2) risk-based supervision. Methods We performed an exploratory study in cooperation with the DHI and searched different social media sources such as Twitter, Facebook, and healthcare rating sites to find additional information for these incidents and topics, from five different sectors. Supervision experts determined the added value for each individual result found, making use of pre-developed scales. Results Searches in social media resulted in relevant information for six of 40 incidents studied and provided relevant additional information in 72 of 116 cases in risk-based supervision of long-term elderly care. Conclusions The results showed that social media could be used to include the patient’s perspective in supervision. However, it appeared that the rating site ZorgkaartNederland was the only source that provided information that was of additional value for the DHI, while other sources such as forums and social networks like Twitter and Facebook did not result in additional information. This information could be of importance for health care inspectorates, particularly for its enforcement by risk-based supervision in care of the elderly. Further research is needed to determine the added value for other health care sectors. PMID:25592481

Extending the Reach of National Assessments: Addressing Local and Regional Needs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lewis, K.; Carter, T.

2016-12-01

While climate change is global in scope, many impacts of greatest societal concern (and accompanying response decisions) occur on local to regional scales. The U.S. Global Change Research Program (USGCRP) is tasked with conducting quadrennial national climate assessments, and efforts for the fourth such assessment (NCA4) are underway. Recognizing that there is a growing appetite for climate information on more local scales, however, USGCRP is actively pursuing higher-resolution scientific information, while also seeking engagement with local and regional entities to ensure that NCA4 is well-positioned to address users' needs across geospatial scales. Effectively meeting user needs at regional scales requires robust observations and projections at sub-national scales, as well as a widespread network of agencies and organizations. We discuss our efforts to leverage existing relationships to identify potential users and their needs early in the assessment process. We also discuss plans for future mechanisms to engage additional regional stakeholders from resource managers to policy makers and scientists not only for quadrennial assessment but as part of a sustained process.

Patterns and trends in sources of information about sex among young people in Britain: evidence from three National Surveys of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles.

PubMed

Tanton, Clare; Jones, Kyle G; Macdowall, Wendy; Clifton, Soazig; Mitchell, Kirstin R; Datta, Jessica; Lewis, Ruth; Field, Nigel; Sonnenberg, Pam; Stevens, Amy; Wellings, Kaye; Johnson, Anne M; Mercer, Catherine H

2015-03-05

To assess progress in meeting young people's sex education needs in Britain by examining the current situation and changes over the past 20 years in sources of information about sexual matters and unmet information needs. Cross-sectional probability sample surveys. British general population. 3869 men and women aged 16-24 years, interviewed 2010-2012 for the third National Survey of Sexual Attitudes & Lifestyles (Natsal-3), compared with 16-24 year-olds in Natsal-1 (1990-1991; 792 men and women) and Natsal-2 (1999-2001; 2673 men and women). Reported source of information about sexual matters, unmet information needs and preferred source of additional information. Between 1990 and 2012, the proportion citing school lessons as their main source of information about sexual matters increased from 28.2% (95% CI 24.6 to 32.1) to 40.3% (95% CI 38.6 to 42.1). In 2010-2012, parents were reported as a main source by only 7.1% (95% CI 5.8 to 8.7) of men and 14.1% (95% CI 12.6 to 15.7) of women and, for women, were less commonly reported than in 1999-2001 (21.7%; 95% CI 19.6 to 24.0). Most young people reported not knowing enough when they first felt ready for sexual experience (68.1% men, 70.6% women), and this did not change substantially over time. They wanted more information about psychosexual matters (41.6% men, 46.8% women), as well as sexually transmitted infections (27.8% men, 29.8% women) and, for women, contraception (27.5%). Young people primarily wanted this information from school, parents or health professionals. Over the past 20 years, young people have increasingly identified school lessons as their main source of information about sex, although they continue to report needing more information on a broad range of topics. The findings support the expressed need for improved sex and relationships education in schools alongside greater involvement of parents and health professionals. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

Evaluation of the Impact of an Innovative Immunization Practice Model Designed to Improve Population Health: Results of the Project IMPACT Immunizations Pilot.

PubMed

Bluml, Benjamin M; Brock, Kelly A; Hamstra, Scott; Tonrey, Lisa

2018-02-01

The goal of the initiative was to evaluate the impact of an innovative practice model on identification of unmet vaccination needs and vaccination rates. This was accomplished through a prospective, multisite, observational study in 8 community pharmacy practices with adults receiving an influenza vaccine with a documented vaccination forecast review from October 22, 2015 through March 22, 2016. When patients presented for influenza vaccinations, pharmacists utilized immunization information systems (IIS) data at the point of care to identify unmet vaccination needs, educate patients, and improve vaccination rates. The main outcome measures were the number of vaccination forecast reviews, patients educated, unmet vaccination needs identified and resolved, and vaccines administered. Pharmacists reviewed vaccination forecasts generated by clinical decision-support technology based on patient information documented in the IIS for 1080 patients receiving influenza vaccinations. The vaccination forecasts predicted there were 1566 additional vaccinations due at the time patients were receiving the influenza vaccine. Pharmacist assessments identified 36 contraindications and 196 potential duplications, leaving a net of 1334 unmet vaccination needs eligible for vaccination. In all, 447 of the 1334 unmet vaccinations needs were resolved during the 6-month study period, and the remainder of patients received information about their vaccination needs and recommendations to follow up for their vaccinations. Integration of streamlined principle-centered processes of care in immunization practices that allow pharmacists to utilize actionable point-of-care data resulted in identification of unmet vaccination needs, education of patients about their vaccination needs, a 41.4% increase in the number of vaccines administered, and significant improvements in routinely recommended adult vaccination rates.

Adrian Grant's pioneering use of evidence synthesis in perinatal medicine, 1980-1992.

PubMed

Chalmers, Iain

2018-05-15

Systematic reviews of existing research are needed to help reduce the enormous amount of wasted resources in biomedical research. Whether already available or needed but unavailable, systematic reviews are a key element in prioritising questions for new research, and for informing the design of additional studies. One of the most important of Adrian Grant's many contributions was to recognise this a decade before it began to become more widely accepted. In this sphere, as well as in many others, he was a real pioneer.

Plan of study to quantify the hydrologic relations between the Rio Grande and the Santa Fe Group aquifer system near Albuquerque, central New Mexico

USGS Publications Warehouse

McAda, D.P.

1996-01-01

The Albuquerque Basin in central New Mexico covers an area of about 3,060 square miles. Ground water from the Santa Fe Group aquifer system of the Albuquerque Basin is the principal source of water for municipal, domestic, commercial, and industrial uses in the Albuquerque area, an area of about 410 square miles. Ground- water withdrawal in the basin has increased from about 97,000 acre-feet in 1970 to about 171,000 acre-feet in 1994. About 92 percent of the 1994 total was withdrawn in the Albuquerque area. Management of ground water in the Albuquerque Basin is related to the surface water in the Rio Grande. Because the aquifer system is hydraulically connected to the Rio Grande and water in the river is fully appropriated, the ability to reliably estimate the effects of ground-water withdrawals on flow in the river is important. This report describes the components of the Rio Grande/Santa Fe Group aquifer system in the Albuquerque area and the data availability and data and interpretation needs relating to those components, and presents a plan of study to quantify the hydrologic relations between the Rio Grande and the Santa Fe Group aquifer system. The information needs related to the components of the river/aquifer system are prioritized. Information that is necessary to improve the understanding or quantification of a component in the river/aquifer system is prioritized as essential. Information that could add additional understanding of the system, but would not be necessary to improve the quantification of the system, is prioritized as useful. The study elements are prioritized in the same manner as the information needs; study elements designed to provide information considered necessary to improve the quantification of the system are prioritized as essential, and those designed to provide information that would add additional understanding of the system, but would not be necessary to improve the quantification of the system, are prioritized as useful.

Psychosocially Supportive Design: The Case for Greater Attention to Social Space Within the Pediatric Hospital.

PubMed

McLaughlan, Rebecca

2018-04-01

Models of patient and family-centered care advocate catering to psychosocial needs when designing healthcare facilities yet there is little evidence available to determine how the built environment can cater to psychosocial needs. This article highlights the obstacles to overcoming this knowledge deficit in the pursuit of evidence-based guidelines to inform social provisions within the pediatric hospital setting. It will propose a working definition for psychosocial space and identify new research directions to enhance understandings of the relationship between social space and well-being. While traditional multibed ward configurations afforded opportunities for peer support relationships to develop, both for patients and caregivers, the contemporary preference for single-occupancy rooms intensifies the need to critically examine social spaces within the pediatric hospital. Research suggests a correlation between social support and well-being. This article reviews the research underpinning contemporary understandings of this relationship; it positions literature from sociology, environmental psychology, and evidence-based design to highlight the limitations of this knowledge and identify where additional research is required to inform evidence-based design guidelines for psychosocially supportive spaces within pediatric healthcare settings. Evidence regarding the therapeutic value of social support within the pediatric hospital is not sufficiently sophisticated or conclusive to inform guidelines for the provision of social space with pediatric hospitals. There is an urgent need for targeted research to inform evidence-based design guidelines; this will demand a broad disciplinary approach.

Children with chronic disease and extracurricular activities: training needs

PubMed

Desserprix, Agnès; Marchand, Claire; Crozet, Cyril

2016-10-19

Background: ln the current context of increasing numbers of children living with a chronic disease and increasing numbers of people supervising extracurricular activities, difficulties appear to persist despite the Personalised Core Project (PCP). This study explores the accessibility and usefulness of the information provided by the Personalised Care Project and the value of complementary support. Methods: Based on the key messages identified by experts in the four most common chronic diseases, a questionnaire was deve/oped and sent to people supervising extracurricular activities in three districts of the Saône-et-Loire department. Descriptive statistical analysis was performed. Results: 55 people participated in the study. 30 (54.5%) had already supervised children with a chronic disease, 21 (70%) of them had been able to read the PCP and 17 (57%) had participated in an information meeting. 23 out of 28 (82%) considered thot the information contained in the PCP was helpful and 21 (81%) expressed their needs for further information. 98% of respondents thought thot additional support would be useful. Their main needs corresponded to 3 main self-core ski/Js: to recognize, analyse and measure; to deal with and decide; to resolve prevention problems. Conclusion: This study confirms the value of the PCP, but also the Jack of preparation of people supervising extracurricu/ar activ ities. lt highlights the need for training to allow these people to ensure the safety of chi /dren living with chronic diseases.

How US institutional review boards decide when researchers need to translate studies

PubMed Central

Klitzman, Robert

2013-01-01

Informed consent is crucial in research, but potential participants may not all speak the same language, posing questions that have not been examined concerning decisions by institutional review boards (IRBs) and research ethics committees’ (RECs) about the need for researchers to translate consent forms and other study materials. Sixty US IRBs (every fourth one in the list of the top 240 institutions by The National Institutes of Health funding) were contacted, and leaders (eg, chairs) from 34 (response rate=57%) and an additional 12 members and administrators were interviewed. IRBs face a range of problems about translation of informed consent documents, questionnaires and manuals—what, when and how to translate (eg, for how many or what proportion of potential subjects), why to do so and how to decide. Difficulties can arise about translation of specific words and of broader cultural concepts regarding processes of informed consent and research, especially in the developing world. In these decisions, IRBs weigh the need for autonomy (through informed consent) and justice (to ensure fair distribution of benefits and burdens of research) against practical concerns about costs to researchers. At times IRBs may have to compromise between these competing goals. These data, the first to examine when and how IRBs/RECs require researchers to translate materials, thus highlight a range of problems with which these committees struggle, suggesting a need for further normative and empirical investigation of these domains, and consideration of guidelines to help IRBs deal with these tensions. PMID:23475805

How US institutional review boards decide when researchers need to translate studies.

PubMed

Klitzman, Robert

2014-03-01

Informed consent is crucial in research, but potential participants may not all speak the same language, posing questions that have not been examined concerning decisions by institutional review boards (IRBs) and research ethics committees' (RECs) about the need for researchers to translate consent forms and other study materials. Sixty US IRBs (every fourth one in the list of the top 240 institutions by The National Institutes of Health funding) were contacted, and leaders (eg, chairs) from 34 (response rate=57%) and an additional 12 members and administrators were interviewed. IRBs face a range of problems about translation of informed consent documents, questionnaires and manuals-what, when and how to translate (eg, for how many or what proportion of potential subjects), why to do so and how to decide. Difficulties can arise about translation of specific words and of broader cultural concepts regarding processes of informed consent and research, especially in the developing world. In these decisions, IRBs weigh the need for autonomy (through informed consent) and justice (to ensure fair distribution of benefits and burdens of research) against practical concerns about costs to researchers. At times IRBs may have to compromise between these competing goals. These data, the first to examine when and how IRBs/RECs require researchers to translate materials, thus highlight a range of problems with which these committees struggle, suggesting a need for further normative and empirical investigation of these domains, and consideration of guidelines to help IRBs deal with these tensions.

"What Page, Miss?" Enhancing Text Accessibility with DAISY (Digital Accessible Information SYstem)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Spooner, Sue

2014-01-01

Introduction: The provision of specially formatted materials is a complex and increasingly difficult task, given the extensive and burgeoning range of texts and resources available for classroom use. The need to extend the provision of accessible formats to include digital resources (in addition to braille, audio, and large print) led to a study…

On-Entry Assessment of School Competencies and Academic Achievement: A Comparison between Slovenia and Germany

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vidmar, Maša; Niklas, Frank; Schneider, Wolfgang; Hasselhorn, Marcus

2017-01-01

The foundation of school success is laid early in children's lives. Consequently, assessments of academic precursors may help to identify children in need of additional support. Such early assessments could also be interesting from an international perspective when educational systems are compared. This analysis is used to inform on the…

Parenting in the '80s. . . Student Guide. Brookhaven College Child Development Program.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Linn, Hilda; And Others

This guide was developed to accompany a series of 16 seminars on parenting offered by the Brookhaven College Child Development Program to help meet the concerns and needs of working parents in a time of changing lifestyles and family patterns. In addition to providing an overview of each seminar topic, the guide contains informational essays…

Exploring the Use of Faded Worked Examples as a Problem Solving Approach for Underprepared Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hesser, Tiffany L.; Gregory, Jess L.

2015-01-01

It is not uncommon for students to find themselves underprepared when entering a post secondary institution. In additional to lower levels of academic achievement, underprepared students may not be aware that they lack the skills needed to be successful and effectively acquire and process information. Because of this, students that enter…

Improving K-12 Online Learning: Information Literacy Skills for Teacher Candidates

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ntuli, Esther; Kyei-Blankson, Lydia

2016-01-01

Research indicates the need for teachers to be able to locate, evaluate, and use Internet resources in their teaching and learning processes. In addition, the Common Core State Standards require that students are able to think critically and know how to search and use alternative views and perspectives in their assignments. These skills are…

Defense Logistics Agency Disposition Services Afghanistan Disposal Process Needed Improvement

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-11-08

audit, and management was proactive in correcting the deficiencies we identified. DLA DS eliminated backlogs, identified and corrected system ...problems, provided additional system training, corrected coding errors, added personnel to key positions, addressed scale issues, submitted debit...Service Automated Information System to the Reutilization Business Integration2 (RBI) solution. The implementation of RBI in Afghanistan occurred in

78 FR 72693 - Information Collection Activities: Application for Permit To Modify; Proposed Collection; Comment...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-12-03

... natural gas resources in a manner that is consistent with the need to make such resources available to... minimize the likelihood of blowouts, loss of well control, fires, spillages, physical obstructions to other... environment or to property or endanger life or health.'' In addition to the general authority of OCSLA...

OUTLOOK BY DENVER AREA OCCUPATIONS. OCCUPATIONS IN COLORADO, PART II.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Colorado State Univ., Ft. Collins.

EMPLOYMENT STATISTICS FOR 1960, ESTIMATED EMPLOYMENT FOR 1965 AND 1970, ESTIMATES OF ADDITIONAL WORKERS NEEDED BY 1970, AND SALARY INFORMATION ARE PROVIDED FOR A WIDE RANGE OF OCCUPATIONS IN THE DENVER AREA. DATA WERE OBTAINED FROM A DENVER STUDY, "JOBS AND THE FUTURE," BY ROBERT VAUGHAN OF THE MOUNTAIN STATES TELEPHONE CO., 1962, AND…

The Need for a Uniform Method of Recording and Reporting Functional Vision Assessments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shaw, Rona; Russotti, Joanne; Strauss-Schwartz, Judy; Vail, Helen; Kahn, Ronda

2009-01-01

The use of functional vision by school-age students who have visual impairments, including those with additional disabilities, is typically reported by teachers of students with visual impairments. Functional vision assessments determine how well a student uses his or her vision to perform tasks throughout the school day. The information that is…

APPA's BOK: Are You Ready to Participate?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reynolds, Gary L.

2013-01-01

The BOK (Body of Knowledge) is APPA's "Facilities Management" online manual. It makes information readily available, anytime and anywhere, to not only its members at all its institutions, but to anyone. Web media allows the BOK to be updated as needed, and includes links to additional resources. Because the BOK is an important part…

Post-Fire Analysis of Solid-Sawn Heavy Timber Beams

Treesearch

Robert H. White; Frank E. Woeste

2013-01-01

After fire exposure, design professionals are sometimes called upon to determine if the charred heavy timbers (Figure 1) are safe for future use without additional support or repairs. In this article, the authors present a sequence of reasoned steps that will help design professionals analyze charred timbers and gain the type of information needed to...

75 FR 71432 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Final Collection; Comment Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-11-23

... company chooses to make use of some aspects of the additional flexibility. Customers who do not meet the...'' as an obligor type; added the option ``CAD or SDDP'' to the terms; deleted the ``Sight Payments (non.... Report of Premiums Payable for Exporters Only. OMB Number: 3048-0017. Type of Review: Regular. Need and...

75 FR 71431 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Final Collection; Comment Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-11-23

... use only in those cases where the company chooses to make use of some aspects of the additional... the option of ``Ex-Im Bank Sole Risk'' as an obligor type; added the option ``CAD or SDDP'' to the... Payable for Financial Institutions Only. OMB Number: 3048-0021. Type of Review: Regular. Need and Use: The...

75 FR 57020 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Final Collection; Comment Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-09-17

... company chooses to make use of some aspects of the additional flexibility. Customers who do not meet the...'' as an obligor type; added the option ``CAD or SDDP'' to the terms; deleted the ``Sight Payments (non.... Report of Premiums Payable for Exporters Only. OMB Number: 3048-0017. Type of Review: Regular. Need and...

VA and DOD Health Care: First Federal Health Care Center Established, but Implementation Concerns Need to Be Addressed

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-07-01

procedures for the reporting of information security incidents. However, VA and DOD did not meet designated deadlines for the three capabilities that were...addition to the contact named above, Marcia A. Mann, Assistant Director; Jill K. Center; Kaycee M. Glavich; E. Jane Whipple ; and Malissa G. Winograd

The Work Values of Japanese Women.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Engel, John W.

Empirical studies of Japanese work ethics have tended to focus on male workers while neglecting women. In addition, work values in both Japan and the United States appear to be changing. More information is needed on the work values of American and Japanese female workers. A study was conducted to explore the work ethics of Japanese women and to…

Inventory Control of Fixed Assets by School District Personnel.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jensen, Paul E.

By July 1, 1966, each school district in New York State was required to install a system of property accounting. This pamphlet provides a suggested method of property accounting to assist school districts in meeting this requirement. In addition, suggestions are made to help the districts record the information needed for fire insurance purposes.…

Bulk Fuel Pricing: DOD Needs to Reevaluate Its Approach to Better Manage the Effect of Market Fluctuations

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-07-01

depression in the price of WTI was a result of rapid growth in U.S. and Canadian oil production, which overwhelmed the transportation infrastructure...additional information. Connect with GAO on Facebook, Flickr, Twitter, and YouTube . Subscribe to our RSS Feeds or E-mail Updates. Listen to our

Growth, yield, and structure of extended rotation Pinus resinosa stands in Minnesota, USA

Treesearch

Anthony W. D' Amato; Brian J. Palik; Christel C. Kern

2010-01-01

Extended rotations are increasingly used to meet ecological objectives on forestland; however, information about long-term growth and yield of these systems is lacking for most forests in North America. Additionally, long-term growth responses to repeated thinnings in older stands have received little attention. We addressed these needs by examining the growth and...

Breaking New Ground: Data Systems Transform Family Engagement in Education. Issue Brief

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Weiss, Heather B.; Lopez, M. Elena; Stark, Deborah R.

2011-01-01

This brief describes how investments in student data systems are taking family engagement and student achievement to a whole new level. In addition to addressing areas where a student most needs improvement, the data can serve as a catalyst for home-school communication. Parents benefit from having information about key indicators on which they…

Planning Jobs for People. Annual Report, No. 5, 1 July 71-30 June 72.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Economic Development Administration (DOC), Washington, DC.

The study reports on activities which include 59 management assistance projects resulting in 1,983 jobs and payrolls amounting to $9,097,000. In addition, the report describes work with local community leaders to make available information and techniques needed to provide public facilities in support of economic development. The report describes…

A Brief Analysis of Abraham Maslow's Original Writing of "Self-Actualizing People: A Study of Psychological Health"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Francis, Nedra H.; Kritsonis, William Allan

2006-01-01

This article analyzes Abraham Maslow's original writing of "Self-Actualizing People: A Study of Psychological Health." The review of literature in this article reveals that Maslow's hierarchy of needs have had profound effects in the area of psychology. In addition, the authors present information regarding self-actualized people, theorists of…

A Forgotten Sector; The Training of Ancillary Staff in Hospitals.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Duncan N.

A study was made, in England and Wales, of training needs of hospital ancillary staff; it concentrated on a group of hospitals in each of six Hospital Regions. In addition, information was collected at the national level and brief visits were made in other regions. Findings showed large differences in staffing between hospitals of similar types,…

El Verde Ridge, El Verde Valley, and Rio Icacos root phosphatase and bacterial community composition (December 2015)

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

Cabugao, Kristine; Timm, Collin; Carrell, Alyssa

Raw data of resin P values, root phosphatase, bacterial community 16S rRNA gene sequences, and bacterial isolate phosphatase and P solubilization in Rio Icacos, El Verde Ridge and El Verde Valley. Contact cabugaokm@ornl.gov if you need to use this dataset for additional information.

Models of Technology Management at the Community College: The Role of the Chief Information Officer

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Armstrong, Scott; Simer, Lauren; Spaniol, Lee

2011-01-01

Community colleges provide a wide range of educational services to very diverse groups of students. For that reason, the variety and flexibility of services provided can be critical. In addition, quickly changing needs result in quickly changing system requirements. In this chapter, community college CIOs speak to their roles, focusing on the…

Image Understanding Architecture

DTIC Science & Technology

1991-09-01

architecture to support real-time, knowledge -based image understanding , and develop the software support environment that will be needed to utilize...NUMBER OF PAGES Image Understanding Architecture, Knowledge -Based Vision, AI Real-Time Computer Vision, Software Simulator, Parallel Processor IL PRICE... information . In addition to sensory and knowledge -based processing it is useful to introduce a level of symbolic processing. Thus, vision researchers

75 FR 72847 - Agency Forms Submitted for OMB Review, Request for Comments

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-11-26

..., Placement Service. The RRB currently utilizes four forms to obtain information needed to carry out its job... required to obtain or maintain a benefit. In addition, the RRB also collects Railroad Job Vacancies... Control Number: 3220-0057. Form(s) submitted: ES-2, ES-21, ES-21c, UI-35, and Job Vacancies Reports. Type...

Higher-Order Factor Structure of the Differential Ability Scales-II: Consistency across Ages 4 to 17

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Keith, Timothy Z.; Low, Justin A.; Reynolds, Matthew R.; Patel, Puja G.; Ridley, Kristen P.

2010-01-01

The recently published second edition of the Differential Abilities Scale (DAS-II) is designed to measure multiple broad and general abilities from Cattell-Horn-Carroll (CHC) theory. Although the technical manual presents information supporting the test's structure, additional research is needed to determine the constructs measured by the test and…

Serving the Information Needs of the International and Minority Students at the Small College Library: A Librarian's View.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Burhans, Skip

International and minority students often pose additional challenges due to cultural, linguistic, or socio-economic differences with the mostly white, middle class, highly educated (and predominantly female) public service librarians with whom they come into contact. Such differences can range from minor speech/articulation problems to major…

Is Self-Explanation Worth the Time? A Comparison to Additional Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McEldoon, Katherine L.; Durkin, Kelley L.; Rittle-Johnson, Bethany

2013-01-01

Background: Self-explanation, or generating explanations to oneself in an attempt to make sense of new information, can promote learning. However, self-explaining takes time, and the learning benefits of this activity need to be rigorously evaluated against alternative uses of this time. Aims: In the current study, we compared the effectiveness of…

Kindergarten Children and Language Learning: Missing Pillars for Language Acquisition

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Al-Darwish, Salwa

2013-01-01

This study examines the perceptions of the Kuwaiti kindergarten school teachers and parents as well as the English curriculum in an attempt to identify areas that need to be improved in the kindergarten teachers' program at the CBE (College of Basic Education). In addition, the paper looks closely into the delivery of information and sequence of…

Emerging Developments in the Study of Organizations. ASHE Annual Meeting 1982 Paper.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

March, James G.

Development in the study of organizations and needs for additional research are addressed. It is suggested that when goals are not achieved, an organization searches for new alternatives and new information. When aspirations are achieved, the search for new alternatives is assumed to be modest, slack accumulates, and aspirations rise. It has been…

Finding the Return on Investment: A Framework for Monitoring Local Child Welfare Agencies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wulczyn, Fred H.; Orlebeke, Britany; Haight, Jennifer

2009-01-01

From year to year, child welfare directors allocate resources in the hope that their efforts will improve children's outcomes. Recently, with the help of the federal government, states have invested significant resources in the sort of information technology needed to run a smarter, more accountable child welfare system. In addition, science has…

Need for and Interest in a Sports Nutrition Mobile Device Application Among Division I Collegiate Athletes.

PubMed

Zuniga, Krystle E; Downey, Darcy L; McCluskey, Ryan; Rivers, Carley

2017-02-01

The majority of National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) programs do not have a sports nutritionist, leaving athletes to gather information from resources that vary in reputability. The objective of this study was to identify a need for the development of accessible and reputable resources of nutrition information by assessing the current use of nutrition information resources, dietary habits, and sports nutrition knowledge among Division I collegiate athletes. Seventy-two athletes across eight sports completed questionnaires concerning nutrition resources used, dietary habits, and sports nutrition knowledge. In addition, interest levels in a mobile device application for delivery of nutrition information and tools were assessed. Primary sources for nutrition information included parents and family, athletic trainers (AT), and the internet/media, and athletes felt most comfortable discussing nutrition with parents and family, ATs, and strength and conditioning specialists. Performance on a sports nutrition knowledge questionnaire indicated a general lack of nutrition knowledge, and the high frequency of "unsure" responses suggested a lack of confidence in nutrition knowledge. Athletes conveyed a high likelihood that they would use a mobile device application as a nutrition resource, but were more interested in access to nutrition topics than tools such as a food log. We found that college athletes possess minimal sports nutrition knowledge, obtain nutrition information from nonprofessional resources, and were interested in utilizing a mobile device application as a resource. Further research is needed to explore the feasibility and effectiveness of alternative resources, such as a mobile device application, to deliver nutrition information and improve nutrition knowledge.

Interruptions disrupt reading comprehension.

PubMed

Foroughi, Cyrus K; Werner, Nicole E; Barragán, Daniela; Boehm-Davis, Deborah A

2015-06-01

Previous research suggests that being interrupted while reading a text does not disrupt the later recognition or recall of information from that text. This research is used as support for Ericsson and Kintsch's (1995) long-term working memory (LT-WM) theory, which posits that disruptions while reading (e.g., interruptions) do not impair subsequent text comprehension. However, to fully comprehend a text, individuals may need to do more than recognize or recall information that has been presented in the text at a later time. Reading comprehension often requires individuals to connect and synthesize information across a text (e.g., successfully identifying complex topics such as themes and tones) and not just make a familiarity-based decision (i.e., recognition). The goal for this study was to determine whether interruptions while reading disrupt reading comprehension when the questions assessing comprehension require participants to connect and synthesize information across the passage. In Experiment 1, interruptions disrupted reading comprehension. In Experiment 2, interruptions disrupted reading comprehension but not recognition of information from the text. In Experiment 3, the addition of a 15-s time-out prior to the interruption successfully removed these negative effects. These data suggest that the time it takes to process the information needed to successfully comprehend text when reading is greater than that required for recognition. Any interference (e.g., an interruption) that occurs during the comprehension process may disrupt reading comprehension. This evidence supports the need for transient activation of information in working memory for successful text comprehension and does not support LT-WM theory. (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

Using a supportive care framework to understand and improve palliative care among cancer patients in Africa.

PubMed

Busolo, David S; Woodgate, Roberta L

2016-06-01

Cancer incidence and mortality are increasing in Africa, which is leading to greater demands for palliative care. There has been little progress in terms of research, pain management, and policies related to palliative care. Palliative care in Africa is scarce and scattered, with most African nations lacking the basic services. To address these needs, a guiding framework that identifies care needs and directs palliative care services could be utilized. Therefore, using the supportive care framework developed by Fitch (Fitch, 2009), we here review the literature on palliative care for patients diagnosed with cancer in Africa and make recommendations for improvement. The PubMed, Scopus, CINAHL, Web of Science, Embase, PsycINFO, Social Sciences Citation Index, and Medline databases were searched. Some 25 English articles on research from African countries published between 2004 and 2014 were selected and reviewed. The reviewed literature was analyzed and presented using the domains of the supportive care framework. Palliative care patients with cancer in Africa, their families, and caregivers experience increasing psychological, physical, social, spiritual, emotional, informational, and practical needs. Care needs are often inadequately addressed because of a lack of awareness as well as deficient and scattered palliative care services and resources. In addition, there is sparse research, education, and policies that address the dire situation in palliative care. Our review findings add to the existing body of knowledge demonstrating that palliative care patients with cancer in Africa experience disturbing care needs in all domains of the supportive care framework. To better assess and address these needs, holistic palliative care that is multidomain and multi-professional could be utilized. This approach needs to be individualized and to offer better access to services and information. In addition, research, education, and policies around palliative care for cancer patients in Africa could be more comprehensive if they were based on the domains of the supportive care framework.

Informal reasoning regarding socioscientific issues: The influence of morality and content knowledge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sadler, Troy Dow

This study focused on informal reasoning regarding socioscientific issues. It explored how morality and content knowledge influenced the negotiation and resolution of contentious and complex scenarios based on genetic engineering. Two hundred and sixty-nine undergraduate students completed a quantitative test of genetics concepts. A sub-set of the students (n = 30) who completed this instrument and represented divergent levels of content knowledge participated in two individual interviews, during which they discussed their ideas, reactions, and solutions to three gene therapy scenarios and three cloning scenarios. A mixed-methods approach was used to examine patterns of informal reasoning and the influence of morality, the effects of content knowledge on the use of informal reasoning patterns, and the effects of content knowledge on the quality of informal reasoning. Students demonstrated evidence of rationalistic, emotive, and intuitive forms of informal reasoning. Rationalistic informal reasoning described reason-based considerations; emotive informal reasoning described care-based considerations; and intuitive reasoning described considerations based on immediate reactions to the context of a scenario. Participants frequently relied on combinations of these reasoning patterns as they worked to resolve individual socioscientific scenarios. Most of the participants appreciated at least some of the moral implications of their decisions, and these considerations were typically interwoven within an overall pattern of informal reasoning. Although differences in content knowledge were not found to be related to modes of informal reasoning (rationalistic, emotive, and informal), data did indicate that differences in content knowledge were related to variations in informal reasoning quality. Participants, with more advanced understandings of genetics, demonstrated fewer instances of reasoning flaws, as defined by a priori criteria (intra-scenario coherence, inter-scenario non-contradiction, counter position construction, and rebuttal construction) and were more likely to incorporate content knowledge in their reasoning patterns than participants with more naive understandings of genetics. These results highlight the need to ensure that science classrooms are environments in which intuition and emotion in addition to reason are valued. In addition, the findings underscore the need for teachers to consider students' content knowledge when determining the appropriateness of socioscientific curricula. Implications and recommendations for future research are discussed.

From Data to Knowledge: GEOSS experience and the GEOSS Knowledge Base contribution to the GCI

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Santoro, M.; Nativi, S.; Mazzetti, P., Sr.; Plag, H. P.

2016-12-01

According to systems theory, data is raw, it simply exists and has no significance beyond its existence; while, information is data that has been given meaning by way of relational connection. The appropriate collection of information, such that it contributes to understanding, is a process of knowledge creation.The Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS) developed by the Group on Earth Observations (GEO) is a set of coordinated, independent Earth observation, information and processing systems that interact and provide access to diverse information for a broad range of users in both public and private sectors. GEOSS links these systems to strengthen the monitoring of the state of the Earth. In the past ten years, the development of GEOSS has taught several lessons dealing with the need to move from (open) data to information and knowledge sharing. Advanced user-focused services require to move from a data-driven framework to a knowledge sharing platform. Such a platform needs to manage information and knowledge, in addition to datasets linked to them. For this scope, GEO has launched a specific task called "GEOSS Knowledge Base", which deals with resources, like user requirements, Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), observation and processing ontologies, publications, guidelines, best practices, business processes/algorithms, definition of advanced concepts like Essential Variables (EVs), indicators, strategic goals, etc. In turn, information and knowledge (e.g. guidelines, best practices, user requirements, business processes, algorithms, etc.) can be used to generate additional information and knowledge from shared datasets. To fully utilize and leverage the GEOSS Knowledge Base, the current GEOSS Common Infrastructure (GCI) model will be extended and advanced to consider important concepts and implementation artifacts, such as data processing services and environmental/economic models as well as EVs, Primary Indicators, and SDGs. The new GCI model will link these concepts to the present dataset, observation and sensor concepts, enabling a set of very important new capabilities to be offered to GEOSS users.

Using Google Maps to Access USGS Volcano Hazards Information

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Venezky, D. Y.; Snedigar, S.; Guffanti, M.; Bailey, J. E.; Wall, B. G.

2006-12-01

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Volcano Hazard Program (VHP) is revising the information architecture of our website to provide data within a geospatial context for emergency managers, educators, landowners in volcanic areas, researchers, and the general public. Using a map-based interface for displaying hazard information provides a synoptic view of volcanic activity along with the ability to quickly ascertain where hazards are in relation to major population and infrastructure centers. At the same time, the map interface provides a gateway for educators and the public to find information about volcanoes in their geographic context. A plethora of data visualization solutions are available that are flexible, customizable, and can be run on individual websites. We are currently using a Google map interface because it can be accessed immediately from a website (a downloadable viewer is not required), and it provides simple features for moving around and zooming within the large map area that encompasses U.S. volcanism. A text interface will also be available. The new VHP website will serve as a portal to information for each volcano the USGS monitors with icons for alert levels and aviation color codes. When a volcano is clicked, a window will provide additional information including links to maps, images, and real-time data, thereby connecting information from individual observatories, the Smithsonian Institution, and our partner universities. In addition to the VHP home page, many observatories and partners have detailed graphical interfaces to data and images that include the activity pages for the Alaska Volcano Observatory, the Smithsonian Google Earth files, and Yellowstone Volcano Observatory pictures and data. Users with varied requests such as raw data, scientific papers, images, or brief overviews expect to be able to quickly access information for their specialized needs. Over the next few years we will be gathering, cleansing, reorganizing, and posting data in multiple formats to meet these needs.

Smart Optical RAM for Fast Information Management and Analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Liu, Hua-Kuang

1998-01-01

Statement of Problem Instruments for high speed and high capacity in-situ data identification, classification and storage capabilities are needed by NASA for the information management and analysis of extremely large volume of data sets in future space exploration, space habitation and utilization, in addition to the various missions to planet-earth programs. Parameters such as communication delays, limited resources, and inaccessibility of human manipulation require more intelligent, compact, low power, and light weight information management and data storage techniques. New and innovative algorithms and architecture using photonics will enable us to meet these challenges. The technology has applications for other government and public agencies.

Validation of Aura Data: Needs and Implementation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Froidevaux, L.; Douglass, A. R.; Schoeberl, M. R.; Hilsenrath, E.; Kinnison, D. E.; Kroon, M.; Sander, S. P.

2003-12-01

Validation of Aura data: needs and implementation L. Froidevaux, A. R. Douglass, M. R. Schoeberl, E. Hilsenrath, D. Kinnison, M. Kroon, and S. P. Sander We describe the needs for validation of the Aura scientific data products expected in 2004 and for several years thereafter, as well as the implementation plan to fullfill these needs. Many profiles of stratospheric and tropospheric composition are expected from the combination of four instruments aboard Aura, along with column abundances, aerosol and cloud information. The Aura validation working group and the Aura Project have been developing programs and collaborations that are expected to lead to a significant number of validation activities after the Aura launch (in early 2004). Spatial and temporal variability in the lower stratosphere and troposphere present challenges to validation of Aura measurements even where cloud contamination effects can be minimized. Data from ground-based networks, balloons, and other satellites will contribute in a major way to Aura data validation. In addition, plans are in place to obtain correlative data for special conditions, such as profiles of O3 and NO2 in polluted areas. Several aircraft campaigns planned for the 2004-2007 time period will provide additional tropospheric and lower stratospheric validation opportunities for Aura; some atmospheric science goals will be addressed by the eventual combination of these data sets. A team of "Aura liaisons" will assist in the dissemination of information about various correlative measurements to be expected in the above timeframe, along with any needed protocols and agreements on data exchange and file formats. A data center is being established at the Goddard Space Flight Center to collect and distribute the various data files to be used in the validation of the Aura data.

A layered trust information security architecture.

PubMed

de Oliveira Albuquerque, Robson; Villalba, Luis Javier García; Orozco, Ana Lucila Sandoval; Buiati, Fábio; Kim, Tai-Hoon

2014-12-01

Information can be considered the most important asset of any modern organization. Securing this information involves preserving confidentially, integrity and availability, the well-known CIA triad. In addition, information security is a risk management job; the task is to manage the inherent risks of information disclosure. Current information security platforms do not deal with the different facets of information technology. This paper presents a layered trust information security architecture (TISA) and its creation was motivated by the need to consider information and security from different points of view in order to protect it. This paper also extends and discusses security information extensions as a way of helping the CIA triad. Furthermore, this paper suggests information representation and treatment elements, operations and support components that can be integrated to show the various risk sources when dealing with both information and security. An overview of how information is represented and treated nowadays in the technological environment is shown, and the reason why it is so difficult to guarantee security in all aspects of the information pathway is discussed.

Cochlear-implanted children from homes where English is an additional language: findings from a recent audit in one London centre.

PubMed

Mahon, M; Vickers, D; McCarthy, K; Barker, R; Merritt, R; Szagun, G; Mann, W; Rajput, K

2011-05-01

A 5-year retrospective audit of demographic, audiological, and other records of 147 children implanted at one London centre was conducted. The aim was to detail the number of children implanted, with a specific focus on children from families with English as an additional language (EAL), and to compare these children with children from monolingual English-speaking families on a variety of characteristics known to affect paediatric cochlear implant outcomes. In all, 28% of children were from families where English is an additional language, with 15 different languages recorded. There were no differences between EAL and English-speaking children with respect to age of implantation; bilateral versus unilateral implants or hearing levels in better ear. There were differences between these groups in aetiology, in the occurrence of additional needs, and in educational placements. Information about speech and language outcomes was difficult to gather. Conclusions indicate the need for more detailed record-keeping especially about children's home languages for purposes of planning intervention and for the inclusion of children with EAL in future studies.

“When You’re a Baby You Don’t Have Puberty”: Understanding of Puberty and Human Reproduction in Late Childhood and Early Adolescence

PubMed Central

Hurwitz, Lisa B.; Lauricella, Alexis R.; Hightower, Brianna; Sroka, Iris; Woodruff, Teresa K.; Wartella, Ellen

2017-01-01

Basic knowledge of human reproduction can help youth prepare for puberty and make later classes focused on advanced reproductive health topics manageable. With the intention of potentially informing the creation of learning materials, we conducted a needs assessment among children ages 7 to 12 in our suburban Chicago community to ascertain their current understanding of, and beliefs and misconceptions about, human reproduction, and to determine their needs for additional reproductive health education. We held qualitative focus group interviews with local children. Participants primarily reported learning about these topics from their parents prior to receiving school-based education in fifth grade. Their level of understanding was relatively low. They had little knowledge of internal sexual organs, expressed a range of beliefs about conception ranging from inaccurate to accurate but incomplete, and voiced concerns about transitioning into adolescence. This suggests a need for additional resources that provide comprehensible descriptions of reproductive health processes and mitigate puberty-related concerns. PMID:28931963

Sensitivity analyses for sparse-data problems-using weakly informative bayesian priors.

PubMed

Hamra, Ghassan B; MacLehose, Richard F; Cole, Stephen R

2013-03-01

Sparse-data problems are common, and approaches are needed to evaluate the sensitivity of parameter estimates based on sparse data. We propose a Bayesian approach that uses weakly informative priors to quantify sensitivity of parameters to sparse data. The weakly informative prior is based on accumulated evidence regarding the expected magnitude of relationships using relative measures of disease association. We illustrate the use of weakly informative priors with an example of the association of lifetime alcohol consumption and head and neck cancer. When data are sparse and the observed information is weak, a weakly informative prior will shrink parameter estimates toward the prior mean. Additionally, the example shows that when data are not sparse and the observed information is not weak, a weakly informative prior is not influential. Advancements in implementation of Markov Chain Monte Carlo simulation make this sensitivity analysis easily accessible to the practicing epidemiologist.

Sensitivity Analyses for Sparse-Data Problems—Using Weakly Informative Bayesian Priors

PubMed Central

Hamra, Ghassan B.; MacLehose, Richard F.; Cole, Stephen R.

2013-01-01

Sparse-data problems are common, and approaches are needed to evaluate the sensitivity of parameter estimates based on sparse data. We propose a Bayesian approach that uses weakly informative priors to quantify sensitivity of parameters to sparse data. The weakly informative prior is based on accumulated evidence regarding the expected magnitude of relationships using relative measures of disease association. We illustrate the use of weakly informative priors with an example of the association of lifetime alcohol consumption and head and neck cancer. When data are sparse and the observed information is weak, a weakly informative prior will shrink parameter estimates toward the prior mean. Additionally, the example shows that when data are not sparse and the observed information is not weak, a weakly informative prior is not influential. Advancements in implementation of Markov Chain Monte Carlo simulation make this sensitivity analysis easily accessible to the practicing epidemiologist. PMID:23337241

Review of Extracting Information From the Social Web for Health Personalization

PubMed Central

Karlsen, Randi; Bonander, Jason

2011-01-01

In recent years the Web has come into its own as a social platform where health consumers are actively creating and consuming Web content. Moreover, as the Web matures, consumers are gaining access to personalized applications adapted to their health needs and interests. The creation of personalized Web applications relies on extracted information about the users and the content to personalize. The Social Web itself provides many sources of information that can be used to extract information for personalization apart from traditional Web forms and questionnaires. This paper provides a review of different approaches for extracting information from the Social Web for health personalization. We reviewed research literature across different fields addressing the disclosure of health information in the Social Web, techniques to extract that information, and examples of personalized health applications. In addition, the paper includes a discussion of technical and socioethical challenges related to the extraction of information for health personalization. PMID:21278049

Evaluating the usability of a single UK community acquired brain injury (ABI) rehabilitation service website: implications for research methodology and website design.

PubMed

Newby, Gavin; Groom, Christina

2010-04-01

Information provision is an important resource for those living with acquired brain injury (ABI) and their families. Web-based health information services are now common additions to health service provision. Ideally, they should be easy to use and provide useful, relevant and accurate information. ABI injuries do not affect individuals in the same way, and survivors can have a wide range of abilities and impairments. Therefore, any informational resource intended for this group should take account of their needs and help to compensate for their limitations. This pilot study recruited a group of individuals with ABI (of a median Extended Glasgow Outcome Scale rating of "lower moderate disability") who were clients of a UK National Health Service rehabilitation service and asked them to assess a specialised website provided by that service and hosted by their employing Primary Care Trust organisation. Participants completed a practical task and then gave their opinions on various aspects of website design, and content. They were also asked to suggest improvements and recommend additions. Overall the results were favourable. However, improvements in the legibility, layout and writing style were identified. There were also requests to add more information on the existing topics and add additional topics. The discussion also evaluates the utility of the methodology and the implications of the results for others considering constructing their own website.

Redefining the school nurse role: an organizational perspective.

PubMed

Chabot, Guylaine; Gagnon, Marie-Pierre; Godin, Gaston

2012-01-01

This paper aims to identify organizational readiness for change towards adoption of a redefined role of the school nurse as a strategic option in the context of a health promoting school approach. This new role is consistent with planned change directed at life habits and life conditions. A questionnaire based on a modified version of the organizational readiness for change (ORC) framework was e-mailed to 122 top and middle managers (response rate of 74 percent) in 42 local health organizations in the Province of Quebec, Canada, during the fall of 2009. In total, 90 percent of participants perceived the proposed role as a solution to fulfil their school health program needs, especially to plan and integrate health promotion projects. The lack of resources and nursing support emerged as factors hampering the capacity of school nurses to play such a role. Additional implications of the ORC framework are needed in order to better address organizational readiness for complex changes in specific health-related settings. Access to information technology and the development of computer skills would help enhance this encompassing role in health promotion. Findings have the potential to better inform health authorities regarding the new role of the school nurse as a strategic option in health promotion. This study also provides an application of the theoretical framework showing the need for additional empirical tests.

Public Attitudes Toward Expanded Newborn Screening.

PubMed

DeLuca, Jane M

There is limited research available on public knowledge and understanding of expanded newborn screening (NBS). The aims of this study were to assess current public knowledge and understanding of newborn screening disorders and procedures, perceived education needs, and preferences for the delivery of NBS information and education. An additional aim was to develop a beginning understanding of public attitudes toward screening for complex, severe, and in some cases untreatable disorders. In this preliminary descriptive study, eighty-eight participants completed surveys querying their general knowledge of NBS, preferred means of receiving NBS information and education, and their opinions about screening for severe disorders such as lysosomal storage diseases (LSD). Most study participants lacked general knowledge about current NBS practices, however, they supported expanding screening for severe and in some cases untreatable conditions. Most participants were enthusiastic about expanding NBS; however, those with more years of education were cautious regarding extensive costs of diagnosing and treating rare disorders. Newborn screening continues to evolve through new technological developments and the addition of more disorders to screening panels. More research of into public acceptance of newborn screening is needed. Addressing the educational needs of the public is important for improving their understanding of NBS and promoting patient-centered care in the era of genomic screening. Enhanced educational efforts are necessary for improving public understanding of newborn screening. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A test protocol for assessing the hearing status of students with special needs.

PubMed

Chen, Hsiao-Chuan; Wang, Nan-Mai; Chiu, Wen-Chen; Liu, Shu-Yu; Chang, Yi-Ping; Lin, Pei-Yu; Chung, King

2014-10-01

Individuals with disabilities are often reported to have a high prevalence of undetected hearing disorders/loss, but there is no standardized hearing test protocol for this population. The purposes of this study were (1) to examine the hearing status of students with special needs in Taiwan, and (2) to investigate the use of an on-site hearing test protocol that would adequately detect hearing problems in this population and reduce unnecessary referrals for off-site follow-up services. A total of 238 students enrolled in two schools for special education and one habilitation center participated in the study. Most students had intellectual disabilities and some also had additional syndromes or disorders. A hearing screening protocol including otoscopy, tympanometry, and distortion product otoacoustic emissions was administered to examine students' outer, middle, and inner ear functions, respectively. Pure tone tests were then administered as an on-site follow-up for those who failed or could not be tested using the screening protocol. Only 32.4% of students passed. When administered alone, the referral rate of otoscopy, tympanometry, and otoacoustic emissions were 38.7%, 46.0%, and 48.5%, respectively. The integration of these subtests revealed 52.1% of students needed follow-up services, 11.8% could not be tested, 2.5% had documented hearing loss, and 1.3% needed to be monitored because of negative middle ear pressure. The inclusion of pure tone audiometry increased the passing rate by 9.9% and provided information on hearing sensitivity for an additional 8.6% of students. Hearing assessments and regular hearing screening should be provided as an integral part of health care services for individuals with special needs because of high occurrences of excessive cerumen, middle ear dysfunction, and sensorineural hearing loss. The training of care-givers and teachers of students with special needs is encouraged so that they can help identify hearing problems and reduce the negative impact of hearing disorders and hearing loss. The screening protocol needs to include subtests that examine the status of different parts of their auditory system. The addition of pure tone audiometry as an on-site follow-up tool reduced the rate of off-site referrals and provided more information on hearing sensitivity. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Addressing Low Literacy and Health Literacy in Clinical Oncology Practice

PubMed Central

Garcia, Sofia F.; Hahn, Elizabeth A.; Jacobs, Elizabeth A.

2011-01-01

Low functional literacy and low health literacy continue to be under-recognized and are associated with poorer patient health outcomes. Health literacy is a dynamic state influenced by how well a healthcare system delivers information and services that match patients’ abilities, needs and preferences. Oncology care poses considerable health literacy demands on patients who are expected to process high stakes information about complex multidisciplinary treatment over lengths of time. Much of the information provided to patients in clinical care and research is beyond their literacy levels. In this paper, we provide an overview of currently available guidelines and resources to improve how the needs of patients with diverse literacy skills are met by cancer care providers and clinics. We present recommendations for health literacy assessment in clinical practice and ways to enhance the usability of health information and services by improving written materials and verbal communication, incorporating multimedia and culturally appropriate approaches, and promoting health literacy in cancer care settings. The paper also includes a list of additional resources that can be used to develop and implement health literacy initiatives in cancer care clinics. PMID:20464884

Involving the consumers: An exploration of users' and caregivers' needs and expectations on a fall prevention brochure: A qualitative study.

PubMed

Schoberer, Daniela; Breimaier, Helga E; Mandl, Manuela; Halfens, Ruud J G; Lohrmann, Christa

2016-01-01

This study aims to explore and compare nursing home residents', family members', and nursing staff's needs and expectations regarding a fall prevention brochure. Focus groups were carried out with 25 residents, 12 family members and 14 nursing staff separately, from three randomly selected nursing homes. Qualitative content analysis was used to analyze the data using a concept-driven coding frame. Results showed that residents want to be informed about dealing with extrinsic fall risks and coping strategies after a fall event. In addition, family members wanted to have detailed information on intrinsic fall risks as well as specific fall prevention strategies, such as body exercises. Of special importance for nursing staff was that not all falls are preventable even when preventive measures were taken. As the need and expectations of users differ substantially, one brochure could not comprise all postulated criteria and different brochures are necessary for residents and for family members. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A content analysis of cognitive and affective uses of patient support groups for rare and uncommon vascular diseases: comparisons of may thurner, thoracic outlet, and superior mesenteric artery syndrome.

PubMed

Walker, Kimberly K

2015-01-01

Rare disease patients are the predominant group of patients who are now connecting online to patient support groups, yet research on their uses of support groups has received little attention. This is a content analysis of three vascular diseases of differing degrees of rarity. Wall posts from Facebook patient support groups for May Thurner syndrome, thoracic outlet syndrome, and superior mesenteric artery syndrome were analyzed over a period of two years. Using Uses and Gratifications as the theoretical framework, the study purpose was to assess how variations in health condition and rarity of condition affect online support group user needs. Results indicated common main cognitive and affective uses across conditions, indicating a consistent pattern of needs communicated by all patients. However, there were nuanced differences in subcategories of cognitive and affective uses between the most and least rare disorders, which inform areas for tailored support mechanisms. Additionally, these vascular patients used their respective support groups primarily for cognitive reasons, especially for the rarest conditions, which informs of basic medical informational needs these patients face related to tests, treatment, surgery, and diagnoses.

Psychosocial intervention for children with narcolepsy: Parents' expectations and perceived support.

PubMed

Kippola-Pääkkönen, Anu; Härkäpää, Kristiina; Valkonen, Jukka; Tuulio-Henriksson, Annamari; Autti-Rämö, Ilona

2016-04-18

The study focuses on the parents of children who were affected by narcolepsy after a pandemic influenza and vaccination campaign in Finland. The main aim of the study was to clarify parents' expectations and perceived support from the intervention and to assess their need for additional support. The data were gathered using questionnaires. Fifty-eight parents answered the baseline questionnaire and 40 parents the final questionnaire. Parents' expectations of and perceived support from the intervention mainly related to peer support. The intervention offered an arena for sharing information and experiences and provided encouragement for coping in everyday life. Many expectations were not met, especially those concerning information about needed services, financial benefits and availability of local support. The results highlight that for persons with rare disorders and their families, an inpatient psychosocial intervention can offer an important arena to receive both informal and professionally led peer support. Comprehensive psychosocial and other support services are also needed in the community. Listening to parents' perspectives on the intervention and perceived support can help to establish multiform family-centred support for families with children affected by a rare chronic disabling condition. © The Author(s) 2016.

75 FR 48743 - Mandatory Reporting of Greenhouse Gases

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-08-11

...EPA is proposing to amend specific provisions in the GHG reporting rule to clarify certain provisions, to correct technical and editorial errors, and to address certain questions and issues that have arisen since promulgation. These proposed changes include providing additional information and clarity on existing requirements, allowing greater flexibility or simplified calculation methods for certain sources in a facility, amending data reporting requirements to provide additional clarity on when different types of GHG emissions need to be calculated and reported, clarifying terms and definitions in certain equations, and technical corrections.

75 FR 79091 - Mandatory Reporting of Greenhouse Gases

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-12-17

...EPA is amending specific provisions in the greenhouse gas reporting rule to clarify certain provisions, to correct technical and editorial errors, and to address certain questions and issues that have arisen since promulgation. These final changes include generally providing additional information and clarity on existing requirements, allowing greater flexibility or simplified calculation methods for certain sources, amending data reporting requirements to provide additional clarity on when different types of greenhouse gas emissions need to be calculated and reported, clarifying terms and definitions in certain equations and other technical corrections and amendments.

Biosafety: guidelines for working with pathogenic and infectious microorganisms.

PubMed

Coico, Richard; Lunn, George

2005-11-01

This unit, in conjunction with local and national guidelines and regulations, provides the basic biosafety information needed to perform the procedures detailed in this manual. Topics discussed include routine precautions when working with biohazards, disinfectants, disposal of biohazards, biosafety levels (as established by the U.S. National Institutes of Health, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), animal facilities, and clinical laboratories. In addition, resources for more information are provided in the Literature Cited and Key References sections and in URLs given text and within the Internet Resources section.

Enhancing security and improving interoperability in healthcare information systems.

PubMed

Gritzalis, D A

1998-01-01

Security is a key issue in healthcare information systems, since most aspects of security become of considerable or even critical importance when handling healthcare information. In addition, the intense need for information exchange has revealed interoperability of systems and applications as another key issue. Standardization can play an important role towards both these issues. In this paper, relevant standardization activities are briefly presented, and existing and emerging healthcare information security standards are identified and critically analysed. The analysis is based on a framework which has been developed for this reason. Therefore, the identification of gaps and inconsistencies in current standardization, the description of the conflicts of standards with legislation, and the analysis of implications of these standards to user organizations, are the main results of this paper.

Exploring the Possible Use of Information Barriers for future Biological Weapons Verification Regimes

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

Luke, S J

2011-12-20

This report describes a path forward for implementing information barriers in a future generic biological arms-control verification regime. Information barriers have become a staple of discussion in the area of arms control verification approaches for nuclear weapons and components. Information barriers when used with a measurement system allow for the determination that an item has sensitive characteristics without releasing any of the sensitive information. Over the last 15 years the United States (with the Russian Federation) has led on the development of information barriers in the area of the verification of nuclear weapons and nuclear components. The work of themore » US and the Russian Federation has prompted other states (e.g., UK and Norway) to consider the merits of information barriers for possible verification regimes. In the context of a biological weapons control verification regime, the dual-use nature of the biotechnology will require protection of sensitive information while allowing for the verification of treaty commitments. A major question that has arisen is whether - in a biological weapons verification regime - the presence or absence of a weapon pathogen can be determined without revealing any information about possible sensitive or proprietary information contained in the genetic materials being declared under a verification regime. This study indicates that a verification regime could be constructed using a small number of pathogens that spans the range of known biological weapons agents. Since the number of possible pathogens is small it is possible and prudent to treat these pathogens as analogies to attributes in a nuclear verification regime. This study has determined that there may be some information that needs to be protected in a biological weapons control verification regime. To protect this information, the study concludes that the Lawrence Livermore Microbial Detection Array may be a suitable technology for the detection of the genetic information associated with the various pathogens. In addition, it has been determined that a suitable information barrier could be applied to this technology when the verification regime has been defined. Finally, the report posits a path forward for additional development of information barriers in a biological weapons verification regime. This path forward has shown that a new analysis approach coined as Information Loss Analysis might need to be pursued so that a numerical understanding of how information can be lost in specific measurement systems can be achieved.« less

Review of the Water Resources Information System of Argentina

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hutchison, N.E.

1987-01-01

A representative of the U.S. Geological Survey traveled to Buenos Aires, Argentina, in November 1986, to discuss water information systems and data bank implementation in the Argentine Government Center for Water Resources Information. Software has been written by Center personnel for a minicomputer to be used to manage inventory (index) data and water quality data. Additional hardware and software have been ordered to upgrade the existing computer. Four microcomputers, statistical and data base management software, and network hardware and software for linking the computers have also been ordered. The Center plans to develop a nationwide distributed data base for Argentina that will include the major regional offices as nodes. Needs for continued development of the water resources information system for Argentina were reviewed. Identified needs include: (1) conducting a requirements analysis to define the content of the data base and insure that all user requirements are met, (2) preparing a plan for the development, implementation, and operation of the data base, and (3) developing a conceptual design to inform all development personnel and users of the basic functionality planned for the system. A quality assurance and configuration management program to provide oversight to the development process was also discussed. (USGS)