Quantum-enhanced spectroscopy with entangled multiphoton states

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dinani, Hossein T.; Gupta, Manish K.; Dowling, Jonathan P.; Berry, Dominic W.

2016-06-01

Traditionally, spectroscopy is performed by examining the position of absorption lines. However, at frequencies near the transition frequency, additional information can be obtained from the phase shift. In this work we consider the information about the transition frequency obtained from both the absorption and the phase shift, as quantified by the Fisher information in an interferometric measurement. We examine the use of multiple single-photon states, NOON states, and numerically optimized states that are entangled and have multiple photons. We find the optimized states that improve over the standard quantum limit set by independent single photons for some atom number densities.

36 CFR 905.735-504 - Procedures for obtaining statements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 36 Parks, Forests, and Public Property 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Procedures for obtaining statements. 905.735-504 Section 905.735-504 Parks, Forests, and Public Property PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE... assist in preparation of the statement; (3) Any additions or deletions to the information furnished must...

36 CFR 905.735-504 - Procedures for obtaining statements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 36 Parks, Forests, and Public Property 3 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Procedures for obtaining statements. 905.735-504 Section 905.735-504 Parks, Forests, and Public Property PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE... assist in preparation of the statement; (3) Any additions or deletions to the information furnished must...

36 CFR 905.735-504 - Procedures for obtaining statements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 36 Parks, Forests, and Public Property 3 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Procedures for obtaining statements. 905.735-504 Section 905.735-504 Parks, Forests, and Public Property PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE... assist in preparation of the statement; (3) Any additions or deletions to the information furnished must...

36 CFR 905.735-504 - Procedures for obtaining statements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 36 Parks, Forests, and Public Property 3 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Procedures for obtaining statements. 905.735-504 Section 905.735-504 Parks, Forests, and Public Property PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE... assist in preparation of the statement; (3) Any additions or deletions to the information furnished must...

42 CFR 85.7 - Conduct of investigations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... investigation, the employer should precisely identify information which can be obtained in the workplace or workplaces to be inspected as trade secrets. If the NIOSH officer has no clear reason to question such... provide additional information in support of the trade secret designation. The Director, NIOSH, shall...

The Florida Position and Career Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Florida State Dept. of Education, Tallahassee.

The document was published to inform the public of Florida activities in career education. Eight components are briefly described, the funding or coordinating organization or institution is identified, and contact for obtaining additional information about each one is given. Described are: Project Pro-CESS, the Professional Career Educator's…

Student - Counselor Health Careers Guidebook.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mountain States Regional Medical Program, Great Falls, MT. Montana Div.

This reference handbook is designed to provide vocational counselors with background information on a wide range of occupations related to medicine. Nearly 60 careers are described with educational requirements, salaries, schools where training may be obtained, and sources of additional information. An address list of associations and a health…

Promoting International Energy Security. Volume 1: Understanding Potential Air Force Roles

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-01-01

obtain additional information, contact Distribution Services: Telephone: (310) 451 -7002; Fax: (310) 451 -6915; Email: order@rand.org Library of...raise the temperature of one pound of water one degree Fahrenheit ) DoD Department of Defense EIA U.S. Energy Information Administration IEA International

Potential Retrieval of Aerosol Microphysics From Multistatic Space-Borne Lidar

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Levitan, Nathaniel; Gross, Barry; Moshary, Fred; Wu, Yonghua

2018-04-01

HSRL lidars are being considered for deployment to space to retrieve aerosol microphysics. The literature is mostly focused on the monostatic configuration; but, in this paper, we explore whether additional information for the retrieval of microphysics can be obtained by adding a second detector in a bistatic configuration. The information gained from the additional measurements can under certain conditions reduce the ill-posed nature of aerosol microphysics retrieval and reducing the uncertainty in the retrievals.

Quantitative analysis of drainage obtained from aerial photographs and RBV/LANDSAT images

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dejesusparada, N. (Principal Investigator); Formaggio, A. R.; Epiphanio, J. C. N.; Filho, M. V.

1981-01-01

Data obtained from aerial photographs (1:60,000) and LANDSAT return beam vidicon imagery (1:100,000) concerning drainage density, drainage texture, hydrography density, and the average length of channels were compared. Statistical analysis shows that significant differences exist in data from the two sources. The highly drained area lost more information than the less drained area. In addition, it was observed that the loss of information about the number of rivers was higher than that about the length of the channels.

Construction of In-house Databases in a Corporation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koga, Kunitoshi; Kijima, Seiichi

The rapid technological innovation and alternation of the economical society have increased the importance of obtaining the accurate information promptly in order to make a timely decision. Therefore, UBE Industries Ltd. has developed “UMATIS”, an information manegement system, since July in 1985, where not only the technical but also manegerial information is accumulated and one can obtain it quickly as occasion demands. In addition to the brief introduction of an outline and the progress of the system, this gives the detailed description of the contents of the registered items, the indexing method, the utilization of retrieval, the manegerial method and so on in the main technical information system. The personal relation information system and the inorgnanic material data base system are also explained briefly.

18 CFR 33.3 - Additional information requirements for applications involving horizontal competitive impacts.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... result of the proposed transaction, a single corporate entity obtains ownership or control over the... applicant may provide other analyses for defining relevant markets (e.g. the Hypothetical Monopolist Test with or without the assumption of price discrimination) in addition to the delivered price test under...

18 CFR 33.3 - Additional information requirements for applications involving horizontal competitive impacts.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... result of the proposed transaction, a single corporate entity obtains ownership or control over the... applicant may provide other analyses for defining relevant markets (e.g. the Hypothetical Monopolist Test with or without the assumption of price discrimination) in addition to the delivered price test under...

18 CFR 33.3 - Additional information requirements for applications involving horizontal competitive impacts.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... result of the proposed transaction, a single corporate entity obtains ownership or control over the... applicant may provide other analyses for defining relevant markets (e.g. the Hypothetical Monopolist Test with or without the assumption of price discrimination) in addition to the delivered price test under...

18 CFR 33.3 - Additional information requirements for applications involving horizontal competitive impacts.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... result of the proposed transaction, a single corporate entity obtains ownership or control over the... applicant may provide other analyses for defining relevant markets (e.g. the Hypothetical Monopolist Test with or without the assumption of price discrimination) in addition to the delivered price test under...

18 CFR 33.3 - Additional information requirements for applications involving horizontal competitive impacts.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... result of the proposed transaction, a single corporate entity obtains ownership or control over the... applicant may provide other analyses for defining relevant markets (e.g. the Hypothetical Monopolist Test with or without the assumption of price discrimination) in addition to the delivered price test under...

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.

Earth and space science - Oceans

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stewart, R. H.

1983-01-01

Satellite observations of the oceans are now being used to obtain new information about the oceanic geoid, currents, winds, tides and the interaction of the ocean with the atmosphere. In addition, satellites routinely relay information from the sea surface to laboratories on land, and determine the position of instruments drifting on the sea surface.

76 FR 24484 - Notice of Public Information Collection(s) Being Reviewed by the Federal Communications...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-05-02

...-0217. For additional information, contact [insert name, phone number and Internet address of OMD PRA... requirements. Obligation To Respond: Required to obtain or retain benefits. Statutory authority for this.... The Commission mails fee assessment notifications to broadcast licensees and commercial mobile radio...

Acid Precipitation Awareness Curriculum Materials in the Life Sciences.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stubbs, Harriett S.

1983-01-01

Provides an outline of course content for acid precipitation and two acid rain activities (introduction to pH and effects of acid rain on an organism). Information for obtaining 20 additional activities as well as an information packet containing booklets, pamphlets, and articles are also provided. (JN)

36 CFR § 905.735-504 - Procedures for obtaining statements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 36 Parks, Forests, and Public Property 3 2013-07-01 2012-07-01 true Procedures for obtaining statements. § 905.735-504 Section § 905.735-504 Parks, Forests, and Public Property PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE... assist in preparation of the statement; (3) Any additions or deletions to the information furnished must...

Invertebrates in the Classroom.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Abramson, Charles I.

1986-01-01

Describes an inexpensive program using invertebrates as subjects in conditioning demonstrations and experiments. Provides a bibliography of reviews about invertebrate learning in addition to information on obtaining required apparatus and invertebrates.

Availability of information on renal function in Dutch community pharmacies.

PubMed

Koster, Ellen S; Philbert, Daphne; Noordam, Michelle; Winters, Nina A; Blom, Lyda; Bouvy, Marcel L

2016-08-01

Background Early detection and monitoring of impaired renal function may prevent drug related problems. Objective To assess the availability of information on patient's renal function in Dutch community pharmacies, for patients using medication that might need monitoring in case of renal impairment. Methods Per pharmacy, 25 patients aged ≥65 years using at least one drug that requires monitoring, were randomly selected from the pharmacy information system. For these patients, information on renal function [estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR)], was obtained from the pharmacy information system. When absent, this information was obtained from the general practitioner (GP). Results Data were collected for 1632 patients. For 1201 patients (74 %) eGFR values were not directly available in the pharmacy, for another 194 patients (12 %) the eGFR value was not up-to-date. For 1082 patients information could be obtained from the GP, resulting in 942 additional recent eGFR values. Finally, recent information on renal function was available for 72 % (n = 1179) of selected patients. Conclusion In patients using drugs that require renal monitoring, information on renal function is often unknown in the pharmacy. For the majority of patients this information can be retrieved from the GP.

77 FR 38791 - Proposed Agency Information Collection

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-06-29

... quantitative data will be a survey asking five qualitative questions about the occupant's overall satisfaction... competition. Additionally, the DOE wishes to gauge program success by periodically obtaining quantitative data...

Information-seeking bias in social anxiety disorder.

PubMed

Aderka, Idan M; Haker, Ayala; Marom, Sofi; Hermesh, Haggai; Gilboa-Schechtman, Eva

2013-02-01

In the present study, we sought to examine information seeking among individuals with social anxiety disorder (SAD, n = 31) and nonanxious controls (n = 32) during an impression-formation task. Participants were given an initial description of a protagonist that included polarized information on the social rank dimension (i.e., dominant or submissive) or on the affiliation dimension (i.e., friendly or unfriendly). Participants were told that their task was to rate the protagonist on social rank and affiliation traits and were given the opportunity to obtain additional information in order to make their decisions. Results indicated that compared to controls, individuals with SAD sought less information before making social rank ratings. In addition, individuals with SAD rated dominant protagonists as higher in social rank than did controls. These findings suggest that even in nonevaluative conditions, individuals with SAD may have an information-seeking bias. In addition, individuals with SAD may have a bias in forming impressions of dominant others. Implications for cognitive and interpersonal models of SAD are discussed. 2013 APA, all rights reserved

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...

Nutrient Intake and Dietary Habits of Women Endurance Athletes.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wiseman, Juliet

Dietary information was collected from a sample of women endurance athletes (n=16). Seven-day food intake records were taken using a semiweighted method. Questionnaires were used to obtain additional information on training, supplements, and attitudes toward diet. Notable features of the diets were a low average energy intake while mean intakes of…

76 FR 11482 - Request for Comments on Human Subjects Protections in Scientific Studies

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-03-02

... [email protected]bioethics.gov or by mail to the following address: Public Commentary, The Presidential Commission.... Telephone: 202-233-3963. E-mail: [email protected]bioethics.gov . Additional information may be obtained at http://www.bioethics.gov . SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On November 24, 2009, the President established...

78 FR 71620 - Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection; Comment Request; Adverse Event...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-11-29

... devices in clinical use. This system is called the Medical Product Safety Network (MedSun). FDA is seeking... the user facilities participating in MedSun, to obtain a demographic profile of the facilities, and... collecting data on the electronic adverse event report form, MedSun collects additional information from...

77 FR 8892 - Detailed Planning To Consider Additional Land Protection on the Missouri River From Fort Randall...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-02-15

... governments, and the public of our intentions and to obtain suggestions and information on the scope of issues to include in the environmental documents. Special mailings, newspaper articles, and other media... information necessary to complete detailed planning and prepare associated documents under the National...

75 FR 7289 - Boyer Chute National Wildlife Refuge, NE; Hamden Slough National Wildlife Refuge, MN; and Iowa...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-02-18

.... SUMMARY: We, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) intends to gather information necessary to... intentions, and to obtain suggestions and information on the scope of issues to be considered in the planning... with the National Historic Preservation Act. In addition, special mailings, newspaper articles...

75 FR 9415 - Notice of Proposals to Engage in Permissible Nonbanking Activities or to Acquire Companies that...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-03-02

... FEDERAL RESERVE SYSTEM Notice of Proposals to Engage in Permissible Nonbanking Activities or to... 4 of the BHC Act. Additional information on all bank holding companies may be obtained from the National Information Center website at www.ffiec.gov/nic/ . Unless otherwise noted, comments regarding the...

75 FR 53695 - Notice of Proposals to Engage in Permissible Nonbanking Activities or to Acquire Companies that...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-09-01

... FEDERAL RESERVE SYSTEM Notice of Proposals to Engage in Permissible Nonbanking Activities or to... 4 of the BHC Act. Additional information on all bank holding companies may be obtained from the National Information Center website at www.ffiec.gov/nic/ . Unless otherwise noted, comments regarding the...

Unifying cost and information in information-theoretic competitive learning.

PubMed

Kamimura, Ryotaro

2005-01-01

In this paper, we introduce costs into the framework of information maximization and try to maximize the ratio of information to its associated cost. We have shown that competitive learning is realized by maximizing mutual information between input patterns and competitive units. One shortcoming of the method is that maximizing information does not necessarily produce representations faithful to input patterns. Information maximizing primarily focuses on some parts of input patterns that are used to distinguish between patterns. Therefore, we introduce the cost, which represents average distance between input patterns and connection weights. By minimizing the cost, final connection weights reflect input patterns well. We applied the method to a political data analysis, a voting attitude problem and a Wisconsin cancer problem. Experimental results confirmed that, when the cost was introduced, representations faithful to input patterns were obtained. In addition, improved generalization performance was obtained within a relatively short learning time.

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...

Image analysis for maintenance of coating quality in nickel electroplating baths--real time control.

PubMed

Vidal, M; Amigo, J M; Bro, R; van den Berg, F; Ostra, M; Ubide, C

2011-11-07

The aim of this paper is to show how it is possible to extract analytical information from images acquired with a flatbed scanner and make use of this information for real time control of a nickel plating process. Digital images of plated steel sheets in a nickel bath are used to follow the process under degradation of specific additives. Dedicated software has been developed for making the obtained results accessible to process operators. This includes obtaining the RGB image, to select the red channel data exclusively, to calculate the histogram of the red channel data and to calculate the mean colour value (MCV) and the standard deviation of the red channel data. MCV is then used by the software to determine the concentration of the additives Supreme Plus Brightner (SPB) and SA-1 (for confidentiality reasons, the chemical contents cannot be further detailed) present in the bath (these two additives degrade and their concentration changes during the process). Finally, the software informs the operator when the bath is generating unsuitable quality plating and suggests the amount of SPB and SA-1 to be added in order to recover the original plating quality. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Inexpensive Laboratory Model with Many Applications.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Archbold, Norbert L.; Johnson, Robert E.

1987-01-01

Presents a simple, inexpensive and realistic model which allows introductory geology students to obtain subsurface information through a simulated drilling experience. Offers ideas on additional applications to a variety of geologic situations. (ML)

European dry cooling tower operating experience

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

DeSteese, J.G.; Simhan, K.

1976-03-01

Interviews were held with representatives of major plants and equipment manufacturers to obtain current information on operating experience with dry cooling towers in Europe. The report documents the objectives, background, and organizational details of the study, and presents an itemized account of contacts made to obtain information. Plant selection was based on a merit index involving thermal capacity and length of service. A questionnaire was used to organize operational data, when available, into nine major categories of experience. Information was also solicited concerning the use of codes and standards to ensure the achievement of cooling tower performance. Several plant operatorsmore » provided finned-tube samples for metallographic analysis. Additionally, information on both operating experience and developing technology was supplied by European technical societies and research establishments. Information obtained from these contacts provides an updated and representative sample of European experience with dry cooling towers, which supplements some of the detailed reviews already available in the literature. In addition, the study presents categorized operating experience with installations which have not been reviewed so extensively, but nevertheless, have significant operational histories when ranked by the merit index. The contacts and interviews reported in the survey occurred between late March and October 1975. The study was motivated by the expressed interest of U.S. utility industry representatives who expect European experience to provide a basis of confidence that dry cooling is a reliable technology, applicable when necessary, to U.S. operating requirements.« less

20 CFR 10.700 - May a claimant designate a representative?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... withdraws the authorization of the first individual. In addition, OWCP will recognize only certain types of... includes presenting or eliciting evidence, making arguments on facts or the law, and obtaining information...

Topographic Corona Gravity Survey Results

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Comstock, R. L.; Smrekar, S. E.; Anderson, F. S.

2001-01-01

We present estimates for elastic and crustal thickness obtained from a gravity survey of Venusian topographic coronae, and characterize advantages and disadvantages for generating spectral admittance. Additional information is contained in the original extended abstract.

The value of pathogen information in treating clinical mastitis.

PubMed

Cha, Elva; Smith, Rebecca L; Kristensen, Anders R; Hertl, Julia A; Schukken, Ynte H; Tauer, Loren W; Welcome, Frank L; Gröhn, Yrjö T

2016-11-01

The objective of this study was to determine the economic value of obtaining timely and more accurate clinical mastitis (CM) test results for optimal treatment of cows. Typically CM is first identified when the farmer observes recognisable outward signs. Further information of whether the pathogen causing CM is Gram-positive, Gram-negative or other (including no growth) can be determined by using on-farm culture methods. The most detailed level of information for mastitis diagnostics is obtainable by sending milk samples for culture to an external laboratory. Knowing the exact pathogen permits the treatment method to be specifically targeted to the causation pathogen, resulting in less discarded milk. The disadvantages are the additional waiting time to receive test results, which delays treating cows, and the cost of the culture test. Net returns per year (NR) for various levels of information were estimated using a dynamic programming model. The Value of Information (VOI) was then calculated as the difference in NR using a specific level of information as compared to more detailed information on the CM causative agent. The highest VOI was observed where the farmer assumed the pathogen causing CM was the one with the highest incidence in the herd and no pathogen specific CM information was obtained. The VOI of pathogen specific information, compared with non-optimal treatment of Staphylococcus aureus where recurrence and spread occurred due to lack of treatment efficacy, was $20.43 when the same incorrect treatment was applied to recurrent cases, and $30.52 when recurrent cases were assumed to be the next highest incidence pathogen and treated accordingly. This indicates that negative consequences associated with choosing the wrong CM treatment can make additional information cost-effective if pathogen identification is assessed at the generic information level and if the pathogen can spread to other cows if not treated appropriately.

75 FR 60135 - Information Collection Sent to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for Approval; 1018-0092...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-09-29

... governments. Respondent's Obligation: Required to obtain or retain a benefit. Frequency of Collection: On... of annual Completion time per Annual burden Activity respondents responses response hours 3-200-2... under the license, and any additional sale or transfer of the wildlife or wildlife products. In addition...

78 FR 33843 - Request for Comments on Issues Related to Incidental Findings That Arise in the Clinical...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-06-05

... by email to [email protected]bioethics.gov or by mail to the following address: Public Commentary, Presidential... Study of Bioethical Issues. Telephone: 202-233-3960. E-Mail: [email protected]bioethics.gov . Additional information may be obtained at http://www.bioethics.gov . SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On November 24, 2009, the...

Mining for Gold: Utilizing SEC Filings to Develop MBA Students' Understanding of Legal Concepts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Willey, Susan; Sherman, Peggy

2010-01-01

Many MBA classes, such as those in accounting and finance, require students to examine securities filings to perform financial analyses of companies. Often, however, students are unaware of the vast amount of additional information that can be obtained from a company's securities filings and other public information. Much of this information…

49 CFR Appendix C to Part 240 - Procedures for Obtaining and Evaluating Motor Vehicle Driving Record Data

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... under the influence of, or impaired by, alcohol or a controlled substance, and for traffic violations... social security account number, if a State collects such data. Access to NDR Data Essentially only... information to that being mandated by FRA. Furnishing additional information, such as the person's Social...

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)...

User's guide to the data obtained by the Skylab/ATM NASA-Marshall Space Flight Center/The Aerospace Corporation S-056 X-ray experiment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1976-01-01

The S-056 observations consist of 27,000 photographs (filterheliograms) obtained by the X-ray telescope and 1,100 h of proportional counter data obtained by the X-ray event analyzer in the soft X-ray region of the solar spectrum. A description of the S-056 data together with additional relevant information that may be needed by users of the data is given.

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

17 CFR 230.493 - Additional Schedule B disclosure and filing requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... Data Gathering and Retrieval System (EDGAR) unless it has obtained a hardship exemption under § 232.201... contains reports and other information regarding issuers that file electronically with the Commission; and...

17 CFR 230.493 - Additional Schedule B disclosure and filing requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... Data Gathering and Retrieval System (EDGAR) unless it has obtained a hardship exemption under § 232.201... contains reports and other information regarding issuers that file electronically with the Commission; and...

17 CFR 230.493 - Additional Schedule B disclosure and filing requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... Data Gathering and Retrieval System (EDGAR) unless it has obtained a hardship exemption under § 232.201... contains reports and other information regarding issuers that file electronically with the Commission; and...

17 CFR 230.493 - Additional Schedule B disclosure and filing requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... Data Gathering and Retrieval System (EDGAR) unless it has obtained a hardship exemption under § 232.201... contains reports and other information regarding issuers that file electronically with the Commission; and...

Quantified Differentiation of Surface Topography for Nano-materials As-Obtained from Atomic Force Microscopy Images

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gupta, Mousumi; Chatterjee, Somenath

2018-04-01

Surface texture is an important issue to realize the nature (crest and trough) of surfaces. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) image is a key analysis for surface topography. However, in nano-scale, the nature (i.e., deflection or crack) as well as quantification (i.e., height or depth) of deposited layers is essential information for material scientist. In this paper, a gradient-based K-means algorithm is used to differentiate the layered surfaces depending on their color contrast of as-obtained from AFM images. A transformation using wavelet decomposition is initiated to extract the information about deflection or crack on the material surfaces from the same images. Z-axis depth analysis from wavelet coefficients provides information about the crack present in the material. Using the above method corresponding surface information for the material is obtained. In addition, the Gaussian filter is applied to remove the unwanted lines, which occurred during AFM scanning. Few known samples are taken as input, and validity of the above approaches is shown.

Removing the barrier to the calculation of activation energies: Diffusion coefficients and reorientation times in liquid water.

PubMed

Piskulich, Zeke A; Mesele, Oluwaseun O; Thompson, Ward H

2017-10-07

General approaches for directly calculating the temperature dependence of dynamical quantities from simulations at a single temperature are presented. The method is demonstrated for self-diffusion and OH reorientation in liquid water. For quantities which possess an activation energy, e.g., the diffusion coefficient and the reorientation time, the results from the direct calculation are in excellent agreement with those obtained from an Arrhenius plot. However, additional information is obtained, including the decomposition of the contributions to the activation energy. These results are discussed along with prospects for additional applications of the direct approach.

An Analysis of the Second Project High Water Data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Woodbridge, David D.; Lasater, James A.; Fultz, Bennett M.; Clark, Richard E.; Wylie, Nancy

1963-01-01

Early in 1962 NASA established "Project High Water" to investigate the sudden release of large quantities of water into the upper atmosphere. The primary objectives of these experiments were to obtain information on the behavior of liquids released in the ionosphere and the localized effects on the ionosphere produced by the injection of large quantities of water. The data obtained in the two (2) Project High Water experiments have yielded an extensive amount of information concerning the complex phenomena associated with the sudden release of liquids in the Ionosphere. The detailed analysis of data obtained during the second Project High Water experiment (i.e., the third Saturn I vehicle test or SA-3) presented in this report demonstrates that the objectives of the Project High Water were achieved. In addition, the Project High Water has provided essential information relevant to a number of problems vital to manned explorations of space.

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.

Combining approaches to on-line handwriting information retrieval

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peña Saldarriaga, Sebastián; Viard-Gaudin, Christian; Morin, Emmanuel

2010-01-01

In this work, we propose to combine two quite different approaches for retrieving handwritten documents. Our hypothesis is that different retrieval algorithms should retrieve different sets of documents for the same query. Therefore, significant improvements in retrieval performances can be expected. The first approach is based on information retrieval techniques carried out on the noisy texts obtained through handwriting recognition, while the second approach is recognition-free using a word spotting algorithm. Results shows that for texts having a word error rate (WER) lower than 23%, the performances obtained with the combined system are close to the performances obtained on clean digital texts. In addition, for poorly recognized texts (WER > 52%), an improvement of nearly 17% can be observed with respect to the best available baseline method.

Impact of modellers' decisions on hydrological a priori predictions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Holländer, H. M.; Bormann, H.; Blume, T.; Buytaert, W.; Chirico, G. B.; Exbrayat, J.-F.; Gustafsson, D.; Hölzel, H.; Krauße, T.; Kraft, P.; Stoll, S.; Blöschl, G.; Flühler, H.

2013-07-01

The purpose of this paper is to stimulate a re-thinking of how we, the catchment hydrologists, could become reliable forecasters. A group of catchment modellers predicted the hydrological response of a man-made 6 ha catchment in its initial phase (Chicken Creek) without having access to the observed records. They used conceptually different model families. Their modelling experience differed largely. The prediction exercise was organized in three steps: (1) for the 1st prediction modellers received a basic data set describing the internal structure of the catchment (somewhat more complete than usually available to a priori predictions in ungauged catchments). They did not obtain time series of stream flow, soil moisture or groundwater response. (2) Before the 2nd improved prediction they inspected the catchment on-site and attended a workshop where the modellers presented and discussed their first attempts. (3) For their improved 3rd prediction they were offered additional data by charging them pro forma with the costs for obtaining this additional information. Holländer et al. (2009) discussed the range of predictions obtained in step 1. Here, we detail the modeller's decisions in accounting for the various processes based on what they learned during the field visit (step 2) and add the final outcome of step 3 when the modellers made use of additional data. We document the prediction progress as well as the learning process resulting from the availability of added information. For the 2nd and 3rd step, the progress in prediction quality could be evaluated in relation to individual modelling experience and costs of added information. We learned (i) that soft information such as the modeller's system understanding is as important as the model itself (hard information), (ii) that the sequence of modelling steps matters (field visit, interactions between differently experienced experts, choice of model, selection of available data, and methods for parameter guessing), and (iii) that added process understanding can be as efficient as adding data for improving parameters needed to satisfy model requirements.

Turbulence measurements using the laser Doppler velocimeter

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dunning, J. W., Jr.; Berman, N. S.

1971-01-01

The photomultiplier signal representing the axial velocity of water within a glass pipe is examined. It is shown that with proper analysis of the photomultiplier signal, the turbulent information that can be obtained in liquid flows is equivalent to recent hot film studies. In shear flows the signal from the laser Doppler velocimeter contains additional information which may be related to the average shear.

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.

30 CFR 773.26 - How to challenge an ownership or control listing or finding.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... authority with jurisdiction over the violation and the AVS Office to obtain additional information. (d) A... investigation by the AVS Office. (e) At any time, you, a person listed in AVS as an owner or controller of a surface coal mining operation, may request an informal explanation from the AVS Office as to the reason...

Image denoising and deblurring using multispectral data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Semenishchev, E. A.; Voronin, V. V.; Marchuk, V. I.

2017-05-01

Currently decision-making systems get widespread. These systems are based on the analysis video sequences and also additional data. They are volume, change size, the behavior of one or a group of objects, temperature gradient, the presence of local areas with strong differences, and others. Security and control system are main areas of application. A noise on the images strongly influences the subsequent processing and decision making. This paper considers the problem of primary signal processing for solving the tasks of image denoising and deblurring of multispectral data. The additional information from multispectral channels can improve the efficiency of object classification. In this paper we use method of combining information about the objects obtained by the cameras in different frequency bands. We apply method based on simultaneous minimization L2 and the first order square difference sequence of estimates to denoising and restoring the blur on the edges. In case of loss of the information will be applied an approach based on the interpolation of data taken from the analysis of objects located in other areas and information obtained from multispectral camera. The effectiveness of the proposed approach is shown in a set of test images.

Thermo-Reflectance Spectra of Eros: Unambiguous Detection of Olivine

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lucey, P. G.; Hinrichs, J. L.; Urquhart-Kelly, M.; Wellnitz, D.; Bell, J. F., III; Clark, B. E.

2001-01-01

Olivine is readily detected on 433 Eros using the new thermo-reflectance spectral technique applied to near-IR spectra obtained at Eros by the NEAR spacecraft. Additional information is contained in the original extended abstract.

Information Needs of Cancer Patients and Perception of Impact of the Disease, of Self-Efficacy, and Locus of Control.

PubMed

Keinki, C; Seilacher, E; Ebel, M; Ruetters, D; Kessler, I; Stellamanns, J; Rudolph, I; Huebner, J

2016-09-01

The aim of our study was to investigate the relationship between information needs and cancer patients' perceptions of the impact of the disease, self-efficacy, and locus of control. Using a standardized questionnaire, we obtained data from patients who attended a series of lectures. The questionnaire included questions on their information needs, sources of information, satisfaction with information, and short questionnaires on self-efficacy, perception of the disease, and locus of control of reinforcement. Data was obtained from 185 patients. Our results showed that the sources of information that were most often used were physicians (84 %), print media (68 %), and the Internet (59 %); online fora (7.5 %), non-medical practitioners (9.7 %), and telephone-based counseling (8.6 %) were only used by a minority. Patients with a high perception of their own control over the disease more often used any source of information available to them and were more often interested in acquiring additional information. Higher self-efficacy was significantly associated with the need for information on all topics. Patients with a higher external locus of control significantly more often used sources of information and had significantly more need for additional information. By contrast, there were no associations with an internal locus of control. Neither external nor internal locus of control showed any associations with satisfaction with information. Information needs seem to be higher in patients with a high external locus of control and low self-efficacy. Physicians, other professionals, and institutions that provide information may take these relationships into consideration for tailoring their services to patients.

Alternative magnetic flux leakage modalities for pipeline inspection

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

Katragadda, G.; Lord, W.; Sun, Y.S.

1996-05-01

Increasing quality consciousness is placing higher demands on the accuracy and reliability of inspection systems used in defect detection and characterization. Nondestructive testing techniques often rely on using multi-transducer approaches to obtain greater defect sensitivity. This paper investigates the possibility of taking advantage of alternative modalities associated with the standard magnetic flux leakage tool to obtain additional defect information, while still using a single excitation source.

NASA Global Atmospheric Sampling Program (GASP) data report for tapes VL0011 and VL0013

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Holdeman, J. D.; Dudzinski, T. J.; Tiefermann, M. W.

1979-01-01

In-situ measurements of atmospheric ozone, carbon monoxide, clouds, and related meteorological and flight information obtained during 1122 flights of aircraft VH-EBE and N655PA from January 10 through October 2, 1977 are reported. In addition, tropopause pressures obtained from time and space interpolation of achieved data for the dates of the flights are included.

Comparing the Validity of Informant- and Self-reports of Personality Using Laboratory Indices of Emotional Responding as Criterion Variables

PubMed Central

Lieberman, Lynne; Liu, Huiting; Huggins, Ashley A.; Katz, Andrea C.; Zvolensky, Michael J.; Shankman, Stewart A.

2016-01-01

Personality traits relate to risk for psychopathology and can inform predictions about treatment outcome. In an effort to obtain a comprehensive index of personality, informant-reports of personality are sometimes obtained in addition to self-reports of personality. However, there is limited research comparing the validity of self- and informant-reports of personality, particularly among those with internalizing psychopathology. This is important given that informants may provide an additional (and perhaps different) perspective on individuals’ personality. The present study therefore compared how both reports of positive affectivity (PA) and negative affectivity (NA) relate to psychophysiological and subjective measures of emotional responding to positive and negative stimuli. Given that our sample (n = 117) included individuals with no history of psychopathology, as well as individuals with major depressive disorder (MDD) and/or panic disorder (PD), we were also able to explore whether these internalizing diagnoses moderated the association between personality reports and measures of emotional responding. Informant-reported PA predicted physiological responses to positive stimuli (but not negative). Informant reported NA predicted physiological responses to negative stimuli (but not positive). Self-reported personality did not predict physiological responding, but did predict subjectively measured emotional responding (NA for negative responding; PA for positive responding). Diagnoses of internalizing psychopathology (PD or MDD) did not moderate these associations. Results suggest self- and informant-reports of personality may each provide valid indices of an individual’s emotional response tendencies, but predict different aspects of those tendencies. PMID:27273802

Informed consent: Part II.

PubMed

Murphy, E K

1988-05-01

Although the legal responsibility to inform and obtain the patient's consent lies with the surgeon, the agency may have a duty to ensure that the patient's consent has been obtained. Agency liability is limited to those cases in which the agency knew (or should have known) that informed consent was not obtained. It is still unclear whether agencies have an affirmative duty to ensure that consent has been obtained. If this duty does exist, it appears that a policy requiring documentation in the medical record of the patient's consent meets this requirement. It is clear that whatever the extent of the agency's duty, it does not include the duty to give the patient information or assess his or her level of understanding. Court opinions discourage anyone but the physician from doing so. A nurse's legal responsibility is limited to following agency policy. Courts have not recognized any independent nurse duty beyond that which accrues to them as employees of the agency. Perioperative nurses often provide the final checkpoint that consent has been obtained and documented before the procedure begins. This unique position raises additional legal concerns if the agency's policy is not followed or if the premedicated patient arrives without proper consent documentation in the record. Perioperative nursing concerns will be discussed next month in Part III.

Accuracy and completeness of patient information in organic World-Wide Web search for Mohs surgery: a prospective cross-sectional multirater study using consensus criteria.

PubMed

Miller, Christopher J; Neuhaus, Isaac M; Sobanko, Joseph F; Veledar, Emir; Alam, Murad

2013-11-01

Many patients obtain medical information from the Internet. Inaccurate information affects patient care and perceptions. To assess the accuracy and completeness of information regarding Mohs micrographic surgery (MMS) on the Internet. Prospective cross-sectional Internet-based study reviewing 30 consecutive organic results from three U.S. urban areas on "Mohs surgery" using Google. Text was assessed using a consensus-derived rating scale that quantified necessary and additional or supplementary information about MMS, as well as wrong information. Websites were classified according to type of sponsor. Ninety-one percent of sites conveyed basic information about MMS. There was variation in the mean amount of additional information items (range 0-9) according to website type: 8.4, medical societies; 6.7, academic practices; 5.9, web-based medical information resources; 4.7, private practices; and 4.4, other (p < .001). Cumulatively, academic practices and professional societies (mean 7.42) provided more additional information than private practices and web-based sources (mean 5.11, p < .001). There were no differences based on geographic location. Wrong items included misspelling Mohs (10%), indicating that only plastic surgeons could reconstruct (7%), and noting MMS was never cost-effective (7%). High-ranking websites provide basic information about MMS. Academic practice and professional society sites provide more-comprehensive information, but private practice sites and web-based medical information sources also provide additional information. © 2013 by the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery, Inc. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The National Nanotechnology Initiative: Research and Development Leading to a Revolution in Technology and Industry. Supplement to the President’s 2012 Budget

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-02-01

safety. In addition , the NIFA SBIR program will continue broadly supporting innovation using nanotechnology in agriculture and food applications... addition , the funded research in the AFRI Emerging Food Safety Issues program area will characterize the toxicity, accumulation, and trophic...goals. To obtain additional information regarding the NSTC, visit the NSTC website at http://www.ostp.gov/cs/nstc. About the Office of Science and

Characteristics, of TIROS, GOES, DMSP and LANDSAT Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gray, T. I., Jr.; Mccrary, D. G.; Armstrong, T. A. (Principal Investigator)

1981-01-01

The characteristics of the TIROS, GOES, DMSP and LANDSAT systems of satellites are described. The data listed for each system are altitude of orbit, inclination/position, orbit type, orbits per day, expected operational lifetime and the sensor systems. The sensor systems are described as to wavelength of each channel, resolution, field of view and other pertinent information. Data information such as availability rate, collection method, primary use/application and how to obtain additional information is also given.

Media and education of the consumer.

PubMed

Shapiro, Marla

2016-08-01

The landscape has changed in how consumers get their health information. A shift to the Internet and social media are now the way many consumers obtain their health and medical information. In addition, the highly complex information in medicine and science separates health journalism from other forms of journalism. In this article, the question of the role of media in educating consumers is examined. It is clear that knowledge translation is complex and begs the cooperation of scientists and journalists alike.

Mapping (and modeling) physiological movements during EEG-fMRI recordings: the added value of the video acquired simultaneously.

PubMed

Ruggieri, Andrea; Vaudano, Anna Elisabetta; Benuzzi, Francesca; Serafini, Marco; Gessaroli, Giuliana; Farinelli, Valentina; Nichelli, Paolo Frigio; Meletti, Stefano

2015-01-15

During resting-state EEG-fMRI studies in epilepsy, patients' spontaneous head-face movements occur frequently. We tested the usefulness of synchronous video recording to identify and model the fMRI changes associated with non-epileptic movements to improve sensitivity and specificity of fMRI maps related to interictal epileptiform discharges (IED). Categorization of different facial/cranial movements during EEG-fMRI was obtained for 38 patients [with benign epilepsy with centro-temporal spikes (BECTS, n=16); with idiopathic generalized epilepsy (IGE, n=17); focal symptomatic/cryptogenic epilepsy (n=5)]. We compared at single subject- and at group-level the IED-related fMRI maps obtained with and without additional regressors related to spontaneous movements. As secondary aim, we considered facial movements as events of interest to test the usefulness of video information to obtain fMRI maps of the following face movements: swallowing, mouth-tongue movements, and blinking. Video information substantially improved the identification and classification of the artifacts with respect to the EEG observation alone (mean gain of 28 events per exam). Inclusion of physiological activities as additional regressors in the GLM model demonstrated an increased Z-score and number of voxels of the global maxima and/or new BOLD clusters in around three quarters of the patients. Video-related fMRI maps for swallowing, mouth-tongue movements, and blinking were comparable to the ones obtained in previous task-based fMRI studies. Video acquisition during EEG-fMRI is a useful source of information. Modeling physiological movements in EEG-fMRI studies for epilepsy will lead to more informative IED-related fMRI maps in different epileptic conditions. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Compressed Secret Key Agreement:Maximizing Multivariate Mutual Information per Bit

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chan, Chung

2017-10-01

The multiterminal secret key agreement problem by public discussion is formulated with an additional source compression step where, prior to the public discussion phase, users independently compress their private sources to filter out strongly correlated components for generating a common secret key. The objective is to maximize the achievable key rate as a function of the joint entropy of the compressed sources. Since the maximum achievable key rate captures the total amount of information mutual to the compressed sources, an optimal compression scheme essentially maximizes the multivariate mutual information per bit of randomness of the private sources, and can therefore be viewed more generally as a dimension reduction technique. Single-letter lower and upper bounds on the maximum achievable key rate are derived for the general source model, and an explicit polynomial-time computable formula is obtained for the pairwise independent network model. In particular, the converse results and the upper bounds are obtained from those of the related secret key agreement problem with rate-limited discussion. A precise duality is shown for the two-user case with one-way discussion, and such duality is extended to obtain the desired converse results in the multi-user case. In addition to posing new challenges in information processing and dimension reduction, the compressed secret key agreement problem helps shed new light on resolving the difficult problem of secret key agreement with rate-limited discussion, by offering a more structured achieving scheme and some simpler conjectures to prove.

38 CFR 61.15 - Obtaining additional information and awarding capital grants.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... establishing compliance with local and state zoning codes; (7) Documentation in the form of one set of design... ensure compliance with the provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq...

38 CFR 61.15 - Obtaining additional information and awarding capital grants.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... establishing compliance with local and state zoning codes; (7) Documentation in the form of one set of design... ensure compliance with the provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq...

77 FR 24746 - Proposed Collection; Comment Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-04-25

... SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Proposed Collection; Comment Request Upon Written Request... that are experiencing financial or operational difficulties to provide notice to the Commission, the... difficulties and to obtain any additional information necessary to gauge the broker-dealer's financial or...

Spectra of Angrites and Possible Parent Bodies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Burbine, T. H.; McCoy, T. J.; Binzel, R. P.

2001-01-01

One meteorite class where very little progress has been made in identifying possible parent bodies is the angrites. We have obtained spectra of two new angrites (D'Orbigny and Sahara 99555). Additional information is contained in the original extended abstract.

77 FR 4023 - Hewlett-Packard Company, Provisional Acceptance of a Settlement Agreement and Order

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-01-26

... December 2004 and July 2006, HP imported approximately 32,000 lithium-ion battery packs (the ``Products... April 2007, HP conducted a study, from which it obtained additional information about the Products. 9...

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...

Laboratory testing and economic analysis of high RAP warm mixed asphalt.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2009-03-24

This report contains laboratory testing, economic analysis, literature review, and information obtained from multiple producers throughout the state of Mississippi regarding the use of high RAP (50 % to 100%) mixtures containing warm mix additives. T...

Lip boundary detection techniques using color and depth information

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Gwang-Myung; Yoon, Sung H.; Kim, Jung H.; Hur, Gi Taek

2002-01-01

This paper presents our approach to using a stereo camera to obtain 3-D image data to be used to improve existing lip boundary detection techniques. We show that depth information as provided by our approach can be used to significantly improve boundary detection systems. Our system detects the face and mouth area in the image by using color, geometric location, and additional depth information for the face. Initially, color and depth information can be used to localize the face. Then we can determine the lip region from the intensity information and the detected eye locations. The system has successfully been used to extract approximate lip regions using RGB color information of the mouth area. Merely using color information is not robust because the quality of the results may vary depending on light conditions, background, and the human race. To overcome this problem, we used a stereo camera to obtain 3-D facial images. 3-D data constructed from the depth information along with color information can provide more accurate lip boundary detection results as compared to color only based techniques.

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.

Efficient Caption-Based Retrieval of Multimedia Information

DTIC Science & Technology

1993-10-09

in the design of transportable natural language interfaces. Artifcial Intelligence , 32 (1987), 173-243. - 13- (101 Jones, M. and Eisner, J. A...systems for multimedia data . They exploit captions on the data and perform natural-language processing of them and English retrieval requests. Some...content analysis of the data is also performed to obtain additional descriptive information. The key to getting this approach to work is sufficiently

[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.

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...

RX for School Nursing.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smolkin, Rachel

2003-01-01

Describes how some districts are coping with nursing shortages and tight budgets by employing several approaches to providing health services to students, including requesting additional services from existing staff, establishing partnerships with local health agencies and hospitals, and obtaining information about school-health programs from…

Bibliography of marine radiation ecology prepared for the Seabed Program

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

Schultz, V.S.

1980-02-01

References on the effects of ionizing radiation on aquatic organisms have been obtained from a number of sources. Many were obtained from reviews and other publications. Although the primary purpose of preparing this bibliography was to obtain information related to the nuclear wastes Seabed Disposal Biology Program of Sandia Laboratories, freshwater organisms are included as a matter of convenience and also with the belief that such a bibliography would be of interest to a wider audience than that restricted to the Seabed Program. While compilation of a list in an area broad in scope is often somewhat arbitrary, an attemptmore » was made to reference publications that were related to field or laboratory studies of wild species of plants and animals with respect to radiation effects. Complete information concerning each reference are provided without excessive library search. Since one often finds references listed in the literature that are incompletely cited, it was not always possible to locate the reference for verification or completion of the citation. Such references are included where they appeared to be of possible value. When known, a reference is followed with its Nuclear Science Abstract designation, or rarely other abstract sources. Those desiring additional information should check Nuclear Science Abstracts utilizing the abstract number presented or other abstracting sources. In addition, the language of the article, other than English, is given when it is known to me.« less

An inlet analysis for the NASA hypersonic research engine aerothermodynamic integration model

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Andrews, E. H., Jr.; Russell, J. W.; Mackley, E. A.; Simmonds, A. L.

1974-01-01

A theoretical analysis for the inlet of the NASA Hypersonic Research Engine (HRE) Aerothermodynamic Integration Model (AIM) has been undertaken by use of a method-of-characteristics computer program. The purpose of the analysis was to obtain pretest information on the full-scale HRE inlet in support of the experimental AIM program (completed May 1974). Mass-flow-ratio and additive-drag-coefficient schedules were obtained that well defined the range effected in the AIM tests. Mass-weighted average inlet total-pressure recovery, kinetic energy efficiency, and throat Mach numbers were obtained.

Comparing the validity of informant and self-reports of personality using laboratory indices of emotional responding as criterion variables.

PubMed

Lieberman, Lynne; Liu, Huiting; Huggins, Ashley A; Katz, Andrea C; Zvolensky, Michael J; Shankman, Stewart A

2016-09-01

Personality traits relate to risk for psychopathology and can inform predictions about treatment outcome. In an effort to obtain a comprehensive index of personality, informant reports of personality are sometimes obtained in addition to self-reports of personality. However, there is limited research comparing the validity of self- and informant reports of personality, particularly among those with internalizing psychopathology. This is important given that informants may provide an additional (and perhaps different) perspective on individuals' personality. The present study therefore compared how both reports of positive affectivity (PA) and negative affectivity (NA) relate to psychophysiological and subjective measures of emotional responding to positive and negative stimuli. Given that our sample (n = 117) included individuals with no history of psychopathology, as well as individuals with major depressive disorder (MDD) and/or panic disorder (PD), we were also able to explore whether these internalizing diagnoses moderated the association between personality reports and measures of emotional responding. Informant-reported PA predicted physiological responses to positive stimuli (but not negative). Informant-reported NA predicted physiological responses to negative stimuli (but not positive). Self-reported personality did not predict physiological responding, but did predict subjectively measured emotional responding (NA for negative responding, PA for positive responding). Diagnoses of internalizing psychopathology (PD or MDD) did not moderate these associations. Results suggest self- and informant reports of personality may each provide valid indices of an individual's emotional response tendencies, but predict different aspects of those tendencies. © 2016 Society for Psychophysiological Research.

Using multimedia to enhance the consent process for bunion correction surgery.

PubMed

Batuyong, Eldridge D; Jowett, Andrew J L; Wickramasinghe, Nilmini; Beischer, Andrew D

2014-04-01

Obtaining informed consent from patients considering bunion surgery can be challenging. This study assessed the efficacy of a multimedia technology as an adjunct to the informed consent process. A prospective, cohort study was conducted involving 55 patients (7 males, 48 females) who underwent a standardized verbal discussion regarding bunion correction surgery followed by completion of a knowledge questionnaire. A multimedia educational program was then administered and the knowledge questionnaire repeated. Additional supplementary questions were then given regarding satisfaction with the multimedia program. Patients answered 74% questions correctly before the multimedia module compared with 94% after it (P < 0.0001). Patients rated the ease of understanding and the amount of information provided by the module highly. Eighty-four percent of patients considered that the multimedia tool performed as well as the treating surgeon. Multimedia technology is useful in enhancing patient knowledge regarding bunion surgery for the purposes of obtaining informed consent.

Using information Theory in Optimal Test Point Selection for Health Management in NASA's Exploration Vehicles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mehr, Ali Farhang; Tumer, Irem

2005-01-01

In this paper, we will present a new methodology that measures the "worth" of deploying an additional testing instrument (sensor) in terms of the amount of information that can be retrieved from such measurement. This quantity is obtained using a probabilistic model of RLV's that has been partially developed in the NASA Ames Research Center. A number of correlated attributes are identified and used to obtain the worth of deploying a sensor in a given test point from an information-theoretic viewpoint. Once the information-theoretic worth of sensors is formulated and incorporated into our general model for IHM performance, the problem can be formulated as a constrained optimization problem where reliability and operational safety of the system as a whole is considered. Although this research is conducted specifically for RLV's, the proposed methodology in its generic form can be easily extended to other domains of systems health monitoring.

Overview of national bird population monitoring programs and databases

Treesearch

Gregory S. Butcher; Bruce Peterjohn; C. John Ralph

1993-01-01

A number of programs have been set up to monitor populations of nongame migratory birds. We review these programs and their purposes and provide information on obtaining data or results from these programs. In addition, we review recommendations for improving these programs.

20 CFR 627.430 - Grant payments.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... in accordance with the Cash Management Improvement Act of 1990 (31 U.S.C. 6501, et seq.), Department... 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...

Receptive Fields and the Reconstruction of Visual Information.

DTIC Science & Technology

1985-09-01

depending on the noise . Thus our model would suggest that the interpolation filters for deblurring are playing a role in Ii hyperacuity. This is novel...of additional precision in the information can be obtained by a process of deblurring , which could be relevant to hyperacuity. It also provides an... impulse of heat diffuses into increasingly larger Gaussian distributions as time proceeds. Mathematically, let f(x) denote the initial temperature

Additional Samples: Where They Should Be Located

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

Pilger, G. G., E-mail: jfelipe@ufrgs.br; Costa, J. F. C. L.; Koppe, J. C.

2001-09-15

Information for mine planning requires to be close spaced, if compared to the grid used for exploration and resource assessment. The additional samples collected during quasimining usually are located in the same pattern of the original diamond drillholes net but closer spaced. This procedure is not the best in mathematical sense for selecting a location. The impact of an additional information to reduce the uncertainty about the parameter been modeled is not the same everywhere within the deposit. Some locations are more sensitive in reducing the local and global uncertainty than others. This study introduces a methodology to select additionalmore » sample locations based on stochastic simulation. The procedure takes into account data variability and their spatial location. Multiple equally probable models representing a geological attribute are generated via geostatistical simulation. These models share basically the same histogram and the same variogram obtained from the original data set. At each block belonging to the model a value is obtained from the n simulations and their combination allows one to access local variability. Variability is measured using an uncertainty index proposed. This index was used to map zones of high variability. A value extracted from a given simulation is added to the original data set from a zone identified as erratic in the previous maps. The process of adding samples and simulation is repeated and the benefit of the additional sample is evaluated. The benefit in terms of uncertainty reduction is measure locally and globally. The procedure showed to be robust and theoretically sound, mapping zones where the additional information is most beneficial. A case study in a coal mine using coal seam thickness illustrates the method.« less

Modeling additive and non-additive effects in a hybrid population using genome-wide genotyping: prediction accuracy implications

PubMed Central

Bouvet, J-M; Makouanzi, G; Cros, D; Vigneron, Ph

2016-01-01

Hybrids are broadly used in plant breeding and accurate estimation of variance components is crucial for optimizing genetic gain. Genome-wide information may be used to explore models designed to assess the extent of additive and non-additive variance and test their prediction accuracy for the genomic selection. Ten linear mixed models, involving pedigree- and marker-based relationship matrices among parents, were developed to estimate additive (A), dominance (D) and epistatic (AA, AD and DD) effects. Five complementary models, involving the gametic phase to estimate marker-based relationships among hybrid progenies, were developed to assess the same effects. The models were compared using tree height and 3303 single-nucleotide polymorphism markers from 1130 cloned individuals obtained via controlled crosses of 13 Eucalyptus urophylla females with 9 Eucalyptus grandis males. Akaike information criterion (AIC), variance ratios, asymptotic correlation matrices of estimates, goodness-of-fit, prediction accuracy and mean square error (MSE) were used for the comparisons. The variance components and variance ratios differed according to the model. Models with a parent marker-based relationship matrix performed better than those that were pedigree-based, that is, an absence of singularities, lower AIC, higher goodness-of-fit and accuracy and smaller MSE. However, AD and DD variances were estimated with high s.es. Using the same criteria, progeny gametic phase-based models performed better in fitting the observations and predicting genetic values. However, DD variance could not be separated from the dominance variance and null estimates were obtained for AA and AD effects. This study highlighted the advantages of progeny models using genome-wide information. PMID:26328760

Informational and decisional empowerment in online health support communities: initial psychometric validation of the Cyber Info-Decisional Empowerment Scale (CIDES) and preliminary data from administration of the scale.

PubMed

Seçkin, Gül

2011-12-01

This article presents initial psychometric validation of an instrument developed to measure cyber informational and decisional empowerment. The article provides preliminary insights into the extent to which cyber patients view the digital environment of peer-based information and support as a resource for informed and empowered participation in self health care management. Data come from cancer patients (N = 350) who participated in the Study of Virtual Health Networks for Cancer Patients of the 21st Century. Data were first analyzed using exploratory factor analysis with principle component extraction and Varimax rotation. Age-based split-sample analysis (≥ 51 and ≤ 50) was performed on a subsample, which consisted of only women (N = 255), in order to cross-validate psychometric data obtained from the full sample. A confirmatory factor analysis was conducted using AMOS 19.0. to further validate the scale. The composite scale is unidimensional with excellent internal consistency reliability. The highest average scores were obtained for informational empowerment items. The lowest average was for the item that measured empowerment to seek second opinion from additional health care professionals. The ability of this composite measure to provide information about the extent to which computer-connected patients view digital peer support as an empowerment tool makes it a valuable addition to the literature in health informatics, supportive cancer care, and health quality of life research.

Diagnostic value of contrast-enhanced ultrasonography in the characterization of ovarian tumors☆

PubMed Central

Sconfienza, L.M.; Perrone, N.; Delnevo, A.; Lacelli, F.; Murolo, C.; Gandolfo, N.; Serafini, G.

2009-01-01

Introduction Vascularity influences the characteristics of gynecologic tumors observed with direct imaging techniques that reveal the macrovascular component of these lesions (color and power Doppler) and with indirect imaging involving the administration of contrast agents to examine the microcirculation and interstitial perfusion (contrast-enhanced computed tomography [CT] and magnetic resonance [MR] imaging). The purpose of this study was to determine whether contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (CEUS) of ovarian lesions provides useful information that cannot be obtained with conventional US. Materials and methods We used CEUS to assess 72 nonspecific adnexal lesions in 61 patients. CEUS was performed with a 4.8-ml bolus of a second-generation ultrasonographic contrast agent and dedicated imaging algorithms. For each lesion, B-mode morphology, CEUS morphology, and time/intensity curves were evaluated. Results In 8/61 cases (13.1%) CEUS offered no additional morphovascular information. In 38/61 cases (62.3%), it provided additional information that did not modify the management of the lesion, and in 15/61 cases (24.6%) it gave additional information that modified the management of the lesion. Malignant lesions were characterized by significantly shorter times to peak enhancement (11.9 ± 3.1 s vs 19.8 ± 4.0 s p < 0.01) and significantly higher peak intensity (24.7 ± 4.2 dB vs 17.8 ± 3.3 dB p < 0.01) compared with benign lesions. Conclusions CEUS improves diagnostic confidence in the characterization of liquid-corpuscular lesions where conventional US is inconclusive. CEUS can be proposed as a valid alternative to CT and MR. However, information obtained by CEUS influences the therapy in a limited percentage of cases (24.6%). PMID:23396092

Diagnostic value of contrast-enhanced ultrasonography in the characterization of ovarian tumors().

PubMed

Sconfienza, L M; Perrone, N; Delnevo, A; Lacelli, F; Murolo, C; Gandolfo, N; Serafini, G

2010-03-01

Vascularity influences the characteristics of gynecologic tumors observed with direct imaging techniques that reveal the macrovascular component of these lesions (color and power Doppler) and with indirect imaging involving the administration of contrast agents to examine the microcirculation and interstitial perfusion (contrast-enhanced computed tomography [CT] and magnetic resonance [MR] imaging). The purpose of this study was to determine whether contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (CEUS) of ovarian lesions provides useful information that cannot be obtained with conventional US. We used CEUS to assess 72 nonspecific adnexal lesions in 61 patients. CEUS was performed with a 4.8-ml bolus of a second-generation ultrasonographic contrast agent and dedicated imaging algorithms. For each lesion, B-mode morphology, CEUS morphology, and time/intensity curves were evaluated. In 8/61 cases (13.1%) CEUS offered no additional morphovascular information. In 38/61 cases (62.3%), it provided additional information that did not modify the management of the lesion, and in 15/61 cases (24.6%) it gave additional information that modified the management of the lesion. Malignant lesions were characterized by significantly shorter times to peak enhancement (11.9 ± 3.1 s vs 19.8 ± 4.0 s p < 0.01) and significantly higher peak intensity (24.7 ± 4.2 dB vs 17.8 ± 3.3 dB p < 0.01) compared with benign lesions. CEUS improves diagnostic confidence in the characterization of liquid-corpuscular lesions where conventional US is inconclusive. CEUS can be proposed as a valid alternative to CT and MR. However, information obtained by CEUS influences the therapy in a limited percentage of cases (24.6%).

Interactive color-graphics interface for energy-monitoring and -control systems. Final report, October 1979-September 1983

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

Canfield, K.J.

1984-05-01

An EMCS (Energy Monitoring and Control System) can be described as a system that automatically takes care of routine operation of equipment and provides centralized reporting and override capabilities. Equipment controlled by an EMCS would be heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) equipment, air compressors, and small package boiler units. The EMCS would obtain raw information (data) from sensors associated with the equipment and massage the data into useful information. The information obtained from the sensors plus additional information available to the EMCS would be used to control the equipment. The information would also be available to the operator inmore » the form of reports or in response to operator commands for specific information. EMCS are computerized systems that control and monitor energy consuming and producing equipment at Naval facilities. The larger systems have been installed with color-graphics cathode ray tube operator consoles to provide better information to the personnel operating these systems. This report summarizes the work done on defining an adequate operator console and recommends changes to the existing EMCS Guide Specifications.« less

Sales effects of product health information at points of purchase: a systematic review.

PubMed

van 't Riet, Jonathan

2013-03-01

Information about healthy and unhealthy nutrients is increasingly conveyed at the point of purchase. Many studies have investigated the effects of product health information on attitudes and intentions, but the empirical evidence becomes sketchier when the focus of research is actual purchase behaviour. The present paper provides an overview of empirical evidence on the effectiveness of product health information for food products at the point of purchase. A systematic literature review was conducted. Only studies were included that assessed the effect of product health information at the point of purchase on actual purchase behaviour, using data provided by stores' sales records or obtained by investigating customer receipts as the primary outcome measure. The included studies' target group comprised supermarket clientele. Several studies found no significant effects of product health information on actual purchase behaviour. Interventions were more likely to be effective when they lasted for a longer time, when they included additional intervention components, and when they targeted the absence of unhealthy nutrients instead of or in addition to the presence of healthy nutrients. No strong evidence for the effectiveness of product health information was found. The effect of intervention duration, additional promotional activities and targeting of healthy v. unhealthy nutrients should be closely examined in future studies.

Digital stereo-holographic microscopy for studying three-dimensional particle dynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Byeon, Hyeokjun; Go, Taesik; Lee, Sang Joon

2018-06-01

A digital stereo-holographic microscopy (DsHM) with two viewing angles is proposed to measure 3D information of microscale particles. This approach includes two volumetric recordings and numerical reconstruction, and it involves the combination of separately reconstructed holograms. The 3D positional information of a particle was determined by searching the center of the overlapped reconstructed volume. After confirming the proposed technique using static spherical particles, the 3D information of moving particles suspended in a Hagen-Poiseiulle flow was successfully obtained. Moreover, the 3D information of nonspherical particles, including ellipsoidal particles and red blood cells, were measured using the proposed technique. In addition to 3D positional information, the orientation and shape of the test samples were obtained from the plane images by slicing the overlapped volume perpendicular to the directions of the image recordings. This DsHM technique will be useful in analyzing the 3D dynamic behavior of various nonspherical particles, which cannot be measured by conventional digital holographic microscopy.

SD-4060OCPLT4 program, user's guide

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Glazer, J.

1973-01-01

A brief description of the Orbit Comparison Plot (OCPLT4) program is presented, along with user information and a source program listing. In addition to correcting several errors that existed in the original program, this program incorporates the following new features: (1) For any satellite whose observations are processed by the Definitive Orbit Determination System (DODS), the orbital uncertainty estimates (OUE) can be obtained via appropriate card input with no major modification to the program. (2) All satellite-related information (e.g., plotter scales, cutoff limits, plotting frequencies) is user controlled via card input. (3) Not all components of OUE must be obtained. The user has the option of obtaining only the radial component if there is no need for the other two components. (4) The altitude and time graph formats are controlled by the user and are not stored for specific satellites.

Correlation between multispectral photography and near-surface turbidities

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wertz, D. L.; Mealor, W. T.; Steele, M. L.; Pinson, J. W.

1976-01-01

Four-band multispectral photography obtained from an aerial platform at an altitude of about 10,000 feet has been utilized to measure near-surface turbidity at numerous sampling sites in the Ross Barnett Reservoir, Mississippi. Correlation of the photographs with turbidity measurements has been accomplished via an empirical mathematical model which depends upon visual color recognition when the composited photographs are examined on either an I squared S model 600 or a Spectral Data model 65 color-additive viewer. The mathematical model was developed utilizing least-squares, iterative, and standard statistical methods and includes a time-dependent term related to sun angle. This model is consistent with information obtained from two overflights of the target area - July 30, 1973 and October 30, 1973 - and now is being evaluated with regard to information obtained from a third overflight on November 8, 1974.

The electron microprobe as a metallographic tool

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Goldstein, J. I.

1974-01-01

The electron microprobe (EMP) is shown to represent one of the most powerful techniques for the examination of the microstructure of materials. It is an electron optical instrument in which compositional and topographic information is obtained from regions smaller than 1 micron in diameter on a specimen. Photographs of compositional and topographic changes in 1-sq-mm to 20-sq-micron areas on various types of specimens can also be obtained. These photographs are strikingly similar to optical photomicrographs. Various signals measured in the EMP (X-rays, secondary electrons, backscattered electrons, etc.) are discussed, along with their resolution and the type of information they may help obtain. In addition to elemental analysis, solid state detecting and scanning techniques are reviewed. Various techniques extending the EMP instrument capabilities, such as deconvolution and soft X-ray analysis, are also described.

CALCULATION OF NONLINEAR CONFIDENCE AND PREDICTION INTERVALS FOR GROUND-WATER FLOW MODELS.

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cooley, Richard L.; Vecchia, Aldo V.

1987-01-01

A method is derived to efficiently compute nonlinear confidence and prediction intervals on any function of parameters derived as output from a mathematical model of a physical system. The method is applied to the problem of obtaining confidence and prediction intervals for manually-calibrated ground-water flow models. To obtain confidence and prediction intervals resulting from uncertainties in parameters, the calibrated model and information on extreme ranges and ordering of the model parameters within one or more independent groups are required. If random errors in the dependent variable are present in addition to uncertainties in parameters, then calculation of prediction intervals also requires information on the extreme range of error expected. A simple Monte Carlo method is used to compute the quantiles necessary to establish probability levels for the confidence and prediction intervals. Application of the method to a hypothetical example showed that inclusion of random errors in the dependent variable in addition to uncertainties in parameters can considerably widen the prediction intervals.

Prediction of true test scores from observed item scores and ancillary data.

PubMed

Haberman, Shelby J; Yao, Lili; Sinharay, Sandip

2015-05-01

In many educational tests which involve constructed responses, a traditional test score is obtained by adding together item scores obtained through holistic scoring by trained human raters. For example, this practice was used until 2008 in the case of GRE(®) General Analytical Writing and until 2009 in the case of TOEFL(®) iBT Writing. With use of natural language processing, it is possible to obtain additional information concerning item responses from computer programs such as e-rater(®). In addition, available information relevant to examinee performance may include scores on related tests. We suggest application of standard results from classical test theory to the available data to obtain best linear predictors of true traditional test scores. In performing such analysis, we require estimation of variances and covariances of measurement errors, a task which can be quite difficult in the case of tests with limited numbers of items and with multiple measurements per item. As a consequence, a new estimation method is suggested based on samples of examinees who have taken an assessment more than once. Such samples are typically not random samples of the general population of examinees, so that we apply statistical adjustment methods to obtain the needed estimated variances and covariances of measurement errors. To examine practical implications of the suggested methods of analysis, applications are made to GRE General Analytical Writing and TOEFL iBT Writing. Results obtained indicate that substantial improvements are possible both in terms of reliability of scoring and in terms of assessment reliability. © 2015 The British Psychological Society.

Information retrieval from holographic interferograms: Fundamentals and problems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vest, Charles M.

1987-01-01

Holographic interferograms can contain large amounts of information about flow and temperature fields. Their information content can be very high because they can be viewed from many different directions. This multidirectionality, and fringe localization add to the information contained in the fringe pattern if diffuse illumination is used. Additional information, and increased accuracy can be obtained through the use of dual reference wave holography to add reference fringes or to effect discrete phase shift or hetrodyne interferometry. Automated analysis of fringes is possible if interferograms are of simple structure and good quality. However, in practice a large number of practical problems can arise, so that a difficult image processing task results.

The Mystery of the Mars North Polar Gravity-Topography Correlation(Or Lack Thereof)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Phillips, R. J.; Sjogren, W. L.; Johnson, C. L.

1999-01-01

Maps of moderately high resolution gravity data obtained from the Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) gravity calibration orbit campaign and high precision topography obtained from the Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter (MOLA) experiment reveal relationships between gravity and topography in high northern latitudes of Mars. Figure 1 shows the results of a JPL spherical harmonic gravity model bandpass filtered between degrees 6 and 50 contoured over a MOLA topographic image. A positive gravity anomaly exists over the main North Polar cap, but there are at least six additional positive gravity anomalies, as well as a number of smaller negative anomalies, with no obvious correlation to topography. Additional information is contained in the original extended abstract.

Time-dependent spatial intensity profiles of near-infrared idler pulses from nanosecond optical parametric oscillators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Olafsen, L. J.; Olafsen, J. S.; Eaves, I. K.

2018-06-01

We report on an experimental investigation of the time-dependent spatial intensity distribution of near-infrared idler pulses from an optical parametric oscillator measured using an infrared (IR) camera, in contrast to beam profiles obtained using traditional knife-edge techniques. Comparisons show the information gained by utilizing the thermal camera provides more detail than the spatially- or time-averaged measurements from a knife-edge profile. Synchronization, averaging, and thresholding techniques are applied to enhance the images acquired. The additional information obtained can improve the process by which semiconductor devices and other IR lasers are characterized for their beam quality and output response and thereby result in IR devices with higher performance.

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

THE PARAMETERS OF INFORMED CONSENT

PubMed Central

Raab, Edward L

2004-01-01

ABSTRACT Purpose To describe the components of a proper informed consent; which risks must be disclosed and which need not; additional safeguards for incapacitated persons, minors, and research subjects; and where the law will imply consent that is not otherwise obtained. Methods Summarization of current law obtained from legal treatises, reports of recent cases, and personal experience as a reviewer and expert. Results Lack of informed consent can reinforce a claim of medical malpractice or serve as an alternative point of attack when the case is otherwise weak. Special requirements must be met when patients are the subjects of clinical research. Conclusion Demonstration of a well-conducted process, not merely of a paper, not only protects the physician from exposure to liability, but increases the patient’s autonomy in decisions concerning health and encourages compliance with treatment. PMID:15747761

77 FR 37997 - Importation of Dracaena Plants From Costa Rica

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-06-26

... Dracaena spp. plants will be of greater value than the smaller plants currently allowed entry, and we... addition, copies may be obtained by writing to the individual listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT...(y). (banana rust thrips); Coccus viridis (green scale); Diplosolenodes occidentalis (spotted...

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…

76 FR 62387 - Public User ID Badging

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-10-07

... additional information regarding online access cards or user training should be directed to Douglas Salser... issues online access cards to customers who wish to use the electronic search systems at the Public Search Facility. Customers may obtain an online access card by completing the application at the Public...

Application of Biologically-Based Lumping To Investigate the Toxicological Interactions of a Complex Gasoline Mixture

EPA Science Inventory

People are often exposed to complex mixtures of environmental chemicals such as gasoline, tobacco smoke, water contaminants, or food additives. However, investigators have often considered complex mixtures as one lumped entity. Valuable information can be obtained from these exp...

Preliminary Impact Crater Dimensions on 433 Eros from the NEAR Laser Rangefinder and Imager

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Barnouin-Jha, O. S.; Garvin, J. B.; Cheng, A. F.; Zuber, M.; Smith, D.; Neumann, G.; Murchie, S.; Veverka, J.; Robinson, M.

2001-01-01

We report preliminary observations obtained from the NEAR Laser Rangefinder (NLR) and NEAR Multispectral Imager (MSI) for approx. 300 craters seen on 433 Eros to address Eros crater formation and degradation processes. Additional information is contained in the original extended abstract.

76 FR 62072 - Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-10-06

... Evaluation--Design Survey. OMB No.: New collection. Description: The Family and Youth Services Bureau. (HHS... Organizations. Annual Burden Estimates Design survey Number of Average burden Instrument Annual number responses... Total for Design 92 Survey Additional Information: Copies of the proposed collection may be obtained by...

42 CFR 423.2046 - Notice of an ALJ decision.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... making the determination; (2) The procedures for obtaining additional information concerning the decision... 42 Public Health 3 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Notice of an ALJ decision. 423.2046 Section 423... (CONTINUED) MEDICARE PROGRAM VOLUNTARY MEDICARE PRESCRIPTION DRUG BENEFIT Reopening, ALJ Hearings, MAC review...

The impact of grape skin bioactive functionality information on the acceptability of tea infusions made from wine by-products.

PubMed

Cheng, Vern Jou; Bekhit, Alaa El-Din A; Sedcole, Richard; Hamid, Nazimah

2010-05-01

The effect of information on the health benefits of bio-active compounds on the acceptability of 5 tea infusions made from grape skins generated from wine processing waste (from Vitis vinifera var. Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris) was investigated. Samples of tea infusions with natural additives (PNHGT25 and PGGT50) and without additives (control PN, control PG, and PNPG50) were evaluated by 45 in-home consumer panels (30 female, 15 male) before and after information on the health benefits of grape skins were provided. Information significantly increased the overall acceptability, overall aroma, flavor, and aftertaste of the infusions. The results obtained showed a clear tendency toward increased purchase intention (by 29%) when information on the health benefits of the tea infusion samples was provided to consumers. Interactions existed between gender/infusion samples and stage of information on the purchase intention. Females recorded a significant increase (by 53%) in purchase intention, whereas no change in the males' purchase intention was found after information was provided.

WE-E-18C-01: Multi-Energy CT: Current Status and Recent Innovations

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

Pelc, N; McCollough, C; Yu, L

2014-06-15

Conventional computed tomography (CT) uses a single polychromatic x-ray spectrum and energy integrating detectors, and produces images whose contrast depends on the effective attenuation coefficient of the broad spectrum beam. This can introduce errors from beam hardening and does not produce the optimal contrast-to-noise ratio. In addition, multiple materials can have the same effective attenuation coefficient, causing different materials to be indistinguishable in conventional CT images. If transmission measurements at two or more energies are obtained, even with polychromatic beams, more specific information about the object can be obtained. If the object does not contain materials with k-edges in themore » spectrum, the x-ray attenuation can be well-approximated by a linear combination of two processes (photoelectric absorption and Compton scattering) or, equivalently, two basis materials. For such cases, two spectral measurements suffice, although additional measurements can provide higher precision. If K-edge materials are present, additional spectral measurements can allow these materials to be isolated. Current commercial implementations use varied approaches, including two sources operating a different kVp, one source whose kVp is rapidly switched in a single scan, and a dual layer detector that can provide spectral information in every reading. Processing of the spectral information can be performed in the raw data domain or in the image domain. The process of calculating the amount of the two basis functions implicitly corrects for beam hardening and therefore can lead to improvements in quantitative accuracy. Information can be extracted to provide material specific information beyond that of conventional CT. This additional information has been shown to be important in several clinical applications, and can also lead to more efficient clinical protocols. Recent innovations in x-ray sources, detectors, and systems have made multi-energy CT much more practical and improved its performance. In addition, this is a very active area of research and further improvements are expected through further technological improvements. Learning Objectives: Basic principles of multi-energy CT Current implementations of mutli-energy CT Data and image analysis methods in multi-energy CT Current clinical applications of dual energy CT5. recent innovations and anticipated advances in multi-energy CT.« less

An Apollo compatible cloud physics experiment.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Eaton, L. R.; Hollinden, A. B.; Satterblom, P. R.

1973-01-01

Consideration of the utilization of a low-gravity environment to obtain experimental information, in the area of cloud microphysics, which cannot be obtained in ground laboratories. The experiment discussed is designed to obtain quantitative answers about evaporation and breakup of salt particles from ocean spray and other sources. In addition to salt nuclei distribution mechanisms, this breakup has ecological importance in relation to the spreading of salt mists from salted highways and spreading of brine cooling tower spray from electrical power generation plants. This experiment is being submitted for consideration on the Apollo-Soyuz Test Program in 1975.

Automated mineralogy based on micro-energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence microscopy (µ-EDXRF) applied to plutonic rock thin sections in comparison to a mineral liberation analyzer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nikonow, Wilhelm; Rammlmair, Dieter

2017-10-01

Recent developments in the application of micro-energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometry mapping (µ-EDXRF) have opened up new opportunities for fast geoscientific analyses. Acquiring spatially resolved spectral and chemical information non-destructively for large samples of up to 20 cm length provides valuable information for geoscientific interpretation. Using supervised classification of the spectral information, mineral distribution maps can be obtained. In this work, thin sections of plutonic rocks are analyzed by µ-EDXRF and classified using the supervised classification algorithm spectral angle mapper (SAM). Based on the mineral distribution maps, it is possible to obtain quantitative mineral information, i.e., to calculate the modal mineralogy, search and locate minerals of interest, and perform image analysis. The results are compared to automated mineralogy obtained from the mineral liberation analyzer (MLA) of a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and show good accordance, revealing variation resulting mostly from the limit of spatial resolution of the µ-EDXRF instrument. Taking into account the little time needed for sample preparation and measurement, this method seems suitable for fast sample overviews with valuable chemical, mineralogical and textural information. Additionally, it enables the researcher to make better and more targeted decisions for subsequent analyses.

Predicting couple therapy outcomes based on speech acoustic features

PubMed Central

Nasir, Md; Baucom, Brian Robert; Narayanan, Shrikanth

2017-01-01

Automated assessment and prediction of marital outcome in couples therapy is a challenging task but promises to be a potentially useful tool for clinical psychologists. Computational approaches for inferring therapy outcomes using observable behavioral information obtained from conversations between spouses offer objective means for understanding relationship dynamics. In this work, we explore whether the acoustics of the spoken interactions of clinically distressed spouses provide information towards assessment of therapy outcomes. The therapy outcome prediction task in this work includes detecting whether there was a relationship improvement or not (posed as a binary classification) as well as discerning varying levels of improvement or decline in the relationship status (posed as a multiclass recognition task). We use each interlocutor’s acoustic speech signal characteristics such as vocal intonation and intensity, both independently and in relation to one another, as cues for predicting the therapy outcome. We also compare prediction performance with one obtained via standardized behavioral codes characterizing the relationship dynamics provided by human experts as features for automated classification. Our experiments, using data from a longitudinal clinical study of couples in distressed relations, showed that predictions of relationship outcomes obtained directly from vocal acoustics are comparable or superior to those obtained using human-rated behavioral codes as prediction features. In addition, combining direct signal-derived features with manually coded behavioral features improved the prediction performance in most cases, indicating the complementarity of relevant information captured by humans and machine algorithms. Additionally, considering the vocal properties of the interlocutors in relation to one another, rather than in isolation, showed to be important for improving the automatic prediction. This finding supports the notion that behavioral outcome, like many other behavioral aspects, is closely related to the dynamics and mutual influence of the interlocutors during their interaction and their resulting behavioral patterns. PMID:28934302

Optical assessment of nonimaging concentrators.

PubMed

Timinger, A; Kribus, A; Ries, H; Smith, T; Walther, M

2000-11-01

An optical measurement method for nonimaging radiation concentrators is proposed. A Lambertian light source is placed in the exit aperture of the concentrator. Looking into the concentrator's entrance aperture from a remote position, one can photograph the transmission patterns. The patterns show the transmission of radiation through the concentrator with the full resolution of the four-dimensional phase space of geometric optics. By matching ray-tracing simulations to the measurement, one can achieve detailed and accurate information about the geometry of the concentrator. This is a remote, noncontact measurement and can be performed in situ for installed concentrators. Additional information regarding small-scale reflector waviness and surface reflectivity can also be obtained from the same measurement with additional analysis.

Improving informed consent: Stakeholder views

PubMed Central

Anderson, Emily E.; Newman, Susan B.; Matthews, Alicia K.

2017-01-01

Purpose Innovation will be required to improve the informed consent process in research. We aimed to obtain input from key stakeholders—research participants and those responsible for obtaining informed consent—to inform potential development of a multimedia informed consent “app.” Methods This descriptive study used a mixed-methods approach. Five 90-minute focus groups were conducted with volunteer samples of former research participants and researchers/research staff responsible for obtaining informed consent. Participants also completed a brief survey that measured background information and knowledge and attitudes regarding research and the use of technology. Established qualitative methods were used to conduct the focus groups and data analysis. Results We conducted five focus groups with 41 total participants: three groups with former research participants (total n = 22), and two groups with researchers and research coordinators (total n = 19). Overall, individuals who had previously participated in research had positive views regarding their experiences. However, further discussion elicited that the informed consent process often did not meet its intended objectives. Findings from both groups are presented according to three primary themes: content of consent forms, experience of the informed consent process, and the potential of technology to improve the informed consent process. A fourth theme, need for lay input on informed consent, emerged from the researcher groups. Conclusions Our findings add to previous research that suggests that the use of interactive technology has the potential to improve the process of informed consent. However, our focus-group findings provide additional insight that technology cannot replace the human connection that is central to the informed consent process. More research that incorporates the views of key stakeholders is needed to ensure that multimedia consent processes do not repeat the mistakes of paper-based consent forms. PMID:28949896

Improving informed consent: Stakeholder views.

PubMed

Anderson, Emily E; Newman, Susan B; Matthews, Alicia K

2017-01-01

Innovation will be required to improve the informed consent process in research. We aimed to obtain input from key stakeholders-research participants and those responsible for obtaining informed consent-to inform potential development of a multimedia informed consent "app." This descriptive study used a mixed-methods approach. Five 90-minute focus groups were conducted with volunteer samples of former research participants and researchers/research staff responsible for obtaining informed consent. Participants also completed a brief survey that measured background information and knowledge and attitudes regarding research and the use of technology. Established qualitative methods were used to conduct the focus groups and data analysis. We conducted five focus groups with 41 total participants: three groups with former research participants (total n = 22), and two groups with researchers and research coordinators (total n = 19). Overall, individuals who had previously participated in research had positive views regarding their experiences. However, further discussion elicited that the informed consent process often did not meet its intended objectives. Findings from both groups are presented according to three primary themes: content of consent forms, experience of the informed consent process, and the potential of technology to improve the informed consent process. A fourth theme, need for lay input on informed consent, emerged from the researcher groups. Our findings add to previous research that suggests that the use of interactive technology has the potential to improve the process of informed consent. However, our focus-group findings provide additional insight that technology cannot replace the human connection that is central to the informed consent process. More research that incorporates the views of key stakeholders is needed to ensure that multimedia consent processes do not repeat the mistakes of paper-based consent forms.

Automobile Engine Development, Task Force Assessment, Preliminary Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Caretto, L. S.; And Others

This report presents a comprehensive survey of current knowledge and ongoing research and development projects in the area of vehicular emissions and control. Information provided attempts to answer the questions: how can proposed standards be met with existing technology and what additional research would be required to obtain desired control…

Replications and Extensions in Arousal Assessment for Sex Offenders with Developmental Disabilities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reyes, Jorge R.; Vollmer, Timothy R.; Hall, Astrid

2011-01-01

Three adult male sex offenders with developmental disabilities participated in phallometric assessments that involved repeated measures of arousal when exposed to various stimuli. Arousal assessment outcomes were similar to those obtained by Reyes et al. (2006). Additional data-analysis methods provided further information about sexual…

77 FR 59156 - Antimicrobial Animal Drug Sales and Distribution Reporting; Extension of Comment Period

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-09-26

.... FDA-2012-N-0447] Antimicrobial Animal Drug Sales and Distribution Reporting; Extension of Comment... its regulations relating to records and reports for approved antimicrobial new animal drugs. The... obtaining additional data and information about the extent of antimicrobial drug use in food-producing...

24 CFR 5.214 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... 24 Housing and Urban Development 1 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Definitions. 5.214 Section 5.214... Identification Numbers; Procedures for Obtaining Income Information § 5.214 Definitions. In addition to the definitions in § 5.100, the following definitions apply to this subpart B: Assistance applicant. Except as...

Updating of the Curriculum for Industrial Refrigeration Course. Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eley, Robert H.

A project was conducted at Wenatchee Valley College (Washington) to update the curriculum for the industrial refrigeration technician course. First, resource groups and information networks were contacted in order to obtain a wide range of available resources. In addition, contractors, manufacturers, and government agencies that serve the Pacific…

Clutch size of the clapper rail

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stewart, R.E.; Meanley, B.

1960-01-01

Incidental information concerning the clutch size of the Clapper Rail (Rallus longirostris) was obtained during other studies of this species in the extensive salt marshes near Chincoteague, Virginia. Clutches were considered complete when repeated visits to the nest showed no additional eggs or when embryonic development could be clearly detected.

Education in Taiwan (Formosa). Bulletin, 1956, No. 3

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sassani, Abul H. K.

1956-01-01

"Education in Taiwan (Formosa)" is based mostly on official reports of the Ministry of Education published in Taiwan, including other official and private reports which are not yet published. The text has been supplemented with additional data and information obtained from other official sources and through interviews with Chinese…

40 CFR 80.1350 - What records must be kept?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... (CONTINUED) REGULATION OF FUELS AND FUEL ADDITIVES Gasoline Benzene Recordkeeping and Reporting Requirements... include the following information, as applicable: (i) Its compliance benzene value per § 80.1240, and the calculations used to obtain that value. (ii) Its benzene baseline value, per § 80.1280, if the refinery or...

40 CFR 80.1350 - What records must be kept?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... (CONTINUED) REGULATION OF FUELS AND FUEL ADDITIVES Gasoline Benzene Recordkeeping and Reporting Requirements... include the following information, as applicable: (i) Its compliance benzene value per § 80.1240, and the calculations used to obtain that value. (ii) Its benzene baseline value, per § 80.1280, if the refinery or...

40 CFR 80.1350 - What records must be kept?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... (CONTINUED) REGULATION OF FUELS AND FUEL ADDITIVES Gasoline Benzene Recordkeeping and Reporting Requirements... include the following information, as applicable: (i) Its compliance benzene value per § 80.1240, and the calculations used to obtain that value. (ii) Its benzene baseline value, per § 80.1280, if the refinery or...

Announcing the Availability of the MIT SMASS and SMASSIR Data Sets

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Binzel, R. P.; Bus, S. J.; Burbine, T. H.; Rivkin, A. S.

2001-01-01

We announce the release of visible and near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy measurements for nearly 2000 asteroids obtained by the MIT Small Main-Belt Asteroid Spectroscopic Survey (SMASS) program. Data are being released via http://smass.mit.edu. Additional information is contained in the original extended abstract.

78 FR 41293 - Premerger Notification; Reporting and Waiting Period Requirements

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-07-10

... documentary material as may be necessary and appropriate to make that determination. In addition, Section 7A(d... of Management and Budget (``OMB'') and obtain clearance before instituting them. Such collections of... Director [of the Office of Management and Budget] shall determine whether the collection of information by...

Special Educators' Perspectives on the Services and Benefits of Educational Audiologists

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Knickelbein, Becky A.; Richburg, Cynthia M.

2012-01-01

A 36-item survey was used to determine whether special educators have access to the services of an audiologist and whether they obtained benefit from the audiologist's services. Additional goals included gathering information about special educators' understanding of basic audiological concepts related to a school setting, added job…

34 CFR 412.30 - What additional activities must be carried out by Curriculum Coordination Centers?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

.... (d) Maintain a lending library with a collection of vocational education curriculum, research, and... materials and services and other information resulting from research and development activities carried out... responsibilities for liaison activities within the States, including— (1) Obtaining new curriculum and research and...

34 CFR 412.30 - What additional activities must be carried out by Curriculum Coordination Centers?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

.... (d) Maintain a lending library with a collection of vocational education curriculum, research, and... materials and services and other information resulting from research and development activities carried out... responsibilities for liaison activities within the States, including— (1) Obtaining new curriculum and research and...

34 CFR 412.30 - What additional activities must be carried out by Curriculum Coordination Centers?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

.... (d) Maintain a lending library with a collection of vocational education curriculum, research, and... materials and services and other information resulting from research and development activities carried out... responsibilities for liaison activities within the States, including— (1) Obtaining new curriculum and research and...

34 CFR 412.30 - What additional activities must be carried out by Curriculum Coordination Centers?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

.... (d) Maintain a lending library with a collection of vocational education curriculum, research, and... materials and services and other information resulting from research and development activities carried out... responsibilities for liaison activities within the States, including— (1) Obtaining new curriculum and research and...

HIGH UINTAS PRIMITIVE AREA, UTAH.

USGS Publications Warehouse

Crittenden, Max D.; Sheridan, Michael J.

1984-01-01

Mineral surveys in the High Uintas Primitive Area, Utah and the additions subsequently proposed concluded that the area has little promise for mineral resources. Of the areas around the fringes, a strip along the north flank fault can be classed as having probable energy-resource potential for oil and gas. The oil and gas potential could be tested by additional seismic studies followed by drilling. Much of the necessary information probably could be obtained without drilling within the primitive area itself.

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

Automated interferometric alignment system for paraboloidal mirrors

DOEpatents

Maxey, L. Curtis

1993-01-01

A method is described for a systematic method of interpreting interference fringes obtained by using a corner cube retroreflector as an alignment aid when aigning a paraboloid to a spherical wavefront. This is applicable to any general case where such alignment is required, but is specifically applicable in the case of aligning an autocollimating test using a diverging beam wavefront. In addition, the method provides information which can be systematically interpreted such that independent information about pitch, yaw and focus errors can be obtained. Thus, the system lends itself readily to automation. Finally, although the method is developed specifically for paraboloids, it can be seen to be applicable to a variety of other aspheric optics when applied in combination with a wavefront corrector that produces a wavefront which, when reflected from the correctly aligned aspheric surface will produce a collimated wavefront like that obtained from the paraboloid when it is correctly aligned to a spherical wavefront.

Automated interferometric alignment system for paraboloidal mirrors

DOEpatents

Maxey, L.C.

1993-09-28

A method is described for a systematic method of interpreting interference fringes obtained by using a corner cube retroreflector as an alignment aid when aligning a paraboloid to a spherical wavefront. This is applicable to any general case where such alignment is required, but is specifically applicable in the case of aligning an autocollimating test using a diverging beam wavefront. In addition, the method provides information which can be systematically interpreted such that independent information about pitch, yaw and focus errors can be obtained. Thus, the system lends itself readily to automation. Finally, although the method is developed specifically for paraboloids, it can be seen to be applicable to a variety of other aspheric optics when applied in combination with a wavefront corrector that produces a wavefront which, when reflected from the correctly aligned aspheric surface will produce a collimated wavefront like that obtained from the paraboloid when it is correctly aligned to a spherical wavefront. 14 figures.

Space Station: Status of financial reserves. Report to the Chair, Government Activities and Transportation Subcommittee, Committee on Government Operations, House of Representatives

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Degnan, Frank; Zadjura, Mona M.; Crocker, William W.; Berry, James D., Jr.

1992-07-01

The information on the financial reserves available to offset risks associated with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Space Station Freedom program is provided to Government Activities and Transportation Subcommittee of Committee on Government Operations House of Representatives, as requested. To obtain the information of the financial reserves NASA maintains in the space station program, NASA Headquarters officials in the Controller and Space Station program offices were interviewed. Financial and program documents related to the level of financial reserves in the program and the uses of those reserved to fund additional program requirements were reviewed. The review was conducted from March to July 1992 in accordance with generally accepted government auditing standards. As requested, written agency comments on this report was not obtained, but the reviews of responsible NASA officials were obtained to consider in preparing this report.

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

Using Value-Focused Thinking to Evaluate the Practicality of Porous Pavement Parking Areas on Air Force Installations

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-03-01

data for conventional systems was obtained mainly through the RS Means Assemblies Cost Data book (Balboni, 2005) while Bruce Ferguson’s Porous...Pavements book provided much of the information for porous systems (Ferguson, 2005). Additional information regarding pavement maintenance, inspection...Jacobs, M. M. J., Stet, M. J. A., & Molenaar , A. A. A. (2002). Decision model for the use of polymer modified binders in asphalt concrete for airfields

Energygrams: Brief descriptions of energy technology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Simpson, W. F., Jr.

This compilation of technical notes (called Energygrams) is published by the Technical Information Center. Energygrams are usually one-page illustrated bulletins describing DOE technology or data and telling how to obtain the technical reports or other material on which they are based. Frequently a personal contact is given who can provide program information in addition to the data found in the reports. The compilation is organized by subject categories, and, within each category, Energygrams are presented alphabetically by Energygram title.

Enhancing Public Participation to Improve Natural Resources Science and its Use in Decision Making

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Glynn, P. D.; Shapiro, C. D.; Liu, S. B.

2015-12-01

The need for broader understanding and involvement in science coupled with social technology advances enabling crowdsourcing and citizen science have created greater opportunities for public participation in the gathering, interpretation, and use of geospatial information. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is developing guidance for USGS scientists, partners, and interested members of the public on when and how public participation can most effectively be used in the conduct of scientific activities. Public participation can provide important perspectives and knowledge that cannot be obtained through traditional scientific methods alone. Citizen engagement can also provide increased efficiencies to USGS science and additional benefits to society including enhanced understanding, appreciation, and interest in geospatial information and its use in decision making.The USGS guidance addresses several fundamental issues by:1. Developing an operational definition of citizen or participatory science.2. Identifying the circumstances under which citizen science is appropriate for use and when its use is not recommended. 3. Describing structured processes for effective use of citizen science. 4. Defining the successful application of citizen science and identifying useful success metrics.The guidance is coordinated by the USGS Science and Decisions Center and developed by a multidisciplinary team of USGS scientists and managers. External perspectives will also be incorporated, as appropriate to align with other efforts such as the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) Citizen Science and Crowdsourcing Toolkit for the Federal government. The guidance will include the development of an economic framework to assess the benefits and costs of geospatial information developed through participatory processes. This economic framework considers tradeoffs between obtaining additional perspectives through enhanced participation with costs associated from obtaining geospatial information from multiple sources.

Explorer Satellite Electronics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Eyraud, J. P.; Richter, H. L.; Victor, W. K.

1960-01-01

A discussion is presented of the design restrictions and the philosophy which enabled the Explorer satellites to be first during the IGY to reveal the presence of a belt of intense cosmic radiation encircling the earth's equator. In addition, an indication of the amount and momentum of cosmic dust in the solar system was obtained from the Explorers. Methods used to obtain reliability in the transducing and communications system are described, together with interpretations of space-environment information as deduced from the narrow-band telemetry.

Evaluation of δ2H and δ18O of water in pores extracted by compression method-effects of closed pores and comparison to direct vapor equilibration and laser spectrometry method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nakata, Kotaro; Hasegawa, Takuma; Oyama, Takahiro; Miyakawa, Kazuya

2018-06-01

Stable isotopes (δ2H and δ18O) of water can help our understanding of origin, mixing and migration of groundwater. In the formation with low permeability, it provides information about migration mechanism of ion such as diffusion and/or advection. Thus it has been realized as very important information to understand the migration of water and ions in it. However, in formation with low permeability it is difficult to obtain the ground water sample as liquid and water in pores needs to be extracted to estimate it. Compressing rock is the most common and widely used method of extracting water in pores. However, changes in δ2H and δ18O may take place during compression because changes in ion concentration have been reported in previous studies. In this study, two natural rocks were compressed, and the changes in the δ2H and δ18O with compression pressure were investigated. Mechanisms for the changes in water isotopes observed during the compression were then discussed. In addition, δ2H and δ18O of water in pores were also evaluated by direct vapor equilibration and laser spectrometry (DVE-LS) and δ2H and δ18O were compared with those obtained by compression. δ2H was found to change during the compression and a part of this change was found to be explained by the effect of water from closed pores extracted by compression. In addition, water isotopes in both open and closed pores were estimated by combining the results of 2 kinds of compression experiments. Water isotopes evaluated by compression that not be affected by water from closed pores showed good agreements with those obtained by DVE-LS indicating compression could show the mixed information of water from open and closed pores, while DVE-LS could show the information only for open pores. Thus, the comparison of water isotopes obtained by compression and DVE-LS could provide the information about water isotopes in closed and open pores.

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.

Sub-orbital commercial human spaceflight and informed consent.

PubMed

Carminati, Maria-Vittoria; Griffith, Doug; Campbell, Mark R

2011-02-01

Commercial spaceflight is expected to rapidly develop in the near future. This will begin with sub-orbital missions and then progress to orbital flights. Technical informed consent of spaceflight participants is required by the commercial spaceflight operator for regulatory purposes. Additionally, though not required by regulation, the aerospace medicine professional involved in the medical screening of both spaceflight participants and crewmembers will be asked to assist operators in obtaining medical informed consent for liability purposes. The various federal and state regulations regarding informed consent for sub-orbital commercial spaceflight are evolving and are unfamiliar to most aerospace medical professionals and are reviewed and discussed.

Aircraft Operations Classification System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Harlow, Charles; Zhu, Weihong

2001-01-01

Accurate data is important in the aviation planning process. In this project we consider systems for measuring aircraft activity at airports. This would include determining the type of aircraft such as jet, helicopter, single engine, and multiengine propeller. Some of the issues involved in deploying technologies for monitoring aircraft operations are cost, reliability, and accuracy. In addition, the system must be field portable and acceptable at airports. A comparison of technologies was conducted and it was decided that an aircraft monitoring system should be based upon acoustic technology. A multimedia relational database was established for the study. The information contained in the database consists of airport information, runway information, acoustic records, photographic records, a description of the event (takeoff, landing), aircraft type, and environmental information. We extracted features from the time signal and the frequency content of the signal. A multi-layer feed-forward neural network was chosen as the classifier. Training and testing results were obtained. We were able to obtain classification results of over 90 percent for training and testing for takeoff events.

Professional development and leadership training opportunities for healthcare professionals.

PubMed

Sonnino, Roberta E

2013-11-01

Formal leadership training is a relatively recent addition to the educational armamentarium of the health care executive. Leadership training opportunities for physicians, surgeons, and scientists have gradually appeared over the past 15 to 20 years, but information about them has been scant, with few comprehensive reviews made available to the community at large. This article describes the major opportunities available to obtain formal and informal leadership training for careers in medical school administration. Programs that are specifically targeted to women are described in detail. Information was obtained from the author's direct knowledge, direct communication with the leadership of each program, and the Web site of each sponsoring organization, when available. Many opportunities for leadership training are now available to surgeons, with several specifically designed for women. The author strongly encourages surgeons to avail themselves of these opportunities, as both anecdotal information and published data suggest that these programs are highly effective in enhancing leadership careers. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Preparation of a high concentration of lithium-7 atoms in a magneto-optical trap

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

Zelener, B. B., E-mail: bobozel@mail.ru; Saakyan, S. A.; Sautenkov, V. A.

2014-11-15

This study is aimed at obtaining high concentration of optically cooled lithium-7 atoms for preparing strongly interacting ultracold plasma and Rydberg matter. A special setup has been constructed, in which two high-power semiconductor lasers are used to cool lithium-7 atoms in a magneto-optical trap. At an optimum detuning of the cooling laser frequency and a magnetic field gradient of 35 G/cm, the concentration of ultracold lithium-7 atoms reaches about 10{sup 11} cm{sup −3}. Additional independent information about the concentration and number of ultracold lithium-7 atoms on different sublevels of the ground state was obtained by using of an additional probingmore » laser.« less

Study on the transient properties of amorphous solar cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smrity, Manu; Dhariwal, S. R.

2016-05-01

The transient response for the solar cell when switched off from steady-state can provide useful information about the quality of the material used for fabrication of the device. In this paper we shall discuss the photovoltaic transients of amorphous silicon solar cells when switched off from open circuit configuration and illuminated by electrical pulse. The open-circuit voltage (Voc) decay can be performed by two methods, by optical excitation and by electrical pulse. When one of carriers has a concentration much higher than the other the photoconductivity is dominated by majority carriers; in that case the Voc decay which depends on the np product can be used as complementary method for obtaining information about the minority carriers. Also the series resistance drop in an electrical Voc decay method can be used to obtain a IJ't product as an additional information regarding the material of the device.

Bioelectrical impedance analysis and anthropometry in Ecuadorian children of African ancestry.

PubMed

Vienna, A; Capucci, E; De Stefano, G F; Hauser, G

1998-12-01

In the city of Esmeraldas, north-western coast of Ecuador, height, weight, and body composition of 600 male and female schoolchildren of African ancestry in the age groups four, five and six years were investigated. All the children were apparently healthy without any obvious or reported pathologies and in accordance with data from personal information were assigned to one of two socio-economic classes. The greater values for weight and height shown by children in the higher socio-economic group than in the less well off are compatible with those for more fat and water as obtained by the BIA investigation. Additional information on nutritional, muscular and general health status was obtained from positioning and degree of dispersion of the 'Biagram' ellipses. It seems that both the anthropometric and the bioelectrical impedance methods provide useful information on the differences due to belonging to one or other of the socio-economic groups.

Manipulation of Unknown Objects to Improve the Grasp Quality Using Tactile Information.

PubMed

Montaño, Andrés; Suárez, Raúl

2018-05-03

This work presents a novel and simple approach in the area of manipulation of unknown objects considering both geometric and mechanical constraints of the robotic hand. Starting with an initial blind grasp, our method improves the grasp quality through manipulation considering the three common goals of the manipulation process: improving the hand configuration, the grasp quality and the object positioning, and, at the same time, prevents the object from falling. Tactile feedback is used to obtain local information of the contacts between the fingertips and the object, and no additional exteroceptive feedback sources are considered in the approach. The main novelty of this work lies in the fact that the grasp optimization is performed on-line as a reactive procedure using the tactile and kinematic information obtained during the manipulation. Experimental results are shown to illustrate the efficiency of the approach.

14C BOMB-PULSE DATING AND STABLE ISOTOPE ANALYSIS FOR GROWTH RATE AND DIETARY INFORMATION IN BREAST CANCER?

PubMed Central

Lång, K.; Eriksson Stenström, K.; Rosso, A.; Bech, M.; Zackrisson, S.; Graubau, D.; Mattsson, S.

2016-01-01

The purpose of this study was to perform an initial investigation of the possibility to determine breast cancer growth rate with 14C bomb-pulse dating. Tissues from 11 breast cancers, diagnosed in 1983, were retrieved from a regional biobank. The estimated average age of the majority of the samples overlapped the year of collection (1983) within 3σ. Thus, this first study of tumour tissue has not yet demonstrated that 14C bomb-pulse dating can obtain information on the growth of breast cancer. However, with further refinement, involving extraction of cell types and components, there is a possibility that fundamental knowledge of tumour biology might still be gained by the bomb-pulse technique. Additionally, δ 13C and δ 15N analyses were performed to obtain dietary and metabolic information, and to serve as a base for improvement of the age determination. PMID:27179119

Pattern analysis of fraud case in Taiwan, China and Indonesia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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

2017-11-01

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

Mapping Sources of Food Safety Information for U.S. Consumers: Findings From a National Survey.

PubMed

Nan, Xiaoli; Verrill, Linda; Kim, Jarim

2017-03-01

This research examines the sources from which U.S. consumers obtain their food safety information. It seeks to determine differences in the types of information sources used by U.S. consumers of different sociodemographic background, as well as the relationships between the types of information sources used and food safety risk perceptions. Analyzing the 2010 Food Safety Survey (N = 4,568) conducted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, we found that age, gender, education, and race predicted the use of different sources for food safety information. Additionally, use of several information sources predicted perceived susceptibility to foodborne illnesses and severity of food contamination. Implications of the findings for food safety risk communication are discussed.

How are information seeking, scanning, and processing related to beliefs about the roles of genetics and behavior in cancer causation?

PubMed Central

Waters, Erika A.; Wheeler, Courtney; Hamilton, Jada G.

2016-01-01

Background Understanding that cancer is caused by both genetic and behavioral risk factors is an important component of genomic literacy. However, a considerable percentage of people in the U.S. do not endorse such multifactorial beliefs. Methods Using nationally representative cross-sectional data from the U.S. Health Information National Trends Survey (N=2,529), we examined how information seeking, information scanning, and key information processing characteristics were associated with endorsing a multifactorial model of cancer causation. Results Multifactorial beliefs about cancer were more common among respondents who engaged in cancer information scanning (p=.001), were motivated to process health information (p=.005), and who reported a family history of cancer (p=.0002). Respondents who reported having previous negative information seeking experiences had lower odds of endorsing multifactorial beliefs (p=.01). Multifactorial beliefs were not associated with cancer information seeking, trusting cancer information obtained from the Internet, trusting cancer information from a physician, self-efficacy for obtaining cancer information, numeracy, or being aware of direct-to-consumer genetic testing (ps>.05). Conclusion Gaining additional understanding of how people access, process, and use health information will be critical for the continued development and dissemination of effective health communication interventions and for the further translation of genomics research to public health and clinical practice. PMID:27661291

How Are Information Seeking, Scanning, and Processing Related to Beliefs About the Roles of Genetics and Behavior in Cancer Causation?

PubMed

Waters, Erika A; Wheeler, Courtney; Hamilton, Jada G

2016-01-01

Understanding that cancer is caused by both genetic and behavioral risk factors is an important component of genomic literacy. However, a considerable percentage of people in the United States do not endorse such multifactorial beliefs. Using nationally representative cross-sectional data from the U.S. Health Information National Trends Survey (N = 2,529), we examined how information seeking, information scanning, and key information-processing characteristics were associated with endorsing a multifactorial model of cancer causation. Multifactorial beliefs about cancer were more common among respondents who engaged in cancer information scanning (p = .001), were motivated to process health information (p = .005), and reported a family history of cancer (p = .0002). Respondents who reported having previous negative information-seeking experiences had lower odds of endorsing multifactorial beliefs (p = .01). Multifactorial beliefs were not associated with cancer information seeking, trusting cancer information obtained from the Internet, trusting cancer information from a physician, self-efficacy for obtaining cancer information, numeracy, or being aware of direct-to-consumer genetic testing (ps > .05). Gaining additional understanding of how people access, process, and use health information will be critical for the continued development and dissemination of effective health communication interventions and for the further translation of genomics research to public health and clinical practice.

Information Security Scheme Based on Computational Temporal Ghost Imaging.

PubMed

Jiang, Shan; Wang, Yurong; Long, Tao; Meng, Xiangfeng; Yang, Xiulun; Shu, Rong; Sun, Baoqing

2017-08-09

An information security scheme based on computational temporal ghost imaging is proposed. A sequence of independent 2D random binary patterns are used as encryption key to multiply with the 1D data stream. The cipher text is obtained by summing the weighted encryption key. The decryption process can be realized by correlation measurement between the encrypted information and the encryption key. Due to the instinct high-level randomness of the key, the security of this method is greatly guaranteed. The feasibility of this method and robustness against both occlusion and additional noise attacks are discussed with simulation, respectively.

Flatbed scanners as a source of imaging. Brightness assessment and additives determination in a nickel electroplating bath.

PubMed

Vidal, M; Amigo, J M; Bro, R; Ostra, M; Ubide, C; Zuriarrain, J

2011-05-23

Desktop flatbed scanners are very well-known devices that can provide digitized information of flat surfaces. They are practically present in most laboratories as a part of the computer support. Several quality levels can be found in the market, but all of them can be considered as tools with a high performance and low cost. The present paper shows how the information obtained with a scanner, from a flat surface, can be used with fine results for exploratory and quantitative purposes through image analysis. It provides cheap analytical measurements for assessment of quality parameters of coated metallic surfaces and monitoring of electrochemical coating bath lives. The samples used were steel sheets nickel-plated in an electrodeposition bath. The quality of the final deposit depends on the bath conditions and, especially, on the concentration of the additives in the bath. Some additives become degraded with the bath life and so is the quality of the plate finish. Analysis of the scanner images can be used to follow the evolution of the metal deposit and the concentration of additives in the bath. Principal component analysis (PCA) is applied to find significant differences in the coating of sheets, to find directions of maximum variability and to identify odd samples. The results found are favorably compared with those obtained by means of specular reflectance (SR), which is here used as a reference technique. Also the concentration of additives SPB and SA-1 along a nickel bath life can be followed using image data handled with algorithms such as partial least squares (PLS) regression and support vector regression (SVR). The quantitative results obtained with these and other algorithms are compared. All this opens new qualitative and quantitative possibilities to flatbed scanners. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Context-Based Tourism Information Filtering with a Semantic Rule Engine

PubMed Central

Lamsfus, Carlos; Martin, David; Alzua-Sorzabal, Aurkene; López-de-Ipiña, Diego; Torres-Manzanera, Emilio

2012-01-01

This paper presents the CONCERT framework, a push/filter information consumption paradigm, based on a rule-based semantic contextual information system for tourism. CONCERT suggests a specific insight of the notion of context from a human mobility perspective. It focuses on the particular characteristics and requirements of travellers and addresses the drawbacks found in other approaches. Additionally, CONCERT suggests the use of digital broadcasting as push communication technology, whereby tourism information is disseminated to mobile devices. This information is then automatically filtered by a network of ontologies and offered to tourists on the screen. The results obtained in the experiments carried out show evidence that the information disseminated through digital broadcasting can be manipulated by the network of ontologies, providing contextualized information that produces user satisfaction. PMID:22778584

Context-based tourism information filtering with a semantic rule engine.

PubMed

Lamsfus, Carlos; Martin, David; Alzua-Sorzabal, Aurkene; López-de-Ipiña, Diego; Torres-Manzanera, Emilio

2012-01-01

This paper presents the CONCERT framework, a push/filter information consumption paradigm, based on a rule-based semantic contextual information system for tourism. CONCERT suggests a specific insight of the notion of context from a human mobility perspective. It focuses on the particular characteristics and requirements of travellers and addresses the drawbacks found in other approaches. Additionally, CONCERT suggests the use of digital broadcasting as push communication technology, whereby tourism information is disseminated to mobile devices. This information is then automatically filtered by a network of ontologies and offered to tourists on the screen. The results obtained in the experiments carried out show evidence that the information disseminated through digital broadcasting can be manipulated by the network of ontologies, providing contextualized information that produces user satisfaction.

Measuring recreational visitation at U.S. National Parks with crowd-sourced photographs.

PubMed

Sessions, Carrie; Wood, Spencer A; Rabotyagov, Sergey; Fisher, David M

2016-12-01

Land managers rely on visitation data to inform policy and management decisions. However, visitation data is often costly and burdensome to obtain, and provides a limited depth of information. In this paper, we assess the validity of using crowd-sourced, online photographs to infer information about the habits and preferences of recreational visitors by comparing empirical data from the National Park Service to photograph data from the online platform Flickr for 38 National Parks in the western United States. Using multiple regression analysis, we find that the number of photos posted monthly in a park can reliably indicate the number of visitors to a park in a given month. Through additional statistical testing we also find that the home locations of photo-takers, provided voluntarily on an online profile, accurately show the home origins of park visitors. Together, these findings validate a new method for measuring recreational visitation, opening an opportunity for land managers worldwide to track and understand visitation by augmenting current data collection methods with crowd-sourced, online data that is easy and inexpensive to obtain. In addition, it enables future research on how visitation rates change with changes in access, management or infrastructure, weather events, or ecosystem health, and facilitates valuation research, such as travel cost studies. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Stress measurements in Kuzbass mines using photoelastic sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schastlivtsev, E.

1996-06-01

The basic amount of known measurements of stressed state in front of development workings' faces was carried out with the use of hydraulic sensors, which give an information about principal stresses without their separation. Besides, the availability of pipe-line and cumbersome equipment make more complicated and sometimes impossible the process of stresses' measurements during works in mining process. In our opinion, the borehole and photoelastic sensors at high degree satisfy with the conditions of stresses' measurements in front of mining workings' faces. The principal idea of the method is in the usage of proper face advancing aiming the estimation of the field stresses in its neighborhood. Borehole and photoelastic sensors, fixed in the advanced boreholes, drilled from the active face react to the field change of stresses or deformation caused by working face advancing. While obtaining this information we may judge about the distribution of additional stresses in rock of face's neighborhood and concentration of stresses in front of face. The usage of cavity (because of face advancing) in the quality of disturbing influence in combination with the properties of ring photoelastic sensor to given an information about magnitude and direction of secondary principle stresses, permits us to obtain rather a simple and not labor consuming method of investigation of field additional stresses in the working's face neighborhood.

AAPM/RSNA physics tutorials for residents: MR imaging: brief overview and emerging applications.

PubMed

Jacobs, Michael A; Ibrahim, Tamer S; Ouwerkerk, Ronald

2007-01-01

Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging has become established as a diagnostic and research tool in many areas of medicine because of its ability to provide excellent soft-tissue delineation in different areas of interest. In addition to T1- and T2-weighted imaging, many specialized MR techniques have been designed to extract metabolic or biophysical information. Diffusion-weighted imaging gives insight into the movement of water molecules in tissue, and diffusion-tensor imaging can reveal fiber orientation in the white matter tracts. Metabolic information about the object of interest can be obtained with spectroscopy of protons, in addition to imaging of other nuclei, such as sodium. Dynamic contrast material-enhanced imaging and recently proton spectroscopy play an important role in oncologic imaging. When these techniques are combined, they can assist the physician in making a diagnosis or monitoring a treatment regimen. One of the major advantages of the different types of MR imaging is the ability of the operator to manipulate image contrast with a variety of selectable parameters that affect the kind and quality of the information provided. The elements used to obtain MR images and the factors that affect formation of an MR image include MR instrumentation, localization of the MR signal, gradients, k-space, and pulse sequences. RSNA, 2007

Analysis of remote sensing data for evaluating vegetation resources

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1971-01-01

Increased utilization studies for current remote sensor and analysis capabilities included: (1) a review of testing procedures for quantifying the accuracy of photointerpretation; (2) field tests of a fully portable spectral data gathering system, both on the ground and from a helicopter; and (3) a comparison of three methods for obtaining ground information necessary for regional agricultural inventories. A version of the LARS point-by-point classification system was upgraded by the addition of routines to analyze spatial data information.

Facilitating the exploitation of ERTS imagery using snow enhancement techniques

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wobber, F. J. (Principal Investigator); Martin, K. R.; Sheffield, C.; Russell, O.; Amato, R. V.

1973-01-01

The author has identified the following significant results. EarthSat has established an effective mail-based method for obtaining timely ground truth (snow depth) information over an extensive area. The method is both efficient and inexpensive compared with the cost of a similarly scaled direct field checking effort. Additional geological information has been acquired which is not shown in geological maps in the area. Excellent quality snow-free ERTS-1 transparencies of the test areas have been received and are being analyzed.

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.

Optimal Estimation of Glider’s Underwater Trajectory with Depth-Dependent Correction Using the Navy Coastal Ocean Model with Application to Antisubmarine Warfare

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-09-01

deployed simultaneously. For example, a fleet of gliders would be able to act as an intelligence network by gathering underwater target information ...and to verify our novel method, a glider’s real underwater trajectory information must be obtained by using additional sensors like ADCP or DVL (see...lacks of inexpensive and efficient localization sensors during its subsurface mission. Therefore, knowing its precise underwater position is a

Thermodynamics of computation and information distance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bennett, Charles H.; Gacs, Peter; Li, Ming; Vitanyi, Paul M. R. B.; Zurek, Wojciech H.

1993-06-01

Intuitively, the minimal information distance between x and y is the length of the shortest program for a universal computer to transform x into y and y into x. This measure is shown to be, up to a logarithmic additive term, equal to the maximum of the conditional Kolmogorov complexities E(sub 1)(x,y) = max(K(y/x), K(x/y)). Any reasonable distance to measure similarity of pictures should be an effectively approximable, symmetric, positive function of x and y satisfying a reasonable normalization condition and obeying the triangle inequality. It turns out that E(sub 1) is minimal up to an additive constant among all such distances. Hence it is a universal 'picture distance', which accounts for any effective similarity between pictures. A third information distance, based on the ideal that the aim should be for dissipationless computations, and hence for reversible ones, is given by the length E(sub 2)(x,y) = KR(y/x) = KR(x/y) of the shortest reversible program that transforms x into y and y into x on a universal reversible computer. It is shown that also E(sub 2) = E(sub 1), up to a logarithmic additive term. It is remarkable that three so differently motivated definitions turn out to define one and the same notion. Another information distance, E(sub 3), is obtained by minimizing the total amount of information flowing in and out during a reversible computation in which the program is not retained, in other words the number of extra bits (apart from x) that must be irreversibly supplied at the beginning, plus the number of garbage bits (apart from y) that must be irreversibly erased at the end of the computation to obtain a 'clean' y. This distance is within a logarithmic additive term of the sum of the conditional complexities, E(sub 3)(x, y) = K(y/x) + K(x/y). Using the physical theory of reversible computation, the simple difference K(x) - K(y) is shown to be an appropriate (universal, antisymmetric, and transitive) measure of the amount of thermodynamic work required to transform string x into string y by the most efficient process.

Unambiguous Spectral Evidence for High- (and Low-) Calcium Pyroxene in Asteroids and Meteorites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sunshine, J. M.; Bus, S. J.; Burbine, T. H.; McCoy, T. J.; Binzel, R. P.

2002-01-01

Several new S-asteroid spectra are modeled and found to contain both low- and high-calcium pyroxenes. Similar results are obtained for spectra of eucrites. Their inferred mineralogy is very consistent with petrographic results, lending confidence to the asteroid analyses. Additional information is contained in the original extended abstract.

Obtaining and Investigating Unconventional Sources of Radioactivity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lapp, David R.

2010-01-01

This paper provides examples of naturally radioactive items that are likely to be found in most communities. Additionally, there is information provided on how to acquire many of these items inexpensively. I have found that the presence of these materials in the classroom is not only useful for teaching about nuclear radiation and debunking the…

77 FR 61608 - Public Meeting of the Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-10-10

[email protected]bioethics.gov . Additional information may be obtained at www.bioethics.gov . SUPPLEMENTARY... also be webcast at www.bioethics.gov . Under authority of Executive Order 13521, dated November 24... access to the webcast, will be available at www.bioethics.gov . The Commission welcomes input from anyone...

An Origin and Destination Traffic Survey and Analysis for HECUS (Higher Education Center for Urban Studies) Universities. College of Engineering Report No. 73-1.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Palazotto, Anthony N.; And Others

This report is the result of a pilot program to seek out ways for developing an educational institution's transportation flow. Techniques and resulting statistics are discussed. Suggestions for additional uses of the information obtained are indicated. (Author)

76 FR 53482 - Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Notice of Availability of a Revised Recovery Plan...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-08-26

... a strategic manner; (4) monitor progress toward recovery; (5) conduct applied research and modeling... activities, and additional information has been obtained through research and observation that allows us to... populations. While current research results can lead to predictions about how local tortoise abundance should...

A New Determination of Io's Heat Flow Using Diurnal Heat Balance Constraints

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Spencer, J. R.; Rathbun, J. A.; McEwen, A. S.; Pearl, J. C.; Bastos, A.; Andrade, J.; Correia, M.; Barros, S.

2002-01-01

We use heat balance arguments to obtain a new estimate of Io's heat flow that does not depend on assumptions about the temperatures of its thermal anomalies. Our estimated heat flow is somewhat less than 2.2 +/- 0.9 W/sq m. Additional information is contained in the original extended abstract.

24 CFR 1710.116 - Additional information.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

...) Must an alien obtain a permit or license to own land, build a home, live, work or do business in the... divided and billed? How are voting rights in any Association apportioned? Are there management fees? If so... not directly or indirectly discriminating on the basis of race, religion, sex or national origin in...

Near-Infrared Spectroscopy of Himalia An Irregular Jovian Satellite

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brown, R. H.; Baines, K.; Bellucci, G.; Bibring, J.-P.; Buratti, B.; Capaccioni, F.; Cerroni, P.; Clark, R.; Coradini, A.; Cruikshank, D.

2002-01-01

Spectra of the irregular Jovian satellite Himalia were obtained with the Visual and Infrared Mapping Spectrometer (VIMS) onboard Cassini during the Jupiter Flyby on December 18-19, 2000. These are the first spectral data of an irregular satellite beyond 2.5 microns. Additional information is contained in the original extended abstract.

75 FR 76008 - Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection; Comment Request; Additional...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-12-07

... (44 U.S.C. 3501-3520), Federal Agencies must obtain approval from the Office of Management and Budget... is required to maintain an historical file containing the labeling and advertisements in use on the.... The owner or operator must maintain in the historical file any labeling or advertisements in which a...

Assessment of Person Fit for Mixed-Format Tests

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sinharay, Sandip

2015-01-01

Person-fit assessment may help the researcher to obtain additional information regarding the answering behavior of persons. Although several researchers examined person fit, there is a lack of research on person-fit assessment for mixed-format tests. In this article, the lz statistic and the ?2 statistic, both of which have been used for tests…

75 FR 23227 - Trade Adjustment Assistance for Farmers

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-05-03

... Service (FAS), today accepted a petition, and began a review of a petition, for trade adjustment... CONTACT: Trade Adjustment Assistance Staff, FAS, USDA, at (202) 720-0638, or by e-mail at: [email protected]fas.usda.gov . Additional program information can be obtained at the Web site for the Trade Adjustment...

"That's My Favorite": A Study of Preschooler's Television Repertoires and Preferences. Technical Report No. 20.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vibbert, Martha M.; And Others

Three preschool children were observed intensively for three years to document children's early television viewing repertoires and programing preferences. Relevant information was obtained from children and parents during biweekly home television viewing sessions. In addition, parents reported in diaries and questionnaires all aspects of their…

A Global Map of Thermal Inertia from Mars Global Surveyor Mapping-Mission Data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mellon, M. T.; Kretke, K. A.; Smith, M. D.; Pelkey, S. M.

2002-01-01

TES (thermal emission spectrometry) has obtained high spatial resolution surface temperature observations from which thermal inertia has been derived. Seasonal coverage of these data now provides a nearly global view of Mars, including the polar regions, at high resolution. Additional information is contained in the original extended abstract.

Alternatives for Monitoring and Limiting Network Access to Students in Network-Connected Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Almeroth, Kevin; Zhang, Hangjin

2013-01-01

With the advent of laptop computers and network technology, many classrooms are now being equipped with Internet connections, either through wired connections or wireless infrastructure. Internet access provides students an additional source from which to obtain course-related information. However, constant access to the Internet can be a…

40 CFR 725.975 - EPA approval of alternative control measures.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

...) TOXIC SUBSTANCES CONTROL ACT REPORTING REQUIREMENTS AND REVIEW PROCESSES FOR MICROORGANISMS Additional... EPA via EPA's Central Data Exchange (CDX) using EPA-provided e-PMN software in the manner set forth in § 725.25(c). See 40 CFR 720.40(a)(2)(iv) for information on how to obtain e-PMN software. Support...

40 CFR 725.975 - EPA approval of alternative control measures.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

...) TOXIC SUBSTANCES CONTROL ACT REPORTING REQUIREMENTS AND REVIEW PROCESSES FOR MICROORGANISMS Additional... EPA via EPA's Central Data Exchange (CDX) using EPA-provided e-PMN software in the manner set forth in § 725.25(c). See 40 CFR 720.40(a)(2)(iv) for information on how to obtain e-PMN software. Support...

40 CFR 725.975 - EPA approval of alternative control measures.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

...) TOXIC SUBSTANCES CONTROL ACT REPORTING REQUIREMENTS AND REVIEW PROCESSES FOR MICROORGANISMS Additional... EPA via EPA's Central Data Exchange (CDX) using EPA-provided e-PMN software in the manner set forth in § 725.25(c). See 40 CFR 720.40(a)(2)(iv) for information on how to obtain e-PMN software. Support...

40 CFR 725.975 - EPA approval of alternative control measures.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

...) TOXIC SUBSTANCES CONTROL ACT REPORTING REQUIREMENTS AND REVIEW PROCESSES FOR MICROORGANISMS Additional... equivalency to EPA under this part must submit the request to EPA (via CDX) using e-PMN software. See 40 CFR 720.40(a)(2)(ii) for information on how to obtain e-PMN software. Support documents related to these...

Monitoring the efficiency of hearing aid fitting in the aged by the Social Hearing Handicap Index.

PubMed

von Wedel, H; von Wedel, U C; Streppel, M

1990-01-01

The unsatisfactory results obtained from tone and speech audiometric studies in identifying the effects of hearing disability, in particular the psychosocial factors, prompted us to adopt a psychological test to determine the "social hearing ability". The test consists of 20 questions which all relate to "social hearing ability" in urban society. Ten questions concern hearing ability in situations where background noise plays either a negligible role or none at all. The remaining 10 questions concern selectivity ability, that is hearing with additional background noise. The evaluation of the questionnaire results in a classification of the so-called Social Hearing Handicap Index (SHHI) in percentages together with a breakdown of the deafness components and the selectivity components into percentages. This differentiation provides additional information about the demands placed on the hearing ability of humans in quiet or noisy surroundings. The information obtained from the test enables longitudinal studies on the course of a hearing disability or the effectivity of a particular therapy, e.g. hearing aid, to be carried out in the elderly.

Preface: High-rate GNSS: Theory, methods and engineering/geophysical applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Peiliang

2017-06-01

Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) have revolutionized the science and engineering of positioning, timing and navigation and have become an indispensable means to rapidly obtain precise positioning-related information, profoundly affecting our daily life and infrastructure. With GNSS, the position of an object, either stationary or moving, can be determined anywhere, anytime and under any weather condition. In addition to providing a positioning and timing information service, GNSS are now also used to reconstruct physical properties of media through which GNSS signals travel. The utilization of additional GNSS systems such as the European Galileo and the Chinese Beidou (both expected to complete their final global constellations in 2020) will contribute to positioning/navigation science and engineering, provide more industrial opportunities and surely open more challenges.

Flight investigation of cockpit-displayed traffic information utilizing coded symbology in an advanced operational environment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Abbott, T. S.; Moen, G. C.; Person, L. H., Jr.; Keyser, G. L., Jr.; Yenni, K. R.; Garren, J. F., Jr.

1980-01-01

Traffic symbology was encoded to provide additional information concerning the traffic, which was displayed on the pilot's electronic horizontal situation indicators (EHSI). A research airplane representing an advanced operational environment was used to assess the benefit of coded traffic symbology in a realistic work-load environment. Traffic scenarios, involving both conflict-free and conflict situations, were employed. Subjective pilot commentary was obtained through the use of a questionnaire and extensive pilot debriefings. These results grouped conveniently under two categories: display factors and task performance. A major item under the display factor category was the problem of display clutter. The primary contributors to clutter were the use of large map-scale factors, the use of traffic data blocks, and the presentation of more than a few airplanes. In terms of task performance, the cockpit-displayed traffic information was found to provide excellent overall situation awareness. Additionally, mile separation prescribed during these tests.

Comparison of Three Information Sources for Smoking Information in Electronic Health Records

PubMed Central

Wang, Liwei; Ruan, Xiaoyang; Yang, Ping; Liu, Hongfang

2016-01-01

OBJECTIVE The primary aim was to compare independent and joint performance of retrieving smoking status through different sources, including narrative text processed by natural language processing (NLP), patient-provided information (PPI), and diagnosis codes (ie, International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision [ICD-9]). We also compared the performance of retrieving smoking strength information (ie, heavy/light smoker) from narrative text and PPI. MATERIALS AND METHODS Our study leveraged an existing lung cancer cohort for smoking status, amount, and strength information, which was manually chart-reviewed. On the NLP side, smoking-related electronic medical record (EMR) data were retrieved first. A pattern-based smoking information extraction module was then implemented to extract smoking-related information. After that, heuristic rules were used to obtain smoking status-related information. Smoking information was also obtained from structured data sources based on diagnosis codes and PPI. Sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy were measured using patients with coverage (ie, the proportion of patients whose smoking status/strength can be effectively determined). RESULTS NLP alone has the best overall performance for smoking status extraction (patient coverage: 0.88; sensitivity: 0.97; specificity: 0.70; accuracy: 0.88); combining PPI with NLP further improved patient coverage to 0.96. ICD-9 does not provide additional improvement to NLP and its combination with PPI. For smoking strength, combining NLP with PPI has slight improvement over NLP alone. CONCLUSION These findings suggest that narrative text could serve as a more reliable and comprehensive source for obtaining smoking-related information than structured data sources. PPI, the readily available structured data, could be used as a complementary source for more comprehensive patient coverage. PMID:27980387

Distinct subsystems for the parafoveal processing of spatial and linguistic information during eye fixations in reading.

PubMed

Inhoff, Albrecht W; Radach, Ralph; Eiter, Brianna M; Juhasz, Barbara

2003-07-01

Two experiments examined readers' use of parafoveally obtained word length information for word recognition. Both experiments manipulated the length (number of constituent characters) of a parafoveally previewed target word so that it was either accurately or inaccurately specified. In Experiment 1, previews also either revealed or denied useful orthographic information. In Experiment 2, parafoveal targets were either high- or low-frequency words. Eye movement contingent display changes were used to show the intact target upon its fixation. Examination of target viewing duration showed completely additive effects of word length previews and of ortho-graphic previews in Experiment 1, viewing duration being shorter in the accurate-length and the orthographic preview conditions. Experiment 2 showed completely additive effects of word length and word frequency, target viewing being shorter in the accurate-length and the high-frequency conditions. Together these results indicate that functionally distinct subsystems control the use of parafoveally visible spatial and linguistic information in reading. Parafoveally visible spatial information appears to be used for two distinct extralinguistic computations: visual object selection and saccade specification.

Multi-task learning with group information for human action recognition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qian, Li; Wu, Song; Pu, Nan; Xu, Shulin; Xiao, Guoqiang

2018-04-01

Human action recognition is an important and challenging task in computer vision research, due to the variations in human motion performance, interpersonal differences and recording settings. In this paper, we propose a novel multi-task learning framework with group information (MTL-GI) for accurate and efficient human action recognition. Specifically, we firstly obtain group information through calculating the mutual information according to the latent relationship between Gaussian components and action categories, and clustering similar action categories into the same group by affinity propagation clustering. Additionally, in order to explore the relationships of related tasks, we incorporate group information into multi-task learning. Experimental results evaluated on two popular benchmarks (UCF50 and HMDB51 datasets) demonstrate the superiority of our proposed MTL-GI framework.

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.

Biodetection Technologies for First Responders: 2014 Edition

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

Ozanich, Richard M.; Baird, Cheryl L.; Bartholomew, Rachel A.

2014-03-28

This report summarizes commercially-available, hand-portable technologies that can be used by first responders in the field. This is not meant to be an exhaustive list, nor an endorsement of any technology described herein. Rather, this report is meant to provide useful information about available technologies to help end-users make informed decisions about biodetection technology procurement and use. Information listed in this report is primarily vendor-provided; however, where possible it has been supplemented with additional information obtained from publications, reports, and websites. Manufacturers were given the chance to review summaries of their technologies from August through November 2013 to verify themore » accuracy of technical specifications, available references, and pricing.« less

Global heating distributions for January 1979 calculated from GLA assimilated and simulated model-based datasets

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schaack, Todd K.; Lenzen, Allen J.; Johnson, Donald R.

1991-01-01

This study surveys the large-scale distribution of heating for January 1979 obtained from five sources of information. Through intercomparison of these distributions, with emphasis on satellite-derived information, an investigation is conducted into the global distribution of atmospheric heating and the impact of observations on the diagnostic estimates of heating derived from assimilated datasets. The results indicate a substantial impact of satellite information on diagnostic estimates of heating in regions where there is a scarcity of conventional observations. The addition of satellite data provides information on the atmosphere's temperature and wind structure that is important for estimation of the global distribution of heating and energy exchange.

Development of a special approach of the mineralization localization zones prediction based on the combination and the geoinformation analysis of heterogeneous geodata

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ivanova, Julia

2014-05-01

The complexity of any task solving, including tasks in the Earth Sciences, depends on the completeness of the information that is available. The prediction of the mineralization zone localization is a task with incomplete information. The tasks of prediction are complicated because of search data difficult formalize, and the absent of single information structures of the representation of the search data. These facts complicate the process of structuring, processing and analysis of information. Geodata that need to process are presented in various formats: raster two-dimensional and three-dimensional fields, vector layers of polygons and lines, point markable layers, the spectral and discrete, quantized and continuous, analog and digital forms, as well as chemical formalization. In this form representative data cannot be combining into superclasses. At the same time the information content of geodata that are applied individually is very small. While a number of low informative features, which can be obtained in the process of research of mineralization zones are usually redundant. As a result the quality of knowledge that can be obtained from the search data decreases, as well as the technological cycle of information processing increases. Additionally, that leads to exploitation of datasets, and production of large shared datasets [1]. To solve efficiently the tasks of predicting, it is necessary to use union heterogeneous search features, accumulated factual data and modern science-based mathematical apparatus of processing and analysis of the information. As well young branches of human knowledge help to solve this task: remote sensing, geoinformatics, Earth and Space Science Informatics [2], apparatus of catastrophe theory and nonlinear dynamics, game theory. The purpose of the suggested approach is to increase informational content, and to reduce of geodata redundancy to improve the accuracy of the prediction of mineralization zones. The developed algorithm of prediction of the localization of mineralization zone consists of the some steps: 1. The collection of information about the studying territory of upcoming work from various sources, i.e. building of database (DB). The DB includes variety geodata. 2. The formalization, the concatenation and the union of geodata. Study of features correlation characteristics. Generation of new formal and functional search features. 3. The formation of a number of hypotheses based on initial data. The refinement of search features. 4. Preliminary mathematical modeling of prospective mineralized zones. The study of obtained results, the formation of additional features list. 5. The collection of additional features by field methods for verifying of hypotheses. 6. Processing and analyzing of obtaining data, the specification of preliminary mathematical model. 7. The examination of hypotheses using the obtained results. The study of prediction errors. 8. Building of multidimensional risk matrices of detection and bifurcation diagrams of mineralization [3]. 9. The final mathematical modeling of perspective mineralized zones. Thus, the proposed approach allows to increase the information content of geodata significantly, to reduce redundancy of geodate, and to increase the accuracy of predicting zones of gold mineralization. Currently the approach, suggested by the author, applies for prediction of the localization of gold mineralization at the territory of the Polar Urals. References: 1.W. J. Som de Cerff, M. Petitdidier, A. Gemünd, L. Horstink, H. Schwichtenberg, Earth Science Test Suites to Evaluate Grid Tools and Middleware-Examples for Grid Data Access Tools, Earth Science Informatics, Vol. 2, 117-131, 2009. DOI 10.1007/s12145-009-0022-y. 2. P. Mazzetti , S. Nativi, J. Caron, RESTfulI implementation of Geospatial, Services for Earth and Space Science Applications, International Journal of Digital Earth, Vol. 2, Supplement 1, 40-61, 2009. DOI: 10.1080/175389409028661532. 3. Arnold V.I., Catastrophe Theory, 4th ed. Moscow, Editorial-URSS (2004), ISBN 5-354-00674-0 (in Russian).

Modeling of the Multiparameter Inverse Task of Transient Thermography

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Plotnikov, Y. A.

1998-01-01

Transient thermography employs preheated surface temperature variations caused by delaminations, cracks, voids, corroded regions, etc. Often, it is enough to detect these changes to declare a defect in a workpiece. It is also desirable to obtain additional information about the defect from the thermal response. The planar size, depth, and thermal resistance of the detected defects are the parameters of interest. In this paper a digital image processing technique is applied to simulated thermal responses in order to obtain the geometry of the inclusion-type defects in a flat panel. A three-dimensional finite difference model in Cartesian coordinates is used for the numerical simulations. Typical physical properties of polymer graphite composites are assumed. Using different informative parameters of the thermal response for depth estimation is discussed.

Use of the RISK21 roadmap and matrix: human health risk assessment of the use of a pyrethroid in bed netting

PubMed Central

Doe, John E.; Lander, Deborah R.; Doerrer, Nancy G.; Heard, Nina; Hines, Ronald N.; Lowit, Anna B.; Pastoor, Timothy; Phillips, Richard D.; Sargent, Dana; Sherman, James H.; Young Tanir, Jennifer; Embry, Michelle R.

2016-01-01

Abstract The HESI-coordinated RISK21 roadmap and matrix are tools that provide a transparent method to compare exposure and toxicity information and assess whether additional refinement is required to obtain the necessary precision level for a decision regarding safety. A case study of the use of a pyrethroid, “pseudomethrin,” in bed netting to control malaria is presented to demonstrate the application of the roadmap and matrix. The evaluation began with a problem formulation step. The first assessment utilized existing information pertaining to the use and the class of chemistry. At each stage of the step-wise approach, the precision of the toxicity and exposure estimates were refined as necessary by obtaining key data which enabled a decision on safety to be made efficiently and with confidence. The evaluation demonstrated the concept of using existing information within the RISK21 matrix to drive the generation of additional data using a value-of-information approach. The use of the matrix highlighted whether exposure or toxicity required further investigation and emphasized the need to address the default uncertainty factor of 100 at the highest tier of the evaluation. It also showed how new methodology such as the use of in vitro studies and assays could be used to answer the specific questions which arise through the use of the matrix. The matrix also serves as a useful means to communicate progress to stakeholders during an assessment of chemical use. PMID:26517449

Topography reconstruction of specular surfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kammel, Soren; Horbach, Jan

2005-01-01

Specular surfaces are used in a wide variety of industrial and consumer products like varnished or chrome plated parts of car bodies, dies, molds or optical components. Shape deviations of these products usually reduce their quality regarding visual appearance and/or technical performance. One reliable method to inspect such surfaces is deflectometry. It can be employed to obtain highly accurate values representing the local curvature of the surfaces. In a deflectometric measuring system, a series of illumination patterns is reflected at the specular surface and is observed by a camera. The distortions of the patterns in the acquired images contain information about the shape of the surface. This information is suited for the detection and measurement of surface defects like bumps, dents and waviness with depths in the range of a few microns. However, without additional information about the distances between the camera and each observed surface point, a shape reconstruction is only possible in some special cases. Therefore, the reconstruction approach described in this paper uses data observed from at least two different camera positions. The data obtained is used separately to estimate the local surface curvature for each camera position. From the curvature values, the epipolar geometry for the different camera positions is recovered. Matching the curvature values along the epipolar lines yields an estimate of the 3d position of the corresponding surface points. With this additional information, the deflectometric gradient data can be integrated to represent the surface topography.

Performance Analysis of Constrained Loosely Coupled GPS/INS Integration Solutions

PubMed Central

Falco, Gianluca; Einicke, Garry A.; Malos, John T.; Dovis, Fabio

2012-01-01

The paper investigates approaches for loosely coupled GPS/INS integration. Error performance is calculated using a reference trajectory. A performance improvement can be obtained by exploiting additional map information (for example, a road boundary). A constrained solution has been developed and its performance compared with an unconstrained one. The case of GPS outages is also investigated showing how a Kalman filter that operates on the last received GPS position and velocity measurements provides a performance benefit. Results are obtained by means of simulation studies and real data. PMID:23202241

Evidence on global medical travel.

PubMed

Ruggeri, Kai; Záliš, Ladislav; Meurice, Christopher R; Hilton, Ian; Ly, Terry-Lisa; Zupan, Zorana; Hinrichs, Saba

2015-11-01

The potential benefits of travelling across national borders to obtain medical treatment include improved care, decreased costs and reduced waiting times. However, medical travel involves additional risks, compared to obtaining treatment domestically. We review the publicly-available evidence on medical travel. We suggest that medical travel needs to be understood in terms of its potential risks and benefits so that it can be evaluated against alternatives by patients who are seeking care. We propose three domains -quality standards, informed decision-making, economic and legal protection - in which better evidence could support the development of medical travel policies.

To amend section 2710 of title 18, United States Code, to clarify that a video tape service provider may obtain a consumer's informed, written consent on an ongoing basis and that consent may be obtained through the Internet.

THOMAS, 112th Congress

Rep. Goodlatte, Bob [R-VA-6

2011-07-08

Senate - 12/20/2012 By Senator Leahy from Committee on the Judiciary filed written report. Report No. 112-258. Additional views filed. (All Actions) Notes: For further action, see H.R.6671, which became Public Law 112-258 on 1/10/2013. Tracker: This bill has the status Passed HouseHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

U.S. Residential Miscellaneous Refrigeration Products: Results from Amazon Mechanical Turk Surveys

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

Greenblatt, Jeffery B.; Young, Scott J.; Yang, Hung-Chia

Amazon Mechanical Turk was used, for the first time, to collect statistically representative survey data from U.S. households on the presence, number, type and usage of refrigerators, freezers, and various “miscellaneous” refrigeration products (wine/beverage coolers, residential icemakers and non-vapor compression refrigerators and freezers), along with household and demographic information. Such products have been poorly studied to date, with almost no information available about shipments, stocks, capacities, energy use, etc. A total of 9,981 clean survey responses were obtained from five distinct surveys deployed in 2012. General refrigeration product survey responses were weighted to demographics in the U.S. Energy Information Administration’smore » Residential Energy Consumption Survey 2009 dataset. Miscellaneous refrigeration product survey responses were weighted according to demographics of product ownership found in the general refrigeration product surveys. Model number matching for a portion of miscellaneous refrigeration product responses allowed validation of refrigeration product characteristics, which enabled more accurate estimates of the penetrations of these products in U.S. households. We estimated that there were 12.3±1.0 million wine/beverage coolers, 5.5(–3.5,+3.2) million residential icemakers and 4.4(–2.7,+2.3) million non-vapor compression refrigerators in U.S. households in 2012. (All numerical results are expressed with ranges indicating the 95% confidence interval.) No evidence was found for the existence of non-vapor compression freezers. Moreover, we found that 15% of wine/beverage coolers used vapor compression cooling technology, while 85% used thermoelectric cooling technology, with the vast majority of thermoelectric units having capacities of less than 30 wine bottles (approximately 3.5 cubic feet). No evidence was found for the existence of wine/beverage coolers with absorption cooling technology. Additionally, we estimated that there were 3.6±1.0 million hybrid refrigerator-wine/beverage coolers and 0.9±0.5 million hybrid freezer-wine/beverage coolers in U.S. households. We also obtained estimates of miscellaneous refrigeration product capacities, lifetimes, purchase and installation costs, repair frequencies and costs, and maintenance costs. For wine/beverage coolers, we also obtained information on the penetration of built-in units, AC/DC operating capability, the use of internal lights, and distributions of door opening frequencies. This information is essential to develop detailed estimates of national energy usage and life-cycle costs, and would be helpful in obtaining information on other plug-load appliances. Additional information not highlighted in the main report was presented in Appendices.« less

U.S. Residential Miscellaneous Refrigeration Products: Results from Amazon Mechanical Turk Surveys

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

Greenblatt, Jeffery B.; Young, Scott J.; Yang, Hung-Chia

Amazon Mechanical Turk was used, for the first time, to collect statistically representative survey data from U.S. households on the presence, number, type and usage of refrigerators, freezers, and various “miscellaneous” refrigeration products (wine/beverage coolers, residential icemakers and non-vapor compression refrigerators and freezers), along with household and demographic information. Such products have been poorly studied to date, with almost no information available about shipments, stocks, capacities, energy use, etc. A total of 9,820 clean survey responses were obtained from four distinct surveys deployed in 2012. General refrigeration product survey responses were weighted to demographics in the U.S. Energy Information Administration’smore » Residential Energy Consumption Survey 2009 dataset. Miscellaneous refrigeration product survey responses were weighted according to demographics of product ownership found in the general refrigeration product surveys. Model number matching for a portion of miscellaneous refrigeration product responses allowed validation of refrigeration product characteristics, which enabled more accurate estimates of the penetrations of these products in U.S. households. We estimated that there were 12.3±1.0 million wine/beverage coolers, 5.5(–3.5,+3.2) million residential icemakers and 2.9(–2.5,+4.5) million non-vapor compression refrigerators in U.S. households in 2012. (All numerical results are expressed with ranges indicating the 95% confidence interval.) No evidence was found for the existence of non-vapor compression freezers. Moreover, we found that 15% of wine/beverage coolers used vapor compression cooling technology, while 85% used thermoelectric cooling technology, with the vast majority of thermoelectric units having capacities of less than 30 wine bottles (approximately 3.5 cubic feet). No evidence was found for the existence of wine/beverage coolers with absorption cooling technology. Additionally, we estimated that there were 3.6±1.0 million hybrid refrigerator-wine/beverage coolers and 0.9±0.5 million hybrid freezer-wine/beverage coolers in U.S. households. We also obtained estimates of miscellaneous refrigeration product capacities, lifetimes, purchase and installation costs, repair frequencies and costs, and maintenance costs. For wine/beverage coolers, we also obtained information on the penetration of built-in units, AC/DC operating capability, the use of internal lights, and distributions of door opening frequencies. This information is essential to develop detailed estimates of national energy usage and life-cycle costs, and would be helpful in obtaining information on other plug-load appliances. Additional information not highlighted in the main report was presented in Appendices.« less

The Magnetron Method for the Determination of e/m for Electrons: Revisited

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Azooz, A. A.

2007-01-01

Additional information concerning the energy distribution function of electrons in a magnetron diode valve can be extracted. This distribution function is a manifestation of the effect of space charge at the anode. The electron energy distribution function in the magnetron is obtained from studying the variation of the anode current with the…

76 FR 16819 - Notice Pursuant to the National Cooperative Research and Production Act of 1993-Consortium for...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-03-25

... commercialized. Additional information concerning the CEED can be obtained from Mr. Darold L. Griffin, Executive...: [email protected] ; Mr. Charles McBride, President, CEED, 1140 Connecticut Avenue, NW., Suite 1050, Washington, DC 20036, telephone (202) 466-4210, fax (202) 466-4213, e-mail: [email protected] ; Mr. James W...

Educational Audiologists: Their Access, Benefit, and Collaborative Assistance to Speech-Language Pathologists in Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Richburg, Cynthia McCormick; Knickelbein, Becky A.

2011-01-01

Purpose: The main goals of this study were to determine if school-based speech-language pathologists (SLPs) have access to the services of an audiologist and if those SLPs felt they obtained benefit from the audiologist's services. Additional goals included gathering information about SLPs' (a) understanding of basic audiological concepts typical…

Observing the Loss of Situational Awareness and Tacit Knowledge during Personnel Change-Over in a U.S. Coast Guard Command and Control Environment

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-09-01

meaning. Information (Know-what): The interpretation of a sequence of elements or in this example, ingredients such as flour , water, sugar, spices, and...the current situation. In addition, obtaining expertise from external specialty sources enriches knowledge and enhances the ability to take action

Nursing Education Follow-Up Study--1982 R.N.'s.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scott, David C.

In 1982, a follow-up study of nursing graduates of the Bakersfield College Registered Nursing (RN) program was conducted to obtain information that would lead to improvement in program quality and to a better match between supply and demand in the local nursing labor market. In addition, the study compared results with similar studies conducted…

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…

Aerogel as a Sample Collector and Sample Mount for Transmission XRD Analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bish, D. L.; Vaniman, D. T.; Chipera, S. J.; Yen, A. S.; Jones, S. M.

2001-01-01

Silica aerogel can be used for dust collection and in situ X-ray analysis. Aerogels can be less absorbing than Be, and it is feasible to obtain X-ray transmission factors >50% using typical aerogels together with a 100-micrometer Be backing foil. Additional information is contained in the original extended abstract.

Help-Seeking in a National Sample of Victimized Latino Women: The Influence of Victimization Types

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sabina, Chiara; Cuevas, Carlos A.; Schally, Jennifer L.

2012-01-01

The current study aimed to examine formal and informal help-seeking responses to interpersonal victimization among a national sample of Latino women. In addition, an examination of help-seeking by victimization type was undertaken. Data came from the Sexual Assault Among Latinas (SALAS) study that obtained help-seeking rates among a victimized…

78 FR 15959 - Proposed Collection; 60-day Comment Request: Early Career Reviewer Program Online Application...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-03-13

... projects to be submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval. Written... Information: To obtain a copy of the data collection plans and instruments, submit comments in writing, or... requests for additional plans and instruments must be requested in writing. Comment Due Date: Comments...

75 FR 76010 - Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission for Office of Management and Budget Review...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-12-07

... (MedSun). FDA is continuing to conduct a pilot of the MedSun system before the Agency issues regulation... products from the user facilities participating in MedSun, to obtain a demographic profile of the... addition to collecting data on the electronic adverse event report form, MedSun is proposing to collect...

The True Color of Yogi: An Accurate Method for Removing Diffuse Illumination from Multispectral Images of Mars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stoker, Carol R.; Rages, Kathy

2002-01-01

We correct spectra of Yogi to remove diffuse illumination and show that the part of Yogi facing the wind is less red than other faces of the rock. Our method eliminates ambiguity in interpreting spectra obtained under Mars illumination conditions. Additional information is contained in the original extended abstract.

75 FR 1335 - Circular Welded Carbon Steel Pipes and Tubes from Taiwan; Extension of Time Limit for Preliminary...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-01-11

... DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE International Trade Administration [A-583-008] Circular Welded Carbon Steel... review of the antidumping duty order on circular welded carbon steel pipes and tubes from Taiwan.\\1\\ On... review within the original time frame because we require additional time to obtain information from the...

Industrial Special Wastes Generated in Iowa and Manpower Characteristics of Employee Handlers, Volume I.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pierce, David R.

This document, Vol. I in a set, presents information obtained from a survey of industry in Iowa to determine the use and quantities, distribution, and treatment and disposal practices of hazardous waste generators. Additionally, it tabulated the number and manpower characteristics of employees who are in daily contact with such hazardous…

Geologist's Field Assistant: Developing Image and Spectral Analyses Algorithms for Remote Science Exploration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gulick, V. C.; Morris, R. L.; Bishop, J.; Gazis, P.; Alena, R.; Sierhuis, M.

2002-01-01

We are developing science analyses algorithms to interface with a Geologist's Field Assistant device to allow robotic or human remote explorers to better sense their surroundings during limited surface excursions. Our algorithms will interpret spectral and imaging data obtained by various sensors. Additional information is contained in the original extended abstract.

Comparing models of the combined-stimulation advantage for speech recognition.

PubMed

Micheyl, Christophe; Oxenham, Andrew J

2012-05-01

The "combined-stimulation advantage" refers to an improvement in speech recognition when cochlear-implant or vocoded stimulation is supplemented by low-frequency acoustic information. Previous studies have been interpreted as evidence for "super-additive" or "synergistic" effects in the combination of low-frequency and electric or vocoded speech information by human listeners. However, this conclusion was based on predictions of performance obtained using a suboptimal high-threshold model of information combination. The present study shows that a different model, based on Gaussian signal detection theory, can predict surprisingly large combined-stimulation advantages, even when performance with either information source alone is close to chance, without involving any synergistic interaction. A reanalysis of published data using this model reveals that previous results, which have been interpreted as evidence for super-additive effects in perception of combined speech stimuli, are actually consistent with a more parsimonious explanation, according to which the combined-stimulation advantage reflects an optimal combination of two independent sources of information. The present results do not rule out the possible existence of synergistic effects in combined stimulation; however, they emphasize the possibility that the combined-stimulation advantages observed in some studies can be explained simply by non-interactive combination of two information sources.

Characterising protein, salt and water interactions with combined vibrational spectroscopic techniques.

PubMed

Perisic, Nebojsa; Afseth, Nils Kristian; Ofstad, Ragni; Hassani, Sahar; Kohler, Achim

2013-05-01

In this paper a combination of NIR spectroscopy and FTIR and Raman microspectroscopy was used to elucidate the effects of different salts (NaCl, KCl and MgSO(4)) on structural proteins and their hydration in muscle tissue. Multivariate multi-block technique Consensus Principal Component Analysis enabled integration of different vibrational spectroscopic techniques: macroscopic information obtained by NIR spectroscopy is directly related to microscopic information obtained by FTIR and Raman microspectroscopy. Changes in protein secondary structure observed at different concentrations of salts were linked to changes in protein hydration affinity. The evidence for this was given by connecting the underlying FTIR bands of the amide I region (1700-1600 cm(-1)) and the water region (3500-3000 cm(-1)) with water vibrations obtained by NIR spectroscopy. In addition, Raman microspectroscopy demonstrated that different cations affected structures of aromatic amino acid residues differently, which indicates that cation-π interactions play an important role in determination of the final structure of protein molecules. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A contribution to the development of an economic atlas of the Houston Area Test Site

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1972-01-01

An outine description of the Houston Area Test Site was prepared, in the form of an atlas-catalog of Universal Transverse Mercator grid coordinate locations, building on the manufacturing sector and expanding along agreed lines as far as possible. It was concluded that (1) the effort expended in securing and verifying the locations of larger manufacturing plants yielded 5,000-plus usable entries, in addition to certain valuable conclusions about the general feasibility of obtaining ground information by economic sector; (2) on the basis of the number and the quality of the usable entries obtained, the resources expended on nonmanufacturing sectors and on historical data cannot be wholly justified; and (3) even without the 5,000-odd locations of completely satisfactory quality, the relatively modest cost of this pilot study secured enough data to provide a sound basis for obtaining feasibly and systematically some appropriate ground information on almost any economic or social activity, together with some indication of their relative areal and economic significance.

Geographic information system (GIS)-based image analysis for assessing growth of Physarum polycephalum on a solid medium.

PubMed

Tran, Hanh T M; Stephenson, Steven L; Tullis, Jason A

2015-01-01

The conventional method used to assess growth of the plasmodium of the slime mold Physarum polycephalum in solid culture is to measure the extent of plasmodial expansion from the point of inoculation by using a ruler. However, plasmodial growth is usually rather irregular, so the values obtained are not especially accurate. Similar challenges exist in quantification of the growth of a fungal mycelium. In this paper, we describe a method that uses geographic information system software to obtain highly accurate estimates of plasmodial growth over time. This approach calculates plasmodial area from images obtained at particular intervals following inoculation. In addition, the correlation between plasmodial area and its dry cell weight value was determined. The correlation could be used for biomass estimation without the need of having to terminate the cultures in question. The method described herein is simple but effective and could also be used for growth measurements of other microorganisms such as fungi on solid media.

Humidity scanning quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring setup for determination of sorption-desorption isotherms and rheological changes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Björklund, Sebastian; Kocherbitov, Vitaly

2015-05-01

A new method to determine water sorption-desorption isotherms with high resolution in the complete range of water activities (relative humidities) is presented. The method is based on quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring (QCM-D). The QCM-D is equipped with a humidity module in which the sample film is kept in air with controlled humidity. The experimental setup allows for continuous scanning of the relative humidity from either dry to humid conditions or vice versa. The amount of water sorbed or desorbed from the sample is determined from the resonance frequencies of the coated quartz sensor, via analysis of the overtone dependence. In addition, the method allows for characterization of hydration induced changes of the rheological properties from the dissipation data, which is closely connected to the viscoelasticity of the film. The accuracy of the humidity scanning setup is confirmed in control experiments. Sorption-desorption isotherms of pig gastric mucin and lysozyme, obtained by the new method, show good agreement with previous results. Finally, we show that the deposition technique used to coat the quartz sensor influences the QCM-D data and how this issue can be used to obtain further information on the effect of hydration. In particular, we demonstrate that spin-coating represents an attractive alternative to obtain sorption-desorption isotherms, while drop-coating provides additional information on changes of the rheological properties during hydration.

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

Björklund, Sebastian, E-mail: sebastianbjorklund@gmail.com; Kocherbitov, Vitaly; Biofilms—Research Center for Biointerfaces, Malmö University, Malmö

A new method to determine water sorption-desorption isotherms with high resolution in the complete range of water activities (relative humidities) is presented. The method is based on quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring (QCM-D). The QCM-D is equipped with a humidity module in which the sample film is kept in air with controlled humidity. The experimental setup allows for continuous scanning of the relative humidity from either dry to humid conditions or vice versa. The amount of water sorbed or desorbed from the sample is determined from the resonance frequencies of the coated quartz sensor, via analysis of the overtonemore » dependence. In addition, the method allows for characterization of hydration induced changes of the rheological properties from the dissipation data, which is closely connected to the viscoelasticity of the film. The accuracy of the humidity scanning setup is confirmed in control experiments. Sorption-desorption isotherms of pig gastric mucin and lysozyme, obtained by the new method, show good agreement with previous results. Finally, we show that the deposition technique used to coat the quartz sensor influences the QCM-D data and how this issue can be used to obtain further information on the effect of hydration. In particular, we demonstrate that spin-coating represents an attractive alternative to obtain sorption-desorption isotherms, while drop-coating provides additional information on changes of the rheological properties during hydration.« less

Development of cost estimation tools for total occupational safety and health activities and occupational health services: cost estimation from a corporate perspective.

PubMed

Nagata, Tomohisa; Mori, Koji; Aratake, Yutaka; Ide, Hiroshi; Ishida, Hiromi; Nobori, Junichiro; Kojima, Reiko; Odagami, Kiminori; Kato, Anna; Tsutsumi, Akizumi; Matsuda, Shinya

2014-01-01

The aim of the present study was to develop standardized cost estimation tools that provide information to employers about occupational safety and health (OSH) activities for effective and efficient decision making in Japanese companies. We interviewed OSH staff members including full-time professional occupational physicians to list all OSH activities. Using activity-based costing, cost data were obtained from retrospective analyses of occupational safety and health costs over a 1-year period in three manufacturing workplaces and were obtained from retrospective analyses of occupational health services costs in four manufacturing workplaces. We verified the tools additionally in four workplaces including service businesses. We created the OSH and occupational health standardized cost estimation tools. OSH costs consisted of personnel costs, expenses, outsourcing costs and investments for 15 OSH activities. The tools provided accurate, relevant information on OSH activities and occupational health services. The standardized information obtained from our OSH and occupational health cost estimation tools can be used to manage OSH costs, make comparisons of OSH costs between companies and organizations and help occupational health physicians and employers to determine the best course of action.

Concentration history during pumping from a leaky aquifer with stratified initial concentration

USGS Publications Warehouse

Goode, Daniel J.; Hsieh, Paul A.; Shapiro, Allen M.; Wood, Warren W.; Kraemer, Thomas F.

1993-01-01

Analytical and numerical solutions are employed to examine the concentration history of a dissolved substance in water pumped from a leaky aquifer. Many aquifer systems are characterized by stratification, for example, a sandy layer overlain by a clay layer. To obtain information about separate hydrogeologic units, aquifer pumping tests are often conducted with a well penetrating only one of the layers. When the initial concentration distribution is also stratified (the concentration varies with elevation only), the concentration breakthrough in the pumped well may be interpreted to provide information on aquifer hydraulic and transport properties. To facilitate this interpretation, we present some simple analytical and numerical solutions for limiting cases and illustrate their application to a fractured bedrock/glacial drift aquifer system where the solute of interest is dissolved radon gas. In addition to qualitative information on water source, this method may yield estimates of effective porosity and saturated thickness (or fracture transport aperture) from a single-hole test. Little information about dispersivity is obtained because the measured concentration is not significantly affected by dispersion in the aquifer.

Structural Studies of Fucosylated N-Glycans by Ion Mobility Mass Spectrometry and Collision-Induced Fragmentation of Negative Ions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harvey, David J.; Struwe, Weston B.

2018-05-01

There is considerable potential for the use of ion mobility mass spectrometry in structural glycobiology due in large part to the gas-phase separation attributes not typically observed by orthogonal methods. Here, we evaluate the capability of traveling wave ion mobility combined with negative ion collision-induced dissociation to provide structural information on N-linked glycans containing multiple fucose residues forming the Lewisx and Lewisy epitopes. These epitopes are involved in processes such as cell-cell recognition and are important as cancer biomarkers. Specific information that could be obtained from the intact N-glycans by negative ion CID included the general topology of the glycan such as the presence or absence of a bisecting GlcNAc residue and the branching pattern of the triantennary glycans. Information on the location of the fucose residues was also readily obtainable from ions specific to each antenna. Some isobaric fragment ions produced prior to ion mobility could subsequently be separated and, in some cases, provided additional valuable structural information that was missing from the CID spectra alone.

Low-template methods yield limited extra information for PowerPlex® Fusion 6C profiling.

PubMed

Duijs, Francisca; van de Merwe, Linda; Sijen, Titia; Benschop, Corina C G

2018-06-01

Advances in autosomal DNA profiling systems enable analyzing increased numbers of short tandem repeat (STR) loci in one reaction. Increasing the number of STR loci increases the amount of information that may be obtained from a (crime scene) sample. In this study, we examined whether even more allelic information can be obtained by applying low-template methods. To this aim, the performance of the PowerPlex® Fusion 6C STR typing system was assessed when increasing the number of PCR cycles or enhancing the capillary electrophoresis (CE) injection settings. Results show that applying these low-template methods yields limited extra information and comes at cost of more background noise. In addition, the gain in detection of alleles was much smaller when compared to the gain when applying low-template methods to the 15-loci AmpFLSTR® NGM™ system. Consequently, the PowerPlex® Fusion 6C STR typing system was implemented using standard settings only; low-template methods were not implemented for our routine forensic casework. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Tightening the entropic uncertainty bound in the presence of quantum memory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adabi, F.; Salimi, S.; Haseli, S.

2016-06-01

The uncertainty principle is a fundamental principle in quantum physics. It implies that the measurement outcomes of two incompatible observables cannot be predicted simultaneously. In quantum information theory, this principle can be expressed in terms of entropic measures. M. Berta et al. [Nat. Phys. 6, 659 (2010), 10.1038/nphys1734] have indicated that uncertainty bound can be altered by considering a particle as a quantum memory correlating with the primary particle. In this article, we obtain a lower bound for entropic uncertainty in the presence of a quantum memory by adding an additional term depending on the Holevo quantity and mutual information. We conclude that our lower bound will be tightened with respect to that of Berta et al. when the accessible information about measurements outcomes is less than the mutual information about the joint state. Some examples have been investigated for which our lower bound is tighter than Berta et al.'s lower bound. Using our lower bound, a lower bound for the entanglement of formation of bipartite quantum states has been obtained, as well as an upper bound for the regularized distillable common randomness.

Development of a breadboard model correlation interferometer for the carbon monoxide pollution experiment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bortner, M. H.; Dick, R.; Goldstein, H. W.; Grenda, R. N.; Levy, G. M.

1973-01-01

The breadboard model of the correlation interferometer for the Carbon Monoxide Pollution Experiment has been designed, fabricated, and tested. Laboratory, long-path, and atmospheric tests which were performed show the technique to be a feasible method for obtaining a global carbon monoxide map and a vertical carbon monoxide profile and similar information is readily obtainable for methane as well. In addition, the technique is readily applicable to other trace gases by minor instrumental changes. As shown by the results and the conclusions, it has been determined that CO and CH4 data can be obtained with an accuracy of 10% using this technique on the spectral region around 2.3 microns.

Allegations of Failure to Obtain Informed Consent in Spinal Surgery Medical Malpractice Claims.

PubMed

Grauberger, Jennifer; Kerezoudis, Panagiotis; Choudhry, Asad J; Alvi, Mohammed Ali; Nassr, Ahmad; Currier, Bradford; Bydon, Mohamad

2017-06-21

Predictive factors associated with increased risk of medical malpractice litigation have been identified, including severity of injury, physician sex, and error in diagnosis. However, there is a paucity of literature investigating informed consent in spinal surgery malpractice. To investigate the failure to obtain informed consent as an allegation in medical malpractice claims for patients undergoing a spinal procedure. In this retrospective cohort study, a national medicolegal database was searched for malpractice claim cases related to spinal surgery for all years available (ie, January 1, 1980, through December 31, 2015). Failure to obtain informed consent and associated medical malpractice case verdict. A total of 233 patients (117 [50.4%] male and 116 [49.8%] female; 80 with no informed consent allegation and 153 who cited lack of informed consent) who underwent spinal surgery and filed a malpractice claim were studied (mean [SD] age, 47.1 [13.1] years in the total group, 45.8 [12.9] years in the control group, and 47.9 [13.3] years in the informed consent group). Median interval between year of surgery and year of verdict was 5.4 years (interquartile range, 4-7 years). The most common informed consent allegations were failure to explain risks and adverse effects of surgery (52 [30.4%]) and failure to explain alternative treatment options (17 [9.9%]). In bivariate analysis, patients in the control group were more likely to require additional surgery (45 [56.3%] vs 53 [34.6%], P = .002) and have more permanent injuries compared with the informed consent group (46 [57.5%] vs 63 [42.0%], P = .03). On multivariable regression analysis, permanent injuries were more often associated with indemnity payment after a plaintiff verdict (odds ratio [OR], 3.12; 95% CI, 1.46-6.65; P = .003) or a settlement (OR, 6.26; 95% CI, 1.06-36.70; P = .04). Informed consent allegations were significantly associated with less severe (temporary or emotional) injury (OR, 0.52; 95% CI, 0.28-0.97; P = .04). In addition, allegations of informed consent were found to be predictive of a defense verdict vs a plaintiff ruling (OR, 0.41; 95% CI, 0.17-0.98; P = .046) or settlement (OR, 0.01; 95% CI, 0.001-0.15; P < .001). Lack of informed consent is an important cause of medical malpractice litigation. Although associated with a lower rate of indemnity payments, malpractice lawsuits, including informed consent allegations, still present a time, money, and reputation toll for physicians. The findings of this study can therefore help to improve preoperative discussions to protect spinal surgeons from malpractice claims and ensure that patients are better informed.

The potential application of European market research data in dietary exposure modelling of food additives.

PubMed

Tennant, David Robin; Bruyninckx, Chris

2018-03-01

Consumer exposure assessments for food additives are incomplete without information about the proportions of foods in each authorised category that contain the additive. Such information has been difficult to obtain but the Mintel Global New Products Database (GNPD) provides information about product launches across Europe over the past 20 years. These data can be searched to identify products with specific additives listed on product labels and the numbers compared with total product launches for food and drink categories in the same database to determine the frequency of occurrence. There are uncertainties associated with the data but these can be managed by adopting a cautious and conservative approach. GNPD data can be mapped with authorised food categories and with food descriptions used in the EFSA Comprehensive European Food Consumption Surveys Database for exposure modelling. The data, when presented as percent occurrence, could be incorporated into the EFSA ANS Panel's 'brand-loyal/non-brand loyal exposure model in a quantitative way. Case studies of preservative, antioxidant, colour and sweetener additives showed that the impact of including occurrence data is greatest in the non-brand loyal scenario. Recommendations for future research include identifying occurrence data for alcoholic beverages, linking regulatory food codes, FoodEx and GNPD product descriptions, developing the use of occurrence data for carry-over foods and improving understanding of brand loyalty in consumer exposure models.

A bird strike handbook for base-level managers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Payson, R. P.; Vance, J. D.

1984-09-01

To help develop more awareness about bird strikes and bird strike reduction techniques, this thesis compiled all relevant information through an extensive literature search, review of base-level documents, and personal interviews. The final product--A Bird Strike Handbook for Base-Level Managers--provides information on bird strike statistics, methods to reduce the strike hazards, and means to obtain additional assistance. The handbook is organized for use by six major base agencies: Maintenance, Civil Engineering, Operations, Air Field Management, Safety, and Air Traffic Control. An appendix follows at the end.

Soviet Space Stations as Analogs, Second Edition

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bluth, B. J.; Helppie, Martha

1986-01-01

The available literature that discusses the various aspects of the Soviet Salyut 6 and Salyut 7 space staions are examined as related to human productivity. The methodology for this analog was a search of unclassified literature. Additional information was obtained in interviews with the cosmonauts and some Soviet space personnel. Topics include: general layout and design of the spacecraft system; cosmonauts role in maintenance and repair; general layout and design of the Mir complex; effects of the environment on personnel; information and computer systems; organization systems; personality systems; and physical conditin of the cosmonaut.

Proceedings of the Meeting of the Coordinating Group on Modern Control Theory (4th) Held at Rochester, Michigan on 27-28 October 1982. Part 1

DTIC Science & Technology

1982-10-01

and time-to-go (T60) are provided from the Estimation Algorithm. The gimbal angle commands used in the first two phases are applied to the gimbal...lighting techniques are also used to simplify image understanding or to extract additional information about position, range, or shape of objects in the...motion or firing dis- turbances. Since useful muzzle position and rate information is difficult to obtain, conventional feedback techniques 447 cannot

A Three-Parameter Inversion of the Drop Size Distribution Using NASA/TRMM Microwave Link Data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rincon, Rafael F.; Lang, Roger H.; Meneghini, Robert

2003-01-01

Attenuation measurements at 25 and 38 GHz performed with the NASA/TRMM Microwave Link provide information about the drop size distribution (DSD) along the propagation path. Additional path-average measurements along the Link path, such as a third attenuation measurement or the rain rate from well-calibrated raingauges, can provide further DSD information. This paper explores an inversion procedure for determining simultaneously three parameters of a gamma DSD by using three measurements. Also, some preliminary results obtained using Link data are presented.

Shape based segmentation of MRIs of the bones in the knee using phase and intensity information

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fripp, Jurgen; Bourgeat, Pierrick; Crozier, Stuart; Ourselin, Sébastien

2007-03-01

The segmentation of the bones from MR images is useful for performing subsequent segmentation and quantitative measurements of cartilage tissue. In this paper, we present a shape based segmentation scheme for the bones that uses texture features derived from the phase and intensity information in the complex MR image. The phase can provide additional information about the tissue interfaces, but due to the phase unwrapping problem, this information is usually discarded. By using a Gabor filter bank on the complex MR image, texture features (including phase) can be extracted without requiring phase unwrapping. These texture features are then analyzed using a support vector machine classifier to obtain probability tissue matches. The segmentation of the bone is fully automatic and performed using a 3D active shape model based approach driven using gradient and texture information. The 3D active shape model is automatically initialized using a robust affine registration. The approach is validated using a database of 18 FLASH MR images that are manually segmented, with an average segmentation overlap (Dice similarity coefficient) of 0.92 compared to 0.9 obtained using the classifier only.

Standing intraoral extractions of cheek teeth aided by partial crown removal in 165 horses (2010-2016).

PubMed

Rice, M K; Henry, T J

2018-01-01

Diseased cheek teeth in horses often require invasive extraction techniques that carry a high rate of complications. Techniques and instrumentation were developed to perform partial crown removal to aid standing intraoral extraction of diseased cheek teeth in horses. To analyse success rates and post-surgical complications in horses undergoing cheek teeth extraction assisted by partial crown removal. Retrospective cohort study. This study included 165 horses with 194 diseased cheek teeth that were extracted orally assisted by partial crown removal between 2010 and 2016. Medical records were analysed, including case details, obtained radiographs, surgical reports and follow-up information. Follow-up information (≥2 months) was obtained for 151 horses (91.5%). There were 95 horses examined post-operatively by the authors and, 16 horses by the referring veterinarian; in 40 horses, post-operative follow up was obtained by informal telephone interviews with the owner. Successful standing intraoral extraction of cheek teeth was obtained in 164/165 horses (99.4%). Twenty-five of these horses (15.2%) required additional intraoral extraction methods to complete the extraction, including minimally invasive transbuccal approach (n = 21) and tooth sectioning (n = 4). There was one (0.6%) horse with intraoral extraction failure that required standing repulsion to complete the extraction. The intraoperative complication of fractured root tips occurred in 11/165 horses (6.7%). Post-operative complications occurred in 6/165 horses (3.6%), including alveolar sequestra (n = 4), mild delay of alveolar healing at 2 months (n = 1), and development of a persistent draining tract secondary to a retained root tip (n = 1). Specialised instrumentation and additional training in the technique are recommended to perform partial crown removal in horses. Horses with cheek teeth extraction by partial crown removal have an excellent prognosis for a positive outcome. The term partial coronectomy is proposed for this technique. © 2017 EVJ Ltd.

14C BOMB-PULSE DATING AND STABLE ISOTOPE ANALYSIS FOR GROWTH RATE AND DIETARY INFORMATION IN BREAST CANCER?

PubMed

Lång, K; Eriksson Stenström, K; Rosso, A; Bech, M; Zackrisson, S; Graubau, D; Mattsson, S

2016-06-01

The purpose of this study was to perform an initial investigation of the possibility to determine breast cancer growth rate with (14)C bomb-pulse dating. Tissues from 11 breast cancers, diagnosed in 1983, were retrieved from a regional biobank. The estimated average age of the majority of the samples overlapped the year of collection (1983) within 3σ Thus, this first study of tumour tissue has not yet demonstrated that (14)C bomb-pulse dating can obtain information on the growth of breast cancer. However, with further refinement, involving extraction of cell types and components, there is a possibility that fundamental knowledge of tumour biology might still be gained by the bomb-pulse technique. Additionally, δ (13)C and δ (15)N analyses were performed to obtain dietary and metabolic information, and to serve as a base for improvement of the age determination. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press.

Objective fitting of hemoglobin dynamics in traumatic bruises based on temperature depth profiling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vidovič, Luka; Milanič, Matija; Majaron, Boris

2014-02-01

Pulsed photothermal radiometry (PPTR) allows noninvasive measurement of laser-induced temperature depth profiles. The obtained profiles provide information on depth distribution of absorbing chromophores, such as melanin and hemoglobin. We apply this technique to objectively characterize mass diffusion and decomposition rate of extravasated hemoglobin during the bruise healing process. In present study, we introduce objective fitting of PPTR data obtained over the course of the bruise healing process. By applying Monte Carlo simulation of laser energy deposition and simulation of the corresponding PPTR signal, quantitative analysis of underlying bruise healing processes is possible. Introduction of objective fitting enables an objective comparison between the simulated and experimental PPTR signals. In this manner, we avoid reconstruction of laser-induced depth profiles and thus inherent loss of information in the process. This approach enables us to determine the value of hemoglobin mass diffusivity, which is controversial in existing literature. Such information will be a valuable addition to existing bruise age determination techniques.

Thermally distinct ejecta blankets from Martian craters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Betts, B. H.; Murray, B. C.

1992-09-01

The study of ejecta blankets on Mars gives information about the Martian surface, subsurface, geologic history, atmospheric history, and impact process. In Feb. and Mar. 1989, the Termoskan instrument on board the Phobos 1988 spacecraft of the USSR acquired the highest spatial resolution thermal data ever obtained for Mars, ranging in the resolution from 300 meters to 3 km per pixel. Termoskan simultaneously obtained broad band visible channel data. The data covers a large portion of the equatorial region from 30 degrees S latitude to 6 degrees N latitude. Utilizing the data set we have discovered tens of craters with thermal infrared distinct ejecta (TIDE) in the equatorial regions of Mars. In order to look for correlations within the data, we have compiled a database which currently consists of 110 craters in an area rich in TIDE's and geologic unit variations. For each crater, we include morphologic information from Barlow's Catalog of Large Martian Impact Craters in addition to geographic, geologic, and physical information and Termoskan thermal infrared and visible data.

Thermally distinct ejecta blankets from Martian craters

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Betts, B. H.; Murray, B. C.

1992-01-01

The study of ejecta blankets on Mars gives information about the Martian surface, subsurface, geologic history, atmospheric history, and impact process. In Feb. and Mar. 1989, the Termoskan instrument on board the Phobos 1988 spacecraft of the USSR acquired the highest spatial resolution thermal data ever obtained for Mars, ranging in the resolution from 300 meters to 3 km per pixel. Termoskan simultaneously obtained broad band visible channel data. The data covers a large portion of the equatorial region from 30 degrees S latitude to 6 degrees N latitude. Utilizing the data set we have discovered tens of craters with thermal infrared distinct ejecta (TIDE) in the equatorial regions of Mars. In order to look for correlations within the data, we have compiled a database which currently consists of 110 craters in an area rich in TIDE's and geologic unit variations. For each crater, we include morphologic information from Barlow's Catalog of Large Martian Impact Craters in addition to geographic, geologic, and physical information and Termoskan thermal infrared and visible data.

Source-Adaptation-Based Wireless Video Transport: A Cross-Layer Approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qu, Qi; Pei, Yong; Modestino, James W.; Tian, Xusheng

2006-12-01

Real-time packet video transmission over wireless networks is expected to experience bursty packet losses that can cause substantial degradation to the transmitted video quality. In wireless networks, channel state information is hard to obtain in a reliable and timely manner due to the rapid change of wireless environments. However, the source motion information is always available and can be obtained easily and accurately from video sequences. Therefore, in this paper, we propose a novel cross-layer framework that exploits only the motion information inherent in video sequences and efficiently combines a packetization scheme, a cross-layer forward error correction (FEC)-based unequal error protection (UEP) scheme, an intracoding rate selection scheme as well as a novel intraframe interleaving scheme. Our objective and subjective results demonstrate that the proposed approach is very effective in dealing with the bursty packet losses occurring on wireless networks without incurring any additional implementation complexity or delay. Thus, the simplicity of our proposed system has important implications for the implementation of a practical real-time video transmission system.

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.

EPA Facility Registry Service (FRS): CERCLIS

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This data provides location and attribute information on Facilities regulated under the Comprehensive Environmental Responsibility Compensation and Liability Information System (CERCLIS) for a intranet web feature service . The data provided in this service are obtained from EPA's Facility Registry Service (FRS). The FRS is an integrated source of comprehensive (air, water, and waste) environmental information about facilities, sites or places. This service connects directly to the FRS database to provide this data as a feature service. FRS creates high-quality, accurate, and authoritative facility identification records through rigorous verification and management procedures that incorporate information from program national systems, state master facility records, data collected from EPA's Central Data Exchange registrations and data management personnel. Additional Information on FRS is available at the EPA website https://www.epa.gov/enviro/facility-registry-service-frs.

Risk-Based High-Throughput Chemical Screening and Prioritization using Exposure Models and in Vitro Bioactivity Assays.

PubMed

Shin, Hyeong-Moo; Ernstoff, Alexi; Arnot, Jon A; Wetmore, Barbara A; Csiszar, Susan A; Fantke, Peter; Zhang, Xianming; McKone, Thomas E; Jolliet, Olivier; Bennett, Deborah H

2015-06-02

We present a risk-based high-throughput screening (HTS) method to identify chemicals for potential health concerns or for which additional information is needed. The method is applied to 180 organic chemicals as a case study. We first obtain information on how the chemical is used and identify relevant use scenarios (e.g., dermal application, indoor emissions). For each chemical and use scenario, exposure models are then used to calculate a chemical intake fraction, or a product intake fraction, accounting for chemical properties and the exposed population. We then combine these intake fractions with use scenario-specific estimates of chemical quantity to calculate daily intake rates (iR; mg/kg/day). These intake rates are compared to oral equivalent doses (OED; mg/kg/day), calculated from a suite of ToxCast in vitro bioactivity assays using in vitro-to-in vivo extrapolation and reverse dosimetry. Bioactivity quotients (BQs) are calculated as iR/OED to obtain estimates of potential impact associated with each relevant use scenario. Of the 180 chemicals considered, 38 had maximum iRs exceeding minimum OEDs (i.e., BQs > 1). For most of these compounds, exposures are associated with direct intake, food/oral contact, or dermal exposure. The method provides high-throughput estimates of exposure and important input for decision makers to identify chemicals of concern for further evaluation with additional information or more refined models.

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

Shin, Hyeong -Moo; Ernstoff, Alexi; Arnot, Jon A.

We present a risk-based high-throughput screening (HTS) method to identify chemicals for potential health concerns or for which additional information is needed. The method is applied to 180 organic chemicals as a case study. We first obtain information on how the chemical is used and identify relevant use scenarios (e.g., dermal application, indoor emissions). For each chemical and use scenario, exposure models are then used to calculate a chemical intake fraction, or a product intake fraction, accounting for chemical properties and the exposed population. We then combine these intake fractions with use scenario-specific estimates of chemical quantity to calculate dailymore » intake rates (iR; mg/kg/day). These intake rates are compared to oral equivalent doses (OED; mg/kg/day), calculated from a suite of ToxCast in vitro bioactivity assays using in vitro-to-in vivo extrapolation and reverse dosimetry. Bioactivity quotients (BQs) are calculated as iR/OED to obtain estimates of potential impact associated with each relevant use scenario. Of the 180 chemicals considered, 38 had maximum iRs exceeding minimum OEDs (i.e., BQs > 1). For most of these compounds, exposures are associated with direct intake, food/oral contact, or dermal exposure. The method provides high-throughput estimates of exposure and important input for decision makers to identify chemicals of concern for further evaluation with additional information or more refined models.« less

Use of the characteristic Raman lines of toluene (C7 H8) as a precise frequency reference on the spectral analysis of gasoline-ethanol blends

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ortega Clavero, Valentin; Javahiraly, Nicolas; Weber, Andreas; Schröder, Werner; Curticapean, Dan; Meyrueis, Patrick P.

2014-09-01

In order to reduce some of the toxic emissions produced by internal combustion engines, the fossil-based fuels have been combined with less harmful materials in recent years. However, the fuels used in the automotive industry generally contain different additives, such as toluene, as anti-shock agents and as octane number enhancers. These materials can cause certain negative impact, besides the high volatility implied, on public health or environment due to its chemical composition. Toluene, among several other chemical compounds, is an additive widely used in the commercially-available gasoline-ethanol blends. Despite the negative aspects in terms of toxicity that this material might have, the Raman spectral information of toluene can be used to achieve certain level of frequency calibration without using any additional chemical marker in the sample or any other external device. Moreover, the characteristic and well-defined Raman line of this chemical compound at 1003 cm-1 (even at low v/v content) can be used to quantitatively determine certain aspects of the gasoline-ethanol blend under observation. By using an own-designed Fourier-Transform Raman spectrometer (FT-Raman), we have collected and analyzed different commercially-available and laboratory-prepared gasoline-ethanol blends. By carefully observing the main Raman peaks of toluene in these fuel blends, we have determined the frequency accuracy of the Raman spectra obtained. The spectral information has been obtained in the range of 0 cm-1 to 3500 cm-1 with a spectral resolution of 1.66 cm-1. The Raman spectra obtained presented only reduced frequency deviations in comparison to the standard Raman spectrum of toluene provided by the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM).

Sub-orbital commercial Human space flight and informed consent in the United States

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carminati, Maria-Vittoria « Giugi »; Griffith, Doug; Campbell, Mark R.

2013-12-01

Commercial space flight is expected to rapidly develop in the near future. This will begin with sub-orbital missions and then progress to orbital flights. In the United States, technical informed consent of space flight participants is required by the commercial space flight operator for regulatory purposes. Additionally, though not required by U.S. regulation, the aerospace medicine professional involved in the medical screening of both space flight participants and crewmembers will be asked to assist operators in obtaining medical informed consent for liability purposes. The various US federal and state regulations regarding informed consent for sub-orbital commercial space flight are evolving and are unfamiliar to most aerospace medical professionals and are reviewed and discussed.

[In-depth interviews and the Kano model to determine user requirements in a burns unit].

PubMed

González-Revaldería, J; Holguín-Holgado, P; Lumbreras-Marín, E; Núñez-López, G

To determine the healthcare requirements of patients in a Burns Unit, using qualitative techniques, such us in-depth personal interviews and Kano's methodology. Qualitative methodology using in-depth personal interviews (12 patients), Kano's conceptual model, and the SERVQHOS questionnaire (24 patients). All patients had been hospitalised in the last 12 months in the Burns Unit. Using Kano's methodology, service attributes were grouped by affinity diagrams, and classified as follows: must-be, attractive (unexpected, great satisfaction), and one-dimensional (linked to the degree of functionality of the service). The outcomes were compared with those obtained with SERVQHOS questionnaire. From the analysis of in-depth interviews, 11 requirements were obtained, referring to hotel aspects, information, need for closer staff relationship, and organisational aspects. The attributes classified as must-be were free television and automatic TV disconnection at midnight. Those classified as attractive were: individual room for more privacy, information about dressing change times in order to avoid anxiety, and additional staff for in-patients. The results were complementary to those obtained with the SERVQHOS questionnaire. In-depth personal interviews provide extra knowledge about patient requirements, complementing the information obtained with questionnaires. With this methodology, a more active patient participation is achieved and the companion's opinion is also taken into account. Copyright © 2016 SECA. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

NASA Global Atmospheric Sampling Program (GASP). Data report for tape VL0001. [data management and data retrieval of information from environmental surveys

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Holdeman, J. D.; Lezberg, E. A.

1976-01-01

Atmospheric trace constituents in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere are now being measured as part of the NASA Global Atmospheric Sampling Program (GASP), using fully automated air sampling systems on board commercial 747 aircraft in routine airline service. Measurements of atmospheric ozone and related meteorological and flight information obtained during several GASP flights in March 1975 are now available from the National Climatic Center, Asheville, North Carolina. In addition to the data from the aircraft, tropopause pressure data obtained from the National Meteorological Center (NMC) archives for the dates of the flights are included. This report is the first of a series of reports which describes the data currently available from GASP, including flight routes and dates, instrumentation, the data processing procedure used, and data tape specifications.

Study of Pair and many-body interactions in rare-gas halide atom clusters using negative ion zero electron kinetic energy (ZEKE) and threshold photodetachment spectroscopy

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

Yourshaw, Ivan

1998-07-09

The diatomic halogen atom-rare gas diatomic complexes KrBr -, XeBr -, and KrCl - are studied in this work by zero electron kinetic energy (ZEKE) spectroscopy in order to characterize the weak intermolecular diatomic potentials of these species. Also, the ZEKE and threshold photodetachment spectra of the polyatomic clusters Ar nBr - (n = 2-9) and Ar nI - (n = 2-19) are studied to obtain information about the non-additive effects on the interactions among the atoms. This work is part of an ongoing effort to characterize the pair and many-body potentials of the complete series of rare gas halidemore » clusters. In these studies we obtain information about both the anionic and neutral clusters.« less

Adjusting Estimates of the Expected Value of Information for Implementation: Theoretical Framework and Practical Application.

PubMed

Andronis, Lazaros; Barton, Pelham M

2016-04-01

Value of information (VoI) calculations give the expected benefits of decision making under perfect information (EVPI) or sample information (EVSI), typically on the premise that any treatment recommendations made in light of this information will be implemented instantly and fully. This assumption is unlikely to hold in health care; evidence shows that obtaining further information typically leads to "improved" rather than "perfect" implementation. To present a method of calculating the expected value of further research that accounts for the reality of improved implementation. This work extends an existing conceptual framework by introducing additional states of the world regarding information (sample information, in addition to current and perfect information) and implementation (improved implementation, in addition to current and optimal implementation). The extension allows calculating the "implementation-adjusted" EVSI (IA-EVSI), a measure that accounts for different degrees of implementation. Calculations of implementation-adjusted estimates are illustrated under different scenarios through a stylized case study in non-small cell lung cancer. In the particular case study, the population values for EVSI and IA-EVSI were £ 25 million and £ 8 million, respectively; thus, a decision assuming perfect implementation would have overestimated the expected value of research by about £ 17 million. IA-EVSI was driven by the assumed time horizon and, importantly, the specified rate of change in implementation: the higher the rate, the greater the IA-EVSI and the lower the difference between IA-EVSI and EVSI. Traditionally calculated measures of population VoI rely on unrealistic assumptions about implementation. This article provides a simple framework that accounts for improved, rather than perfect, implementation and offers more realistic estimates of the expected value of research. © The Author(s) 2015.

An empirical research on relationships between subjective judgement, technology acceptance tendency and knowledge transfer

PubMed Central

Dai, Chien-Yun; Chen, Hsiao-Ming; Chen, Wan-Fei; Wu, Chia-Huei; Li, Guodong; Wang, Jiangtao

2017-01-01

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationships among employees' usage intention pertaining to mobile information devices, focusing on subjective judgement, technology acceptance tendency, information sharing behavior and information transfer. A research model was established to verify several hypotheses. The research model based on integrated concepts of knowledge management and technology acceptance modeling. Participants were employees of enterprises in Taiwan, selected by combining snowball and convenience sampling. Data obtained from 779 e-surveys. Multiple-regression analysis was employed for hypothesis verification. The results indicate that perceived ease-of-use of mobile devices was affected by computer self-efficacy and computer playfulness directly; meanwhile, perceived ease-of-use directly affects perceived usefulness. In addition, perceived ease-of-use and perceived usefulness can predict information-sharing behavior in a positive manner, and impact knowledge transfer as well. Based on the research findings, it suggested that enterprises should utilize mobile information devices to create more contact with customers and enrich their service network. In addition, it is recommended that managers use mobile devices to transmit key information to their staff and that they use these devices for problem-solving and decision-making. Further, the staff’s skills pertaining to the operation of mobile information devices and to fully implement their features are reinforced in order to inspire the users' knowledge transfer. Enhancing the playfulness of the interface is also important. In general, it is useful to promote knowledge transfer behavior within an organization by motivating members to share information and ideas via mobile information devices. In addition, a well-designed interface can facilitate employees' use of these devices. PMID:28886088

An empirical research on relationships between subjective judgement, technology acceptance tendency and knowledge transfer.

PubMed

Yuan, Yu-Hsi; Tsai, Sang-Bing; Dai, Chien-Yun; Chen, Hsiao-Ming; Chen, Wan-Fei; Wu, Chia-Huei; Li, Guodong; Wang, Jiangtao

2017-01-01

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationships among employees' usage intention pertaining to mobile information devices, focusing on subjective judgement, technology acceptance tendency, information sharing behavior and information transfer. A research model was established to verify several hypotheses. The research model based on integrated concepts of knowledge management and technology acceptance modeling. Participants were employees of enterprises in Taiwan, selected by combining snowball and convenience sampling. Data obtained from 779 e-surveys. Multiple-regression analysis was employed for hypothesis verification. The results indicate that perceived ease-of-use of mobile devices was affected by computer self-efficacy and computer playfulness directly; meanwhile, perceived ease-of-use directly affects perceived usefulness. In addition, perceived ease-of-use and perceived usefulness can predict information-sharing behavior in a positive manner, and impact knowledge transfer as well. Based on the research findings, it suggested that enterprises should utilize mobile information devices to create more contact with customers and enrich their service network. In addition, it is recommended that managers use mobile devices to transmit key information to their staff and that they use these devices for problem-solving and decision-making. Further, the staff's skills pertaining to the operation of mobile information devices and to fully implement their features are reinforced in order to inspire the users' knowledge transfer. Enhancing the playfulness of the interface is also important. In general, it is useful to promote knowledge transfer behavior within an organization by motivating members to share information and ideas via mobile information devices. In addition, a well-designed interface can facilitate employees' use of these devices.

An FT-raman study of softwood, hardwood, and chemically modified black spruce MWLS

Treesearch

Umesh P. Agarwal; James D. McSweeny; Sally A. Ralph

1999-01-01

Raman spectroscopy is being increasingly used to carry out in situ analysis of wood and other lignocellulosics. To obtain useful information from the spectra, the vibrational bands need to be assigned in terms of contributions from various chemical components and component sub-structures. In additional, so that the technique can be better applied as an analytical...

76 FR 54195 - 2010 Resources Planning Act (RPA) Assessment Draft

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-08-31

... Resources Planning Act (RPA) Assessment is available for review and comment at http://www.fs.fed.us/research... facsimile to 703-605-5131 or by email using the comment form on the Web site http://www.fs.fed.us/research... . Additional information about the RPA Assessment can be obtained on the Internet at http://www.fs.fed.us...

Food and Nutrition, In-Service Training for Extension Aides: A Problem-Centered Approach.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Extension Service (USDA), Washington, DC.

This guide is intended to assist trainer agents in providing inservice training for extension aides working with low-income families whose resources are limited. Included are a list of reference materials from which additional information may be obtained as well as outlines for units of study on: (1) What Food Means To People, (2) Breads and…

An Example of the Informative Potential of Polar Coordinate Analysis: Sprint Tactics in Elite 1,500-m Track Events

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aragón, Sonia; Lapresa, Daniel; Arana, Javier; Anguera, M. Teresa; Garzón, Belén

2017-01-01

Polar coordinate analysis is a powerful data reduction technique based on the Zsum statistic, which is calculated from adjusted residuals obtained by lag sequential analysis. Its use has been greatly simplified since the addition of a module in the free software program HOISAN for performing the necessary computations and producing…

Simultaneous Neutron and X-ray Tomography for Quantitative analysis of Geological Samples

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

LaManna, J.; Hussey, D. S.; Baltic, E.; Jacobson, D. L.

2016-12-01

Multiphase flow is a critical area of research for shale gas, oil recovery, underground CO2 sequestration, geothermal power, and aquifer management. It is critical to understand the porous structure of the geological formations in addition to the fluid/pore and fluid/fluid interactions. Difficulties for analyzing flow characteristics of rock cores are in obtaining 3D distribution information on the fluid flow and maintaining the cores in a state for other analysis methods. Two powerful non-destructive methods for obtaining 3D structural and compositional information are X-ray and neutron tomography. X-ray tomography produces information on density and structure while neutrons excel at acquiring the liquid phase and produces compositional information. These two methods can offer strong complementary information but are typically conducted at separate times and often at different facilities. This poses issues for obtaining dynamic and stochastic information as the sample will change between analysis modes. To address this, NIST has developed a system that allows for multimodal, simultaneous tomography using thermal neutrons and X-rays by placing a 90 keVp micro-focus X-ray tube 90° to the neutron beam. High pressure core holders that simulate underground conditions have been developed to facilitate simultaneous tomography. These cells allow for the control of confining pressure, axial load, temperature, and fluid flow through the core. This talk will give an overview the simultaneous neutron and x-ray tomography capabilities at NIST, the benefits of multimodal imaging, environmental equipment for geology studies, and several case studies that have been conducted at NIST.

Imaging of DNA and Protein by SFM and Combined SFM-TIRF Microscopy.

PubMed

Grosbart, Małgorzata; Ristić, Dejan; Sánchez, Humberto; Wyman, Claire

2018-01-01

Direct imaging is invaluable for understanding the mechanism of complex genome transactions where proteins work together to organize, transcribe, replicate and repair DNA. Scanning (or atomic) force microscopy is an ideal tool for this, providing 3D information on molecular structure at nm resolution from defined components. This is a convenient and practical addition to in vitro studies as readily obtainable amounts of purified proteins and DNA are required. The images reveal structural details on the size and location of DNA bound proteins as well as protein-induced arrangement of the DNA, which are directly correlated in the same complexes. In addition, even from static images, the different forms observed and their relative distributions can be used to deduce the variety and stability of different complexes that are necessarily involved in dynamic processes. Recently available instruments that combine fluorescence with topographic imaging allow the identification of specific molecular components in complex assemblies, which broadens the applications and increases the information obtained from direct imaging of molecular complexes. We describe here basic methods for preparing samples of proteins, DNA and complexes of the two for topographic imaging and quantitative analysis. We also describe special considerations for combined fluorescence and topographic imaging of molecular complexes.

Floor Sensing System Using Laser Reflectivity for Localizing Everyday Objects and Robot

PubMed Central

Pyo, Yoonseok; Hasegawa, Tsutomu; Tsuji, Tokuo; Kurazume, Ryo; Morooka, Ken'ichi

2014-01-01

This paper describes a new method of measuring the position of everyday objects and a robot on the floor using distance and reflectance acquired by laser range finder (LRF). The information obtained by this method is important for a service robot working in a human daily life environment. Our method uses only one LRF together with a mirror installed on the wall. Moreover, since the area of sensing is limited to a LRF scanning plane parallel to the floor and just a few centimeters above the floor, the scanning covers the whole room with minimal invasion of privacy of a resident, and occlusion problem is mitigated by using mirror. We use the reflection intensity and position information obtained from the target surface. Although it is not possible to identify all objects by additionally using reflection values, it would be easier to identify unknown objects if we can eliminate easily identifiable objects by reflectance. In addition, we propose a method for measuring the robot's pose using the tag which has the encoded reflection pattern optically identified by the LRF. Our experimental results validate the effectiveness of the proposed method. PMID:24763253

Sample preparation for SFM imaging of DNA, proteins, and DNA-protein complexes.

PubMed

Ristic, Dejan; Sanchez, Humberto; Wyman, Claire

2011-01-01

Direct imaging is invaluable for understanding the mechanism of complex genome transactions where proteins work together to organize, transcribe, replicate, and repair DNA. Scanning (or atomic) force microscopy is an ideal tool for this, providing 3D information on molecular structure at nanometer resolution from defined components. This is a convenient and practical addition to in vitro studies as readily obtainable amounts of purified proteins and DNA are required. The images reveal structural details on the size and location of DNA-bound proteins as well as protein-induced arrangement of the DNA, which are directly correlated in the same complexes. In addition, even from static images, the different forms observed and their relative distributions can be used to deduce the variety and stability of different complexes that are necessarily involved in dynamic processes. Recently available instruments that combine fluorescence with topographic imaging allow the identification of specific molecular components in complex assemblies, which broadens the applications and increases the information obtained from direct imaging of molecular complexes. We describe here basic methods for preparing samples of proteins, DNA, and complexes of the two for topographic imaging and quantitative analysis. We also describe special considerations for combined fluorescence and topographic imaging of molecular complexes.

Impact of modellers' decisions on hydrological a priori predictions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Holländer, H. M.; Bormann, H.; Blume, T.; Buytaert, W.; Chirico, G. B.; Exbrayat, J.-F.; Gustafsson, D.; Hölzel, H.; Krauße, T.; Kraft, P.; Stoll, S.; Blöschl, G.; Flühler, H.

2014-06-01

In practice, the catchment hydrologist is often confronted with the task of predicting discharge without having the needed records for calibration. Here, we report the discharge predictions of 10 modellers - using the model of their choice - for the man-made Chicken Creek catchment (6 ha, northeast Germany, Gerwin et al., 2009b) and we analyse how well they improved their prediction in three steps based on adding information prior to each following step. The modellers predicted the catchment's hydrological response in its initial phase without having access to the observed records. They used conceptually different physically based models and their modelling experience differed largely. Hence, they encountered two problems: (i) to simulate discharge for an ungauged catchment and (ii) using models that were developed for catchments, which are not in a state of landscape transformation. The prediction exercise was organized in three steps: (1) for the first prediction the modellers received a basic data set describing the catchment to a degree somewhat more complete than usually available for a priori predictions of ungauged catchments; they did not obtain information on stream flow, soil moisture, nor groundwater response and had therefore to guess the initial conditions; (2) before the second prediction they inspected the catchment on-site and discussed their first prediction attempt; (3) for their third prediction they were offered additional data by charging them pro forma with the costs for obtaining this additional information. Holländer et al. (2009) discussed the range of predictions obtained in step (1). Here, we detail the modeller's assumptions and decisions in accounting for the various processes. We document the prediction progress as well as the learning process resulting from the availability of added information. For the second and third steps, the progress in prediction quality is evaluated in relation to individual modelling experience and costs of added information. In this qualitative analysis of a statistically small number of predictions we learned (i) that soft information such as the modeller's system understanding is as important as the model itself (hard information), (ii) that the sequence of modelling steps matters (field visit, interactions between differently experienced experts, choice of model, selection of available data, and methods for parameter guessing), and (iii) that added process understanding can be as efficient as adding data for improving parameters needed to satisfy model requirements.

Communicating Risks and Benefits in Informed Consent for Research: A Qualitative Study

PubMed Central

Nusbaum, Lika; Douglas, Brenda; Damus, Karla; Paasche-Orlow, Michael; Estrella-Luna, Neenah

2017-01-01

Multiple studies have documented major limitations in the informed consent process for the recruitment of clinical research participants. One challenging aspect of this process is successful communication of risks and benefits to potential research participants. This study explored the opinions and attitudes of informed consent experts about conveying risks and benefits to inform the development of a survey about the perspectives of research nurses who are responsible for obtaining informed consent for clinical trials. The major themes identified were strategies for risks and benefits communication, ensuring comprehension, and preparation for the role of the consent administrator. From the experts’ perspective, inadequate education and training of the research staff responsible for informed consent process contribute to deficiencies in the informed consent process and risks and benefits communication. Inconsistencies in experts’ opinions and critique of certain widely used communication practices require further consideration and additional research. PMID:28975139

The role of insurance claims databases in drug therapy outcomes research.

PubMed

Lewis, N J; Patwell, J T; Briesacher, B A

1993-11-01

The use of insurance claims databases in drug therapy outcomes research holds great promise as a cost-effective alternative to post-marketing clinical trials. Claims databases uniquely capture information about episodes of care across healthcare services and settings. They also facilitate the examination of drug therapy effects on cohorts of patients and specific patient subpopulations. However, there are limitations to the use of insurance claims databases including incomplete diagnostic and provider identification data. The characteristics of the population included in the insurance plan, the plan benefit design, and the variables of the database itself can influence the research results. Given the current concerns regarding the completeness of insurance claims databases, and the validity of their data, outcomes research usually requires original data to validate claims data or to obtain additional information. Improvements to claims databases such as standardisation of claims information reporting, addition of pertinent clinical and economic variables, and inclusion of information relative to patient severity of illness, quality of life, and satisfaction with provided care will enhance the benefit of such databases for outcomes research.

Analysis of surface-water data network in Kansas for effectiveness in providing regional streamflow information; with a section on theory and application of generalized least squares

USGS Publications Warehouse

Medina, K.D.; Tasker, Gary D.

1987-01-01

This report documents the results of an analysis of the surface-water data network in Kansas for its effectiveness in providing regional streamflow information. The network was analyzed using generalized least squares regression. The correlation and time-sampling error of the streamflow characteristic are considered in the generalized least squares method. Unregulated medium-, low-, and high-flow characteristics were selected to be representative of the regional information that can be obtained from streamflow-gaging-station records for use in evaluating the effectiveness of continuing the present network stations, discontinuing some stations, and (or) adding new stations. The analysis used streamflow records for all currently operated stations that were not affected by regulation and for discontinued stations for which unregulated flow characteristics, as well as physical and climatic characteristics, were available. The State was divided into three network areas, western, northeastern, and southeastern Kansas, and analysis was made for the three streamflow characteristics in each area, using three planning horizons. The analysis showed that the maximum reduction of sampling mean-square error for each cost level could be obtained by adding new stations and discontinuing some current network stations. Large reductions in sampling mean-square error for low-flow information could be achieved in all three network areas, the reduction in western Kansas being the most dramatic. The addition of new stations would be most beneficial for mean-flow information in western Kansas. The reduction of sampling mean-square error for high-flow information would benefit most from the addition of new stations in western Kansas. Southeastern Kansas showed the smallest error reduction in high-flow information. A comparison among all three network areas indicated that funding resources could be most effectively used by discontinuing more stations in northeastern and southeastern Kansas and establishing more new stations in western Kansas.

Analysis of surface-water data network in Kansas for effectiveness in providing regional streamflow information

USGS Publications Warehouse

Medina, K.D.; Tasker, Gary D.

1985-01-01

The surface water data network in Kansas was analyzed using generalized least squares regression for its effectiveness in providing regional streamflow information. The correlation and time-sampling error of the streamflow characteristic are considered in the generalized least squares method. Unregulated medium-flow, low-flow and high-flow characteristics were selected to be representative of the regional information that can be obtained from streamflow gaging station records for use in evaluating the effectiveness of continuing the present network stations, discontinuing some stations; and/or adding new stations. The analysis used streamflow records for all currently operated stations that were not affected by regulation and discontinued stations for which unregulated flow characteristics , as well as physical and climatic characteristics, were available. The state was divided into three network areas, western, northeastern, and southeastern Kansas, and analysis was made for three streamflow characteristics in each area, using three planning horizons. The analysis showed that the maximum reduction of sampling mean square error for each cost level could be obtained by adding new stations and discontinuing some of the present network stations. Large reductions in sampling mean square error for low-flow information could be accomplished in all three network areas, with western Kansas having the most dramatic reduction. The addition of new stations would be most beneficial for man- flow information in western Kansas, and to lesser degrees in the other two areas. The reduction of sampling mean square error for high-flow information would benefit most from the addition of new stations in western Kansas, and the effect diminishes to lesser degrees in the other two areas. Southeastern Kansas showed the smallest error reduction in high-flow information. A comparison among all three network areas indicated that funding resources could be most effectively used by discontinuing more stations in northeastern and southeastern Kansas and establishing more new stations in western Kansas. (Author 's abstract)

Selected aspects of prior and likelihood information for a Bayesian classifier in a road safety analysis.

PubMed

Nowakowska, Marzena

2017-04-01

The development of the Bayesian logistic regression model classifying the road accident severity is discussed. The already exploited informative priors (method of moments, maximum likelihood estimation, and two-stage Bayesian updating), along with the original idea of a Boot prior proposal, are investigated when no expert opinion has been available. In addition, two possible approaches to updating the priors, in the form of unbalanced and balanced training data sets, are presented. The obtained logistic Bayesian models are assessed on the basis of a deviance information criterion (DIC), highest probability density (HPD) intervals, and coefficients of variation estimated for the model parameters. The verification of the model accuracy has been based on sensitivity, specificity and the harmonic mean of sensitivity and specificity, all calculated from a test data set. The models obtained from the balanced training data set have a better classification quality than the ones obtained from the unbalanced training data set. The two-stage Bayesian updating prior model and the Boot prior model, both identified with the use of the balanced training data set, outperform the non-informative, method of moments, and maximum likelihood estimation prior models. It is important to note that one should be careful when interpreting the parameters since different priors can lead to different models. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Indices of polarimetric purity for biological tissues inspection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Van Eeckhout, Albert; Lizana, Angel; Garcia-Caurel, Enric; Gil, José J.; Sansa, Adrià; Rodríguez, Carla; Estévez, Irene; González, Emilio; Escalera, Juan C.; Moreno, Ignacio; Campos, Juan

2018-02-01

We highlight the interest of using the Indices of Polarimetric Purity (IPPs) for the biological tissue inspection. These are three polarimetric metrics focused on the study of the depolarizing behaviour of the sample. The IPPs have been recently proposed in the literature and provide different and synthetized information than the commonly used depolarizing indices, as depolarization index (PΔ) or depolarization power (Δ). Compared with the standard polarimetric images of biological samples, IPPs enhance the contrast between different tissues of the sample and show differences between similar tissues which are not observed using the other standard techniques. Moreover, they present further physical information related to the depolarization mechanisms inherent to different tissues. In addition, the algorithm does not require advanced calculations (as in the case of polar decompositions), being the indices of polarimetric purity fast and easy to implement. We also propose a pseudo-coloured image method which encodes the sample information as a function of the different indices weights. These images allow us to customize the visualization of samples and to highlight certain of their constitutive structures. The interest and potential of the IPP approach are experimentally illustrated throughout the manuscript by comparing polarimetric images of different ex-vivo samples obtained with standard polarimetric methods with those obtained from the IPPs analysis. Enhanced contrast and retrieval of new information are experimentally obtained from the different IPP based images.

High-definition Fourier Transform Infrared (FT-IR) Spectroscopic Imaging of Human Tissue Sections towards Improving Pathology

PubMed Central

Nguyen, Peter L.; Davidson, Bennett; Akkina, Sanjeev; Guzman, Grace; Setty, Suman; Kajdacsy-Balla, Andre; Walsh, Michael J.

2015-01-01

High-definition Fourier Transform Infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopic imaging is an emerging approach to obtain detailed images that have associated biochemical information. FT-IR imaging of tissue is based on the principle that different regions of the mid-infrared are absorbed by different chemical bonds (e.g., C=O, C-H, N-H) within cells or tissue that can then be related to the presence and composition of biomolecules (e.g., lipids, DNA, glycogen, protein, collagen). In an FT-IR image, every pixel within the image comprises an entire Infrared (IR) spectrum that can give information on the biochemical status of the cells that can then be exploited for cell-type or disease-type classification. In this paper, we show: how to obtain IR images from human tissues using an FT-IR system, how to modify existing instrumentation to allow for high-definition imaging capabilities, and how to visualize FT-IR images. We then present some applications of FT-IR for pathology using the liver and kidney as examples. FT-IR imaging holds exciting applications in providing a novel route to obtain biochemical information from cells and tissue in an entirely label-free non-perturbing route towards giving new insight into biomolecular changes as part of disease processes. Additionally, this biochemical information can potentially allow for objective and automated analysis of certain aspects of disease diagnosis. PMID:25650759

Development of image and information management system for Korean standard brain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chung, Soon Cheol; Choi, Do Young; Tack, Gye Rae; Sohn, Jin Hun

2004-04-01

The purpose of this study is to establish a reference for image acquisition for completing a standard brain for diverse Korean population, and to develop database management system that saves and manages acquired brain images and personal information of subjects. 3D MP-RAGE (Magnetization Prepared Rapid Gradient Echo) technique which has excellent Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR) and Contrast to Noise Ratio (CNR) as well as reduces image acquisition time was selected for anatomical image acquisition, and parameter values were obtained for the optimal image acquisition. Using these standards, image data of 121 young adults (early twenties) were obtained and stored in the system. System was designed to obtain, save, and manage not only anatomical image data but also subjects' basic demographic factors, medical history, handedness inventory, state-trait anxiety inventory, A-type personality inventory, self-assessment depression inventory, mini-mental state examination, intelligence test, and results of personality test via a survey questionnaire. Additionally this system was designed to have functions of saving, inserting, deleting, searching, and printing image data and personal information of subjects, and to have accessibility to them as well as automatic connection setup with ODBC. This newly developed system may have major contribution to the completion of a standard brain for diverse Korean population since it can save and manage their image data and personal information.

A structural and theoretical study of the alkylammonium nitrates forefather: Liquid methylammonium nitrate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gontrani, Lorenzo; Caminiti, Ruggero; Salma, Umme; Campetella, Marco

2017-09-01

We present here a structural and vibrational analysis of melted methylammonium nitrate, the simplest compound of the family of alkylammonium nitrates. The static and dynamical features calculated were endorsed by comparing the experimental X-ray data with the theoretical ones. A reliable description cannot be obtained with classical molecular dynamics owing to polarization effects. Contrariwise, the structure factor and the vibrational frequencies obtained from ab initio molecular dynamics trajectories are in very good agreement with the experiment. A careful analysis has provided additional information on the complex hydrogen bonding network that exists in this liquid.

Evidence on global medical travel

PubMed Central

Záliš, Ladislav; Meurice, Christopher R; Hilton, Ian; Ly, Terry-Lisa; Zupan, Zorana; Hinrichs, Saba

2015-01-01

Abstract The potential benefits of travelling across national borders to obtain medical treatment include improved care, decreased costs and reduced waiting times. However, medical travel involves additional risks, compared to obtaining treatment domestically. We review the publicly-available evidence on medical travel. We suggest that medical travel needs to be understood in terms of its potential risks and benefits so that it can be evaluated against alternatives by patients who are seeking care. We propose three domains –quality standards, informed decision-making, economic and legal protection – in which better evidence could support the development of medical travel policies. PMID:26549906

Improved navigation by combining VOR/DME information with air or inertial data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bobick, J. C.; Bryson, A. E., Jr.

1972-01-01

The improvement was determined in navigational accuracy obtainable by combining VOR/DME information (from one or two stations) with air data (airspeed and heading) or with data from an inertial navigation system (INS) by means of a maximum-likelihood filter. It was found that the addition of air data to the information from one VOR/DME station reduces the RMS position error by a factor of about 2, whereas the addition of inertial data from a low-quality INS reduces the RMS position error by a factor of about 3. The use of information from two VOR/DME stations with air or inertial data yields large factors of improvement in RMS position accuracy over the use of a single VOR/DME station, roughly 15 to 20 for the air-data case and 25 to 35 for the inertial-data case. As far as position accuracy is concerned, at most one VOR station need be used. When continuously updating an INS with VOR/DME information, the use of a high-quality INS (0.01 deg/hr gyro drift) instead of a low-quality INS (1.0 deg/hr gyro drift) does not substantially improve position accuracy.

Extracting duration information in a picture category decoding task using hidden Markov Models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pfeiffer, Tim; Heinze, Nicolai; Frysch, Robert; Deouell, Leon Y.; Schoenfeld, Mircea A.; Knight, Robert T.; Rose, Georg

2016-04-01

Objective. Adapting classifiers for the purpose of brain signal decoding is a major challenge in brain-computer-interface (BCI) research. In a previous study we showed in principle that hidden Markov models (HMM) are a suitable alternative to the well-studied static classifiers. However, since we investigated a rather straightforward task, advantages from modeling of the signal could not be assessed. Approach. Here, we investigate a more complex data set in order to find out to what extent HMMs, as a dynamic classifier, can provide useful additional information. We show for a visual decoding problem that besides category information, HMMs can simultaneously decode picture duration without an additional training required. This decoding is based on a strong correlation that we found between picture duration and the behavior of the Viterbi paths. Main results. Decoding accuracies of up to 80% could be obtained for category and duration decoding with a single classifier trained on category information only. Significance. The extraction of multiple types of information using a single classifier enables the processing of more complex problems, while preserving good training results even on small databases. Therefore, it provides a convenient framework for online real-life BCI utilizations.

The prediction of engineering cost for green buildings based on information entropy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liang, Guoqiang; Huang, Jinglian

2018-03-01

Green building is the developing trend in the world building industry. Additionally, construction costs are an essential consideration in building constructions. Therefore, it is necessary to investigate the problems of cost prediction in green building. On the basis of analyzing the cost of green building, this paper proposes the forecasting method of actual cost in green building based on information entropy and provides the forecasting working procedure. Using the probability density obtained from statistical data, such as labor costs, material costs, machinery costs, administration costs, profits, risk costs a unit project quotation and etc., situations can be predicted which lead to cost variations between budgeted cost and actual cost in constructions, through estimating the information entropy of budgeted cost and actual cost. The research results of this article have a practical significance in cost control of green building. Additionally, the method proposed in this article can be generalized and applied to a variety of other aspects in building management.

Gelatinase activity in synovial fluid and synovium obtained from healthy and osteoarthritic joints of dogs.

PubMed

Volk, Susan W; Kapatkin, Amy S; Haskins, Mark E; Walton, Raquel M; D'Angelo, Marina

2003-10-01

To determine matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) activity in synovial fluid (SF) obtained from the joints of dogs with degenerative joint disease (DJD) secondary to various underlying conditions. 35 samples of SF obtained from 18 clinically normal (control) dogs and 34 samples of SF obtained from 17 dogs with DJD; dogs with DJD were from 2 populations (client-owned dogs and research dogs that had DJD secondary to the lysosomal storage disease mucopolysaccharidosis VII). MMP activity in samples of SF was semiquantitatively examined by use of gelatin or casein zymography. Western blot analysis was performed by use of antibodies for MMP-2 and MMP-9. In addition, in situ MMP activity was observed in sections of synovial membrane obtained from healthy and osteoarthritic joints. Samples of SF from osteoarthritic joints had higher MMP-2 activity and dramatically increased MMP-9 activity, compared with values for healthy joints. Substrate-overlay analyses indicated minimal gelatin-degrading activity in synoviocytes obtained from control dogs, whereas greater activity was seen in osteoarthritic synoviocytes, with additional activity in the underlying tissue. Higher MMP-2 activity and dramatic increases in MMP-9 activity were associated with the osteoarthritic state, even though MMP-2 activity was detected in healthy joints. This study expands information on MMP production in SF of osteoarthritic joints in other species and documents the similarity of MMP activity patterns regardless of the cause of DJD.

Technology and development requirements for advanced coal conversion systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1981-01-01

A compendium of coal conversion process descriptions is presented. The SRS and MC data bases were utilized to provide information paticularly in the areas of existing process designs and process evaluations. Additional information requirements were established and arrangements were made to visit process developers, pilot plants, and process development units to obtain information that was not otherwise available. Plant designs, process descriptions and operating conditions, and performance characteristics were analyzed and requirements for further development identified and evaluated to determine the impact of these requirements on the process commercialization potential from the standpoint of economics and technical feasibility. A preliminary methodology was established for the comparative technical and economic assessment of advanced processes.

Effects of additional data on Bayesian clustering.

PubMed

Yamazaki, Keisuke

2017-10-01

Hierarchical probabilistic models, such as mixture models, are used for cluster analysis. These models have two types of variables: observable and latent. In cluster analysis, the latent variable is estimated, and it is expected that additional information will improve the accuracy of the estimation of the latent variable. Many proposed learning methods are able to use additional data; these include semi-supervised learning and transfer learning. However, from a statistical point of view, a complex probabilistic model that encompasses both the initial and additional data might be less accurate due to having a higher-dimensional parameter. The present paper presents a theoretical analysis of the accuracy of such a model and clarifies which factor has the greatest effect on its accuracy, the advantages of obtaining additional data, and the disadvantages of increasing the complexity. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Single-exposure two-dimensional superresolution in digital holography using a vertical cavity surface-emitting laser source array.

PubMed

Granero, Luis; Zalevsky, Zeev; Micó, Vicente

2011-04-01

We present a new implementation capable of producing two-dimensional (2D) superresolution (SR) imaging in a single exposure by aperture synthesis in digital lensless Fourier holography when using angular multiplexing provided by a vertical cavity surface-emitting laser source array. The system performs the recording in a single CCD snapshot of a multiplexed hologram coming from the incoherent addition of multiple subholograms, where each contains information about a different 2D spatial frequency band of the object's spectrum. Thus, a set of nonoverlapping bandpass images of the input object can be recovered by Fourier transformation (FT) of the multiplexed hologram. The SR is obtained by coherent addition of the information contained in each bandpass image while generating an enlarged synthetic aperture. Experimental results demonstrate improvement in resolution and image quality.

Association of health literacy with health information-seeking preference in older people: A correlational, descriptive study.

PubMed

Kim, Su Hyun; Utz, Sonja

2018-02-28

Low health literacy has been recognized as a potential barrier to obtaining knowledge and maintaining self-care in older people. However, little is known about information-seeking preference in relation to health literacy among older people. The aim of the present study was to understand the influence of health literacy on the information-seeking preference of older people. A total of 129 community-residing Korean older people completed a survey in 2016. The findings revealed that health literacy was a significant predictor of information-seeking preference in older people after controlling for demographic and illness variables. Our study highlights the important need to incorporate strategies to increase the desire for information seeking in older people, in addition to adopting communication strategies that address low health literacy. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

76 FR 13655 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Ship's Store Declaration

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-03-14

...U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) of the Department of Homeland Security will be submitting the following information collection request to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act: Ship's Stores Declaration (CBP Form 1303). This is a proposed extension of an information collection that was previously approved. CBP is proposing that this information collection be extended with a change to the burden hours. This document is published to obtain comments from the public and affected agencies. This proposed information collection was previously published in the Federal Register (76 FR 2403) on January 13, 2011, allowing for a 60-day comment period. This notice allows for an additional 30 days for public comments. This process is conducted in accordance with 5 CFR 1320.10.

78 FR 27984 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Ship's Store Declaration

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-05-13

...U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) of the Department of Homeland Security will be submitting the following information collection request to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act: Ship's Stores Declaration (CBP Form 1303). This is a proposed extension of an information collection that was previously approved. CBP is proposing that this information collection be extended with no change to the burden hours. This document is published to obtain comments from the public and affected agencies. This proposed information collection was previously published in the Federal Register (78 FR 15031) on March 8, 2013, allowing for a 60-day comment period. This notice allows for an additional 30 days for public comments. This process is conducted in accordance with 5 CFR 1320.10.

A Prototype Search Toolkit

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Knepper, Margaret M.; Fox, Kevin L.; Frieder, Ophir

Information overload is now a reality. We no longer worry about obtaining a sufficient volume of data; we now are concerned with sifting and understanding the massive volumes of data available to us. To do so, we developed an integrated information processing toolkit that provides the user with a variety of ways to view their information. The views include keyword search results, a domain specific ranking system that allows for adaptively capturing topic vocabularies to customize and focus the search results, navigation pages for browsing, and a geospatial and temporal component to visualize results in time and space, and provide “what if” scenario playing. Integrating the information from different tools and sources gives the user additional information and another way to analyze the data. An example of the integration is illustrated on reports of the avian influenza (bird flu).

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.

Set membership experimental design for biological systems.

PubMed

Marvel, Skylar W; Williams, Cranos M

2012-03-21

Experimental design approaches for biological systems are needed to help conserve the limited resources that are allocated for performing experiments. The assumptions used when assigning probability density functions to characterize uncertainty in biological systems are unwarranted when only a small number of measurements can be obtained. In these situations, the uncertainty in biological systems is more appropriately characterized in a bounded-error context. Additionally, effort must be made to improve the connection between modelers and experimentalists by relating design metrics to biologically relevant information. Bounded-error experimental design approaches that can assess the impact of additional measurements on model uncertainty are needed to identify the most appropriate balance between the collection of data and the availability of resources. In this work we develop a bounded-error experimental design framework for nonlinear continuous-time systems when few data measurements are available. This approach leverages many of the recent advances in bounded-error parameter and state estimation methods that use interval analysis to generate parameter sets and state bounds consistent with uncertain data measurements. We devise a novel approach using set-based uncertainty propagation to estimate measurement ranges at candidate time points. We then use these estimated measurements at the candidate time points to evaluate which candidate measurements furthest reduce model uncertainty. A method for quickly combining multiple candidate time points is presented and allows for determining the effect of adding multiple measurements. Biologically relevant metrics are developed and used to predict when new data measurements should be acquired, which system components should be measured and how many additional measurements should be obtained. The practicability of our approach is illustrated with a case study. This study shows that our approach is able to 1) identify candidate measurement time points that maximize information corresponding to biologically relevant metrics and 2) determine the number at which additional measurements begin to provide insignificant information. This framework can be used to balance the availability of resources with the addition of one or more measurement time points to improve the predictability of resulting models.

Set membership experimental design for biological systems

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Experimental design approaches for biological systems are needed to help conserve the limited resources that are allocated for performing experiments. The assumptions used when assigning probability density functions to characterize uncertainty in biological systems are unwarranted when only a small number of measurements can be obtained. In these situations, the uncertainty in biological systems is more appropriately characterized in a bounded-error context. Additionally, effort must be made to improve the connection between modelers and experimentalists by relating design metrics to biologically relevant information. Bounded-error experimental design approaches that can assess the impact of additional measurements on model uncertainty are needed to identify the most appropriate balance between the collection of data and the availability of resources. Results In this work we develop a bounded-error experimental design framework for nonlinear continuous-time systems when few data measurements are available. This approach leverages many of the recent advances in bounded-error parameter and state estimation methods that use interval analysis to generate parameter sets and state bounds consistent with uncertain data measurements. We devise a novel approach using set-based uncertainty propagation to estimate measurement ranges at candidate time points. We then use these estimated measurements at the candidate time points to evaluate which candidate measurements furthest reduce model uncertainty. A method for quickly combining multiple candidate time points is presented and allows for determining the effect of adding multiple measurements. Biologically relevant metrics are developed and used to predict when new data measurements should be acquired, which system components should be measured and how many additional measurements should be obtained. Conclusions The practicability of our approach is illustrated with a case study. This study shows that our approach is able to 1) identify candidate measurement time points that maximize information corresponding to biologically relevant metrics and 2) determine the number at which additional measurements begin to provide insignificant information. This framework can be used to balance the availability of resources with the addition of one or more measurement time points to improve the predictability of resulting models. PMID:22436240

Simultaneous determination of the second-harmonic generation emission directionality and reduced scattering coefficient from three-dimensional imaging of thick tissues

PubMed Central

Hall, Gunnsteinn; Eliceiri, Kevin W.

2013-01-01

Abstract. Second-harmonic generation (SHG) microscopy has intrinsic contrast for imaging fibrillar collagen and has shown great promise for disease characterization and diagnostics. In addition to morphology, additional information is achievable as the initially emitted SHG radiation directionality is related to subresolution fibril size and distribution. We show that by two parameter fittings, both the emission pattern (FSHG/BSHG)creation and the reduced scattering coefficient μs′, can be obtained from the best fits between three-dimensional experimental data and Monte Carlo simulations. The improved simulation framework accounts for collection apertures for the detected forward and backward components. We apply the new simulation framework to mouse tail tendon for validation and show that the spectral slope of μs′ obtained is similar to that from bulk optical measurements and that the (FSHG/BSHG)creation values are also similar to previous results. Additionally, we find that the SHG emission becomes increasingly forward directed at longer wavelengths, which is consistent with decreased dispersion in refractive index between the laser and SHG wavelengths. As both the spectral slope of μs′ and (FSHG/BSHG)creation have been linked to the underlying tissue structure, simultaneously obtaining these parameters on a microscope platform from the same tissue provides a powerful method for tissue characterization. PMID:24220726

Impact of Health Information Exchange on Emergency Medicine Clinical Decision Making.

PubMed

Gordon, Bradley D; Bernard, Kyle; Salzman, Josh; Whitebird, Robin R

2015-12-01

The objective of the study was to understand the immediate utility of health information exchange (HIE) on emergency department (ED) providers by interviewing them shortly after the information was retrieved. Prior studies of physician perceptions regarding HIE have only been performed outside of the care environment. Trained research assistants interviewed resident physicians, physician assistants and attending physicians using a semi-structured questionnaire within two hours of making a HIE request. The responses were recorded, then transcribed for qualitative analysis. The transcribed interviews were analyzed for emerging qualitative themes. We analyzed 40 interviews obtained from 29 providers. Primary qualitative themes discovered included the following: drivers for requests for outside information; the importance of unexpected information; historical lab values as reference points; providing context when determining whether to admit or discharge a patient; the importance of information in refining disposition; improved confidence of provider; and changes in decisions for diagnostic imaging. ED providers are driven to use HIE when they're missing a known piece of information. This study finds two additional impacts not previously reported. First, providers sometimes find additional unanticipated useful information, supporting a workflow that lowers the threshold to request external information. Second, providers sometimes report utility when no changes to their existing plan are made as their confidence is increased based on external records. Our findings are concordant with previous studies in finding exchanged information is useful to provide context for interpreting lab results, making admission decisions, and prevents repeat diagnostic imaging.

2016 Service Academy Gender Relations Survey: Overview Report

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-02-01

2016 Service Academy Gender Relations Survey Overview Report Additional copies of this report may be obtained from: Defense Technical Information...report by DTIC # AD1029209 OPA Report No. 2016-043 February 2017 2016 SERVICE ACADEMY GENDER RELATIONS SURVEY Office of People Analytics 4800...Mark Center Drive, Suite 04E25-01 Alexandria, VA 22350-4000 2017 2016 Service Academy Gender Relations Survey DMDC | ii Acknowledgments The

2016 Service Academy Gender Relations Survey

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-02-01

2016 Service Academy Gender Relations Survey Overview Report Additional copies of this report may be obtained from: Defense Technical Information...report by DTIC # AD1029209 OPA Report No. 2016-043 February 2017 2016 SERVICE ACADEMY GENDER RELATIONS SURVEY Office of People Analytics 4800...Mark Center Drive, Suite 04E25-01 Alexandria, VA 22350-4000 2017 2016 Service Academy Gender Relations Survey DMDC | ii Acknowledgments The

Pharmaceutical applications of in vivo EPR

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mäder, Karsten

1998-07-01

The aim of this article is to discuss the applications of in vivo EPR in the field of pharmacy. In addition to direct detection of free radical metabolites and measurement of oxygen, EPR can be used to characterize the mechanisms of drug release from biodegradable polymers. Unique information about drug concentration, the microenvironment (viscosity, polarity, pH) and biodistribution (by localized measurement or EPR Imaging) can be obtained.

Use of ancillary data to improve the analysis of forest health indicators

Treesearch

Dave Gartner

2013-01-01

In addition to its standard suite of mensuration variables, the Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) program of the U.S. Forest Service also collects data on forest health variables formerly measured by the Forest Health Monitoring program. FIA obtains forest health information on a subset of the base sample plots. Due to the sample size differences, the two sets of...

75 FR 7599 - Notice of Proposals to Engage in Permissible Nonbanking Activities or to Acquire Companies that...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-02-22

... notice have given notice under section 4 of the Bank Holding Company Act (12 U.S.C. 1843) (BHC Act) and... 4 of the BHC Act. Additional information on all bank holding companies may be obtained from the... than March 9, 2010. A. Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City (Dennis Denney, Assistant Vice President) 1...

Yellowstone grizzly bear investigations: Annual report of the Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team, 2006

USGS Publications Warehouse

Schwartz, Charles C.; Haroldson, Mark A.; West, Karrie K.

2007-01-01

The annual reports of the IGBST summarize annual data collection. Because additional information can be obtained after publication, data summaries are subject to change. For that reason, data analyses and summaries presented in this report supersede all previously published data. The study area and sampling techniques are reported by Blanchard (1985), Mattson et al. (1991 a), and Haroldson et al. (1998).

Instant Foundry Adaptive through Bits (iFAB)

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-07-01

Critical Technologies JULY 2012 Final Report Approved for public release; distribution unlimited. See additional restrictions described on inside...or permission to manufacture, use, or sell any patented invention that may relate to them. This report was cleared for public release by the...requestors may obtain copies of this report from the Defense Technical Information Center (DTIC) (http://www.dtic.mil). AFRL-RX-WP-TR-2012-0359 HAS

Molecular characterization of breast cancer cell lines through multiple omic approaches.

PubMed

Smith, Shari E; Mellor, Paul; Ward, Alison K; Kendall, Stephanie; McDonald, Megan; Vizeacoumar, Frederick S; Vizeacoumar, Franco J; Napper, Scott; Anderson, Deborah H

2017-06-05

Breast cancer cell lines are frequently used as model systems to study the cellular properties and biology of breast cancer. Our objective was to characterize a large, commonly employed panel of breast cancer cell lines obtained from the American Type Culture Collection (ATCC 30-4500 K) to enable researchers to make more informed decisions in selecting cell lines for specific studies. Information about these cell lines was obtained from a wide variety of sources. In addition, new information about cellular pathways that are activated within each cell line was generated. We determined key protein expression data using immunoblot analyses. In addition, two analyses on serum-starved cells were carried out to identify cellular proteins and pathways that are activated in these cells. These analyses were performed using a commercial PathScan array and a novel and more extensive phosphopeptide-based kinome analysis that queries 1290 phosphorylation events in major signaling pathways. Data about this panel of breast cancer cell lines was also accessed from several online sources, compiled and summarized for the following areas: molecular classification, mRNA expression, mutational status of key proteins and other possible cancer-associated mutations, and the tumorigenic and metastatic capacity in mouse xenograft models of breast cancer. The cell lines that were characterized included 10 estrogen receptor (ER)-positive, 12 human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-amplified and 18 triple negative breast cancer cell lines, in addition to 4 non-tumorigenic breast cell lines. Within each subtype, there was significant genetic heterogeneity that could impact both the selection of model cell lines and the interpretation of the results obtained. To capture the net activation of key signaling pathways as a result of these mutational combinations, profiled pathway activation status was examined. This provided further clarity for which cell lines were particularly deregulated in common or unique ways. These two new kinase or "Kin-OMIC" analyses add another dimension of important data about these frequently used breast cancer cell lines. This will assist researchers in selecting the most appropriate cell lines to use for breast cancer studies and provide context for the interpretation of the emerging results.

QKD-based quantum private query without a failure probability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Bin; Gao, Fei; Huang, Wei; Wen, QiaoYan

2015-10-01

In this paper, we present a quantum-key-distribution (QKD)-based quantum private query (QPQ) protocol utilizing single-photon signal of multiple optical pulses. It maintains the advantages of the QKD-based QPQ, i.e., easy to implement and loss tolerant. In addition, different from the situations in the previous QKD-based QPQ protocols, in our protocol, the number of the items an honest user will obtain is always one and the failure probability is always zero. This characteristic not only improves the stability (in the sense that, ignoring the noise and the attack, the protocol would always succeed), but also benefits the privacy of the database (since the database will no more reveal additional secrets to the honest users). Furthermore, for the user's privacy, the proposed protocol is cheat sensitive, and for security of the database, we obtain an upper bound for the leaked information of the database in theory.

Notes from the field: Acute pesticide-related illness resulting from occupational exposure to acrolein - Washington and California, 1993-2009.

PubMed

2013-04-26

Acrolein is an aquatic herbicide used in the western United States to prevent impaired water flow in irrigation canals. Despite its toxicity, few cases of acrolein-related illness have been reported in the literature. On August 15, 2012, an irrigation district notified the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) of acrolein-related illness in one of its pesticide applicators. L&I inspected the site and interviewed the exposed worker, coworkers, and employer. The Washington State Department of Health assisted by obtaining medical records, interviewing the patient and hospital staff, and reviewing information obtained from L&I. To look for additional cases, CDC reviewed data from the SENSOR-Pesticides program* and the California Department of Pesticide Regulation for 1993-2009, the most recent years of data availability, and identified seven additional cases of acute acrolein-related illness.

Preliminary Development of Real Time Usage-Phase Monitoring System for CNC Machine Tools with a Case Study on CNC Machine VMC 250

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Budi Harja, Herman; Prakosa, Tri; Raharno, Sri; Yuwana Martawirya, Yatna; Nurhadi, Indra; Setyo Nogroho, Alamsyah

2018-03-01

The production characteristic of job-shop industry at which products have wide variety but small amounts causes every machine tool will be shared to conduct production process with dynamic load. Its dynamic condition operation directly affects machine tools component reliability. Hence, determination of maintenance schedule for every component should be calculated based on actual usage of machine tools component. This paper describes study on development of monitoring system to obtaining information about each CNC machine tool component usage in real time approached by component grouping based on its operation phase. A special device has been developed for monitoring machine tool component usage by utilizing usage phase activity data taken from certain electronics components within CNC machine. The components are adaptor, servo driver and spindle driver, as well as some additional components such as microcontroller and relays. The obtained data are utilized for detecting machine utilization phases such as power on state, machine ready state or spindle running state. Experimental result have shown that the developed CNC machine tool monitoring system is capable of obtaining phase information of machine tool usage as well as its duration and displays the information at the user interface application.

A study of surface temperatures, clouds and net radiation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dhuria, Harbans

1994-01-01

The study is continuing and it is focused on examining seasonal relationships between climate parameters such as the surface temperatures, the net radiation and cloud types and amount on a global basis for the period February 1985 to January 1987. The study consists of an analysis of the combined Earth Radiation Budget Experiment (ERBE) and International Satellite Cloud Climatology Program (ISCCP) products. The main emphasis is on obtaining the information about the interactions and relationships of Earth Radiation Budget parameters, cloud and temperature information. The purpose is to gain additional qualitative and quantitative insight into the cloud climate relationship.

Combining spectral material properties in the infrared and the visible spectral range for qualification and nondestructive evaluation of components

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eisler, K.; Goldammer, M.; Rothenfusser, M.; Arnold, W.; Homma, C.

2012-05-01

The spectral selective thermography with infrared filters can be used to determine or to distinguish materials such as contaminations on a metallic component. With additional visual information, the indications by the IR signal can be selectively accentuated or suppressed for easier evaluation of passive and active thermography measurements. For flash thermography the detected IR signal between 3.4 and 5.1 μm is analyzed with regard to the spectral material information. The presented hybrid camera uses beam overlapping to obtain combined images of both in the infrared and the visual range.

Feature conjunctions and auditory sensory memory.

PubMed

Sussman, E; Gomes, H; Nousak, J M; Ritter, W; Vaughan, H G

1998-05-18

This study sought to obtain additional evidence that transient auditory memory stores information about conjunctions of features on an automatic basis. The mismatch negativity of event-related potentials was employed because its operations are based on information that is stored in transient auditory memory. The mismatch negativity was found to be elicited by a tone that differed from standard tones in a combination of its perceived location and frequency. The result lends further support to the hypothesis that the system upon which the mismatch negativity relies processes stimuli in an holistic manner. Copyright 1998 Elsevier Science B.V.

European option pricing under the Student's t noise with jumps

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Xiao-Tian; Li, Zhe; Zhuang, Le

2017-03-01

In this paper we present a new approach to price European options under the Student's t noise with jumps. Through the conditional delta hedging strategy and the minimal mean-square-error hedging, a closed-form solution of the European option value is obtained under the incomplete information case. In particular, we propose a Value-at-Risk-type procedure to estimate the volatility parameter σ such that the pricing error is in accord with the risk preferences of investors. In addition, the numerical results of us show that options are not priced in some cases in an incomplete information market.

A Bionic Polarization Navigation Sensor and Its Calibration Method.

PubMed

Zhao, Huijie; Xu, Wujian

2016-08-03

The polarization patterns of skylight which arise due to the scattering of sunlight in the atmosphere can be used by many insects for deriving compass information. Inspired by insects' polarized light compass, scientists have developed a new kind of navigation method. One of the key techniques in this method is the polarimetric sensor which is used to acquire direction information from skylight. In this paper, a polarization navigation sensor is proposed which imitates the working principles of the polarization vision systems of insects. We introduce the optical design and mathematical model of the sensor. In addition, a calibration method based on variable substitution and non-linear curve fitting is proposed. The results obtained from the outdoor experiments provide support for the feasibility and precision of the sensor. The sensor's signal processing can be well described using our mathematical model. A relatively high degree of accuracy in polarization measurement can be obtained without any error compensation.

A Bionic Polarization Navigation Sensor and Its Calibration Method

PubMed Central

Zhao, Huijie; Xu, Wujian

2016-01-01

The polarization patterns of skylight which arise due to the scattering of sunlight in the atmosphere can be used by many insects for deriving compass information. Inspired by insects’ polarized light compass, scientists have developed a new kind of navigation method. One of the key techniques in this method is the polarimetric sensor which is used to acquire direction information from skylight. In this paper, a polarization navigation sensor is proposed which imitates the working principles of the polarization vision systems of insects. We introduce the optical design and mathematical model of the sensor. In addition, a calibration method based on variable substitution and non-linear curve fitting is proposed. The results obtained from the outdoor experiments provide support for the feasibility and precision of the sensor. The sensor’s signal processing can be well described using our mathematical model. A relatively high degree of accuracy in polarization measurement can be obtained without any error compensation. PMID:27527171

Non-resonant inelastic x-ray scattering spectra of lithiated titanium oxides for battery applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nagle, Kenneth; Balasubramanian, Mali; Johnson, Christopher; Seidler, Gerald; Belharouak, Ilias

2008-03-01

Although lithium-ion batteries now see widespread use, there remain considerable questions concerning the basic solid state chemistry of both electrodes. Improved understanding of the local electronic structure, particularly the mechanism of charge transfer upon insertion and removal of lithium, could lead to innovation in battery design and improved performance. We present non-resonant inelastic x-ray scattering (NRIXS) spectra from 2p initial states in titanium; these spectra are among the first recorded for such states in a transition metal. These spectra were obtained using the lower energy resolution inelastic x-ray scattering (LERIX) spectrometer, which is capable of making simultaneous measurements at nineteen values of momentum transfer. We demonstrate the ability to obtain soft x-ray absorption-like information using a bulk-sensitive, hard x-ray technique. In addition, at high momentum transfer NRIXS provides information about non-dipole transitions that are inaccessible by soft x-ray spectroscopic methods.

From Phonomecanocardiography to Phonocardiography computer aided

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Granados, J.; Tavera, F.; López, G.; Velázquez, J. M.; Hernández, R. T.; López, G. A.

2017-01-01

Due to lack of training doctors to identify many of the disorders in the heart by conventional listening, it is necessary to add an objective and methodological analysis to support this technique. In order to obtain information of the performance of the heart to be able to diagnose heart disease through a simple, cost-effective procedure by means of a data acquisition system, we have obtained Phonocardiograms (PCG), which are images of the sounds emitted by the heart. A program of acoustic, visual and artificial vision recognition was elaborated to interpret them. Based on the results of previous research of cardiologists a code of interpretation of PCG and associated diseases was elaborated. Also a site, within the university campus, of experimental sampling of cardiac data was created. Phonocardiography computer-aided is a viable and low cost procedure which provides additional medical information to make a diagnosis of complex heart diseases. We show some previous results.

Querying and Extracting Timeline Information from Road Traffic Sensor Data

PubMed Central

Imawan, Ardi; Indikawati, Fitri Indra; Kwon, Joonho; Rao, Praveen

2016-01-01

The escalation of traffic congestion in urban cities has urged many countries to use intelligent transportation system (ITS) centers to collect historical traffic sensor data from multiple heterogeneous sources. By analyzing historical traffic data, we can obtain valuable insights into traffic behavior. Many existing applications have been proposed with limited analysis results because of the inability to cope with several types of analytical queries. In this paper, we propose the QET (querying and extracting timeline information) system—a novel analytical query processing method based on a timeline model for road traffic sensor data. To address query performance, we build a TQ-index (timeline query-index) that exploits spatio-temporal features of timeline modeling. We also propose an intuitive timeline visualization method to display congestion events obtained from specified query parameters. In addition, we demonstrate the benefit of our system through a performance evaluation using a Busan ITS dataset and a Seattle freeway dataset. PMID:27563900

Application toward Confocal Full-Field Microscopic X-ray Absorption Near Edge Structure Spectroscopy.

PubMed

Tack, Pieter; Vekemans, Bart; Laforce, Brecht; Rudloff-Grund, Jennifer; Hernández, Willinton Y; Garrevoet, Jan; Falkenberg, Gerald; Brenker, Frank; Van Der Voort, Pascal; Vincze, Laszlo

2017-02-07

Using X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) spectroscopy, information on the local chemical structure and oxidation state of an element of interest can be acquired. Conventionally, this information can be obtained in a spatially resolved manner by scanning a sample through a focused X-ray beam. Recently, full-field methods have been developed to obtain direct 2D chemical state information by imaging a large sample area. These methods are usually in transmission mode, thus restricting the use to thin and transmitting samples. Here, a fluorescence method is displayed using an energy-dispersive pnCCD detector, the SLcam, characterized by measurement times far superior to what is generally applicable. Additionally, this method operates in confocal mode, thus providing direct 3D spatially resolved chemical state information from a selected subvolume of a sample, without the need of rotating a sample. The method is applied to two samples: a gold-supported magnesia catalyst (Au/MgO) and a natural diamond containing Fe-rich inclusions. Both samples provide XANES spectra that can be overlapped with reference XANES spectra, allowing this method to be used for fingerprinting and linear combination analysis of known XANES reference compounds.

[Exposure to biological agents used in Polish enterprises: analysis of data derived from the National Register of Biological Agent].

PubMed

Kozajda, Anna; Szadkowska-Stańczyk, Irena

2011-01-01

The National Register of Biological Agents at Work and the National Information Centre for Biological Agents Present at Workplaces were established in the Nofer Institute of Occupational Medicine in 2005. The National Information Centre carries out consultation and education activities concerning occupational exposure and risk assessment, development and implementation of preventive programs and accurate registration of reliable information about the use of biological agents. Educational materials on biological exposure are published on the website. The National Register of Biological Agents (database) collects and periodically analyzes the information obtained from employers about the use of biological agents for research, diagnostic or industrial purposes. As of 10 December 2010 there were 240 notifications from companies, which use biological agents for the following purposes: research--69, industrial--30 and diagnostic--321. Near 75% of all notifications were obtained from different diagnostic laboratories (public and private). In total, 3226 workers, including 2967 (92%) women and 256 (8%) men were exposed to biological agents. In general, occupational exposure to 209 biological agents (186 of risk group 2 and 23 of risk group 3, of which 16 are additionally marked by 3**) were registered in the data base.

CEDIMS: cloud ethical DICOM image Mojette storage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guédon, Jeanpierre; Evenou, Pierre; Tervé, Pierre; David, Sylvain; Béranger, Jérome

2012-02-01

Dicom images of patients will necessarily been stored in Clouds. However, ethical constraints must apply. In this paper, a method which provides the two following conditions is presented: 1) the medical information is not readable by the cloud owner since it is distributed along several clouds 2) the medical information can be retrieved from any sufficient subset of clouds In order to obtain this result in a real time processing, the Mojette transform is used. This paper reviews the interesting features of the Mojette transform in terms of information theory. Since only portions of the original Dicom files are stored into each cloud, their contents are not reachable. For instance, we use 4 different public clouds to save 4 different projections of each file, with the additional condition that any 3 over 4 projections are enough to reconstruct the original file. Thus, even if a cloud is unavailable when the user wants to load a Dicom file, the other 3 are giving enough information for real time reconstruction. The paper presents an implementation on 3 actual clouds. For ethical reasons, we use a Dicom image spreaded over 3 public clouds to show the obtained confidentiality and possible real time recovery.

Obtaining a more resolute teleost growth hormone phylogeny by the introduction of gaps in sequence alignment.

PubMed

Rubin, D A; Dores, R M

1995-06-01

In order to obtain a more resolute phylogeny of teleosts based on growth hormone (GH) sequences, phylogenetic analyses were performed in which deletions (gaps), which appear to be order specific, were upheld to maintain GH's structural information. Sequences were analyzed at 194 amino acid positions. In addition, the two closest genealogically related groups to the teleosts, Amia calva and Acipenser guldenstadti, were used as outgroups. Modified sequence alignments were also analyzed to determine clade stability. Analyses indicated, in the most parsimonious cladogram, that molecular and morphological relationships for the orders of fishes are congruent. With GH molecular sequence data it was possible to resolve all clades at the familial level. Analyses of the primary sequence data indicate that: (a) the halecomorphean and chondrostean GH sequences are the appropriate outgroups for generating the most parsimonious cladogram for teleosts; (b) proper alignment of teleost GH sequence by the inclusion of gaps is necessary for resolution of the Percomorpha; and (c) removal of sequence information by deleting improperly aligned sequence decreases the phylogenetic signal obtained.

Diagnosis of vulnerable atherosclerotic plaques by time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy and ultrasound imaging.

PubMed

Jo, J A; Fang, Q; Papaioannou, T; Qiao, J H; Fishbein, M C; Beseth, B; Dorafshar, A H; Reil, T; Baker, D; Freischlag, J; Shung, K K; Sun, L; Marcu, L

2006-01-01

In this study, time-resolved laser-induced fluorescence spectroscopy (TR-LIFS) and ultrasonography were applied to detect vulnerable (high-risk) atherosclerotic plaque. A total of 813 TR-LIFS measurements were taken from carotid plaques of 65 patients, and subsequently analyzed using the Laguerre deconvolution technique. The investigated spots were classified by histopathology as thin, fibrotic, calcified, low-inflamed, inflamed and necrotic lesions. Spectral and time-resolved parameters (normalized intensity values and Laguerre expansion coefficients) were extracted from the TR-LIFS data. Feature selection for classification was performed by either analysis of variance (ANOVA) or principal component analysis (PCA). A stepwise linear discriminant analysis algorithm was developed for detecting inflamed and necrotic lesion, representing the most vulnerable plaques. These vulnerable plaques were detected with high sensitivity (>80%) and specificity (>90%). Ultrasound (US) imaging was obtained in 4 carotid plaques in addition to TR-LIFS examination. Preliminary results indicate that US provides important structural information of the plaques that could be combined with the compositional information obtained by TR-LIFS, to obtain a more accurate diagnosis of vulnerable atherosclerotic plaque.

Varying-energy CT imaging method based on EM-TV

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Ping; Han, Yan

2016-11-01

For complicated structural components with wide x-ray attenuation ranges, conventional fixed-energy computed tomography (CT) imaging cannot obtain all the structural information. This limitation results in a shortage of CT information because the effective thickness of the components along the direction of x-ray penetration exceeds the limit of the dynamic range of the x-ray imaging system. To address this problem, a varying-energy x-ray CT imaging method is proposed. In this new method, the tube voltage is adjusted several times with the fixed lesser interval. Next, the fusion of grey consistency and logarithm demodulation are applied to obtain full and lower noise projection with a high dynamic range (HDR). In addition, for the noise suppression problem of the analytical method, EM-TV (expectation maximization-total Jvariation) iteration reconstruction is used. In the process of iteration, the reconstruction result obtained at one x-ray energy is used as the initial condition of the next iteration. An accompanying experiment demonstrates that this EM-TV reconstruction can also extend the dynamic range of x-ray imaging systems and provide a higher reconstruction quality relative to the fusion reconstruction method.

Allegations of Failure to Obtain Informed Consent in Spinal Surgery Medical Malpractice Claims

PubMed Central

Grauberger, Jennifer; Kerezoudis, Panagiotis; Choudhry, Asad J.; Alvi, Mohammed Ali; Nassr, Ahmad; Currier, Bradford

2017-01-01

Importance Predictive factors associated with increased risk of medical malpractice litigation have been identified, including severity of injury, physician sex, and error in diagnosis. However, there is a paucity of literature investigating informed consent in spinal surgery malpractice. Objective To investigate the failure to obtain informed consent as an allegation in medical malpractice claims for patients undergoing a spinal procedure. Design, Setting, and Participants In this retrospective cohort study, a national medicolegal database was searched for malpractice claim cases related to spinal surgery for all years available (ie, January 1, 1980, through December 31, 2015). Main Outcomes and Measures Failure to obtain informed consent and associated medical malpractice case verdict. Results A total of 233 patients (117 [50.4%] male and 116 [49.8%] female; 80 with no informed consent allegation and 153 who cited lack of informed consent) who underwent spinal surgery and filed a malpractice claim were studied (mean [SD] age, 47.1 [13.1] years in the total group, 45.8 [12.9] years in the control group, and 47.9 [13.3] years in the informed consent group). Median interval between year of surgery and year of verdict was 5.4 years (interquartile range, 4-7 years). The most common informed consent allegations were failure to explain risks and adverse effects of surgery (52 [30.4%]) and failure to explain alternative treatment options (17 [9.9%]). In bivariate analysis, patients in the control group were more likely to require additional surgery (45 [56.3%] vs 53 [34.6%], P = .002) and have more permanent injuries compared with the informed consent group (46 [57.5%] vs 63 [42.0%], P = .03). On multivariable regression analysis, permanent injuries were more often associated with indemnity payment after a plaintiff verdict (odds ratio [OR], 3.12; 95% CI, 1.46-6.65; P = .003) or a settlement (OR, 6.26; 95% CI, 1.06-36.70; P = .04). Informed consent allegations were significantly associated with less severe (temporary or emotional) injury (OR, 0.52; 95% CI, 0.28-0.97; P = .04). In addition, allegations of informed consent were found to be predictive of a defense verdict vs a plaintiff ruling (OR, 0.41; 95% CI, 0.17-0.98; P = .046) or settlement (OR, 0.01; 95% CI, 0.001-0.15; P < .001). Conclusions and Relevance Lack of informed consent is an important cause of medical malpractice litigation. Although associated with a lower rate of indemnity payments, malpractice lawsuits, including informed consent allegations, still present a time, money, and reputation toll for physicians. The findings of this study can therefore help to improve preoperative discussions to protect spinal surgeons from malpractice claims and ensure that patients are better informed. PMID:28445561

The role of amino acid PET in the light of the new WHO classification 2016 for brain tumors.

PubMed

Suchorska, Bogdana; Albert, Nathalie L; Bauer, Elena K; Tonn, Jörg-Christian; Galldiks, Norbert

2018-04-26

Since its introduction in 2016, the revision of the World Health Organization (WHO) classification of central nervous system tumours has already changed the diagnostic and therapeutic approach in glial tumors. Blurring the lines between entities formerly labelled as "high-grade" or "low-grade", molecular markers define distinct biological subtypes with different clinical course. This new classification raises the demand for non-invasive imaging methods focussing on depicting metabolic processes. We performed a review of current literature on the use of amino acid PET (AA-PET) for obtaining diagnostic or prognostic information on glioma in the setting of the current WHO 2016 classification. So far, only a few studies have focussed on combining molecular genetic information and metabolic imaging using AA-PET. The current review summarizes the information available on "molecular grading" as well as prognostic information obtained from AA-PET and delivers an insight into a possible interrelation between metabolic imaging and glioma genetics. Within the framework of molecular characterization of gliomas, metabolic imaging using AA-PET is a promising tool for non-invasive characterisation of molecular features and to provide additional prognostic information. Further studies incorporating molecular and metabolic features are necessary to improve the explanatory power of AA-PET in glial tumors.

Secure quantum private information retrieval using phase-encoded queries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Olejnik, Lukasz

2011-08-01

We propose a quantum solution to the classical private information retrieval (PIR) problem, which allows one to query a database in a private manner. The protocol offers privacy thresholds and allows the user to obtain information from a database in a way that offers the potential adversary, in this model the database owner, no possibility of deterministically establishing the query contents. This protocol may also be viewed as a solution to the symmetrically private information retrieval problem in that it can offer database security (inability for a querying user to steal its contents). Compared to classical solutions, the protocol offers substantial improvement in terms of communication complexity. In comparison with the recent quantum private queries [Phys. Rev. Lett.PRLTAO0031-900710.1103/PhysRevLett.100.230502 100, 230502 (2008)] protocol, it is more efficient in terms of communication complexity and the number of rounds, while offering a clear privacy parameter. We discuss the security of the protocol and analyze its strengths and conclude that using this technique makes it challenging to obtain the unconditional (in the information-theoretic sense) privacy degree; nevertheless, in addition to being simple, the protocol still offers a privacy level. The oracle used in the protocol is inspired both by the classical computational PIR solutions as well as the Deutsch-Jozsa oracle.

Secure quantum private information retrieval using phase-encoded queries

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

Olejnik, Lukasz

We propose a quantum solution to the classical private information retrieval (PIR) problem, which allows one to query a database in a private manner. The protocol offers privacy thresholds and allows the user to obtain information from a database in a way that offers the potential adversary, in this model the database owner, no possibility of deterministically establishing the query contents. This protocol may also be viewed as a solution to the symmetrically private information retrieval problem in that it can offer database security (inability for a querying user to steal its contents). Compared to classical solutions, the protocol offersmore » substantial improvement in terms of communication complexity. In comparison with the recent quantum private queries [Phys. Rev. Lett. 100, 230502 (2008)] protocol, it is more efficient in terms of communication complexity and the number of rounds, while offering a clear privacy parameter. We discuss the security of the protocol and analyze its strengths and conclude that using this technique makes it challenging to obtain the unconditional (in the information-theoretic sense) privacy degree; nevertheless, in addition to being simple, the protocol still offers a privacy level. The oracle used in the protocol is inspired both by the classical computational PIR solutions as well as the Deutsch-Jozsa oracle.« less

Quality of Web Information About Palliative Care on Websites from the United States and Japan: Comparative Evaluation Study

PubMed Central

Tanabe, Kouichi; Fujiwara, Kaho; Ogura, Hana; Yasuda, Hatsuna; Goto, Nobuyuki

2018-01-01

Background Patients and their families are able to obtain information about palliative care from websites easily nowadays. However, there are concerns on the accuracy of information on the Web and how up to date it is. Objective The objective of this study was to elucidate problematic points of medical information about palliative care obtained from websites, and to compare the quality of the information between Japanese and US websites. Methods We searched Google Japan and Google USA for websites relating to palliative care. We then evaluated the top 50 websites from each search using the DISCERN and LIDA instruments. Results We found that Japanese websites were given a lower evaluation of reliability than US websites. In 3 LIDA instrument subcategories—engagability (P<.001), currency (P=.001), and content production procedure (P<.001)—US websites scored significantly higher and had large effect sizes. Conclusions Our results suggest that Japanese websites have problems with the frequency with which they are updated, their update procedures and policies, and the scrutiny process the evidence must undergo. Additionally, there was a weak association between search ranking and reliability, and simultaneously we found that reliability could not be assessed by search ranking alone. PMID:29615388

A Driving Cycle Detection Approach Using Map Service API

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

Zhu, Lei; Gonder, Jeffrey D

Following advancements in smartphone and portable global positioning system (GPS) data collection, wearable GPS data have realized extensive use in transportation surveys and studies. The task of detecting driving cycles (driving or car-mode trajectory segments) from wearable GPS data has been the subject of much research. Specifically, distinguishing driving cycles from other motorized trips (such as taking a bus) is the main research problem in this paper. Many mode detection methods only focus on raw GPS speed data while some studies apply additional information, such as geographic information system (GIS) data, to obtain better detection performance. Procuring and maintaining dedicatedmore » road GIS data are costly and not trivial, whereas the technical maturity and broad use of map service application program interface (API) queries offers opportunities for mode detection tasks. The proposed driving cycle detection method takes advantage of map service APIs to obtain high-quality car-mode API route information and uses a trajectory segmentation algorithm to find the best-matched API route. The car-mode API route data combined with the actual route information, including the actual mode information, are used to train a logistic regression machine learning model, which estimates car modes and non-car modes with probability rates. The experimental results show promise for the proposed method's ability to detect vehicle mode accurately.« less

A prototype upper-atmospheric data assimilation scheme based on optimal interpolation: 2. Numerical experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Akmaev, R. a.

1999-04-01

In Part 1 of this work ([Akmaev, 1999]), an overview of the theory of optimal interpolation (OI) ([Gandin, 1963]) and related techniques of data assimilation based on linear optimal estimation ([Liebelt, 1967]; [Catlin, 1989]; [Mendel, 1995]) is presented. The approach implies the use in data analysis of additional statistical information in the form of statistical moments, e.g., the mean and covariance (correlation). The a priori statistical characteristics, if available, make it possible to constrain expected errors and obtain optimal in some sense estimates of the true state from a set of observations in a given domain in space and/or time. The primary objective of OI is to provide estimates away from the observations, i.e., to fill in data voids in the domain under consideration. Additionally, OI performs smoothing suppressing the noise, i.e., the spectral components that are presumably not present in the true signal. Usually, the criterion of optimality is minimum variance of the expected errors and the whole approach may be considered constrained least squares or least squares with a priori information. Obviously, data assimilation techniques capable of incorporating any additional information are potentially superior to techniques that have no access to such information as, for example, the conventional least squares (e.g., [Liebelt, 1967]; [Weisberg, 1985]; [Press et al., 1992]; [Mendel, 1995]).

Risk-based high-throughput chemical screening and prioritization using exposure models and in vitro bioactivity assays

DOE PAGES

Shin, Hyeong -Moo; Ernstoff, Alexi; Arnot, Jon A.; ...

2015-05-01

We present a risk-based high-throughput screening (HTS) method to identify chemicals for potential health concerns or for which additional information is needed. The method is applied to 180 organic chemicals as a case study. We first obtain information on how the chemical is used and identify relevant use scenarios (e.g., dermal application, indoor emissions). For each chemical and use scenario, exposure models are then used to calculate a chemical intake fraction, or a product intake fraction, accounting for chemical properties and the exposed population. We then combine these intake fractions with use scenario-specific estimates of chemical quantity to calculate dailymore » intake rates (iR; mg/kg/day). These intake rates are compared to oral equivalent doses (OED; mg/kg/day), calculated from a suite of ToxCast in vitro bioactivity assays using in vitro-to-in vivo extrapolation and reverse dosimetry. Bioactivity quotients (BQs) are calculated as iR/OED to obtain estimates of potential impact associated with each relevant use scenario. Of the 180 chemicals considered, 38 had maximum iRs exceeding minimum OEDs (i.e., BQs > 1). For most of these compounds, exposures are associated with direct intake, food/oral contact, or dermal exposure. The method provides high-throughput estimates of exposure and important input for decision makers to identify chemicals of concern for further evaluation with additional information or more refined models.« less

CHERNOLITTM. Chernobyl Bibliographic Search System

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

Caff, F., Jr.; Kennedy, R.A.; Mahaffey, J.A.

1992-03-02

The Chernobyl Bibliographic Search System (Chernolit TM) provides bibliographic data in a usable format for research studies relating to the Chernobyl nuclear accident that occurred in the former Ukrainian Republic of the USSR in 1986. Chernolit TM is a portable and easy to use product. The bibliographic data is provided under the control of a graphical user interface so that the user may quickly and easily retrieve pertinent information from the large database. The user may search the database for occurrences of words, names, or phrases; view bibliographic references on screen; and obtain reports of selected references. Reports may bemore » viewed on the screen, printed, or accumulated in a folder that is written to a disk file when the user exits the software. Chernolit TM provides a cost-effective alternative to multiple, independent literature searches. Forty-five hundred references concerning the accident, including abstracts, are distributed with Chernolit TM. The data contained in the database were obtained from electronic literature searches and from requested donations from individuals and organizations. These literature searches interrogated the Energy Science and Technology database (formerly DOE ENERGY) of the DIALOG Information Retrieval Service. Energy Science and Technology, provided by the U.S. DOE, Washington, D.C., is a multi-disciplinary database containing references to the world`s scientific and technical literature on energy. All unclassified information processed at the Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI) of the U.S. DOE is included in the database. In addition, information on many documents has been manually added to Chernolit TM. Most of this information was obtained in response to requests for data sent to people and/or organizations throughout the world.« less

Chernobyl Bibliographic Search System

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

Carr, Jr, F.; Kennedy, R. A.; Mahaffey, J. A.

1992-05-11

The Chernobyl Bibliographic Search System (Chernolit TM) provides bibliographic data in a usable format for research studies relating to the Chernobyl nuclear accident that occurred in the former Ukrainian Republic of the USSR in 1986. Chernolit TM is a portable and easy to use product. The bibliographic data is provided under the control of a graphical user interface so that the user may quickly and easily retrieve pertinent information from the large database. The user may search the database for occurrences of words, names, or phrases; view bibliographic references on screen; and obtain reports of selected references. Reports may bemore » viewed on the screen, printed, or accumulated in a folder that is written to a disk file when the user exits the software. Chernolit TM provides a cost-effective alternative to multiple, independent literature searches. Forty-five hundred references concerning the accident, including abstracts, are distributed with Chernolit TM. The data contained in the database were obtained from electronic literature searches and from requested donations from individuals and organizations. These literature searches interrogated the Energy Science and Technology database (formerly DOE ENERGY) of the DIALOG Information Retrieval Service. Energy Science and Technology, provided by the U.S. DOE, Washington, D.C., is a multi-disciplinary database containing references to the world''s scientific and technical literature on energy. All unclassified information processed at the Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI) of the U.S. DOE is included in the database. In addition, information on many documents has been manually added to Chernolit TM. Most of this information was obtained in response to requests for data sent to people and/or organizations throughout the world.« less

Light Water Reactor Sustainability Program, U.S. Efforts in Support of Examinations at Fukushima Daiichi-2017 Evaluations

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

Farmer, Mitchell T.

Although the accident signatures from each unit at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station (NPS) [Daiichi] differ, much is not known about the end-state of core materials within these units. Some of this uncertainty can be attributed to a lack of information related to cooling system operation and cooling water injection. There is also uncertainty in our understanding of phenomena affecting: a) in-vessel core damage progression during severe accidents in boiling water reactors (BWRs), and b) accident progression after vessel failure (ex-vessel progression) for BWRs and Pressurized Water Reactors (PWRs). These uncertainties arise due to limited full scale prototypic data.more » Similar to what occurred after the accident at Three Mile Island Unit 2, these Daiichi units offer the international community a means to reduce such uncertainties by obtaining prototypic data from multiple full-scale BWR severe accidents. Information obtained from Daiichi is required to inform Decontamination and Decommissioning activities, improving the ability of the Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings, Incorporated (TEPCO Holdings) to characterize potential hazards and to ensure the safety of workers involved with cleanup activities. This document, which has been updated to include FY2017 information, summarizes results from U.S. efforts to use information obtained by TEPCO Holdings to enhance the safety of existing and future nuclear power plant designs. This effort, which was initiated in 2014 by the Reactor Safety Technologies Pathway of the Department of Energy Office of Nuclear Energy Light Water Reactor (LWR) Sustainability Program, consists of a group of U.S. experts in LWR safety and plant operations that have identified examination needs and are evaluating TEPCO Holdings information from Daiichi that address these needs. Each year, annual reports include examples demonstrating that significant safety insights are being obtained in the areas of component performance, fission product release and transport, debris end-state location, and combustible gas generation and transport. In addition to reducing uncertainties related to severe accident modeling progression, these insights are being used to update guidance for severe accident prevention, mitigation, and emergency planning. Furthermore, reduced uncertainties in modeling the events at Daiichi will improve the realism of reactor safety evaluations and inform future D&D activities by improving the capability for characterizing potential hazards to workers involved with cleanup activities. Highlights in this FY2017 report include new insights with respect to the forces required to produce the observed Daiichi Unit 1 (1F1) shield plug endstate, the observed leakage from 1F1 components, and the amount of combustible gas generation required to produce the observed explosions in Daiichi Units 3 and 4 (1F3 and 1F4). This report contains an appendix with a list of examination needs that was updated after U.S. experts reviewed recently obtained information from examinations at Daiichi. Additional details for higher priority, near-term, examination activities are also provided. This report also includes an appendix with a description of an updated website that has been reformatted to better assist U.S. experts by providing information in an archived retrievable location, as well as an appendix summarizing U.S. Forensics activities to host the TMI-2 Knowledge Transfer and Relevance to Fukushima Meeting that was held in Idaho Falls, ID, on October 10-14, 2016.« less

Current food chain information provides insufficient information for modern meat inspection of pigs.

PubMed

Felin, Elina; Jukola, Elias; Raulo, Saara; Heinonen, Jaakko; Fredriksson-Ahomaa, Maria

2016-05-01

Meat inspection now incorporates a more risk-based approach for protecting human health against meat-borne biological hazards. Official post-mortem meat inspection of pigs has shifted to visual meat inspection. The official veterinarian decides on additional post-mortem inspection procedures, such as incisions and palpations. The decision is based on declarations in the food chain information (FCI), ante-mortem inspection and post-mortem inspection. However, a smooth slaughter and inspection process is essential. Therefore, one should be able to assess prior to slaughter which pigs are suitable for visual meat inspection only, and which need more profound inspection procedures. This study evaluates the usability of the FCI provided by pig producers and considered the possibility for risk ranking of incoming slaughter batches according to the previous meat inspection data and the current FCI. Eighty-five slaughter batches comprising 8954 fattening pigs were randomly selected at a slaughterhouse that receives animals from across Finland. The mortality rate, the FCI and the meat inspection results for each batch were obtained. The current FCI alone provided insufficient and inaccurate information for risk ranking purposes for meat inspection. The partial condemnation rate for a batch was best predicted by the partial condemnation rate calculated for all the pigs sent for slaughter from the same holding in the previous year (p<0.001) and by prior information on cough declared in the current FCI (p=0.02) statement. Training and information to producers are needed to make the FCI reporting procedures more accurate. Historical meat inspection data on pigs slaughtered from the same holdings and well-chosen symptoms/signs for reporting, should be included in the FCI to facilitate the allocation of pigs for visual inspection. The introduced simple scoring system can be easily used for additional information for directing batches to appropriate meat inspection procedures. To control the main biological public health hazards related to pork, serological surveillance should be done and the information obtained from analyses should be used as part of the FCI. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

An approach to the diagnosis of metabolic syndrome by the multi-electrode impedance method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Furuya, N.; Sakamoto, K.; Kanai, H.

2010-04-01

It is well known that metabolic syndrome can induce myocardial infarction and cerebral infarction. So, it is very important to measure the visceral fat volume. In the electric impedance method, information in the vicinity of the electrodes is strongly reflected. Therefore, we propose a new multi-electrode arrangement method based on the impedance sensitivity theorem to measure the visceral fat volume. This electrode arrangement is designed to enable high impedance sensitivity in the visceral and subcutaneous fat regions. Currents are simultaneously applied to several current electrodes on the body surface, and one voltage electrode pair is arranged on the body surface near the organ of interest to obtain the visceral fat information and another voltage electrode pair is arranged on the body surface near the current electrodes to obtain the subcutaneous fat information. A simulation study indicates that by weighting the impedance sensitivity distribution, as in our method, a high-sensitivity region in the visceral and the subcutaneous fat regions can be formed. In addition, it was confirmed that the visceral fat volume can be estimated by the measured impedance data.

The Use of Avatar Counseling for HIV/AIDS Health Education: The Examination of Self-Identity in Avatar Preferences.

PubMed

Canidate, Shantrel; Hart, Mark

2017-12-01

The number of adults using the Internet to obtain health information is on the rise. An estimated 66% of the adults reportedly use the Internet to obtain health information related to a specific disease (ie, human immunodeficiency virus and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, HIV/AIDS). Previous research has demonstrated that health information seekers use the Internet to seek answers to stigma-laden questions from health avatars. The objective of this study was to identify patterns in the choice of avatar among health information seekers (patients or public health workers) using the Internet to obtain HIV/AIDS information and to describe the demographic characteristics (age, gender, and ethnicity) of health information seekers to determine whether they preferred an avatar that was similar to their own gender and ethnicity. The Rural South Public Health Training Center (RSPHTC) partnered with the New York State Department of Health to create the HIV/AIDS Avatar project. The avatar project was created to serve as an educational resource for public health workers by providing relevant and accurate information about HIV/AIDS. First, the user was instructed to choose one of the 8 avatars that voiced responses to 100 common questions and answers about HIV/AIDS. Next, the website gave users the option to complete a brief 3-question demographic survey. Finally, the demographic characteristics of each user were compared with the chosen avatar to determine whether they preferred an avatar that was similar to their own gender and ethnicity. The avatar project website was loaded with 800 videos that included the answers to the top 100 questions about HIV/AIDS voiced by 8 avatars. A total of 1119 Web-based health information seekers completed the demographic survey upon accessing the website. Of these, 55.14% (617/1119) users were female. A total of 49.96% (559/1119) users were aged between 30 and 49 years. The ethnicity of the user and the avatar was found to have the strongest connection. All the users choose the female avatar matching their own ethnicity, followed by the male avatar. Additionally, the white female avatar was chosen the most by all users regardless of the age group or gender. Web-based health information seekers using the Internet to access medical research information may feel more comfortable receiving the answers to HIV stigma-laden questions from avatars, rather than receiving information directly from a health care provider. Additionally, providers seeking to utilize avatars to deliver interventions in health care settings may benefit from offering individuals choices in how they receive health information. Having the ability to choose whom you seek information from may lead to an increase in knowledge and awareness and could motivate HIV-positive individuals to seek care. ©Shantrel Canidate, Mark Hart. Originally published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research (http://www.jmir.org), 01.12.2017.

Analysis of long term trends of precipitation estimates acquired using radar network in Turkey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tugrul Yilmaz, M.; Yucel, Ismail; Kamil Yilmaz, Koray

2016-04-01

Precipitation estimates, a vital input in many hydrological and agricultural studies, can be obtained using many different platforms (ground station-, radar-, model-, satellite-based). Satellite- and model-based estimates are spatially continuous datasets, however they lack the high resolution information many applications often require. Station-based values are actual precipitation observations, however they suffer from their nature that they are point data. These datasets may be interpolated however such end-products may have large errors over remote locations with different climate/topography/etc than the areas stations are installed. Radars have the particular advantage of having high spatial resolution information over land even though accuracy of radar-based precipitation estimates depends on the Z-R relationship, mountain blockage, target distance from the radar, spurious echoes resulting from anomalous propagation of the radar beam, bright band contamination and ground clutter. A viable method to obtain spatially and temporally high resolution consistent precipitation information is merging radar and station data to take advantage of each retrieval platform. An optimally merged product is particularly important in Turkey where complex topography exerts strong controls on the precipitation regime and in turn hampers observation efforts. There are currently 10 (additional 7 are planned) weather radars over Turkey obtaining precipitation information since 2007. This study aims to optimally merge radar precipitation data with station based observations to introduce a station-radar blended precipitation product. This study was supported by TUBITAK fund # 114Y676.

Group III Acceptors with Shallow and Deep Levels in Silicon Carbide: ESR and ENDOR Studies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Il'in, I. V.; Uspenskaya, Yu. A.; Kramushchenko, D. D.; Muzafarova, M. V.; Soltamov, V. A.; Mokhov, E. N.; Baranov, P. G.

2018-04-01

Results of investigations of Group III acceptors (B, Al, and Ga) in crystals of silicon carbide using the most informative electron spin resonance and electron nuclear double resonance methods are presented. Structural models of the acceptors with shallow and deep levels are considered. In addition to the data obtained earlier, studies using high-frequency magnetic resonance were obtained, which allowed revealing orthorhombic deviations from the axial symmetry for the deep acceptors; theoretical analysis explains experimentally found shifts of g factors for the deep acceptors arising due to the orthorhombic deviations, which appear probably due to the Jahn-Teller effect.

Parallel logic gates in synthetic gene networks induced by non-Gaussian noise.

PubMed

Xu, Yong; Jin, Xiaoqin; Zhang, Huiqing

2013-11-01

The recent idea of logical stochastic resonance is verified in synthetic gene networks induced by non-Gaussian noise. We realize the switching between two kinds of logic gates under optimal moderate noise intensity by varying two different tunable parameters in a single gene network. Furthermore, in order to obtain more logic operations, thus providing additional information processing capacity, we obtain in a two-dimensional toggle switch model two complementary logic gates and realize the transformation between two logic gates via the methods of changing different parameters. These simulated results contribute to improve the computational power and functionality of the networks.

Hot spots of Io

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pearl, J. C.; Sinton, W. M.

1982-01-01

The size and temperature, morphology and distribution, variability, possible absorption features, and processes of hot spots on Io are discussed, and an estimate of the global heat flux is made. Size and temperature information is deconvolved to obtain equivalent radius and temperature of hot spots, and simultaneously obtained Voyager thermal and imaging data is used to match hot sources with specific geologic features. In addition to their thermal output, it is possible that hot spots are also characterized by production of various gases and particulate materials; the spectral signature of SO2 has been seen. Origins for relatively stable, low temperature sources, transient high temperature sources, and relatively stable, high-tmperature sources are discussed.

Photographic techniques for enhancing ERTS MSS data for geologic information

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yost, E.; Geluso, W.; Anderson, R.

1974-01-01

Satellite multispectral black-and-white photographic negatives of Luna County, New Mexico, obtained by ERTS on 15 August and 2 September 1973, were precisely reprocessed into positive images and analyzed in an additive color viewer. In addition, an isoluminous (uniform brightness) color rendition of the image was constructed. The isoluminous technique emphasizes subtle differences between multispectral bands by greatly enhancing the color of the superimposed composite of all bands and eliminating the effects of brightness caused by sloping terrain. Basaltic lava flows were more accurately displayed in the precision processed multispectral additive color ERTS renditions than on existing state geological maps. Malpais lava flows and small basaltic occurrences not appearing on existing geological maps were identified in ERTS multispectral color images.

Combustion properties of Kraft Black Liquors

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

Frederick, W.J. Jr.; Hupa, M.

1993-04-01

In a previous study of the phenomena involved in the combustion of black liquor droplets a numerical model was developed. The model required certain black liquor specific combustion information which was then not currently available, and additional data were needed for evaluating the model. The overall objectives of the project reported here was to provide experimental data on key aspects of black liquor combustion, to interpret the data, and to put it into a form which would be useful for computational models for recovery boilers. The specific topics to be investigated were the volatiles and char carbon yields from pyrolysismore » of single black liquor droplets; a criterion for the onset of devolatilization and the accompanying rapid swelling; and the surface temperature of black liquor droplets during pyrolysis, combustion, and gasification. Additional information on the swelling characteristics of black liquor droplets was also obtained as part of the experiments conducted.« less

Structural fatigue test results for large wind turbine blade sections

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Faddoul, J. R.; Sullivan, T. L.

1982-01-01

In order to provide quantitative information on the operating life capabilities of wind turbine rotor blade concepts for root-end load transfer, a series of cantilever beam fatigue tests was conducted. Fatigue tests were conducted on a laminated wood blade with bonded steel studs, a low cost steel spar (utility pole) with a welded flange, a utility pole with additional root-end thickness provided by a swaged collar, fiberglass spars with both bonded and nonbonded fittings, and, finally, an aluminum blade with a bolted steel fitting (Lockheed Mod-0 blade). Photographs, data, and conclusions for each of these tests are presented. In addition, the aluminum blade test results are compared to field failure information; these results provide evidence that the cantilever beam type of fatigue test is a satisfactory method for obtaining qualitative data on blade life expectancy and for identifying structurally underdesigned areas (hot spots).

Quantifying atom addition reactions on amorphous solid water: a review of recent laboratory advances

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

He, Jiao; Vidali, Gianfranco

2018-06-01

Complex organic molecules found in space are mostly formed on and in the ice mantle covering interstellar dust grains. In clouds where ionizing irradiation is insignificant, chemical reactions on the ice mantle are dominated by thermal processes. Modeling of grain surface chemistry requires detailed information from the laboratory, including sticking coefficients, binding energies, diffusion energy barriers, mechanism of reaction, and chemical desorption rates. In this talk, recent laboratory advances in obtaining these information would be reviewed. Specifically, this talk will focus on the efforts in our group in: 1) Determining the mechanism of atomic hydrogen addition reactions on amorphous solid water (ASW); 2) Measuring the chemical desorption coefficient of H+O3-->O2+OH using the time-resolved scattering technique; and 3) Measuring the diffusion energy barrier of volatile molecules on ASW. Further laboratory studies will be suggested.This research was supported by NSF Astronomy & Astrophysics Research Grant #1615897.

Mishaps with Oxygen in NASA Operations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ordin, Paul M.

1971-01-01

Data from a substantial number of oxygen mishaps obtained from NASA and contractor records are presented. Information from several Air Force records, concerning oxygen accidents involving aircraft operations, are also included. Descriptions of the mishaps and their causes, for both liquid and gaseous oxygen in ground test facilities and space vehicle systems, are given. A number of safety regulations aimed at reducing the accident probability is discussed. The problems related to material compatibility and materials testing are considered, and the limited information on factors affecting the ignition of materials in oxygen is presented. In addition, details are given of several of the accident/incidents listed in order to define the combination of conditions causing the mishap. In addition to propellant system mishaps, accident/incidents which occurred in space and ground system structures were included, as well as those in electrical systems, ground support facilities, ordnance, and related operations.

Imperfection and radiation damage in protein crystals studied with coherent radiation

PubMed Central

Nave, Colin; Sutton, Geoff; Evans, Gwyndaf; Owen, Robin; Rau, Christoph; Robinson, Ian; Stuart, David Ian

2016-01-01

Fringes and speckles occur within diffraction spots when a crystal is illuminated with coherent radiation during X-ray diffraction. The additional information in these features provides insight into the imperfections in the crystal at the sub-micrometre scale. In addition, these features can provide more accurate intensity measurements (e.g. by model-based profile fitting), detwinning (by distinguishing the various components), phasing (by exploiting sampling of the molecular transform) and refinement (by distinguishing regions with different unit-cell parameters). In order to exploit these potential benefits, the features due to coherent diffraction have to be recorded and any change due to radiation damage properly modelled. Initial results from recording coherent diffraction at cryotemperatures from polyhedrin crystals of approximately 2 µm in size are described. These measurements allowed information about the type of crystal imperfections to be obtained at the sub-micrometre level, together with the changes due to radiation damage. PMID:26698068

Selective heart rate variability analysis to account for uterine activity during labor and improve classification of fetal distress.

PubMed

Warmerdam, G J J; Vullings, R; Van Laar, J O E H; Van der Hout-Van der Jagt, M B; Bergmans, J W M; Schmitt, L; Oei, S G

2016-08-01

Cardiotocography (CTG) is currently the most often used technique for detection of fetal distress. Unfortunately, CTG has a poor specificity. Recent studies suggest that, in addition to CTG, information on fetal distress can be obtained from analysis of fetal heart rate variability (HRV). However, uterine contractions can strongly influence fetal HRV. The aim of this study is therefore to investigate whether HRV analysis for detection of fetal distress can be improved by distinguishing contractions from rest periods. Our results from feature selection indicate that HRV features calculated separately during contractions or during rest periods are more informative on fetal distress than HRV features that are calculated over the entire fetal heart rate. Furthermore, classification performance improved from a geometric mean of 69.0% to 79.6% when including the contraction-dependent HRV features, in addition to HRV features calculated over the entire fetal heart rate.

Disaster Emergency Rapid Assessment Based on Remote Sensing and Background Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Han, X.; Wu, J.

2018-04-01

The period from starting to the stable conditions is an important stage of disaster development. In addition to collecting and reporting information on disaster situations, remote sensing images by satellites and drones and monitoring results from disaster-stricken areas should be obtained. Fusion of multi-source background data such as population, geography and topography, and remote sensing monitoring information can be used in geographic information system analysis to quickly and objectively assess the disaster information. According to the characteristics of different hazards, the models and methods driven by the rapid assessment of mission requirements are tested and screened. Based on remote sensing images, the features of exposures quickly determine disaster-affected areas and intensity levels, and extract key disaster information about affected hospitals and schools as well as cultivated land and crops, and make decisions after emergency response with visual assessment results.

Effects on Fuel Consumption and Diesel Engine Deposits from Nano-Particle Oil Additive

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-07-01

Disclaimers The findings in this report are not to be construed as an official Department of the Army position unless so designated by other...authorized documents. Trade names cited in this report do not constitute an official endorsement or approval of the use of such commercial hardware or...software. DTIC Availability Notice Qualified requestors may obtain copies of this report from the Defense Technical Information Center

Report to NASA Committee on Aircraft Operating Problems Relative to Aviation Safety Engineering and Research Activities

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1963-01-01

The following report highlights some of the work accomplished by the Aviation Safety Engineering and Research Division of the Flight Safety Foundations since the last report to the NASA Committee on Aircraft Operating Problems on 22 May 1963. The information presented is in summary form. Additional details may be provided upon request of the reports themselves may be obtained from AvSER.

Commercial aviation icing research requirements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Koegeboehn, L. P.

1981-01-01

A short range and long range icing research program was proposed. A survey was made to various industry and goverment agencies to obtain their views of needs for commercial aviation ice protection. Through these responsed, other additional data, and Douglas Aircraft icing expertise; an assessment of the state-of-the-art of aircraft icing data and ice protection systems was made. The information was then used to formulate the icing research programs.

The 1984 ARI Survey of Army Recruits: User’s Manual

DTIC Science & Technology

1986-05-01

KCEY WOROS (Caiu.a on toaa.. aide linaloiiaial ai .,, Ida &r bloog naea Army Recruiting, New Recruit Survey Enlistment Motivations . -’Recruit...designed in 1982 to answer questions concerning the demo- graphics and enlistment motivations of new Army recruits. In addition to the ability to track...SURVIY OF ARMY RECRUITS: USER’S MANUAL EXECUTIVE SUMMArY ~Reguirement: To obtain information on the characteristics, enlistment motivations , attitudes

A Description of the Ship Combat System Simulation

DTIC Science & Technology

1984-09-01

developed by NWC, NOSC, NSWC, and CACI, Inc. SCSS is supported by naval and industrial laboratories throughout the country. The users of the...34’. 1lhutlon/ *A i ~n o 1. * Ruido i/iI NSWC TR 84-182 CONTENTS Page INTRODUCTION................................ .. . . .. . .. .. .. ... 1 SIMULATION...Isuch as a contract), Navy or private industry , can obtain the mulation by becoming a member of this Users’ Group. Additional information garding the

Defense Health Care: US Family Health Plan is Duplicative and Should be Eliminated

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-07-01

including laws pertaining to the USFHP and the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR).12 We interviewed DOD officials and officials from DOD’s actuarial ...findings and conclusions based on our audit objectives. We believe that Additionally, we obtained information from DOD officials and its actuarial ...capitation rates for the designated providers. Overall, the consultant found that DOD’s process for establishing capitation rates was actuarially

Extremal equilibria for reaction-diffusion equations in bounded domains and applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rodríguez-Bernal, Aníbal; Vidal-López, Alejandro

We show the existence of two special equilibria, the extremal ones, for a wide class of reaction-diffusion equations in bounded domains with several boundary conditions, including non-linear ones. They give bounds for the asymptotic dynamics and so for the attractor. Some results on the existence and/or uniqueness of positive solutions are also obtained. As a consequence, several well-known results on the existence and/or uniqueness of solutions for elliptic equations are revisited in a unified way obtaining, in addition, information on the dynamics of the associated parabolic problem. Finally, we ilustrate the use of the general results by applying them to the case of logistic equations. In fact, we obtain a detailed picture of the positive dynamics depending on the parameters appearing in the equation.

Skin exposure to deodorants/antiperspirants in aerosol form.

PubMed

Steiling, W; Buttgereit, P; Hall, B; O'Keeffe, L; Safford, B; Tozer, S; Coroama, M

2012-06-01

Many cosmetic products are available in spray form. Even though the principal targets of these products are the skin and hair, spraying leads to the partitioning of the product between the target and the surrounding air. In the previous COLIPA study (Hall et al., 2007) the daily use of deodorant/antiperspirant (Deo/AP) in spray form was quantified in terms of the amount of product dispensed from the spray can, without specifically quantifying the product fraction reaching the skin during use. Results of the present study provide this additional information, necessary for a reliable safety assessment of sprayed Deo/AP products. In a novel experimental approach the information obtained from real-life movement analysis (automated motion imaging) of volunteers using their own products was integrated with the aerosol cloud sampling data obtained from the same products, leading to the computation of the product deposited on the skin. The 90th percentile values, expressed as percent deposition relative to the can weight loss after spraying, are 23.5% and 11.4% for ethanol-based and non-ethanol-based products, respectively. Additionally, the study has generated data on the skin area covered by the products, spray duration time, spray angle and spray distance from the skin. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Increasing meat product functionality by the addition of milled flaxseed Linum usitatissimum.

PubMed

Zając, Marzena; Kulawik, Piotr; Tkaczewska, Joanna; Migdał, Władysław; Pustkowiak, Henryk

2017-07-01

Functional meat products are still rare on the market because it is difficult to incorporate new ingredients and obtain both a healthy and acceptable product. Flaxseed is known for its beneficial properties and, in the present study, it was used as an ingredient in the production of homogenised and liver sausages (0%, 5% and 10% flaxseed addition). Homogenised and liver sausages with the addition of 5% flaxseed were given the highest scores by the consumers, although the colour changed with the addition of flaxseed. The spreadability and hardness of the liver sausages increased with the addition of flaxseed, whereas the texture of homogenised sausages did not change. Addition of flaxseed improved the fatty acids profile from a health point of view for both products, as a result of increasing n-3 fatty acids and overall polyunsaturated fatty acids content. Values for thiobarbituric acid reactive substances were higher in products with flaxseed and were observed to increase during storage. The results of the present study indicate that it is possible to obtain products that are acceptable by consumers and, at the same time, are more healthy. A high level of α-linolenic acid in the sausages at a level of addition of 5% allows the product to be labelled with information regarding their high omega-3 fatty acid content. However, those products are more susceptible to oxidation. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry.

Hypernated supercritical fluid chromatography: potential application for car lubricant analysis.

PubMed

Lavison-Bompard, Gwenaelle; Bertoncini, Fabrice; Thiébaut, Didier; Beziau, Jean-François; Carrazé, Bernadette; Valette, Pascale; Duteurtre, Xavier

2012-12-28

Car lubricant additives are added to mineral or synthetic base stocks to improve viscosity and resistance to oxidation of the lubricant and to limit wear of engines. In previous papers related to this purpose, it was demonstrated that SFC allows the elution of common low molecular weight additives. Since their total resolution could not be achieved owing to the limited peak capacity of packed columns, the hyphenation of selective and informative detectors, atomic emission and mass spectrometry, were also carried out for identification. This paper describes the final implementation of a packed column SFC/FID-UV-AED-FTIR-MS system to contribute to the characterisation of both the base stock, mineral or semi-synthetic, and the low molecular weight additives. SFC/FID-UV-FTIR ensures the easy confirmation of the presence of esters in the base stock. Reference additives are used to demonstrate the performances of the multi hyphenated system prior to its implementation for their identification in packages and in formulated lubricants. Identification and partial structure elucidation of additives and families of additives in package and formulated car lubricants are presented: using combined information obtained from AED traces and FTIR chemigrams, chemical families of additives can be deduced. Then, the mass spectra can be interpreted in the elution zone of interest in order to go further in the determination of the additive molecular structure. The hypernated SFC system was also employed to follow the ageing of car lubricants. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Complementary medicine use among cancer patients receiving radiotherapy and chemotherapy: methods, sources of information and the need for counselling.

PubMed

Pihlak, R; Liivand, R; Trelin, O; Neissar, H; Peterson, I; Kivistik, S; Lilo, K; Jaal, J

2014-03-01

Complementary medicine (CM) use is common among cancer patients. However, little is known about CM products that are utilised during radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy. Out of 62 cancer patients who completed a specialised survey, 35 (56%) consumed some type of CM during active anti-cancer therapy. Cancer patients reported the use of herbal teas (52%), vitamins and other dietary supplements (45%), vegetables and juices (39%), special diets (19%), herbal medicines, including Chinese medicines (19%) and 'immunomodulators' (3%). Most of patients (86%) consumed CM products every day. However, nearly 47% of CM users did not admit this to their oncologists. Majority of CM users (85%) were convinced that supplementary products increase the efficacy of standard anti-cancer therapy and prolong their survival. Information about CM was mainly obtained through internet sources (36%), books and brochures (25%). Although most CM users (82%) trusted the received information, 73% of them admitted that additional information about CM methods would be necessary. Patients would like to receive additional information through a specialised consultation (60%), but also from brochures (44%) and the internet (20%). Adequate counselling of patients is of paramount importance since some CM methods may cause significant side effects and decrease the efficacy of radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Development of a Handheld Line Information Reader and Generator for Efficient Management of Optical Communication Lines

PubMed Central

Lee, Jaeyul; Kwon, Hyungwoo; Song, Jaewon; Jeon, Mansik; Kim, Jeehyun

2017-01-01

A handheld line information reader and a line information generator were developed for the efficient management of optical communication lines. The line information reader consists of a photo diode, trans-impedance amplifier, voltage amplifier, microcontroller unit, display panel, and communication modules. The line information generator consists of a laser diode, laser driving circuits, microcontroller unit, and communication modules. The line information reader can detect the optical radiation field of the test line by bending the optical fiber. To enhance the sensitivity of the line information reader, an additional lens was used with a focal length of 4.51 mm. Moreover, the simulation results obtained through BeamPROP® software from Synopsys, Inc. demonstrated a stronger optical radiation field of the fiber due to a longer transmission wavelength and larger bending angle of the fiber. Therefore, the developed devices can be considered as useful tools for the efficient management of optical communication lines. PMID:28837058

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.

Localization of transient gravitational wave sources: beyond triangulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fairhurst, Stephen

2018-05-01

Rapid, accurate localization of gravitational wave transient events has proved critical to successful electromagnetic followup. In previous papers we have shown that localization estimates can be obtained through triangulation based on timing information at the detector sites. In practice, detailed parameter estimation routines use additional information and provide better localization than is possible based on timing information alone. In this paper, we extend the timing based localization approximation to incorporate consistency of observed signals with two gravitational wave polarizations, and an astrophysically motivated distribution of sources. Both of these provide significant improvements to source localization, allowing many sources to be restricted to a single sky region, with an area 40% smaller than predicted by timing information alone. Furthermore, we show that the vast majority of sources will be reconstructed to be circularly polarized or, equivalently, indistinguishable from face-on.

A Modeling Approach to Enhance Animal-Obtained Oceanographic Data Geo- Position

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tremblay, Y.; Robinson, P.; Weise, M. J.; Costa, D. P.

2006-12-01

Diving animals are increasingly being used as platforms to collect oceanographic data such as CTD profiles. Animal borne sensors provide an amazing amount of data that have to be spatially referenced. Because of technical limitations geo-position of these data mostly comes from the interpolation of locations obtained through the ARGOS positioning system. This system lacks spatio-temporal resolution compared to the Global Positioning System (GPS) and therefore, the positions of these oceanographic data are not well defined. A consequence of this is that many data collected in coastal regions are discarded, because many casts' records fell on land. Using modeling techniques, we propose a method to deal with this problem. The method is rather intuitive, and instead of deleting unreasonable or low-quality locations, it uses them by taking into account their lack of precision as a source of information. In a similar way, coastlines are used as sources of information, because marine animals do not travel over land. The method was evaluated using simultaneously obtained tracks with the Argos and GPS system. The tracks obtained from this method are considerably enhanced and allow a more accurate geo-reference of oceanographic data. In addition, the method provides a way to evaluate spatial errors for each cast that is not otherwise possible with classical filtering methods.

A study of information flow in hospice interdisciplinary team meetings

PubMed Central

DEMIRIS, GEORGE; WASHINGTON, KARLA; OLIVER, DEBRA PARKER; WITTENBERG-LYLES, ELAINE

2009-01-01

The aim of this study was to explore the information flow of hospice interdisciplinary meetings focusing on information access, exchange and documentation. The study participants were members of four hospice interdisciplinary teams in the Midwestern United States. Team members included a diverse range of professionals including physicians, nurses, social workers, bereavement counselors, and others. A total of 81 patient care discussions were videotaped and transcribed. A content analysis revealed several themes that needed to be addressed to improve the overall information flow, such as access to and recording of information, documentation of services, obtaining information from absent team members, data redundancy and updating of recorded information. On average, 5% of all utterances when discussing a patient case were focused on soliciting information from the member who had access to the patient chart. In 12.3% of all discussions, members referred to an absent member who could have provided additional information. In 8.6% of all discussions the same facts were repeated three times or more. Based on the findings we propose guidelines that can address potential informational gaps and enhance team communication in hospice. PMID:19012142

Seeking Health Information and Support Online: Does It Differ as a Function of Engagement in Risky Health Behaviors? Evidence From the Health Information National Trends Survey

PubMed Central

Brown, Jamie; Gardner, Benjamin; Smith, Samuel George

2014-01-01

Background The Internet is an important tool to deliver health behavior interventions, yet little is known about Internet access and use of health-related information, or support, by the intended intervention recipients. Objective Our aim was to evaluate whether health-related Internet use differed as a function of common health-risk behaviors (excessive alcohol consumption, smoking, low fruit/vegetable intake, inactive/sedentary lifestyle, unprotected sun exposure, or obesity). Methods Sociodemographic, health behavior characteristics, and information on Internet access and use were assessed in the nationally representative US Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS) 4. Data from 3911 participants collated in 2011/12 were included. Results Of the 78.2% (95% CI 76.1-80.1) of participants who had ever accessed the Internet, approximately three-quarters (78.2%, 95% CI 75.4-80.7) had obtained health-related information online last year. About half had used the Internet as the first source of health-related information (47.8%, 95% CI 44.8-50.7) or to access behavioral support (56.9%, 95% CI 53.7-60.0) in the last year. Adjusting for sociodemographic determinants of going online (being younger, white, female, with at least college education) revealed few differences in Internet access and use between health-risk behaviors. Participants with inadequate sun protection were less likely to access the Internet (OR 0.59, 95% CI 0.04-0.88) and those with low fruit/vegetable intake were less likely to have gone online to obtain health-related information last year (OR 0.60, 95% CI 0.45-0.80). Smokers in particular were likely to use the Internet to obtain behavioral support (OR 1.90, 95% CI 1.35-2.68). Conclusions Internet access and use to obtain health-related information and support is widespread and mostly independent of engagement in various health-risk behaviors. However, those with low fruit/vegetable intake or inadequate sun-protective behaviors may be more difficult to reach with Internet-based interventions. In addition, when developing online health promotions, relevant sociodemographic determinants of Internet use need to be targeted to maximize their impact. PMID:25380308

Preparations for ExoMars: Learning Lessons from Curiosity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Edwards, Peter Henry; Hutchinson, Ian; Morgan, Sally; McHugh, Melissa; Malherbe, Cedric; Lerman, Hannah; INGLEY, Richard

2016-10-01

In 2020, the European Space Agency will launch its first Mars rover mission, ExoMars. The rover will use a drill to obtain samples from up to 2m below the Martian surface that will then be analysed using a variety of analytical instruments, including the Raman Laser Spectrometer (RLS), which will be the first Raman spectrometer to be used on a planetary mission.To prepare for ExoMars RLS operations, we report on a series of experiments that have been performed in order to investigate the response of a representative Raman instrument to a number of analogue samples (selected based on the types of material known to be important, following investigations performed by NASA's Mars Science Laboratory, MSL, on the Curiosity rover). Raman spectroscopy will provide molecular and mineralogical information about the samples obtained from the drill cores on ExoMars. MSL acquires similar information using the CheMin XRD instrument which analyses samples acquired from drill holes several centimetres deep. Like Raman spectroscopy, XRD also provides information on the mineralogical makeup of the analysed samples.The samples in our study were selected based on CheMin data obtained from drill sites at Yellowknife Bay, one of the first locations visited by Curiosity (supplemented with additional fine scale elemental information obtained with the ChemCam LIBS laser instrument). Once selected (or produced), the samples were characterised using standard laboratory XRD and XRF instruments (in order to compare with the data obtained by CheMin) and a standard, laboratory based LIBS system (in order to compare with the ChemCam data). This characterisation provides confirmation that the analogue samples are representative of the materials likely to be encountered on Mars by the ExoMars rover.A representative, miniaturised Raman spectrometer was used to analyse the samples, using acquisition strategies and operating modes similar to those expected for the ExoMars instrument. The type of minerals detected are identified and compared to the information typically acquired using other analytical science techniques investigating in order to highlight the benefits and drawbacks of using Raman spectroscopy for planetary science applications.

Electromagnetic Field Assessment as a Smart City Service: The SmartSantander Use-Case

PubMed Central

Diez, Luis; Agüero, Ramón; Muñoz, Luis

2017-01-01

Despite the increasing presence of wireless communications in everyday life, there exist some voices raising concerns about their adverse effects. One particularly relevant example is the potential impact of the electromagnetic field they induce on the population’s health. Traditionally, very specialized methods and devices (dosimetry) have been used to assess the strength of the E-field, with the main objective of checking whether it respects the corresponding regulations. In this paper, we propose a complete novel approach, which exploits the functionality leveraged by a smart city platform. We deploy a number of measuring probes, integrated as sensing devices, to carry out a characterization embracing large areas, as well as long periods of time. This unique platform has been active for more than one year, generating a vast amount of information. We process such information, and the obtained results validate the whole methodology. In addition, we discuss the variation of the E-field caused by cellular networks, considering additional information, such as usage statistics. Finally, we establish the exposure that can be attributed to the base stations within the scenario under analysis. PMID:28561783

Electromagnetic Field Assessment as a Smart City Service: The SmartSantander Use-Case.

PubMed

Diez, Luis; Agüero, Ramón; Muñoz, Luis

2017-05-31

Despite the increasing presence of wireless communications in everyday life, there exist some voices raising concerns about their adverse effects. One particularly relevant example is the potential impact of the electromagnetic field they induce on the population's health. Traditionally, very specialized methods and devices (dosimetry) have been used to assess the strength of the E-field, with the main objective of checking whether it respects the corresponding regulations. In this paper, we propose a complete novel approach, which exploits the functionality leveraged by a smart city platform. We deploy a number of measuring probes, integrated as sensing devices, to carry out a characterization embracing large areas, as well as long periods of time. This unique platform has been active for more than one year, generating a vast amount of information. We process such information, and the obtained results validate the whole methodology. In addition, we discuss the variation of the E-field caused by cellular networks, considering additional information, such as usage statistics. Finally, we establish the exposure that can be attributed to the base stations within the scenario under analysis.

Spatial Distribution of Bed Particles in Natural Boulder-Bed Streams

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Clancy, K. F.; Prestegaard, K. L.

2001-12-01

The Wolman pebble count is used to obtain the size distribution of bed particles in natural streams. Statistics such as median particle size (D50) are used in resistance calculations. Additional information such as bed particle heterogeneity may also be obtained from the particle distribution, which is used to predict sediment transport rates (Hey, 1979), (Ferguson, Prestegaard, Ashworth, 1989). Boulder-bed streams have an extreme range of particles in the particle size distribution ranging from sand size particles to particles larger than 0.5-m. A study of a natural boulder-bed reach demonstrated that the spatial distribution of the particles is a significant factor in predicting sediment transport and stream bed and bank stability. Further experiments were performed to test the limits of the spatial distribution's effect on sediment transport. Three stream reaches 40-m in length were selected with similar hydrologic characteristics and spatial distributions but varying average size particles. We used a grid 0.5 by 0.5-m and measured four particles within each grid cell. Digital photographs of the streambed were taken in each grid cell. The photographs were examined using image analysis software to obtain particle size and position of the largest particles (D84) within the reach's particle distribution. Cross section, topography and stream depth were surveyed. Velocity and velocity profiles were measured and recorded. With these data and additional surveys of bankfull floods, we tested the significance of the spatial distributions as average particle size decreases. The spatial distribution of streambed particles may provide information about stream valley formation, bank stability, sediment transport, and the growth rate of riparian vegetation.

Spectral monitoring of toluene and ethanol in gasoline blends using Fourier-Transform Raman spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ortega Clavero, Valentin; Weber, Andreas; Schröder, Werner; Curticapean, Dan; Meyrueis, Patrick; Javahiraly, Nicolas

2013-04-01

The combination of fossil-derived fuels with ethanol and methanol has acquired relevance and attention in several countries in recent years. This trend is strongly affected by market prices, constant geopolitical events, new sustainability policies, new laws and regulations, etc. Besides bio-fuels these materials also include different additives as anti-shock agents and as octane enhancer. Some of the chemical compounds in these additives may have harmful properties for both environment and public health (besides the inherent properties, like volatility). We present detailed Raman spectral information from toluene (C7H8) and ethanol (C2H6O) contained in samples of ElO gasoline-ethanol blends. The spectral information has been extracted by using a robust, high resolution Fourier-Transform Raman spectrometer (FT-Raman) prototype. This spectral information has been also compared with Raman spectra from pure additives and with standard Raman lines in order to validate its accuracy in frequency. The spectral information is presented in the range of 0 cm-1 to 3500 cm-1 with a resolution of 1.66cm-1. This allows resolving tight adjacent Raman lines like the ones observed around 1003cm-1 and 1030cm-1 (characteristic lines of toluene). The Raman spectra obtained show a reduced frequency deviation when compared to standard Raman spectra from different calibration materials. The FT-Raman spectrometer prototype used for the analysis consist basically of a Michelson interferometer and a self-designed photon counter cooled down on a Peltier element arrangement. The light coupling is achieved with conventional62.5/125μm multi-mode fibers. This FT-Raman setup is able to extract high resolution and frequency precise Raman spectra from the additives in the fuels analyzed. The proposed prototype has no additional complex hardware components or costly software modules. The mechanical and thermal disturbances affecting the FT-Raman system are mathematically compensated by accurately extracting the optical path information of the Michelson interferometer. This is accomplished by generating an additional interference pattern with a λ = 632.8 nm Helium-Neon laser (HeNe laser). It enables the FT-Raman system to perform reliable and clean spectral measurements from the materials under observation.

The Americans with Disabilities Amendment Act--are you ready for the changes?

PubMed

Leiker, Michelle

2008-12-01

Significant change is coming quickly, and employers need to be prepared. The Act will move the focus from a "disability" inquiry to an individualized interactive process, and will likely increase the number of individuals protected under the ADA. The defenses and employer modes of responding to disability claims will be narrowed while the range of ADA coverage will expand considerably. Additional information on the ADA and the recent amendments can be obtained by calling the Department of Justice's ADA Information Line (800.514.0301), the EEOC (800.669.4000), or by visiting the DOJ's ADA Web site (http://www.ada.gov/).

Composite scaffolds for osteochondral repair obtained by combination of additive manufacturing, leaching processes and hMSC-CM functionalization.

PubMed

Díaz Lantada, Andrés; Alarcón Iniesta, Hernán; García-Ruíz, Josefa Predestinación

2016-02-01

Articular repair is a relevant and challenging area for the emerging fields of tissue engineering and biofabrication. The need of significant gradients of properties, for the promotion of osteochondral repair, has led to the development of several families of composite biomaterials and scaffolds, using different effective approaches, although a perfect solution has not yet been found. In this study we present the design, modeling, rapid manufacturing and in vitro testing of a composite scaffold aimed at osteochondral repair. The presented composite scaffold stands out for having a functional gradient of density and stiffness in the bony phase, obtained in titanium by means of computer-aided design combined with additive manufacture using selective laser sintering. The chondral phase is obtained by sugar leaching, using a PDMS matrix and sugar as porogen, and is joined to the bony phase during the polymerization of PDMS, therefore avoiding the use of supporting adhesives or additional intermediate layers. The mechanical performance of the construct is biomimetic and the stiffness values of the bony and chondral phases can be tuned to the desired applications, by means of controlled modifications of different parameters. A human mesenchymal stem cell (h-MSC) conditioned medium (CM) is used for improving scaffold response. Cell culture results provide relevant information regarding the viability of the composite scaffolds used. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Geographical distribution of shear wave anisotropy within marine sediments in the northwestern Pacific

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tonegawa, Takashi; Fukao, Yoshio; Fujie, Gou; Takemura, Shunsuke; Takahashi, Tsutomu; Kodaira, Shuichi

2015-12-01

In the northwestern Pacific, the elastic properties of marine sediments, including P-wave velocities ( Vp) and S wave velocities ( Vs), have recently been constrained by active seismic surveys. However, information on S anisotropy associated with the alignments of fractures and fabric remains elusive. To obtain such information, we used ambient noise records observed by ocean-bottom seismometers at 254 sites in the northwestern Pacific to calculate the auto-correlation functions for the S reflection retrieval from the top of the basement. For these S reflections, we measured differential travel times and polarized directions to reveal the potential geographical systematic distribution of S anisotropy. As a result, the observed differential times between fast and slow axes were at most 0.05 s. The fast polarization axes tend to align in the trench-parallel direction in the outer rise region. In particular, their directions changed systematically in accordance with the direction of the trench axis, which changes sharply across the junction of the Kuril and Japan trenches. We consider that a contributing factor for the obtained S anisotropy within marine sediments in the outer rise region is primarily aligned fractures due to the tensional stresses associated with the bending of the Pacific Plate. Moreover, numerical simulations conducted by using the three-dimensional (3D) finite difference method for isotropic and anisotropic media indicates that the successful extraction of S anisotropic information from the S reflection observed in this study is obtained from near-vertically propagating S waves due to extremely low Vs within marine sediments. In addition, we conducted an additional numerical simulation with a realistic velocity model to confirm whether S reflections below the basement can be extracted or not. The resultant auto-correlation function shows only S reflections from the top of the basement. It appears that such near-vertically propagating S waves obscure S reflections from interfaces below the basement.

Real application of BIM in the engineering system design for energy management

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pelipenko, Alexey; Gogina, Elena

2017-10-01

In the article, the information modelling technology (BIM) that is gaining popularity in Russia and in the world, is considered. Its growing relevance relates to many factors: first, attention to this technology by the local and federal authorities; Secondly, with the desire to improve the quality of design documentation, to obtain the correct volumes of materials and equipment; Thirdly, with the tendency to create “smart” cities and, as a result, the rational use of energy resources. Within the framework of this article, on an example of an urban infrastructure object, the pros and cons of this technology were considered. As a facility, a local wastewater treatment plant was chosen. The stages of creating an information model on the available documentation are described: 4 main milestones that need to be implemented. In addition, further possible ways of using the model are described. Presented are the pros and cons of using this technology. Among the main advantages is the possibility of using this information model in the operation of treatment plants and further obtaining actual data for monitoring the condition of equipment and, therefore, controlling the consumable resources; At an early stage, a reduction in the number of mutual intersections of engineering systems; Obtaining the correct specifications. The results of the work described in the article can be used in the following areas: utilities, energy management, design and construction.

21 CFR 20.109 - Data and information obtained by contract.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 1 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Data and information obtained by contract. 20.109... GENERAL PUBLIC INFORMATION Availability of Specific Categories of Records § 20.109 Data and information obtained by contract. (a) All data and information obtained by the Food and Drug Administration by contract...

Negative Ion In-Source Decay Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization Mass Spectrometry for Sequencing Acidic Peptides

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McMillen, Chelsea L.; Wright, Patience M.; Cassady, Carolyn J.

2016-05-01

Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) in-source decay was studied in the negative ion mode on deprotonated peptides to determine its usefulness for obtaining extensive sequence information for acidic peptides. Eight biological acidic peptides, ranging in size from 11 to 33 residues, were studied by negative ion mode ISD (nISD). The matrices 2,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid, 2-aminobenzoic acid, 2-aminobenzamide, 1,5-diaminonaphthalene, 5-amino-1-naphthol, 3-aminoquinoline, and 9-aminoacridine were used with each peptide. Optimal fragmentation was produced with 1,5-diaminonphthalene (DAN), and extensive sequence informative fragmentation was observed for every peptide except hirudin(54-65). Cleavage at the N-Cα bond of the peptide backbone, producing c' and z' ions, was dominant for all peptides. Cleavage of the N-Cα bond N-terminal to proline residues was not observed. The formation of c and z ions is also found in electron transfer dissociation (ETD), electron capture dissociation (ECD), and positive ion mode ISD, which are considered to be radical-driven techniques. Oxidized insulin chain A, which has four highly acidic oxidized cysteine residues, had less extensive fragmentation. This peptide also exhibited the only charged localized fragmentation, with more pronounced product ion formation adjacent to the highly acidic residues. In addition, spectra were obtained by positive ion mode ISD for each protonated peptide; more sequence informative fragmentation was observed via nISD for all peptides. Three of the peptides studied had no product ion formation in ISD, but extensive sequence informative fragmentation was found in their nISD spectra. The results of this study indicate that nISD can be used to readily obtain sequence information for acidic peptides.

Negative Ion In-Source Decay Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization Mass Spectrometry for Sequencing Acidic Peptides.

PubMed

McMillen, Chelsea L; Wright, Patience M; Cassady, Carolyn J

2016-05-01

Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) in-source decay was studied in the negative ion mode on deprotonated peptides to determine its usefulness for obtaining extensive sequence information for acidic peptides. Eight biological acidic peptides, ranging in size from 11 to 33 residues, were studied by negative ion mode ISD (nISD). The matrices 2,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid, 2-aminobenzoic acid, 2-aminobenzamide, 1,5-diaminonaphthalene, 5-amino-1-naphthol, 3-aminoquinoline, and 9-aminoacridine were used with each peptide. Optimal fragmentation was produced with 1,5-diaminonphthalene (DAN), and extensive sequence informative fragmentation was observed for every peptide except hirudin(54-65). Cleavage at the N-Cα bond of the peptide backbone, producing c' and z' ions, was dominant for all peptides. Cleavage of the N-Cα bond N-terminal to proline residues was not observed. The formation of c and z ions is also found in electron transfer dissociation (ETD), electron capture dissociation (ECD), and positive ion mode ISD, which are considered to be radical-driven techniques. Oxidized insulin chain A, which has four highly acidic oxidized cysteine residues, had less extensive fragmentation. This peptide also exhibited the only charged localized fragmentation, with more pronounced product ion formation adjacent to the highly acidic residues. In addition, spectra were obtained by positive ion mode ISD for each protonated peptide; more sequence informative fragmentation was observed via nISD for all peptides. Three of the peptides studied had no product ion formation in ISD, but extensive sequence informative fragmentation was found in their nISD spectra. The results of this study indicate that nISD can be used to readily obtain sequence information for acidic peptides.

Red-light running violation prediction using observational and simulator data.

PubMed

Jahangiri, Arash; Rakha, Hesham; Dingus, Thomas A

2016-11-01

In the United States, 683 people were killed and an estimated 133,000 were injured in crashes due to running red lights in 2012. To help prevent/mitigate crashes caused by running red lights, these violations need to be identified before they occur, so both the road users (i.e., drivers, pedestrians, etc.) in potential danger and the infrastructure can be notified and actions can be taken accordingly. Two different data sets were used to assess the feasibility of developing red-light running (RLR) violation prediction models: (1) observational data and (2) driver simulator data. Both data sets included common factors, such as time to intersection (TTI), distance to intersection (DTI), and velocity at the onset of the yellow indication. However, the observational data set provided additional factors that the simulator data set did not, and vice versa. The observational data included vehicle information (e.g., speed, acceleration, etc.) for several different time frames. For each vehicle approaching an intersection in the observational data set, required data were extracted from several time frames as the vehicle drew closer to the intersection. However, since the observational data were inherently anonymous, driver factors such as age and gender were unavailable in the observational data set. Conversely, the simulator data set contained age and gender. In addition, the simulator data included a secondary (non-driving) task factor and a treatment factor (i.e., incoming/outgoing calls while driving). The simulator data only included vehicle information for certain time frames (e.g., yellow onset); the data did not provide vehicle information for several different time frames while vehicles were approaching an intersection. In this study, the random forest (RF) machine-learning technique was adopted to develop RLR violation prediction models. Factor importance was obtained for different models and different data sets to show how differently the factors influence the performance of each model. A sensitivity analysis showed that the factor importance to identify RLR violations changed when data from different time frames were used to develop the prediction models. TTI, DTI, the required deceleration parameter (RDP), and velocity at the onset of a yellow indication were among the most important factors identified by both models constructed using observational data and simulator data. Furthermore, in addition to the factors obtained from a point in time (i.e., yellow onset), valuable information suitable for RLR violation prediction was obtained from defined monitoring periods. It was found that period lengths of 2-6m contributed to the best model performance. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Methodologies for the Statistical Analysis of Memory Response to Radiation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bosser, Alexandre L.; Gupta, Viyas; Tsiligiannis, Georgios; Frost, Christopher D.; Zadeh, Ali; Jaatinen, Jukka; Javanainen, Arto; Puchner, Helmut; Saigné, Frédéric; Virtanen, Ari; Wrobel, Frédéric; Dilillo, Luigi

2016-08-01

Methodologies are proposed for in-depth statistical analysis of Single Event Upset data. The motivation for using these methodologies is to obtain precise information on the intrinsic defects and weaknesses of the tested devices, and to gain insight on their failure mechanisms, at no additional cost. The case study is a 65 nm SRAM irradiated with neutrons, protons and heavy ions. This publication is an extended version of a previous study [1].

Effects of Biosynthetic Human Epidermal Growth Factor on Wound Healing

DTIC Science & Technology

1986-10-27

regenerated or been replaced with autograft skin. The limiting factor in covering major third degree burns is the availability of autogenous skin grafts . Although...tho patient’s own skin. Since the only permant solution currently available is autografting, an agent that would accelerate healing of skin graft donor...biodegradation. Additional valuable information will be obtained when the limited clinical trial using EGF in Silvadene to treat skin graft donor sites begins

Community Relations Plan: Galena Airport and Campion Air Force Station, Alaska

DTIC Science & Technology

1994-11-11

toxic 0k Corporations that are not wastes at any facility listed or proposed for incorporated for the specific listing on the NPL and where site work ... working toward for awarding a TAG, and how to obtain incorporation under state laws. additional information are described. The Applications are...for similar work in the area. Notification Procedures and In special cases, where an applicant Evaluation Criteria group intends to apply for a single

Integrated analysis of remote sensing products from basic geological surveys. [Brazil

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dasilvafagundesfilho, E. (Principal Investigator)

1984-01-01

Recent advances in remote sensing led to the development of several techniques to obtain image information. These techniques as effective tools in geological maping are analyzed. A strategy for optimizing the images in basic geological surveying is presented. It embraces as integrated analysis of spatial, spectral, and temporal data through photoptic (color additive viewer) and computer processing at different scales, allowing large areas survey in a fast, precise, and low cost manner.

Natural Convection Cooling of a Three by Three Array of Leadless Chip Carrier Packages in a Dielectric Liquid

DTIC Science & Technology

1994-03-24

sources. gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. Send comments regarding ths burden estimate...for .oration Operations and Reports. 1215 Jefferson Davis Highway. Suite 1204. Arlington. VA 22202-4302. and to the Office of Management and Budget...ceramic substrate was examined. Baseline data were obtained for cooling with pure dielectric liquids. The effects of addition of high thermal

Beyond Close Air Support. Forging a New Air-Ground Partnership

DTIC Science & Technology

2005-01-01

15213-1516 RAND URL: http://www.rand.org/ To order RAND documents or to obtain additional information, contact Distribution Services : Telephone: (310) 451...prominence for either partner. It gives the least opportunity for parochial claims and one-sided plead- ing for one’s own service . Its very difficulty...could be a virtue: Once the services have mastered partnership, they can easily revert to sim- pler approaches. Partnership does not, of course, imply

Security Analysis of Yeh-Tsai Security Mechanism

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yum, Dae Hyun; Shin, Jong Hoon; Lee, Pil Joong

Yeh and Tsai recently proposed an enhanced mobile commerce security mechanism. They modified the lightweight security mechanism due to Lam, Chung, Gu, and Sun to relieve the burden of mobile clients. However, this article shows that a malicious WAP gateway can successfully obtain the mobile client's PIN by sending a fake public key of a mobile commerce server and exploiting information leakage caused by addition operation. We also present a countermeasure against the proposed attack.

Relationship between Internet use and general belief in a just world among Chinese retirees.

PubMed

Zhang, Zhen; Zhang, Jianxin; Zhu, Tingshao

2013-07-01

As an emerging medium for acquiring information, the Internet might affect how users, including older adults, view or think about the world around them. Using data from a survey of retirees aged 50 years and above (N=12,309) in China, the present study examined the relationship between Internet use for acquiring information about the world and general belief in a just world (GBJW). The results indicated that Internet use primarily for obtaining news information was negatively related to GBJW. Specifically, Internet users had lower levels of GBJW than nonusers; the more time retirees spent visiting Web sites to acquire news information, the less likely they were to believe that the world is just. In addition, compared with retirees who had acquired information about the world through other means (including books, newspapers or magazines, radio and television, and direct communication with other people), those who had acquired information primarily using the Internet showed lower levels of GBJW. The significance and limitations of the current study are discussed.

Quality of Web Information About Palliative Care on Websites from the United States and Japan: Comparative Evaluation Study.

PubMed

Tanabe, Kouichi; Fujiwara, Kaho; Ogura, Hana; Yasuda, Hatsuna; Goto, Nobuyuki; Ohtsu, Fumiko

2018-04-03

Patients and their families are able to obtain information about palliative care from websites easily nowadays. However, there are concerns on the accuracy of information on the Web and how up to date it is. The objective of this study was to elucidate problematic points of medical information about palliative care obtained from websites, and to compare the quality of the information between Japanese and US websites. We searched Google Japan and Google USA for websites relating to palliative care. We then evaluated the top 50 websites from each search using the DISCERN and LIDA instruments. We found that Japanese websites were given a lower evaluation of reliability than US websites. In 3 LIDA instrument subcategories-engagability (P<.001), currency (P=.001), and content production procedure (P<.001)-US websites scored significantly higher and had large effect sizes. Our results suggest that Japanese websites have problems with the frequency with which they are updated, their update procedures and policies, and the scrutiny process the evidence must undergo. Additionally, there was a weak association between search ranking and reliability, and simultaneously we found that reliability could not be assessed by search ranking alone. ©Kouichi Tanabe, Kaho Fujiwara, Hana Ogura, Hatsuna Yasuda, Nobuyuki Goto, Fumiko Ohtsu. Originally published in the Interactive Journal of Medical Research (http://www.i-jmr.org/), 03.04.2018.

Using Map Service API for Driving Cycle Detection for Wearable GPS Data: Preprint

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

Zhu, Lei; Gonder, Jeffrey D

Following advancements in smartphone and portable global positioning system (GPS) data collection, wearable GPS data have realized extensive use in transportation surveys and studies. The task of detecting driving cycles (driving or car-mode trajectory segments) from wearable GPS data has been the subject of much research. Specifically, distinguishing driving cycles from other motorized trips (such as taking a bus) is the main research problem in this paper. Many mode detection methods only focus on raw GPS speed data while some studies apply additional information, such as geographic information system (GIS) data, to obtain better detection performance. Procuring and maintaining dedicatedmore » road GIS data are costly and not trivial, whereas the technical maturity and broad use of map service application program interface (API) queries offers opportunities for mode detection tasks. The proposed driving cycle detection method takes advantage of map service APIs to obtain high-quality car-mode API route information and uses a trajectory segmentation algorithm to find the best-matched API route. The car-mode API route data combined with the actual route information, including the actual mode information, are used to train a logistic regression machine learning model, which estimates car modes and non-car modes with probability rates. The experimental results show promise for the proposed method's ability to detect vehicle mode accurately.« less

Panel to review EOSDIS plans

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1994-01-01

Formed in Jan. 1992, the Panel to Review EOSDIS Plans was charged with advising NASA on its plans for developing the Earth Observing System (EOS) Data and Information System (EOSDIS). Specifically, the panel was asked to do the following: assess the validity of the engineering and technical underpinnings of the EOSDIS; assess its potential value to scientific users; suggest how technical risk can be minimized; and assess whether current plans are sufficiently resilient to be adaptable to changing technology and requirements such as budget environments, data volumes, new users, and new databases. The panel completed an interim report (Addendum A) and transmitted it to NASA and other interested parties in the government on 9 Apr. 1992. Because of a delay in NASA's plans to select the contractor for EOSDIS, the panel was not able to complete its review of the program according to the original government request. With the issuance of a letter report (Addendum B) on 28 Sep. 1992, the panel became inactive until such time as NASA could release the details of the contractor's proposed architecture, schedule, and costs for developing EOSDIS. In early 1993, NASA awarded the contract for the EOSDIS Core System (ECS). On 20 Apr. 1993, NASA asked the panel to reconvene to do the following: ( 1) complete its review of NASA's approach to the EOSDIS architecture and implementation; (2) appraise NASA's responses to the panel's previous recommendations; and (3) review the planning for EOSDIS in the context of NASA's role in the Global Change Data and Information System (GCDIS) implementation plan. To respond to the NASA charge, the panel met three times in 1993 including sessions with NASA officials and the EOSDIS contractor. In addition, several of the panel members visited individual Distributed Active Archive Centers (DAAC's) to obtain additional views of EOSDIS. The panel has now obtained substantial information on the EOSDIS budget, contractor work program, and current baseline architecture that was not previously available, due to procurement restrictions. This report presents the panel's findings and recommendations based on this additional information.

Bayesian analyses of time-interval data for environmental radiation monitoring.

PubMed

Luo, Peng; Sharp, Julia L; DeVol, Timothy A

2013-01-01

Time-interval (time difference between two consecutive pulses) analysis based on the principles of Bayesian inference was investigated for online radiation monitoring. Using experimental and simulated data, Bayesian analysis of time-interval data [Bayesian (ti)] was compared with Bayesian and a conventional frequentist analysis of counts in a fixed count time [Bayesian (cnt) and single interval test (SIT), respectively]. The performances of the three methods were compared in terms of average run length (ARL) and detection probability for several simulated detection scenarios. Experimental data were acquired with a DGF-4C system in list mode. Simulated data were obtained using Monte Carlo techniques to obtain a random sampling of the Poisson distribution. All statistical algorithms were developed using the R Project for statistical computing. Bayesian analysis of time-interval information provided a similar detection probability as Bayesian analysis of count information, but the authors were able to make a decision with fewer pulses at relatively higher radiation levels. In addition, for the cases with very short presence of the source (< count time), time-interval information is more sensitive to detect a change than count information since the source data is averaged by the background data over the entire count time. The relationships of the source time, change points, and modifications to the Bayesian approach for increasing detection probability are presented.

Find the fish: using PROC SQL to build a relational database

USGS Publications Warehouse

Fabrizio, Mary C.; Nelson, Scott N.

1995-01-01

Reliable estimates of abundance and survival, gained through mark-recapture studies, are necessary to better understand how to manage and restore lake trout populations in the Great Lakes. Working with a 24-year data set from a mark-recapture study conducted in Lake Superior, we attempted to disclose information on tag shedding by examining recaptures of double-tagged fish. The data set consisted of 64,288 observations on fish which had been marked with one or more tags; a subset of these fish had been marked with two tags at initial capture. Although DATA and PROC statements could be used to obtain some of the information we sought, these statements could not be used to extract a complete set of results from the double-tagging experiments. We therefore used SQL processing to create three tables representing the same information but in a fully normalized relational structure. In addition, we created indices to efficiently examine complex relationships among the individual capture records. This approach allowed us to obtain all the information necessary to estimate tag retention through subsequent modeling. We believe that our success with SQL was due in large part to its ability to simultaneosly scan the same table more than once and to permit consideration of other tables in sub-queries.

A proposal to conduct a Caribbean plate project involving the application of space technology to the study of Caribbean geology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wadge, G. (Editor)

1981-01-01

The Caribbean plate project is designed to improve current understanding of geological resources and geological hazards within the Caribbean region. Models of mineral occurrence and genesis (including energy resources) on a regional scale, which contribute to nonrenewable resource investigations. Models of lithospheric stress and strain on a regional scale, which contribute to forecasting geological hazards such as earthquakes and major volcanic eruptions are developed. Geological information is synthesize, and research tools provided by space technology the study of the Earth's crust are used. The project was organized in a thematic fashion, to focus on specific geological aspects of the Caribbean plate which are considered to be key factors in developing the types of models described. The project adopts a synoptic perspective in seeking to characterize the three dimensional structure, composition, state of stress, and evolution of the entire Caribbean plate. Geological information derived from analysis of space acquired data is combined with information provided by conventional methods to obtain insight into the structure, composition, and evolution of the Earth's crust. In addition, very long baseline interferometry and laser ranging techniques, which are also based upon the use of space technology, obtain information concerning crustal motion that, in turn, provides insight into the distribution and localization of crustal stress.

Improving image reconstruction of bioluminescence imaging using a priori information from ultrasound imaging (Conference Presentation)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jayet, Baptiste; Ahmad, Junaid; Taylor, Shelley L.; Hill, Philip J.; Dehghani, Hamid; Morgan, Stephen P.

2017-03-01

Bioluminescence imaging (BLI) is a commonly used imaging modality in biology to study cancer in vivo in small animals. Images are generated using a camera to map the optical fluence emerging from the studied animal, then a numerical reconstruction algorithm is used to locate the sources and estimate their sizes. However, due to the strong light scattering properties of biological tissues, the resolution is very limited (around a few millimetres). Therefore obtaining accurate information about the pathology is complicated. We propose a combined ultrasound/optics approach to improve accuracy of these techniques. In addition to the BLI data, an ultrasound probe driven by a scanner is used for two main objectives. First, to obtain a pure acoustic image, which provides structural information of the sample. And second, to alter the light emission by the bioluminescent sources embedded inside the sample, which is monitored using a high speed optical detector (e.g. photomultiplier tube). We will show that this last measurement, used in conjunction with the ultrasound data, can provide accurate localisation of the bioluminescent sources. This can be used as a priori information by the numerical reconstruction algorithm, greatly increasing the accuracy of the BLI image reconstruction as compared to the image generated using only BLI data.

BAPA Database: a Landslide Inventory in the Principality of Asturias (NW Spain) by Using Press Archives and Free Cartographic Servers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Valenzuela, P.; Domínguez-Cuesta, M. J.; Jiménez-Sánchez, M.; Mora García, M. A.

2015-12-01

Due to its geological and climatic conditions, landslides are very common and widespread phenomena in the Principality of Asturias (NW of Spain), causing economic losses and, sometimes, human victims. In this scenario, temporal prediction of instabilities becomes particularly important. Although previous knowledge indicates that rainfall is the main trigger, the lack of data hinders the proper temporal forecast of landslides in the region. To resolve this deficiency, a new landslide inventory is being developed: the BAPA (Base de datos de Argayos del Principado de Asturias-Principality of Asturias Landslide Database). Data collection is mainly performed through the gathering of local newspaper archives, with special emphasis on the registration of spatial and temporal information. Moreover, a BAPA App and a BAPA website (http://geol.uniovi.es/BAPA) have been developed to easily obtain additional information from authorities and private individuals. Presently, dataset covers the period 1980-2015, registering more than 2000 individual landslide events. Fifty-two per cent of the records provide accurate dates, showing the usefulness of press archives as temporal records. The use of free cartographic servers, such as Google Maps, Google Street View and Iberpix (Government of Spain), combined with the spatial descriptions and photographs contained in the press releases, makes it possible to determine the exact location in fifty-eight per cent of the records. Field work performed to date has allowed the validation of the methodology proposed to obtain spatial data. In addition, BAPA database contain information about: source, typology of landslides, triggers, damages and costs.

Genealogical databases as a tool for extending follow-up in clinical reviews.

PubMed

Ho, Thuy-Van; Chowdhury, Naweed; Kandl, Christopher; Hoover, Cindy; Robinson, Ann; Hoover, Larry

2016-08-01

Long-term follow-up in clinical reviews often presents significant difficulty with conventional medical records alone. Publicly accessible genealogical databases such as Ancestry.com provide another avenue for obtaining extended follow-up and added outcome information. No previous studies have described the use of genealogical databases in the follow-up of individual patients. Ancestry.com, the largest genealogical database in the United States, houses extensive demographic data on an increasing number of Americans. In a recent retrospective review of esthesioneuroblastoma patients treated at our institution, we used this resource to ascertain the outcomes of patients otherwise lost to follow-up. Additional information such as quality of life and supplemental treatments the patient may have received at home was obtained through direct contact with living relatives. The use of Ancestry.com resulted in a 25% increase (20 months) in follow-up duration as well as incorporation of an additional 7 patients in our study (18%) who would otherwise not have had adequate hospital chart data for inclusion. Many patients within this subset had more advanced disease or were remotely located from our institution. As such, exclusion of these outliers can impact the quality of subsequent outcome analysis. Online genealogical databases provide a unique resource of public information that is acceptable to institutional review boards for patient follow-up in clinical reviews. Utilization of Ancestry.com data led to significant improvement in follow-up duration and increased the number of patients with sufficient data that could be included in our retrospective study. © 2016 ARS-AAOA, LLC.

SEMIPARAMETRIC ADDITIVE RISKS REGRESSION FOR TWO-STAGE DESIGN SURVIVAL STUDIES

PubMed Central

Li, Gang; Wu, Tong Tong

2011-01-01

In this article we study a semiparametric additive risks model (McKeague and Sasieni (1994)) for two-stage design survival data where accurate information is available only on second stage subjects, a subset of the first stage study. We derive two-stage estimators by combining data from both stages. Large sample inferences are developed. As a by-product, we also obtain asymptotic properties of the single stage estimators of McKeague and Sasieni (1994) when the semiparametric additive risks model is misspecified. The proposed two-stage estimators are shown to be asymptotically more efficient than the second stage estimators. They also demonstrate smaller bias and variance for finite samples. The developed methods are illustrated using small intestine cancer data from the SEER (Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results) Program. PMID:21931467

Organocatalytic, enantioselective synthesis of benzoxaboroles via Wittig/oxa-Michael reaction Cascade of α-formyl boronic acids† †Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available. CCDC 1487136. For ESI and crystallographic data in CIF or other electronic format see DOI: 10.1039/c6sc04522g Click here for additional data file. Click here for additional data file.

PubMed Central

Hazra, Gurupada; Maity, Sanjay; Bhowmick, Sudipto

2017-01-01

An unprecedented enantioselective synthesis of 3-substituted benzoxaboroles has been developed. An in situ generated ortho-boronic acid containing chalcone provides the chiral benzoxaboroles via an asymmetric oxa-Michael addition of hydroxyl group attached to the boronic acid triggered by the cinchona alkaloid based chiral amino-squaramide catalysts. In general, good yields with good to excellent enantioselectivities (up to 99%) were obtained. The resulting benzoxaboroles were converted to the corresponding chiral β-hydroxy ketones without affecting the enantioselectivity. PMID:28451370

Fragmentation of negative ions from N-linked carbohydrates, part 4. Fragmentation of complex glycans lacking substitution on the 6-antenna.

PubMed

Harvey, David J; Jaeken, Jaak; Butler, Mike; Armitage, Alison J; Rudd, Pauline M; Dwek, Raymond A

2010-05-01

Negative ion CID spectra of N-linked glycans released from glycoproteins contain many ions that are diagnostic for specific structural features such as the detailed arrangement of antennae and the location of fucose residues. Identification of such ions requires reference glycans that are often difficult to acquire in a pure state. The recent acquisition of a sample of N-glycans from a patient lacking the enzyme N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase-2 provided an opportunity to investigate fragmentation of glycans lacking a 6-antenna. These glycans contained one or two galactose-N-acetylglucosamine-chains attached to the 3-linked mannose residue of the trimannosyl-chitobiose core with and without fucose substitution. The spectra from the patient sample clearly defined the antenna distribution and showed striking differences from the spectra of isomeric compounds obtained from normal subjects. Furthermore, they provided additional information on previously identified antenna-specific fragment ions and indicated the presence of additional ions that were diagnostic of fucose substitution. Glycans obtained from such enzyme-deficient patients can, thus, be a valuable way of obtaining spectra of specific isomers in a relatively pure state for interpretation of mass spectra. 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Geostatistical interpolation of hourly precipitation from rain gauges and radar for a large-scale extreme rainfall event

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haberlandt, Uwe

2007-01-01

SummaryThe methods kriging with external drift (KED) and indicator kriging with external drift (IKED) are used for the spatial interpolation of hourly rainfall from rain gauges using additional information from radar, daily precipitation of a denser network, and elevation. The techniques are illustrated using data from the storm period of the 10th to the 13th of August 2002 that led to the extreme flood event in the Elbe river basin in Germany. Cross-validation is applied to compare the interpolation performance of the KED and IKED methods using different additional information with the univariate reference methods nearest neighbour (NN) or Thiessen polygons, inverse square distance weighting (IDW), ordinary kriging (OK) and ordinary indicator kriging (IK). Special attention is given to the analysis of the impact of the semivariogram estimation on the interpolation performance. Hourly and average semivariograms are inferred from daily, hourly and radar data considering either isotropic or anisotropic behaviour using automatic and manual fitting procedures. The multivariate methods KED and IKED clearly outperform the univariate ones with the most important additional information being radar, followed by precipitation from the daily network and elevation, which plays only a secondary role here. The best performance is achieved when all additional information are used simultaneously with KED. The indicator-based kriging methods provide, in some cases, smaller root mean square errors than the methods, which use the original data, but at the expense of a significant loss of variance. The impact of the semivariogram on interpolation performance is not very high. The best results are obtained using an automatic fitting procedure with isotropic variograms either from hourly or radar data.

A study of general aviation community noise impact and annoyance

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mabry, J. E.

1982-01-01

The method involved the selection of three airports which were dominated by aircraft weighing 12,500 lbs or under and which were also undergoing a change relative to utilization. Also, there was interest in airports with different utilization levels so that effect of number of operations could be considered. In addition, there was a requirement to select airports with communities in the surrounding areas which were exposed to aircraft operations noise. Noise annoyance response data was obtained from available sources. These sources included environmental impact statements, interviews with airport managers, noise complaint information, community meetings concerned with projected changes in airport utilization, and social survey data. As a means of objectively assessing the noise impact due to aircraft operations, noise measurement and computer noise modeling determinations were obtained for each airport. Listening quality tape recordings were also obtained.

A study of general aviation community noise impact and annoyance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mabry, J. E.

1982-04-01

The method involved the selection of three airports which were dominated by aircraft weighing 12,500 lbs or under and which were also undergoing a change relative to utilization. Also, there was interest in airports with different utilization levels so that effect of number of operations could be considered. In addition, there was a requirement to select airports with communities in the surrounding areas which were exposed to aircraft operations noise. Noise annoyance response data was obtained from available sources. These sources included environmental impact statements, interviews with airport managers, noise complaint information, community meetings concerned with projected changes in airport utilization, and social survey data. As a means of objectively assessing the noise impact due to aircraft operations, noise measurement and computer noise modeling determinations were obtained for each airport. Listening quality tape recordings were also obtained.

Direct push driven in situ color logging tool (CLT): technique, analysis routines, and application

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Werban, U.; Hausmann, J.; Dietrich, P.; Vienken, T.

2014-12-01

Direct push technologies have recently seen a broad development providing several tools for in situ parameterization of unconsolidated sediments. One of these techniques is the measurement of soil colors - a proxy information that reveals to soil/sediment properties. We introduce the direct push driven color logging tool (CLT) for real-time and depth-resolved investigation of soil colors within the visible spectrum. Until now, no routines exist on how to handle high-resolved (mm-scale) soil color data. To develop such a routine, we transform raw data (CIEXYZ) into soil color surrogates of selected color spaces (CIExyY, CIEL*a*b*, CIEL*c*h*, sRGB) and denoise small-scale natural variability by Haar and Daublet4 wavelet transformation, gathering interpretable color logs over depth. However, interpreting color log data as a single application remains challenging. Additional information, such as site-specific knowledge of the geological setting, is required to correlate soil color data to specific layers properties. Hence, we exemplary provide results from a joint interpretation of in situ-obtained soil color data and 'state-of-the-art' direct push based profiling tool data and discuss the benefit of additional data. The developed routine is capable of transferring the provided information obtained as colorimetric data into interpretable color surrogates. Soil color data proved to correlate with small-scale lithological/chemical changes (e.g., grain size, oxidative and reductive conditions), especially when combined with additional direct push vertical high resolution data (e.g., cone penetration testing and soil sampling). Thus, the technique allows enhanced profiling by means of providing another reproducible high-resolution parameter for analysis subsurface conditions. This opens potential new areas of application and new outputs for such data in site investigation. It is our intention to improve color measurements by means method of application and data interpretation, useful to characterize vadose layer/soil/sediment characteristics.

Optics of twisted nematic and supertwisted nematic liquid-crystal displays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Leenhouts, F.; Schadt, M.

1986-11-01

For the first time calculations of the off-state transmission of twisted nematic liquid-crystal displays (LCD's) are presented which exhibit twist angles greater than the conventional 90 °. The transmission has been calculated using a treatment introduced by Priestley. In addition, the CIE (Commission Internationale d'Eclairage) color coordinates were evaluated which, together with the brightness, determine the optical appearance of an LCD. The finite efficiency of the polarizers was taken into account. The results are compared with those obtained for conventional 90 ° twisted nematic LCD's. From the calculations follow the conditions required to obtain optimal contrast and steep electro-optical characteristics in 180 ° supertwisted LCD's designed for high information content applications.

Seed-mediated synthesis of ultra-long copper nanowires and their application as transparent conducting electrodes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Hyunhong; Choi, Seong-Hyeon; Kim, Mijung; Park, Jang-Ung; Bae, Joonwon; Park, Jongnam

2017-11-01

Owing to a recent push toward one-dimensional nanomaterials, in this study, we report a seed-mediated synthetic strategy for copper nanowires (Cu NWs) production involving thermal decomposition of metal-surfactant complexes in an organic medium. Ultra-long Cu NWs with a high aspect ratio and uniform diameter were obtained by separating nucleation and growth steps. The underlying mechanism for nanowire formation was investigated, in addition, properties of the obtained Cu NWs were also characterized using diverse analysis techniques. The performance of resulting Cu NWs as transparent electrodes was demonstrated for potential application. This article can provide information on both new synthetic pathway and potential use of Cu NWs.

Transesophageal echocardiographic evaluation of baboons during microgravity induced by parabolic flight

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vernalis, Marina N.; Latham, Ricky D.; Fanton, John W.; Geffney, F. Andrew

1993-01-01

Transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) is a feasible method to noninvasively examine cardiac anatomy during parabolic flight. However, transducer placement on the chest wall is very difficult to maintain during transition to microgravity. In addition, TTE requires the use of low frequency transponders which limit resolution. Transesophical echocardiography (TEE) is an established imaging technique which obtains echocardiographic information from the esophagus. It is a safe procedure and provides higher quality images of cardiac structure than obtained with TTE. This study is designed to determine whether TEE was feasible to perform during parabolic flight and to determine whether acute central volume responses occur in acute transition to zero gravity by direct visualization of the cardiac chambers.

Doppler Data and Density Profile from Cassini Saturn Atmospheric Entry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wong, M.; Boone, D.; Roth, D. C.

2017-12-01

After thirteen years of surveying the Saturnian system and providing a multitude of ground-breaking science data, the Cassini spacecraft will perform its final act on September 15, 2017 when it plunges into Saturn's upper atmosphere. This `close contact' with uncharted territory will deliver sets of data about Saturn that were not previously obtainable. In addition to new information obtained from various science instruments onboard, the doppler signal, primarily used for navigation purposes throughout the tour, will in this circumstance furnish a glimpse of the atmospheric density along Cassini's path through the upper atmosphere. In this talk we will discuss preliminary results from our analysis of the doppler data and its implication on the atmospheric density.

Polarization Remote Sensing Physical Mechanism, Key Methods and Application

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, B.; Wu, T.; Chen, W.; Li, Y.; Knjazihhin, J.; Asundi, A.; Yan, L.

2017-09-01

China's long-term planning major projects "high-resolution earth observation system" has been invested nearly 100 billion and the satellites will reach 100 to 2020. As to 2/3 of China's area covered by mountains it has a higher demand for remote sensing. In addition to light intensity, frequency, phase, polarization is also the main physical characteristics of remote sensing electromagnetic waves. Polarization is an important component of the reflected information from the surface and the atmospheric information, and the polarization effect of the ground object reflection is the basis of the observation of polarization remote sensing. Therefore, the effect of eliminating the polarization effect is very important for remote sensing applications. The main innovations of this paper is as follows: (1) Remote sensing observation method. It is theoretically deduced and verified that the polarization can weaken the light in the strong light region, and then provide the polarization effective information. In turn, the polarization in the low light region can strengthen the weak light, the same can be obtained polarization effective information. (2) Polarization effect of vegetation. By analyzing the structure characteristics of vegetation, polarization information is obtained, then the vegetation structure information directly affects the absorption of biochemical components of leaves. (3) Atmospheric polarization neutral point observation method. It is proved to be effective to achieve the ground-gas separation, which can achieve the effect of eliminating the atmospheric polarization effect and enhancing the polarization effect of the object.

Indoor air pollutants from household-product sources: Project report

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

Sack, T.M.; Steele, D.H.

1991-09-01

A Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry (GS/MS) data base obtained during the analysis of 1,159 household products for six common chlorocarbon solvents has been reanalyzed for the presence and concentration of 25 additional chemicals. Using computerized GS/MS software, 1,043 of the original GC/MS data files were recovered and analyzed for the presence of the additional chemicals. Of the 25 additional chemicals, those found most frequently in the household products include acetone (315 products), 2-butanone (200 products), methylcyclohexane (150 products), toluene (488 products), ethylbenzene (157 products), m-xylene (101 products), and o.p-xylene (93 products). A total of 63.6% of the products analyzed in themore » study contained one or more of the 25 additional analytes at concentrations greater than or equal to 0.1% by weight. The quantitative information presented in the report is also available on diskette in a spreadsheet format.« less

Relative motion of orbiting particles under the influence of perturbing forces. Volume 2: Analytical results. [equations of motion and mathematical solutions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Eades, J. B., Jr.

1974-01-01

The mathematical developments carried out for this investigation are reported. In addition to describing and discussing the solutions which were acquired, there are compendia of data presented herein which summarize the equations and describe them as representative trace geometries. In this analysis the relative motion problems have been referred to two particular frames of reference; one which is inertially aligned, and one which is (local) horizon oriented. In addition to obtaining the classical initial values solutions, there are results which describe cases having applied specific forces serving as forcing functions. Also, in order to provide a complete state representation the speed components, as well as the displacements, have been described. These coordinates are traced on representative planes analogous to the displacement geometries. By this procedure a complete description of a relative motion is developed; and, as a consequence range rate as well as range information is obtained.

Community Strains of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus as Potential Cause of Healthcare-associated Infections, Uruguay, 2002–2004

PubMed Central

Estivariz, Concepción; Mogdasy, Cristina; Pedreira, Walter; Galiana, Antonio; Galiana, Alvaro; Bagnulo, Homero; Gorwitz, Rachel; Fosheim, Gregory E.; McDougal, Linda K.; Jernigan, Daniel

2008-01-01

Community-associated MRSA (CA-MRSA) strains have emerged in Uruguay. We reviewed Staphylococcus aureus isolates from a large healthcare facility in Montevideo (center A) and obtained information from 3 additional hospitals on patients infected with CA-MRSA. An infection was defined as healthcare-onset if the culture was obtained >48 hours after hospital admission. At center A, the proportion of S. aureus infections caused by CA-MRSA increased from 4% to 23% over 2 years; the proportion caused by healthcare-associated MRSA (HA-MRSA) decreased from 25% to 5%. Of 182 patients infected with CA-MRSA, 38 (21%) had healthcare-onset infections. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis determined that 22 (92%) of 24 isolates were USA1100, a community strain. CA-MRSA has emerged in Uruguay and appears to have replaced HA-MRSA strains at 1 healthcare facility. In addition, CA-MRSA appears to cause healthcare-onset infections, a finding that emphasizes the need for infection control measures to prevent transmission within healthcare settings. PMID:18680644

Pharmacogenomic Testing for Neuropsychiatric Drugs: Current Status of Drug Labeling, Guidelines for Using Genetic Information, and Test Options

PubMed Central

Drozda, Katarzyna; Müller, Daniel J.; Bishop, Jeffrey R.

2014-01-01

Advancements in pharmacogenomics have introduced an increasing number of opportunities to bring personalized medicine into clinical practice. Understanding how and when to use this technology to help guide pharmacotherapy used to treat neuropsychiatric conditions remains a challenge for many clinicians. Currently, guidelines exist to assist clinicians in the use of genetic information for drug selection and/or dosing for the tricyclic antidepressants, carbamazepine, and phenytoin. Additional language in the product labeling suggests that genetic information may also be useful for assessing the starting and target doses, as well as drug interaction potential, for a number of other medications used to treat psychiatric and neurological conditions. In this review, we outline the current status of pharmacogenomic testing for neuropsychiatric drugs as it pertains to information contained in drug labeling, consensus guidelines, and test panels, as well as considerations related to obtaining tests for patients. PMID:24523097

Anatomically-Aided PET Reconstruction Using the Kernel Method

PubMed Central

Hutchcroft, Will; Wang, Guobao; Chen, Kevin T.; Catana, Ciprian; Qi, Jinyi

2016-01-01

This paper extends the kernel method that was proposed previously for dynamic PET reconstruction, to incorporate anatomical side information into the PET reconstruction model. In contrast to existing methods that incorporate anatomical information using a penalized likelihood framework, the proposed method incorporates this information in the simpler maximum likelihood (ML) formulation and is amenable to ordered subsets. The new method also does not require any segmentation of the anatomical image to obtain edge information. We compare the kernel method with the Bowsher method for anatomically-aided PET image reconstruction through a simulated data set. Computer simulations demonstrate that the kernel method offers advantages over the Bowsher method in region of interest (ROI) quantification. Additionally the kernel method is applied to a 3D patient data set. The kernel method results in reduced noise at a matched contrast level compared with the conventional ML expectation maximization (EM) algorithm. PMID:27541810

Anatomically-aided PET reconstruction using the kernel method.

PubMed

Hutchcroft, Will; Wang, Guobao; Chen, Kevin T; Catana, Ciprian; Qi, Jinyi

2016-09-21

This paper extends the kernel method that was proposed previously for dynamic PET reconstruction, to incorporate anatomical side information into the PET reconstruction model. In contrast to existing methods that incorporate anatomical information using a penalized likelihood framework, the proposed method incorporates this information in the simpler maximum likelihood (ML) formulation and is amenable to ordered subsets. The new method also does not require any segmentation of the anatomical image to obtain edge information. We compare the kernel method with the Bowsher method for anatomically-aided PET image reconstruction through a simulated data set. Computer simulations demonstrate that the kernel method offers advantages over the Bowsher method in region of interest quantification. Additionally the kernel method is applied to a 3D patient data set. The kernel method results in reduced noise at a matched contrast level compared with the conventional ML expectation maximization algorithm.

Propriomuscular coding of kinaesthetic sensation. Experimental approach and mathematical modelling.

PubMed

Gilhodes, J C; Coiton, Y; Roll, J P; Ans, B

1993-01-01

The role of propriomuscular information in kinaesthetic sensation was studied. Experiments were carried out on human subjects in whom kinaesthetic illusions were induced by applying tendon vibration with a variable frequency. Six patterns of frequency modulation were used, four of which had an arbitrary form and the other two mimicked natural Ia discharges. The results show that the shape of the illusory movements recorded depended on the type of vibratory pattern used. A mathematical model for the propriomuscular information decoding process is proposed. It takes into account both the agonist and antagonist muscle spindle populations as sources of kinaesthetic information and is based on the assumption that position and velocity information are additively combined. The experimental data show a good fit with the theoretical data obtained by means of model simulation, thus validating our initial hypothesis. Various aspects of the experimental results and the hypotheses involved in the model are discussed.

Anatomically-aided PET reconstruction using the kernel method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hutchcroft, Will; Wang, Guobao; Chen, Kevin T.; Catana, Ciprian; Qi, Jinyi

2016-09-01

This paper extends the kernel method that was proposed previously for dynamic PET reconstruction, to incorporate anatomical side information into the PET reconstruction model. In contrast to existing methods that incorporate anatomical information using a penalized likelihood framework, the proposed method incorporates this information in the simpler maximum likelihood (ML) formulation and is amenable to ordered subsets. The new method also does not require any segmentation of the anatomical image to obtain edge information. We compare the kernel method with the Bowsher method for anatomically-aided PET image reconstruction through a simulated data set. Computer simulations demonstrate that the kernel method offers advantages over the Bowsher method in region of interest quantification. Additionally the kernel method is applied to a 3D patient data set. The kernel method results in reduced noise at a matched contrast level compared with the conventional ML expectation maximization algorithm.

Protein Structural Information Derived from NMR Chemical Shift with the Neural Network Program TALOS-N

PubMed Central

Shen, Yang; Bax, Ad

2015-01-01

Summary Chemical shifts are obtained at the first stage of any protein structural study by NMR spectroscopy. Chemical shifts are known to be impacted by a wide range of structural factors and the artificial neural network based TALOS-N program has been trained to extract backbone and sidechain torsion angles from 1H, 15N and 13C shifts. The program is quite robust, and typically yields backbone torsion angles for more than 90% of the residues, and sidechain χ1 rotamer information for about half of these, in addition to reliably predicting secondary structure. The use of TALOS-N is illustrated for the protein DinI, and torsion angles obtained by TALOS-N analysis from the measured chemical shifts of its backbone and 13Cβ nuclei are compared to those seen in a prior, experimentally determined structure. The program is also particularly useful for generating torsion angle restraints, which then can be used during standard NMR protein structure calculations. PMID:25502373

Teacher Training and Authentic Scientific Research Utilizing Cretaceous Fossil Resources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Danch, J. M.

2016-12-01

The readily accessible Cretaceous fossil beds of central New Jersey provide an excellent opportunity for both teacher training in the utilization of paleontological resources in the classroom and authentic scientific student research at the middle and high school levels. Woodbridge Township New Jersey School District teachers participated in field trips to various fossiliferous sites to obtain photographic and video data and invertebrate and vertebrate fossil specimens for use in the classroom. Teachers were also presented with techniques allowing them to mentor students in performing authentic paleontological research. Students participated in multi-year research projects utilizing Cretaceous fossils collected in the field and presented their findings at science fairs and symposia. A workshop for K - 12 teachers statewide was developed for the New Jersey Science Convention providing information about New Jersey fossil resources and allowing participants to obtain, study and classify specimens. Additionally, the workshop provided participants with the information necessary for them to plan and conduct their own field trips.

Assessment of corneal properties based on statistical modeling of OCT speckle.

PubMed

Jesus, Danilo A; Iskander, D Robert

2017-01-01

A new approach to assess the properties of the corneal micro-structure in vivo based on the statistical modeling of speckle obtained from Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) is presented. A number of statistical models were proposed to fit the corneal speckle data obtained from OCT raw image. Short-term changes in corneal properties were studied by inducing corneal swelling whereas age-related changes were observed analyzing data of sixty-five subjects aged between twenty-four and seventy-three years. Generalized Gamma distribution has shown to be the best model, in terms of the Akaike's Information Criterion, to fit the OCT corneal speckle. Its parameters have shown statistically significant differences (Kruskal-Wallis, p < 0.001) for short and age-related corneal changes. In addition, it was observed that age-related changes influence the corneal biomechanical behaviour when corneal swelling is induced. This study shows that Generalized Gamma distribution can be utilized to modeling corneal speckle in OCT in vivo providing complementary quantified information where micro-structure of corneal tissue is of essence.

Use of Galvanic Skin Responses, Salivary Biomarkers, and Self-reports to Assess Undergraduate Student Performance During a Laboratory Exam Activity

PubMed Central

Villanueva, Idalis; Valladares, Maria; Goodridge, Wade

2016-01-01

Typically, self-reports are used in educational research to assess student response and performance to a classroom activity. Yet, addition of biological and physiological measures such as salivary biomarkers and galvanic skin responses are rarely included, limiting the wealth of information that can be obtained to better understand student performance. A laboratory protocol to study undergraduate students' responses to classroom events (e.g., exams) is presented. Participants were asked to complete a representative exam for their degree. Before and after the laboratory exam session, students completed an academic achievement emotions self-report and an interview that paralleled these questions when participants wore a galvanic skin sensor and salivary biomarkers were collected. Data collected from the three methods resulted in greater depth of information about students' performance when compared to the self-report. The work can expand educational research capabilities through more comprehensive methods for obtaining nearer to real-time student responses to an examination activity. PMID:26891278

Considerations for Architecture Level Trade Studies for Environmental Sensors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Peterson, Craig

2010-01-01

Comparisons of key characteristics of environmental sensors such as technology readiness levels, mass, power, volume, and detection capabilities are essential for initial trade studies to determine likely candidates for further development and evaluation. However, these trade studies only provide part of the information necessary to make selection decisions. Ultimately, the sensors must be judged based on the overall system architectures and operational scenarios for which they are intended. This means that additional characteristics, such as architectural needs for redundancy, operational lifetime, ability to maintain calibration, and repair and replacement strategies, among others, must also be considered. Given that these characteristics can be extremely time-consuming and costly to obtain, careful planning is essential to minimize the effort involved. In this paper, an approach is explored for determining an effective yet comprehensive set of architecture level trades which is minimally impacted by the inevitable changes in operational (mission) scenarios. The approach will also identify and integrate the various facilities and opportunities required to obtain the desired architecture level trade information.

Isoforms of a cuticular protein from larvae of the meal beetle, Tenebrio molitor, studied by mass spectrometry in combination with Edman degradation and two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis.

PubMed Central

Haebel, S.; Jensen, C.; Andersen, S. O.; Roepstorff, P.

1995-01-01

Simultaneous sequencing, using a combination of mass spectrometry and Edman degradation, of three approximately 15-kDa variants of a cuticular protein extracted from the meal beetle Tenebrio molitor larva is demonstrated. The information obtained by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI MS) time-course monitoring of enzymatic digests was found essential to identify the differences among the three variants and for alignment of the peptides in the sequence. To determine whether each individual insect larva contains all three protein variants, proteins extracted from single animals were separated by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis, electroeluted from the gel spots, and analyzed by MALDI MS. Molecular weights of the proteins present in each sample could be obtained, and mass spectrometric mapping of the peptides after digestion with trypsin gave additional information. The protein isoforms were found to be allelic variants. PMID:7795523

Isoforms of a cuticular protein from larvae of the meal beetle, Tenebrio molitor, studied by mass spectrometry in combination with Edman degradation and two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis.

PubMed

Haebel, S; Jensen, C; Andersen, S O; Roepstorff, P

1995-03-01

Simultaneous sequencing, using a combination of mass spectrometry and Edman degradation, of three approximately 15-kDa variants of a cuticular protein extracted from the meal beetle Tenebrio molitor larva is demonstrated. The information obtained by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI MS) time-course monitoring of enzymatic digests was found essential to identify the differences among the three variants and for alignment of the peptides in the sequence. To determine whether each individual insect larva contains all three protein variants, proteins extracted from single animals were separated by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis, electroeluted from the gel spots, and analyzed by MALDI MS. Molecular weights of the proteins present in each sample could be obtained, and mass spectrometric mapping of the peptides after digestion with trypsin gave additional information. The protein isoforms were found to be allelic variants.

A multilevel ant colony optimization algorithm for classical and isothermic DNA sequencing by hybridization with multiplicity information available.

PubMed

Kwarciak, Kamil; Radom, Marcin; Formanowicz, Piotr

2016-04-01

The classical sequencing by hybridization takes into account a binary information about sequence composition. A given element from an oligonucleotide library is or is not a part of the target sequence. However, the DNA chip technology has been developed and it enables to receive a partial information about multiplicity of each oligonucleotide the analyzed sequence consist of. Currently, it is not possible to assess the exact data of such type but even partial information should be very useful. Two realistic multiplicity information models are taken into consideration in this paper. The first one, called "one and many" assumes that it is possible to obtain information if a given oligonucleotide occurs in a reconstructed sequence once or more than once. According to the second model, called "one, two and many", one is able to receive from biochemical experiment information if a given oligonucleotide is present in an analyzed sequence once, twice or at least three times. An ant colony optimization algorithm has been implemented to verify the above models and to compare with existing algorithms for sequencing by hybridization which utilize the additional information. The proposed algorithm solves the problem with any kind of hybridization errors. Computational experiment results confirm that using even the partial information about multiplicity leads to increased quality of reconstructed sequences. Moreover, they also show that the more precise model enables to obtain better solutions and the ant colony optimization algorithm outperforms the existing ones. Test data sets and the proposed ant colony optimization algorithm are available on: http://bioserver.cs.put.poznan.pl/download/ACO4mSBH.zip. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Quality of reconstruction of compressed off-axis digital holograms by frequency filtering and wavelets.

PubMed

Cheremkhin, Pavel A; Kurbatova, Ekaterina A

2018-01-01

Compression of digital holograms can significantly help with the storage of objects and data in 2D and 3D form, its transmission, and its reconstruction. Compression of standard images by methods based on wavelets allows high compression ratios (up to 20-50 times) with minimum losses of quality. In the case of digital holograms, application of wavelets directly does not allow high values of compression to be obtained. However, additional preprocessing and postprocessing can afford significant compression of holograms and the acceptable quality of reconstructed images. In this paper application of wavelet transforms for compression of off-axis digital holograms are considered. The combined technique based on zero- and twin-order elimination, wavelet compression of the amplitude and phase components of the obtained Fourier spectrum, and further additional compression of wavelet coefficients by thresholding and quantization is considered. Numerical experiments on reconstruction of images from the compressed holograms are performed. The comparative analysis of applicability of various wavelets and methods of additional compression of wavelet coefficients is performed. Optimum parameters of compression of holograms by the methods can be estimated. Sizes of holographic information were decreased up to 190 times.

Mechanical Performance of Cold-Sprayed A357 Aluminum Alloy Coatings for Repair and Additive Manufacturing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Petráčková, K.; Kondás, J.; Guagliano, M.

2017-12-01

Cold-sprayed coatings made of A357 aluminum alloy, a casting alloy widely used in aerospace, underwent set of standard tests as well as newly developed fatigue test to gain an information about potential of cold spray for repair and additive manufacturing of loaded parts. With optimal spray parameters, coating deposition on substrate with smooth surface resulted in relatively good bonding, which can be further improved by application of grit blasting on substrate's surface. However, no enhancement of adhesion was obtained for shot-peened surface. Process temperature, which was set either to 450 or 550 °C, was shown to have an effect on adhesion and cohesion strength, but it does not influence residual stress in the coating. To assess cold spray perspectives for additive manufacturing, flat tensile specimens were machined from coating and tested in as-sprayed and heat-treated (solution treatment and aging) condition. Tensile properties of the coating after the treatment correspond to properties of the cast A357-T61 aluminum alloy. Finally, fatigue specimen was proposed to test overall performance of the coating and coating's fatigue limit is compared to the results obtained on cast A357-T61 aluminum alloy.

A comparison between Gauss-Newton and Markov chain Monte Carlo basedmethods for inverting spectral induced polarization data for Cole-Coleparameters

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

Chen, Jinsong; Kemna, Andreas; Hubbard, Susan S.

2008-05-15

We develop a Bayesian model to invert spectral induced polarization (SIP) data for Cole-Cole parameters using Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) sampling methods. We compare the performance of the MCMC based stochastic method with an iterative Gauss-Newton based deterministic method for Cole-Cole parameter estimation through inversion of synthetic and laboratory SIP data. The Gauss-Newton based method can provide an optimal solution for given objective functions under constraints, but the obtained optimal solution generally depends on the choice of initial values and the estimated uncertainty information is often inaccurate or insufficient. In contrast, the MCMC based inversion method provides extensive globalmore » information on unknown parameters, such as the marginal probability distribution functions, from which we can obtain better estimates and tighter uncertainty bounds of the parameters than with the deterministic method. Additionally, the results obtained with the MCMC method are independent of the choice of initial values. Because the MCMC based method does not explicitly offer single optimal solution for given objective functions, the deterministic and stochastic methods can complement each other. For example, the stochastic method can first be used to obtain the means of the unknown parameters by starting from an arbitrary set of initial values and the deterministic method can then be initiated using the means as starting values to obtain the optimal estimates of the Cole-Cole parameters.« less

40 CFR 1515.10 - Obtaining available information.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 34 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Obtaining available information. 1515.10 Section 1515.10 Protection of Environment COUNCIL ON ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT PROCEDURES Availability of Information § 1515.10 Obtaining available information. (a) When a...

College Students' Health Information Activities on Facebook: Investigating the Impacts of Health Topic Sensitivity, Information Sources, and Demographics.

PubMed

Syn, Sue Yeon; Kim, Sung Un

2016-07-01

College students tend to lack access to health information. Because social networking sites (SNSs) are popularly adopted by college students, SNSs are considered to be good media channels for college students to obtain health-related information. This study examines the factors that influence college students' health information-seeking and -sharing activities on Facebook. An online survey was distributed to college students between the ages of 18 and 29 to determine intentions pertaining to health information activities according to the factors identified for the study. The factors included both contextual factors (such as health topic sensitivity and health information sources) as well as user factors (such as demographics). Our findings showed that college students are willing to read and post health-related information on Facebook when the health topic is not sensitive. In addition, there are clear differences in preferences between professional sources and personal sources as health information sources. It was found that most user factors, except gender, have no influence on health information activities. The impacts of SNS contexts, awareness of information sources, types of interlocutors, and privacy concerns are further discussed.

The Social Costs of Ubiquitous Information: Consuming Information on Mobile Phones Is Associated with Lower Trust.

PubMed

Kushlev, Kostadin; Proulx, Jason D E

2016-01-01

In an age already saturated with information, the ongoing revolution in mobile computing has expanded the realm of immediate information access far beyond our homes and offices. In addition to changing where people can access information, mobile computing has changed what information people access-from finding specific directions to a restaurant to exploring nearby businesses when on the go. Does this ability to instantly gratify our information needs anytime and anywhere have any bearing on how much we trust those around us-from neighbors to strangers? Using data from a large nationally representative survey (World Values Survey: Wave 6), we found that the more people relied on their mobile phones for information, the less they trusted strangers, neighbors and people from other religions and nationalities. In contrast, obtaining information through any other method-including TV, radio, newspapers, and even the Internet more broadly-predicted higher trust in those groups. Mobile information had no bearing on how much people trusted close others, such as their family. Although causality cannot be inferred, these findings provide an intriguing first glimpse into the possible unforeseen costs of convenient information access for the social lubricant of society-our sense of trust in one another.

3D TOCSY-HSQC NMR for metabolic flux analysis using non-uniform sampling

DOE PAGES

Reardon, Patrick N.; Marean-Reardon, Carrie L.; Bukovec, Melanie A.; ...

2016-02-05

13C-Metabolic Flux Analysis ( 13C-MFA) is rapidly being recognized as the authoritative method for determining fluxes through metabolic networks. Site-specific 13C enrichment information obtained using NMR spectroscopy is a valuable input for 13C-MFA experiments. Chemical shift overlaps in the 1D or 2D NMR experiments typically used for 13C-MFA frequently hinder assignment and quantitation of site-specific 13C enrichment. Here we propose the use of a 3D TOCSY-HSQC experiment for 13C-MFA. We employ Non-Uniform Sampling (NUS) to reduce the acquisition time of the experiment to a few hours, making it practical for use in 13C-MFA experiments. Our data show that the NUSmore » experiment is linear and quantitative. Identification of metabolites in complex mixtures, such as a biomass hydrolysate, is simplified by virtue of the 13C chemical shift obtained in the experiment. In addition, the experiment reports 13C-labeling information that reveals the position specific labeling of subsets of isotopomers. As a result, the information provided by this technique will enable more accurate estimation of metabolic fluxes in larger metabolic networks.« less

Study on polarization image methods in turbid medium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fu, Qiang; Mo, Chunhe; Liu, Boyu; Duan, Jin; Zhang, Su; Zhu, Yong

2014-11-01

Polarization imaging detection technology in addition to the traditional imaging information, also can get polarization multi-dimensional information, thus improve the probability of target detection and recognition.Image fusion in turbid medium target polarization image research, is helpful to obtain high quality images. Based on visible light wavelength of light wavelength of laser polarization imaging, through the rotation Angle of polaroid get corresponding linear polarized light intensity, respectively to obtain the concentration range from 5% to 10% of turbid medium target stocks of polarization parameters, introduces the processing of image fusion technology, main research on access to the polarization of the image by using different polarization image fusion methods for image processing, discusses several kinds of turbid medium has superior performance of polarization image fusion method, and gives the treatment effect and analysis of data tables. Then use pixel level, feature level and decision level fusion algorithm on three levels of information fusion, DOLP polarization image fusion, the results show that: with the increase of the polarization Angle, polarization image will be more and more fuzzy, quality worse and worse. Than a single fused image contrast of the image be improved obviously, the finally analysis on reasons of the increase the image contrast and polarized light.

Evaluation of the Sensitivity and Signal Response of the DT-702 LiF:Mg,Cu,P TLD

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-06-27

energy stored from the radiation interactions that occurs prior to the TLD being read. Electrons can absorb additional energy from sources other...thermoluminescent dosimetry , annealing is the 24 process used to clear any radiation exposure information from a TLD , preparing it for reuse...702 four-chip TLDs were obtained from the Naval Dosimetry Center (NDC), Bethesda, MD. Each card was tested by Thermo prior to delivery to NDC to

CVT/GPL phase 3 integrated testing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shurney, R. E.; Cantrell, E.; Maybee, G.; Schmitt, S.

1975-01-01

The hardware for 20 candidate shuttle program life sciences experiments was installed in the GPL and experiments were conducted during a 5-day simulated mission. The experiments involved humans, primates, rats, chickens, and marigold plants. All experiments were completed to the satisfaction of the experimenters. In addition to the scientific data gathered for each experiment, information was obtained concerning experiment hardware design and integration, experiment procedures, GPL support systems, and test operations. The results of the integrated tests are presented.

Energy Materials Coordinating Committee (EMaCC). Annual technical report, Fiscal Year 2001

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

None, None

2002-08-01

The DOE Energy Materials Coordinating Committee (EMaCC) serves primarily to enhance coordination among the Department's materials programs and to further effective use of materials expertise within the Department. These functions are accomplished through the exchange of budgetary and planning information among program managers and through technical meetings/workshops on selected topics involving both DOE and major contractors. In addition, EMaCC assists in obtaining materials-related inputs for both intra- and interagency compilations.

Fungal synthesis of size-defined nanoparticles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zielonka, Aleksandra; Klimek-Ochab, Magdalena

2017-12-01

Fungi with metabolic capacities can efficiently synthesize a wide range of nanoparticles (NPs). This biotransformation process and its product have extensive applications especially for industry, agriculture and medicine, where NPs size and shape is essential and can be defined by specific analytical methods. Fungi cultivation and further bioconversion can be fully controlled to obtain the desired nanoparticles. Additionally, this review provides information about the fungus F. oxysporum, which is able to synthesize the largest amount of different types of NPs.

48 CFR 209.105-1 - Obtaining information.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... Performance Information Retrieval System (PPIRS), available at http://www.ppirs.gov. Information relating to... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 3 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Obtaining information. 209....105-1 Obtaining information. (1) For guidance on using the System for Award Management Exclusions, see...

Color Restoration of RGBN Multispectral Filter Array Sensor Images Based on Spectral Decomposition.

PubMed

Park, Chulhee; Kang, Moon Gi

2016-05-18

A multispectral filter array (MSFA) image sensor with red, green, blue and near-infrared (NIR) filters is useful for various imaging applications with the advantages that it obtains color information and NIR information simultaneously. Because the MSFA image sensor needs to acquire invisible band information, it is necessary to remove the IR cut-offfilter (IRCF). However, without the IRCF, the color of the image is desaturated by the interference of the additional NIR component of each RGB color channel. To overcome color degradation, a signal processing approach is required to restore natural color by removing the unwanted NIR contribution to the RGB color channels while the additional NIR information remains in the N channel. Thus, in this paper, we propose a color restoration method for an imaging system based on the MSFA image sensor with RGBN filters. To remove the unnecessary NIR component in each RGB color channel, spectral estimation and spectral decomposition are performed based on the spectral characteristics of the MSFA sensor. The proposed color restoration method estimates the spectral intensity in NIR band and recovers hue and color saturation by decomposing the visible band component and the NIR band component in each RGB color channel. The experimental results show that the proposed method effectively restores natural color and minimizes angular errors.

Using routine diagnostic data as a method of surveillance of arboviral infection in travellers: a comparative analysis with a focus on dengue.

PubMed

Cleton, Natalie; Reusken, Chantal; Murk, Jean-Luc; de Jong, Menno; Reimerink, Johan; van der Eijk, Annemiek; Koopmans, Marion

2014-01-01

In a large part of the developing world, limited infectious disease surveillance is performed. In laboratory information management systems data on diagnostic requests is available and may be amenable to trend analyses. We explored this potential, using DENV diagnostic requests as a model. Test results and anonymised information provided by clinicians were received for 8942 patients from diagnostic centres in the Netherlands from January 2000 to May 2011. The data were evaluated for completeness of a predefined minimal dataset and trends in DENV positive results by travel destination. Population travel data were obtained from a commercial registry, and dengue case notification data by country from WHO DengueNet. Vaccination history was rarely reported (0.4%); travel destination was completed for 42% of requests; trends in diagnostic requests and IgM positive tests for this subset correlated to the WHO DENV notifications for the three main travel destinations, with some discrepancies. Additionally, this approach may provide information on disease outbreaks with other pathogens causing diseases clinically similar to DENV. PCR data proved to be insufficient for trend monitoring by country. This approach is not straightforward, but shows potential for use as a source of additional information for surveillance of disease. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The role of fine-grained annotations in supervised recognition of risk factors for heart disease from EHRs.

PubMed

Roberts, Kirk; Shooshan, Sonya E; Rodriguez, Laritza; Abhyankar, Swapna; Kilicoglu, Halil; Demner-Fushman, Dina

2015-12-01

This paper describes a supervised machine learning approach for identifying heart disease risk factors in clinical text, and assessing the impact of annotation granularity and quality on the system's ability to recognize these risk factors. We utilize a series of support vector machine models in conjunction with manually built lexicons to classify triggers specific to each risk factor. The features used for classification were quite simple, utilizing only lexical information and ignoring higher-level linguistic information such as syntax and semantics. Instead, we incorporated high-quality data to train the models by annotating additional information on top of a standard corpus. Despite the relative simplicity of the system, it achieves the highest scores (micro- and macro-F1, and micro- and macro-recall) out of the 20 participants in the 2014 i2b2/UTHealth Shared Task. This system obtains a micro- (macro-) precision of 0.8951 (0.8965), recall of 0.9625 (0.9611), and F1-measure of 0.9276 (0.9277). Additionally, we perform a series of experiments to assess the value of the annotated data we created. These experiments show how manually-labeled negative annotations can improve information extraction performance, demonstrating the importance of high-quality, fine-grained natural language annotations. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Color Restoration of RGBN Multispectral Filter Array Sensor Images Based on Spectral Decomposition

PubMed Central

Park, Chulhee; Kang, Moon Gi

2016-01-01

A multispectral filter array (MSFA) image sensor with red, green, blue and near-infrared (NIR) filters is useful for various imaging applications with the advantages that it obtains color information and NIR information simultaneously. Because the MSFA image sensor needs to acquire invisible band information, it is necessary to remove the IR cut-offfilter (IRCF). However, without the IRCF, the color of the image is desaturated by the interference of the additional NIR component of each RGB color channel. To overcome color degradation, a signal processing approach is required to restore natural color by removing the unwanted NIR contribution to the RGB color channels while the additional NIR information remains in the N channel. Thus, in this paper, we propose a color restoration method for an imaging system based on the MSFA image sensor with RGBN filters. To remove the unnecessary NIR component in each RGB color channel, spectral estimation and spectral decomposition are performed based on the spectral characteristics of the MSFA sensor. The proposed color restoration method estimates the spectral intensity in NIR band and recovers hue and color saturation by decomposing the visible band component and the NIR band component in each RGB color channel. The experimental results show that the proposed method effectively restores natural color and minimizes angular errors. PMID:27213381

Use of retailer fidelity card schemes in the assessment of food additive intake: Sunset Yellow a case study.

PubMed

Sardi, M; Haldemann, Y; Nordmann, H; Bottex, B; Safford, B; Smith, B; Tennant, D; Howlett, J; Jasti, P R

2010-11-01

The feasibility of using a retailer fidelity card scheme to estimate food additive intake was investigated using the Swiss retailer MIGROS's Cumulus Card and the example of the food colour Sunset Yellow (E 110). Information held within the card scheme was used to identify a sample of households purchasing foods containing Sunset Yellow over a 15 day period. A sample of 1204 households was selected for interview, of which 830 households were retained in the study following interview. Interviews were conducted to establish household structure, patterns of consumption by different individuals within the household, and the proportion of foods containing Sunset Yellow habitually purchased at the retailer and/or consumed outside the home. Information provided by the retailer on levels of Sunset Yellow in the foods was combined with the information obtained at interview to calculate the per-capita intake of Sunset Yellow by members of participating households. More than 99% of consumers (n = 1902) of foods containing Sunset Yellow were estimated to consume less than 1 mg Sunset Yellow kg(-1) body weight day(-1). The method proved to be a simple and resource-efficient approach to estimate food additive intake on the basis of actual consumer behaviour and thus reports results more closely related to the actual consumption of foods by individuals.

A movie of the RNA polymerase nucleotide addition cycle.

PubMed

Brueckner, Florian; Ortiz, Julio; Cramer, Patrick

2009-06-01

During gene transcription, RNA polymerase (Pol) passes through repetitive cycles of adding a nucleotide to the growing mRNA chain. Here we obtained a movie of the nucleotide addition cycle by combining structural information on different functional states of the Pol II elongation complex (EC). The movie illustrates the two-step loading of the nucleoside triphosphate (NTP) substrate, closure of the active site for catalytic nucleotide incorporation, and the presumed two-step translocation of DNA and RNA, which is accompanied by coordinated conformational changes in the polymerase bridge helix and trigger loop. The movie facilitates teaching and a mechanistic analysis of transcription and can be downloaded from http://www.lmb.uni-muenchen.de/cramer/pr-materials.

Enhancement of event related potentials by iterative restoration algorithms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pomalaza-Raez, Carlos A.; McGillem, Clare D.

1986-12-01

An iterative procedure for the restoration of event related potentials (ERP) is proposed and implemented. The method makes use of assumed or measured statistical information about latency variations in the individual ERP components. The signal model used for the restoration algorithm consists of a time-varying linear distortion and a positivity/negativity constraint. Additional preprocessing in the form of low-pass filtering is needed in order to mitigate the effects of additive noise. Numerical results obtained with real data show clearly the presence of enhanced and regenerated components in the restored ERP's. The procedure is easy to implement which makes it convenient when compared to other proposed techniques for the restoration of ERP signals.

Survey of Slaughtered Pigs for Occurrence of Ochratoxin A and Porcine Nephropathy in Serbia

PubMed Central

Milićević, Dragan; Jurić, Verica; Stefanović, Srđan; Jovanović, Milijan; Janković, Saša

2008-01-01

Samples of blood, kidney and liver were randomly selected from slaughtered pigs (n=90) and analyzed for ochratoxin A by HPLC. In addition, in order to obtain information on the occurrence of nephropathy, histological examinations were carried out. Of the 90 liver samples, 26.6% contained OTA in the range of 0.22–14.5 ng/g. The incidence of OTA in serum and kidney were very similar (31%, 33.3%), with a maximum concentration of 220.8 ng/mL, and 52.5 ng/g, respectively. Histopathological examination of kidneys confirmed tubulopathies with edema and cell vacuolization. In addition, hemorrhages and necrosis of proximal kidney tubules’ cells were found. PMID:19330066

Where Non-Science Majors Get Information about Science and How They Rate that Information

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buxner, Sanlyn; Impey, Chris; Nieberding, Megan; Romine, James

2014-11-01

College non-science major courses represent one of the last science courses many students will ever take. We report on a study of 400 undergraduate non-majors students enrolled in introductory astronomy courses at the University of Arizona to gain insight into where they get their information about science and their perception of that information. Students completed an online survey during the 2013-2014 school year. In addition to demographic information, students reported where they obtained information about science when they want to know something both for their own knowledge as well as information for a course assignment. They reported their interest in different science topics, rated the reliability of different sources of information, and reported how important science was to their life, including their future career choice.Overall, students reported getting information from a variety of online sources when looking up a topic for their own knowledge, including internet searches (71%), Wikipedia (46%), and online science sites (e.g. NASA) (45%). When asked where they got information for course assignments, most reported from assigned readings (82%) but a large percentage still reported getting information from online sources such as internet searches (60%), Wikipedia (30%) and online science sites (e.g. NASA) (20%). Overall, students rated professors/teachers and textbooks at the most reliable sources of scientific information and rated social media sites, blogs and Wikipedia as the least reliable sources of scientific information. Additionally, friends and family members were rated as less reliable sources of scientific information than similar information found on multiple websites. Students’ interest in science and self-reported knowledge in science was positively correlated. There was a significant positive correlation between those who reported that they liked science and felt that science was important to their future career. Overall, our results are giving us insights into how our non-science majors get and evaluate scientific information.

Testcross additive and dominance effects in best linear unbiased prediction of maize single-cross performance.

PubMed

Bernardo, R

1996-11-01

Best linear unbiased prediction (BLUP) has been found to be useful in maize (Zea mays L.) breeding. The advantage of including both testcross additive and dominance effects (Intralocus Model) in BLUP, rather than only testcross additive effects (Additive Model), has not been clearly demonstrated. The objective of this study was to compare the usefulness of Intralocus and Additive Models for BLUP of maize single-cross performance. Multilocation data from 1990 to 1995 were obtained from the hybrid testing program of Limagrain Genetics. Grain yield, moisture, stalk lodging, and root lodging of untested single crosses were predicted from (1) the performance of tested single crosses and (2) known genetic relationships among the parental inbreds. Correlations between predicted and observed performance were obtained with a delete-one cross-validation procedure. For the Intralocus Model, the correlations ranged from 0.50 to 0.66 for yield, 0.88 to 0.94 for moisture, 0.47 to 0.69 for stalk lodging, and 0.31 to 0.45 for root lodging. The BLUP procedure was consistently more effective with the Intralocus Model than with the Additive Model. When the Additive Model was used instead of the Intralocus Model, the reductions in the correlation were largest for root lodging (0.06-0.35), smallest for moisture (0.00-0.02), and intermediate for yield (0.02-0.06) and stalk lodging (0.02-0.08). The ratio of dominance variance (v D) to total genetic variance (v G) was highest for root lodging (0.47) and lowest for moisture (0.10). The Additive Model may be used if prior information indicates that VD for a given trait has little contribution to VG. Otherwise, the continued use of the Intralocus Model for BLUP of single-cross performance is recommended.

48 CFR 209.105-1 - Obtaining information.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... Information Retrieval System (PPIRS), available at http://www.ppirs.gov. Information relating to contract... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 3 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Obtaining information. 209....105-1 Obtaining information. (1) For guidance on using the Excluded Parties List System, see PGI 209...

48 CFR 209.105-1 - Obtaining information.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... Information Retrieval System (PPIRS), available at http://www.ppirs.gov. Information relating to contract... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 3 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Obtaining information. 209....105-1 Obtaining information. (1) For guidance on using the Excluded Parties List System, see PGI 209...

48 CFR 209.105-1 - Obtaining information.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... Information Retrieval System (PPIRS), available at http://www.ppirs.gov. Information relating to contract... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 3 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Obtaining information. 209....105-1 Obtaining information. (1) For guidance on using the Excluded Parties List System, see PGI 209...

QUANTITATIVE PLUTONIUM MICRODISTRIBUTION IN BONE TISSUE OF VERTEBRA FROM A MAYAK WORKER

PubMed Central

Lyovkina, Yekaterina V.; Miller, Scott C.; Romanov, Sergey A.; Krahenbuhl, Melinda P.; Belosokhov, Maxim V.

2010-01-01

The purpose was to obtain quantitative data on plutonium microdistribution in different structural elements of human bone tissue for local dose assessment and dosimetric models validation. A sample of the thoracic vertebra was obtained from a former Mayak worker with a rather high plutonium burden. Additional information was obtained on occupational and exposure history, medical history, and measured plutonium content in organs. Plutonium was detected in bone sections from its fission tracks in polycarbonate film using neutron-induced autoradiography. Quantitative analysis of randomly selected microscopic fields on one of the autoradiographs was performed. Data included fission fragment tracks in different bone tissue and surface areas. Quantitative information on plutonium microdistribution in human bone tissue was obtained for the first time. From these data, quantitative relationship of plutonium decays in bone volume to decays on bone surface in cortical and trabecular fractions were defined as 2.0 and 0.4, correspondingly. The measured quantitative relationship of decays in bone volume to decays on bone surface does not coincide with recommended models for the cortical bone fraction by the International Commission on Radiological Protection. Biokinetic model parameters of extrapulmonary compartments might need to be adjusted after expansion of the data set on quantitative plutonium microdistribution in other bone types in human as well as other cases with different exposure patterns and types of plutonium. PMID:20838087

Application of Laser Imaging for Bio/geophysical Studies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hummel, J. R.; Goltz, S. M.; Depiero, N. L.; Degloria, D. P.; Pagliughi, F. M.

1992-01-01

SPARTA, Inc. has developed a low-cost, portable laser imager that, among other applications, can be used in bio/geophysical applications. In the application to be discussed here, the system was utilized as an imaging system for background features in a forested locale. The SPARTA mini-ladar system was used at the International Paper Northern Experimental Forest near Howland, Maine to assist in a project designed to study the thermal and radiometric phenomenology at forest edges. The imager was used to obtain data from three complex sites, a 'seed' orchard, a forest edge, and a building. The goal of the study was to demonstrate the usefulness of the laser imager as a tool to obtain geometric and internal structure data about complex 3-D objects in a natural background. The data from these images have been analyzed to obtain information about the distributions of the objects in a scene. A range detection algorithm has been used to identify individual objects in a laser image and an edge detection algorithm then applied to highlight the outlines of discrete objects. An example of an image processed in such a manner is shown. Described here are the results from the study. In addition, results are presented outlining how the laser imaging system could be used to obtain other important information about bio/geophysical systems, such as the distribution of woody material in forests.

Illustrative case using the RISK21 roadmap and matrix: prioritization for evaluation of chemicals found in drinking water

PubMed Central

Wolf, Douglas C.; Bachman, Ammie; Barrett, Gordon; Bellin, Cheryl; Goodman, Jay I.; Jensen, Elke; Moretto, Angelo; McMullin, Tami; Pastoor, Timothy P.; Schoeny, Rita; Slezak, Brian; Wend, Korinna; Embry, Michelle R.

2016-01-01

ABSTRACT The HESI-led RISK21 effort has developed a framework supporting the use of twenty-first century technology in obtaining and using information for chemical risk assessment. This framework represents a problem formulation-based, exposure-driven, tiered data acquisition approach that leads to an informed decision on human health safety to be made when sufficient evidence is available. It provides a transparent and consistent approach to evaluate information in order to maximize the ability of assessments to inform decisions and to optimize the use of resources. To demonstrate the application of the framework’s roadmap and matrix, this case study evaluates a large number of chemicals that could be present in drinking water. The focus is to prioritize which of these should be considered for human health risk as individual contaminants. The example evaluates 20 potential drinking water contaminants, using the tiered RISK21 approach in combination with graphical representation of information at each step, using the RISK21 matrix. Utilizing the framework, 11 of the 20 chemicals were assigned low priority based on available exposure data alone, which demonstrated that exposure was extremely low. The remaining nine chemicals were further evaluated, using refined estimates of toxicity based on readily available data, with three deemed high priority for further evaluation. In the present case study, it was determined that the greatest value of additional information would be from improved exposure models and not from additional hazard characterization. PMID:26451723

Illustrative case using the RISK21 roadmap and matrix: prioritization for evaluation of chemicals found in drinking water.

PubMed

Wolf, Douglas C; Bachman, Ammie; Barrett, Gordon; Bellin, Cheryl; Goodman, Jay I; Jensen, Elke; Moretto, Angelo; McMullin, Tami; Pastoor, Timothy P; Schoeny, Rita; Slezak, Brian; Wend, Korinna; Embry, Michelle R

2016-01-01

The HESI-led RISK21 effort has developed a framework supporting the use of twenty-first century technology in obtaining and using information for chemical risk assessment. This framework represents a problem formulation-based, exposure-driven, tiered data acquisition approach that leads to an informed decision on human health safety to be made when sufficient evidence is available. It provides a transparent and consistent approach to evaluate information in order to maximize the ability of assessments to inform decisions and to optimize the use of resources. To demonstrate the application of the framework's roadmap and matrix, this case study evaluates a large number of chemicals that could be present in drinking water. The focus is to prioritize which of these should be considered for human health risk as individual contaminants. The example evaluates 20 potential drinking water contaminants, using the tiered RISK21 approach in combination with graphical representation of information at each step, using the RISK21 matrix. Utilizing the framework, 11 of the 20 chemicals were assigned low priority based on available exposure data alone, which demonstrated that exposure was extremely low. The remaining nine chemicals were further evaluated, using refined estimates of toxicity based on readily available data, with three deemed high priority for further evaluation. In the present case study, it was determined that the greatest value of additional information would be from improved exposure models and not from additional hazard characterization.

Analysis of landfills with historic airphotos

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Erb, T. L.; Philipson, W. R.; Teng, W. L.; Liang, T.

1981-01-01

An investigation is conducted regarding the value of existing aerial photographs for waste management, including landfill monitoring. The value of historic aerial photographs for documenting landfill boundaries is shown in a graph in which the expansion of an active landfill is traced over a 40-year period. Historic aerial photographs can also be analyzed to obtain general or detailed land-use and land-cover information. In addition, the photographs provide information regarding other elements of the physical environment, including geology, soils, and surface and subsurface drainage. The value of historic photos is discussed, taking into account applications for inventory, assessing contamination/health hazards, planning corrective measures, planning waste collection and facilities, developing inactive landfills, and research concerning improved land-filling operations.

Genetics and deafness: implications for education and life care of deaf students.

PubMed

Schein, Jerome D; Miller, Maurice H

2008-01-01

The severity of deafness can obscure the presence of other disabilities that may accompany genetic anomalies, such as occur in Alport and Usher syndromes. Recent advances in genetics have heightened attention to various disabilities and dysfunctions that may coexist with deafness. Failure to recognize these additional disabilities when they occur can misguide educational planning; may open the afflicted deaf person to failure to identify, diagnose, and manage potentially serious health conditions; and in some instances may even lead to loss of life. Of the many genetic conditions that have been identified, a few examples are cited to illustrate the need to inform parents, educators, and other caregivers about the importance of obtaining genetic information.

Identification of agricultural crops by computer processing of ERTS MSS data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bauer, M. E.; Cipra, J. E.

1973-01-01

Quantitative evaluation of computer-processed ERTS MSS data classifications has shown that major crop species (corn and soybeans) can be accurately identified. The classifications of satellite data over a 2000 square mile area not only covered more than 100 times the area previously covered using aircraft, but also yielded improved results through the use of temporal and spatial data in addition to the spectral information. Furthermore, training sets could be extended over far larger areas than was ever possible with aircraft scanner data. And, preliminary comparisons of acreage estimates from ERTS data and ground-based systems agreed well. The results demonstrate the potential utility of this technology for obtaining crop production information.

Status of TMI-2 instruments and electrical components

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

Helbert, H J

In the Task 1.0 section of the GEND 001 Planning Report, the Instrumentation and Electrical Equipment Survivability Planning Group (IEPG) supplied planning, guidance, and recommendations on collecting survivability data on instruments and electrical equipment involved in the March 28, 1979, accident at the Three Mile Island Unit 2 (TMI-2) Reactor. GEND 001 recommended collection of further data on the status of all the instruments and electrical equipment it listed. The current report supplies information concerning the operational status of instruments and electrical equipment listed in the Task 1.0 section of GEND 001. This document will be updated in the futuremore » as additional information is obtained.« less

Research on the method of precise alignment technology of atmospheric laser communication

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Wen-jian; Gao, Wei; Duan, Yuan-yuan; Ma, Shi-wei; Chen, Jian

2016-10-01

Atmosphere laser communication takes advantage of laser as the carrier transmitting the voice, data, and image information in the atmosphere. Because of its high reliability, strong anti-interference ability, the advantages of easy installation, it has great potential and development space in the communications field. In the process of establish communication, the capture, targeting and tracking of the communication signal is the key technology. This paper introduce a method of targeting the signal spot in the process of atmosphere laser communication, which through the way of making analog signal addition and subtraction directly and normalized to obtain the target azimuth information to drive the servo system to achieve precise alignment of tracking.

Black Hole Information Problem and Wave Bursts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gogberashvili, Merab; Pantskhava, Lasha

2018-06-01

By reexamination of the boundary conditions of wave equation on a black hole horizon it is found not harmonic, but real-valued exponentially time-dependent solutions. This means that quantum particles probably do not cross the Schwarzschild horizon, but are absorbed and some are reflected by it, what potentially can solve the famous black hole information paradox. To study this strong gravitational lensing we are introducing an effective negative cosmological constant between the Schwarzschild and photon spheres. It is shown that the reflected particles can obtain their additional energy in this effective AdS space and could explain properties of some unusually strong signals, like LIGO events, gamma ray and fast radio bursts.

MedBlock: Efficient and Secure Medical Data Sharing Via Blockchain.

PubMed

Fan, Kai; Wang, Shangyang; Ren, Yanhui; Li, Hui; Yang, Yintang

2018-06-21

With the development of electronic information technology, electronic medical records (EMRs) have been a common way to store the patients' data in hospitals. They are stored in different hospitals' databases, even for the same patient. Therefore, it is difficult to construct a summarized EMR for one patient from multiple hospital databases due to the security and privacy concerns. Meanwhile, current EMRs systems lack a standard data management and sharing policy, making it difficult for pharmaceutical scientists to develop precise medicines based on data obtained under different policies. To solve the above problems, we proposed a blockchain-based information management system, MedBlock, to handle patients' information. In this scheme, the distributed ledger of MedBlock allows the efficient EMRs access and EMRs retrieval. The improved consensus mechanism achieves consensus of EMRs without large energy consumption and network congestion. In addition, MedBlock also exhibits high information security combining the customized access control protocols and symmetric cryptography. MedBlock can play an important role in the sensitive medical information sharing.

Health and medication information resources on the World Wide Web.

PubMed

Grossman, Sara; Zerilli, Tina

2013-04-01

Health care practitioners have increasingly used the Internet to obtain health and medication information. The vast number of Internet Web sites providing such information and concerns with their reliability makes it essential for users to carefully select and evaluate Web sites prior to use. To this end, this article reviews the general principles to consider in this process. Moreover, as cost may limit access to subscription-based health and medication information resources with established reputability, freely accessible online resources that may serve as an invaluable addition to one's reference collection are highlighted. These include government- and organization-sponsored resources (eg, US Food and Drug Administration Web site and the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists' Drug Shortage Resource Center Web site, respectively) as well as commercial Web sites (eg, Medscape, Google Scholar). Familiarity with such online resources can assist health care professionals in their ability to efficiently navigate the Web and may potentially expedite the information gathering and decision-making process, thereby improving patient care.

Disclosure 'downunder': misadventures in Australian genetic privacy law.

PubMed

Bonython, Wendy; Arnold, Bruce

2014-03-01

Along with many jurisdictions, Australia is struggling with the unique issues raised by genetic information in the context of privacy laws and medical ethics. Although the consequences of disclosure of most private information are generally confined to individuals, disclosure of genetic information has far-reaching consequences, with a credible argument that genetic relatives have a right to know about potential medical conditions. In 2006, the Privacy Act was amended to permit disclosure of an individual's genetic information, without their consent, to genetic relatives, if it was to avoid or mitigate serious illness. Unfortunately, additional amendments required for operation of the disclosure amendment were overlooked. Public Interest Determinations (PIDs)-delegated legislation issued by the privacy commissioner-have, instead, been used to exempt healthcare providers from provisions which would otherwise make disclosure unlawful. This paper critiques the PIDs using documents obtained under the Freedom of Information Act-specifically the impact of both the PIDs and the disclosure amendment on patients and relatives-and confidentiality and the procedural validity of subordinate laws regulating medical privacy.

dCITE: Measuring Necessary Cladistic Information Can Help You Reduce Polytomy Artefacts in Trees.

PubMed

Wise, Michael J

2016-01-01

Biologists regularly create phylogenetic trees to better understand the evolutionary origins of their species of interest, and often use genomes as their data source. However, as more and more incomplete genomes are published, in many cases it may not be possible to compute genome-based phylogenetic trees due to large gaps in the assembled sequences. In addition, comparison of complete genomes may not even be desirable due to the presence of horizontally acquired and homologous genes. A decision must therefore be made about which gene, or gene combinations, should be used to compute a tree. Deflated Cladistic Information based on Total Entropy (dCITE) is proposed as an easily computed metric for measuring the cladistic information in multiple sequence alignments representing a range of taxa, without the need to first compute the corresponding trees. dCITE scores can be used to rank candidate genes or decide whether input sequences provide insufficient cladistic information, making artefactual polytomies more likely. The dCITE method can be applied to protein, nucleotide or encoded phenotypic data, so can be used to select which data-type is most appropriate, given the choice. In a series of experiments the dCITE method was compared with related measures. Then, as a practical demonstration, the ideas developed in the paper were applied to a dataset representing species from the order Campylobacterales; trees based on sequence combinations, selected on the basis of their dCITE scores, were compared with a tree constructed to mimic Multi-Locus Sequence Typing (MLST) combinations of fragments. We see that the greater the dCITE score the more likely it is that the computed phylogenetic tree will be free of artefactual polytomies. Secondly, cladistic information saturates, beyond which little additional cladistic information can be obtained by adding additional sequences. Finally, sequences with high cladistic information produce more consistent trees for the same taxa.

dCITE: Measuring Necessary Cladistic Information Can Help You Reduce Polytomy Artefacts in Trees

PubMed Central

2016-01-01

Biologists regularly create phylogenetic trees to better understand the evolutionary origins of their species of interest, and often use genomes as their data source. However, as more and more incomplete genomes are published, in many cases it may not be possible to compute genome-based phylogenetic trees due to large gaps in the assembled sequences. In addition, comparison of complete genomes may not even be desirable due to the presence of horizontally acquired and homologous genes. A decision must therefore be made about which gene, or gene combinations, should be used to compute a tree. Deflated Cladistic Information based on Total Entropy (dCITE) is proposed as an easily computed metric for measuring the cladistic information in multiple sequence alignments representing a range of taxa, without the need to first compute the corresponding trees. dCITE scores can be used to rank candidate genes or decide whether input sequences provide insufficient cladistic information, making artefactual polytomies more likely. The dCITE method can be applied to protein, nucleotide or encoded phenotypic data, so can be used to select which data-type is most appropriate, given the choice. In a series of experiments the dCITE method was compared with related measures. Then, as a practical demonstration, the ideas developed in the paper were applied to a dataset representing species from the order Campylobacterales; trees based on sequence combinations, selected on the basis of their dCITE scores, were compared with a tree constructed to mimic Multi-Locus Sequence Typing (MLST) combinations of fragments. We see that the greater the dCITE score the more likely it is that the computed phylogenetic tree will be free of artefactual polytomies. Secondly, cladistic information saturates, beyond which little additional cladistic information can be obtained by adding additional sequences. Finally, sequences with high cladistic information produce more consistent trees for the same taxa. PMID:27898695

Evaluation of MR imaging with T1 and T2* mapping for the determination of hepatic iron overload.

PubMed

Henninger, B; Kremser, C; Rauch, S; Eder, R; Zoller, H; Finkenstedt, A; Michaely, H J; Schocke, M

2012-11-01

To evaluate MRI using T1 and T2* mapping sequences in patients with suspected hepatic iron overload (HIO). Twenty-five consecutive patients with clinically suspected HIO were retrospectively studied. All underwent MRI and liver biopsy. For the quantification of liver T2* values we used a fat-saturated multi-echo gradient echo sequence with 12 echoes (TR = 200 ms, TE = 0.99 ms +  n × 1.41 ms, flip angle 20°). T1 values were obtained using a fast T1 mapping sequence based on an inversion recovery snapshot FLASH sequence. Parameter maps were analysed using regions of interest. ROC analysis calculated cut-off points at 10.07 ms and 15.47 ms for T2* in the determination of HIO with accuracy 88 %/88 %, sensitivity 84 %/89.5 % and specificity 100 %/83 %. MRI correctly classified 20 patients (80 %). All patients with HIO only had decreased T1 and T2* relaxation times. There was a significant difference in T1 between patients with HIO only and patients with HIO and steatohepatitis (P = 0.018). MRI-based T2* relaxation diagnoses HIO very accurately, even at low iron concentrations. Important additional information may be obtained by the combination of T1 and T2* mapping. It is a rapid, non-invasive, accurate and reproducible technique for validating the evidence of even low hepatic iron concentrations. • Hepatic iron overload causes fibrosis, cirrhosis and increases hepatocellular carcinoma risk. • MRI detects iron because of the field heterogeneity generated by haemosiderin. • T2* relaxation is very accurate in diagnosing hepatic iron overload. • Additional information may be obtained by T1 and T2* mapping.

Benefits of rotational ground motions for planetary seismology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Donner, S.; Joshi, R.; Hadziioannou, C.; Nunn, C.; van Driel, M.; Schmelzbach, C.; Wassermann, J. M.; Igel, H.

2017-12-01

Exploring the internal structure of planetary objects is fundamental to understand the evolution of our solar system. In contrast to Earth, planetary seismology is hampered by the limited number of stations available, often just a single one. Classic seismology is based on the measurement of three components of translational ground motion. Its methods are mainly developed for a larger number of available stations. Therefore, the application of classical seismological methods to other planets is very limited. Here, we show that the additional measurement of three components of rotational ground motion could substantially improve the situation. From sparse or single station networks measuring translational and rotational ground motions it is possible to obtain additional information on structure and source. This includes direct information on local subsurface seismic velocities, separation of seismic phases, propagation direction of seismic energy, crustal scattering properties, as well as moment tensor source parameters for regional sources. The potential of this methodology will be highlighted through synthetic forward and inverse modeling experiments.

Internet Use for Health-Care Information by Subjects With COPD.

PubMed

Delgado, Cionéia K; Gazzotti, Mariana R; Santoro, Ilka L; Carvalho, Andrea K; Jardim, José R; Nascimento, Oliver A

2015-09-01

Although the internet is an important tool for entertainment, work, learning, shopping, and communication, it is also a possible source for information on health and disease. The aim of this study was to evaluate the proportion of subjects with COPD in São Paulo, Brazil, who use the internet to obtain information about their disease. Subjects (N = 382) with COPD answered a 17-question survey, including information regarding computer use, internet access, and searching for sites on COPD. Our sample was distributed according to the socioeconomic levels of the Brazilian population (low, 17.8%; medium, 66.5%; and high, 15.7%). Most of the subjects in the sample were male (62.6%), with a mean age of 67.0 ± 9.9 y. According to Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) stages, 74.3% of the subjects were in stage II or III. In addition, 51.6% of the subjects had a computer, 49.7% accessed the internet, and 13.9% used it to search for information about COPD. The internet was predominantly accessed by male (70.3%) and younger (64.6 ± 9.5 y of age) subjects compared with female (29.7%, P = .04) and older (67.5 ± 9.6 y of age, P < .007) subjects. Searching for information about COPD on the internet was associated with having a computer (5.9-fold), Medical Research Council dyspnea level 1 (5.3-fold), and high social class (8.4-fold). The search for information on COPD was not influenced by GOLD staging. A low percentage of subjects with COPD in São Paulo use the internet as a tool to obtain information about their disease. This search is associated with having a computer, low dyspnea score, and high socioeconomic level. Copyright © 2015 by Daedalus Enterprises.

Two-dimensional scanning high-energy particle diagnostic system in Large Helical Device

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ozaki, T.; Goncharov, P.; Sudo, S.; Shoji, M.; Kawahata, K.; Kaneko, O.; Murakami, S.

2004-10-01

A high-energy neutral particle measurement is one of the important diagnostics for ion temperature and high-energy particle confinement analysis. The neutral particle analyzer in the large helical device is capable of wide range scanning as a feature. We have obtained various data using the horizontal scan of the analyzer. Recently, in addition to the horizontal scan, a high-speed perpendicular scan became possible which enables acquisition of new information in the poloidal direction. Two stainless blocks are set on the opposite sides of the chain in order to balance the weight (700 kg) of the analyzer and reduce the load for the motor. Therefore a very high scan speed of 1°/s can be obtained. The scanning speed is 1°/s. By adding the vertical scan, the ion temperature profile and the radial variation of the signal loss associated with the resonant loss was obtained in preliminary experimental results.

Transitioning From Medicaid Disability Coverage to Long-Term Medicare Coverage: The Case of People Living With HIV/AIDS in California.

PubMed

Comulada, Warren S; Desmond, Katherine A; Gildner, Jennifer L; Leibowitz, Arleen A

2017-02-01

Medicaid can serve as a bridge to Medicare coverage for the long-term disabled with sufficient covered work experience. We perform multinomial logistic regression on 2007-2010 Medicare and Medicaid claims data to examine transitions to Medicare for people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) in California who had Medicaid coverage in 2007. We find only 16% had obtained Medicare coverage by 2010. African-Americans, women, individuals with schizophrenia diagnoses, alcohol or substance abuse disorders, and any physical comorbidity were significantly less likely than others to obtain Medicare (p < 0.001). This study contributes new information on the impact of eligibility requirements for Medicare long-term disability insurance for PLWHA. About one-third of PLWHA under age 65 are covered by Medicaid. Many PLWHA get stuck in Medicaid because their disability prevents them from obtaining the additional employment experience needed to qualify for Medicare.

A study of ion composition and dynamics at Comet Halley

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shelley, E. G.; Fuselier, S. A.

1991-01-01

This report details the participation by Lockheed co-investigators in the reduction, analysis, and interpretation of data obtained by the Ion Mass Spectrometer onboard the Giotto mission to Comet Halley. The data analysis activities and much of the scientific collaboration was shared by this team. One objective of the effort under this contract was to use data obtained by the Giotto Ion Mass Spectrometer (IMS) during the encounter with comet Halley for the purpose of advancing our understanding of the chemistry and physics of the interaction of the solar wind with comets and obtaining new information on the comet's composition. An additional objective was to make this unique data set available in a format which can be easily used by the reset of the cometary science community for other analysis in the future. The IMS has two sensors: the High Intensity Spectrometer (HIS) and the High Energy Range Spectrometer (HERS).

TRANSITIONING FROM MEDICAID DISABILITY COVERAGE TO LONG-TERM MEDICARE COVERAGE: THE CASE OF PEOPLE LIVING WITH HIV/AIDS IN CALIFORNIA

PubMed Central

Comulada, Warren S.; Desmond, Katherine A.; Gildner, Jennifer L.; Leibowitz, Arleen A

2017-01-01

Medicaid can serve as a bridge to Medicare coverage for the long-term disabled with sufficient covered work experience. We perform multinomial logistic regression on 2007–2010 Medicare and Medicaid claims data to examine transitions to Medicare for people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) in California who had Medicaid coverage in 2007. We find only 16% had obtained Medicare coverage by 2010. African-Americans, women, individuals with schizophrenia diagnoses, alcohol or substance abuse disorders, and any physical comorbidity were significantly less likely than others to obtain Medicare (p < 0.001). This study contributes new information on the impact of eligibility requirements for Medicare long-term disability insurance for PLWHA. About one-third of PLWHA under age 65 are covered by Medicaid. Many PLWHA get stuck in Medicaid because their disability prevents them from obtaining the additional employment experience needed to qualify for Medicare. PMID:28195778