20 CFR 1001.123 - Performance standards governing the assignment and role of Local Veterans' Employment...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... assigned by each State agency administrator as a full-time or part-time LVER in each SDP in accordance with... need is granted by the ASVET, and (2) At least one part-time LVER whose time shall be devoted to... criteria for full-time LVERs in paragraph (a)(1) of this section. (b) Additional full-time or part-time...

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

PubMed

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

2010-01-01

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

46 CFR 62.50-30 - Additional requirements for periodically unattended machinery plants.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... automatically and continuously charged. (e) Assistance-needed alarm. The engineer's assistance-needed alarm (see... period of time necessary for an engineer to respond at the ECC from the machinery spaces or engineers... engineers' accommodations. Other than fire or flooding alarms, this may be accomplished by summarized visual...

46 CFR 62.50-30 - Additional requirements for periodically unattended machinery plants.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... automatically and continuously charged. (e) Assistance-needed alarm. The engineer's assistance-needed alarm (see... period of time necessary for an engineer to respond at the ECC from the machinery spaces or engineers... engineers' accommodations. Other than fire or flooding alarms, this may be accomplished by summarized visual...

46 CFR 62.50-30 - Additional requirements for periodically unattended machinery plants.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... automatically and continuously charged. (e) Assistance-needed alarm. The engineer's assistance-needed alarm (see... period of time necessary for an engineer to respond at the ECC from the machinery spaces or engineers... engineers' accommodations. Other than fire or flooding alarms, this may be accomplished by summarized visual...

46 CFR 62.50-30 - Additional requirements for periodically unattended machinery plants.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... automatically and continuously charged. (e) Assistance-needed alarm. The engineer's assistance-needed alarm (see... period of time necessary for an engineer to respond at the ECC from the machinery spaces or engineers... engineers' accommodations. Other than fire or flooding alarms, this may be accomplished by summarized visual...

Medical simulation in interventional cardiology: "More research is needed".

PubMed

Tajti, Peter; Brilakis, Emmanouil S

2018-05-01

Medical simulation is being used for training fellows to perform coronary angiography. Medical simulation training was associated with 2 min less fluoroscopy time per case after adjustment. Whether medical simulation really works needs to be evaluated in additional, well-designed and executed clinical studies. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Capabilities needed for the next generation of thermo-hydraulic codes for use in real time applications

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

Arndt, S.A.

1997-07-01

The real-time reactor simulation field is currently at a crossroads in terms of the capability to perform real-time analysis using the most sophisticated computer codes. Current generation safety analysis codes are being modified to replace simplified codes that were specifically designed to meet the competing requirement for real-time applications. The next generation of thermo-hydraulic codes will need to have included in their specifications the specific requirement for use in a real-time environment. Use of the codes in real-time applications imposes much stricter requirements on robustness, reliability and repeatability than do design and analysis applications. In addition, the need for codemore » use by a variety of users is a critical issue for real-time users, trainers and emergency planners who currently use real-time simulation, and PRA practitioners who will increasingly use real-time simulation for evaluating PRA success criteria in near real-time to validate PRA results for specific configurations and plant system unavailabilities.« less

Count Us In. Achieving Success for Deaf Pupils. Practical Examples from Primary, Secondary, and Special Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Education, 2007

2007-01-01

"Count Us in: Achieving Success for Deaf Pupils" is a timely report. It comes when schools are becoming more confident in dealing with a wide range of additional support for learning needs. Schools are also more aware that they need to personalise experiences in order to meet pupils' learning needs. The report does point to strengths…

The Proposal Project

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pierce, Elizabeth

2007-01-01

The proposal project stretches over a significant portion of the semester-long sophomore course Professional Communication (ENG 250) at Monroe Community College. While developing their proposal project, students need to use time management skills to successfully complete a quality project on time. In addition, excellent oral and written…

Mentorship Efforts to Support Part-Time Social Work Faculty Members

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shobe, Marcia A.; Murphy-Erby, Yvette; Sparks, Jared

2014-01-01

Social work faculty experience increasing demands to develop and maintain a research portfolio that includes external funding and publications. Given the increase in research expectations, more part-time instructors are needed to teach courses. In addition to the literature review, we briefly describe a pilot part-time faculty mentorship project…

SU-F-J-32: Do We Need KV Imaging During CBCT Based Patient Set-Up for Lung Radiation Therapy?

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

Gopal, A; Zhou, J; Prado, K

Purpose: To evaluate the role of 2D kilovoltage (kV) imaging to complement cone beam CT (CBCT) imaging in a shift threshold based image guided radiation therapy (IGRT) strategy for conventional lung radiotherapy. Methods: A retrospective study was conducted by analyzing IGRT couch shift trends for 15 patients that received lung radiation therapy to evaluate the benefit of performing orthogonal kV imaging prior to CBCT imaging. Herein, a shift threshold based IGRT protocol was applied, which would mandate additional CBCT verification if the applied patient shifts exceeded 3 mm to avoid intraobserver variability in CBCT registration and to confirm table shifts.more » For each patient, two IGRT strategies: kV + CBCT and CBCT alone, were compared and the recorded patient shifts were categorized into whether additional CBCT acquisition would have been mandated or not. The effectiveness of either strategy was gauged by the likelihood of needing additional CBCT imaging for accurate patient set-up. Results: The use of CBCT alone was 6 times more likely to require an additional CBCT than KV+CBCT, for a 3 mm shift threshold (88% vs 14%). The likelihood of additional CBCT verification generally increased with lower shift thresholds, and was significantly lower when kV+CBCT was used (7% with 5 mm shift threshold, 36% with 2 mm threshold), than with CBCT alone (61% with 5 mm shift threshold, 97% with 2 mm threshold). With CBCT alone, treatment time increased by 2.2 min and dose increased by 1.9 cGy per fraction on average due to additional CBCT with a 3mm shift threshold. Conclusion: The benefit of kV imaging to screen for gross misalignments led to more accurate CBCT based patient localization compared with using CBCT alone. The subsequently reduced need for additional CBCT verification will minimize treatment time and result in less overall patient imaging dose.« less

After initial treatment for primary breast cancer: information needs, health literacy, and the role of health care workers.

PubMed

Schmidt, Anna; Ernstmann, Nicole; Wesselmann, Simone; Pfaff, Holger; Wirtz, Markus; Kowalski, Christoph

2016-02-01

After a short hospital stay of just some days follows long-term outpatient care for breast cancer patients. The aim of the study is to describe the information needs of breast cancer outpatients and to get in touch with aspects of health literacy, as well as contact various health care workers. In a multicenter study, patients were asked about their information needs 10 weeks after surgery. The analysis on hand includes data about 1248 female patients. In addition to descriptive analyses identifying the most prevalent information needs, logistic regression analyses were calculated to identify factors associated with these. The results show that information needs of breast cancer outpatients are mainly in "follow-up after acute treatment", "coping with long-term side effects", and "heredity of breast cancer". In addition to sociodemographic patient characteristics, perceived helpful contacts with various health care workers as well as a satisfactory patient's level of health literacy reduced the probability of unmet information needs. Breast cancer outpatients have numerous information needs. In addition to provide information at the right time regarding a specific disease phase, it is important that health professionals' support affected breast cancer patients in coping with the new situation.

Impact of backwashing procedures on deep bed filtration productivity in drinking water treatment.

PubMed

Slavik, Irene; Jehmlich, Alexander; Uhl, Wolfgang

2013-10-15

Backwash procedures for deep bed filters were evaluated and compared by means of a new integrated approach based on productivity. For this, different backwash procedures were experimentally evaluated by using a pilot plant for direct filtration. A standard backwash mode as applied in practice served as a reference and effluent turbidity was used as the criterion for filter run termination. The backwash water volumes needed, duration of the filter-to-waste period, time out of operation, total volume discharged and filter run-time were determined and used to calculate average filtration velocity and average productivity. Results for filter run-times, filter backwash volumes, and filter-to-waste volumes showed considerable differences between the backwash procedures. Thus, backwash procedures with additional clear flushing phases were characterised by an increased need for backwash water. However, this additional water consumption could not be compensated by savings during filter ripening. Compared to the reference backwash procedure, filter run-times were longer for both single-media and dual-media filters when air scour and air/water flush were optimised with respect to flow rates and the proportion of air and water. This means that drinking water production time is longer and less water is needed for filter bed cleaning. Also, backwashing with additional clear flushing phases resulted in longer filter run-times before turbidity breakthrough. However, regarding the productivity of the filtration process, it was shown that it was almost the same for all of the backwash procedures investigated in this study. Due to this unexpected finding, the relationships between filter bed cleaning, filter ripening and filtration performance were considered and important conclusions and new approaches for process optimisation and resource savings were derived. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Understanding the Health Needs and Barriers to Seeking Health Care of Veteran Students in the Community.

PubMed

Misra-Hebert, Anita D; Santurri, Laura; DeChant, Richard; Watts, Brook; Rothberg, Michael; Sehgal, Ashwini R; Aron, David C

2015-08-01

Access to care at Veterans Affairs facilities may be limited by long wait times; however, additional barriers may prevent US military veterans from seeking help at all. We sought to understand the health needs of veterans in the community to identify possible barriers to health-seeking behavior. Focus groups were conducted with veteran students at a community college until thematic saturation was reached. Qualitative data analysis involved both an inductive content analysis approach and deductive elements. A total of 17 veteran students participated in 6 separate focus groups. Health needs affecting health-seeking behavior were identified. Themes included lack of motivation to improve health, concern about social exclusion and stigma, social interactions and behavior, limited access to affordable and convenient health care, unmet basic needs for self and family, and academics competing with health needs. Veterans face a range of personal, societal, and logistical barriers to accessing care. In addition to decreasing wait times for appointments, efforts to improve the transition to civilian life; reduce stigma; and offer assistance related to work, housing, and convenient access to health care may improve health in veteran students.

Understanding the Health Needs and Barriers to Seeking Health Care of Veteran Students in the Community

PubMed Central

Misra-Hebert, Anita D.; Santurri, Laura; DeChant, Richard; Watts, Brook; Rothberg, Michael; Sehgal, Ashwini R.; Aron, David C.

2015-01-01

Objectives Access to care at Veterans Affairs facilities may be limited by long wait times; however, additional barriers may prevent US military veterans from seeking help at all. We sought to understand the health needs of veterans in the community to identify possible barriers to health-seeking behavior. Methods Focus groups were conducted with veteran students at a community college until thematic saturation was reached. Qualitative data analysis involved both an inductive content analysis approach and deductive elements. Results A total of 17 veteran students participated in 6 separate focus groups. Health needs affecting health-seeking behavior were identified. Themes included lack of motivation to improve health, concern about social exclusion and stigma, social interactions and behavior, limited access to affordable and convenient health care, unmet basic needs for self and family, and academics competing with health needs. Conclusions Veterans face a range of personal, societal, and logistical barriers to accessing care. In addition to decreasing wait times for appointments, efforts to improve the transition to civilian life, reduce stigma, and offer assistance related to work, housing, and convenient access to health care may improve health in veteran students. PMID:26280777

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

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

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

13 CFR 102.4 - Timing of responses to requests.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... extended by an additional 10 working days for one or more of the following reasons: (1) The need to search... office processing the request; (2) The need to search for, collect, and appropriately examine a.... Where an office believes that multiple requests submitted by a requester, or by a group of collaborating...

13 CFR 102.4 - Timing of responses to requests.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... extended by an additional 10 working days for one or more of the following reasons: (1) The need to search... office processing the request; (2) The need to search for, collect, and appropriately examine a.... Where an office believes that multiple requests submitted by a requester, or by a group of collaborating...

13 CFR 102.4 - Timing of responses to requests.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... extended by an additional 10 working days for one or more of the following reasons: (1) The need to search... office processing the request; (2) The need to search for, collect, and appropriately examine a.... Where an office believes that multiple requests submitted by a requester, or by a group of collaborating...

13 CFR 102.4 - Timing of responses to requests.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... extended by an additional 10 working days for one or more of the following reasons: (1) The need to search... office processing the request; (2) The need to search for, collect, and appropriately examine a.... Where an office believes that multiple requests submitted by a requester, or by a group of collaborating...

Metrological assurance and traceability for Industry 4.0 and additive manufacturing in Ukraine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Skliarov, Volodymyr; Neyezhmakov, Pavel; Prokopov, Alexander

2018-03-01

The national measurement standards from the point of view of traceability of the results of measurement in additive manufacturing in Ukraine are considered in the paper. The metrological characteristics of the national primary measurement standards in the field of geometric, temperature, optical-physical and time-frequency measurements, which took part in international comparisons within COOMET projects, are presented. The accurate geometric, temperature, optical-physical and time-frequency measurements are the key ones in controlling the quality of additive manufacturing. The use of advanced CAD/CAE/CAM systems allows to simulate the process of additive manufacturing at each stage. In accordance with the areas of the technology of additive manufacturing, the ways of improving the national measurement standards of Ukraine for the growing needs of metrology of additive manufacturing are considered.

Challenges in Interventional Radiology: The Pregnant Patient

PubMed Central

Moon, Eunice K.; Wang, Weiping; Newman, James S.; Bayona-Molano, Maria Del Pilar

2013-01-01

A pregnant patient presenting to interventional radiology (IR) has a different set of needs from any other patient requiring a procedure. Often, the patient's care can be in direct conflict with the growth and development of the fetus, whether it be optimal fluoroscopic imaging, adequate sedation of the mother, or the timing of the needed procedure. Despite the additional risks and complexities associated with pregnancy, IR procedures can be performed safely for the pregnant patient with knowledge of the special and general needs of the pregnant patient, use of acceptable medications and procedures likely to be encountered during pregnancy, in addition to strategies to protect the patient and her fetus from the hazards of radiation. PMID:24436567

Is Self-Explanation Worth the Time? A Comparison to Additional Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McEldoon, Katherine L.; Durkin, Kelley L.; Rittle-Johnson, Bethany

2013-01-01

Background: Self-explanation, or generating explanations to oneself in an attempt to make sense of new information, can promote learning. However, self-explaining takes time, and the learning benefits of this activity need to be rigorously evaluated against alternative uses of this time. Aims: In the current study, we compared the effectiveness of…

43 CFR 3140.6 - Use of additional lands.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... facilities in a Special Tar Sand Area that are needed to support any operations necessary for the recovery of... be filed at the time a plan of operations is filed. (b) A lease for the use of additional lands shall... include, but are not limited to, reservoirs, pipelines, electrical generation systems, transmission lines...

Real-time slicing algorithm for Stereolithography (STL) CAD model applied in additive manufacturing industry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adnan, F. A.; Romlay, F. R. M.; Shafiq, M.

2018-04-01

Owing to the advent of the industrial revolution 4.0, the need for further evaluating processes applied in the additive manufacturing application particularly the computational process for slicing is non-trivial. This paper evaluates a real-time slicing algorithm for slicing an STL formatted computer-aided design (CAD). A line-plane intersection equation was applied to perform the slicing procedure at any given height. The application of this algorithm has found to provide a better computational time regardless the number of facet in the STL model. The performance of this algorithm is evaluated by comparing the results of the computational time for different geometry.

How do passion for video games and needs frustration explain time spent gaming?

PubMed

Mills, Devin J; Milyavskaya, Marina; Mettler, Jessica; Heath, Nancy L; Derevensky, Jeffrey L

2018-04-01

Research applying self-determination theory and the dualistic model of passion (DMP) has shown video games may satisfy basic psychological needs (i.e., competence, autonomy, and relatedness) and be identified as a passion. The DMP distinguishes between healthy or harmonious passion and problematic or obsessive passion (OP), with the latter reflecting an overreliance towards one's passion to obtain needs satisfaction. The experience of daily obstructions to needs satisfaction, or needs frustration (NF), may facilitate such an overreliance. This study explored how NF and both types of passion explain the amount of time that university students spend gaming. The overall association between NF and time spent gaming was not significant. However, for video game users with low levels of OP for gaming, there was a significant negative association between NF and time spent gaming. Additionally, evidence of a mutually reinforcing association between NF and OP for gaming indicates that a vicious cycle exists, whereby a strong OP for gaming predicts and is reinforced by greater NF. The theoretical implications are discussed. © 2018 The British Psychological Society.

The Shifting Role of the Special Needs Assistant in Irish Classrooms: A Time for Change?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Keating, Stephanie; O'Connor, Una

2012-01-01

The education of pupils with special educational needs in Ireland has generally been influenced by national and international inclusion policy and legislation so that the majority of these children now take their place alongside peers in mainstream classrooms. In Ireland, a support network comprising the teacher and additional classroom assistance…

Future Time Perspective as a Predictor of Adolescents' Adaptive Behavior in School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carvalho, Renato Gil Gomes

2015-01-01

Future time perspective (FTP) has been associated with positive outcomes in adolescents' development across different contexts. However, the extent to which FTP influences adaptation needs additional understanding. In this study, we analysed the relationship between FTP and adolescents' behavior in school, as expressed in several indicators of…

Different routes and forms of uterotonics for treatment of retained placenta: a randomized clinical trial.

PubMed

Maher, Mohammad Ahmed; Sayyed, Tarek Mohammad; Elkhouly, Nabih Ibrahim

2017-09-01

To compare between three different uterotonics (oxytocin, carbetocin and misoprostol) given via three different routes (intraumbilical, intravenous and sublingual, respectively) in reducing the need for manual removal of placenta (MROP). A randomized trial for cases with retained placenta 30 min following vaginal delivery. They received intraumbilical oxytocin, intravenous carbetocin or sublingual misoprostol. Main outcome measures were delivery of the placenta within 30 min following drug administration, and need for MROP. Secondary outcome measures were injection to placental delivery time, post-delivery hemoglobin, need for blood transfusion or additional uterotonics. The overall success rate was 66.7% (64/96), 71.3% (67/94) and 63.7% (58/91) for oxytocin, carbetocin and misoprostol groups, respectively (p > 0.05). When time needed to achieve placental delivery considered, a significant difference was observed with the shortest time for carbetocin (16.61 ± 3.76 min), then oxytocin (18.28 ± 3.34 min) and lastly misoprostol (23.00 ± 3.38 min) (p <0.001). Again, carbetocin group needed less additional uterotonics to achieve adequate uterine contractions (p <0.001). Although we aimed to exploit the advantage of certain drug over another, all seemed to have close efficacy but it would be important that further research should highlight availability, cost, ease of administration and storage requirements to determine which agent would best be used in this clinical scenario.

Managing the global land resource.

PubMed

Smith, Pete

2018-03-14

With a growing population with changing demands, competition for the global land resource is increasing. We need to feed a projected population of 9-10 billion by 2050, rising to approximately 12 billion by 2100. At the same time, we need to reduce the climate impact of agriculture, forestry and other land use, and we almost certainly need to deliver land-based greenhouse gas removal for additional climate change mitigation. In addition, we need to deliver progress towards meeting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, all without compromising the many ecosystem services provided by land and without exceeding planetary boundaries. Managing the land to tackle these pressing issues is a major global challenge. In this perspective paper, I provide a very broad overview of the main challenges, and explore co-benefits, trade-offs and possible solutions. © 2018 The Authors.

Managing the global land resource

PubMed Central

2018-01-01

With a growing population with changing demands, competition for the global land resource is increasing. We need to feed a projected population of 9–10 billion by 2050, rising to approximately 12 billion by 2100. At the same time, we need to reduce the climate impact of agriculture, forestry and other land use, and we almost certainly need to deliver land-based greenhouse gas removal for additional climate change mitigation. In addition, we need to deliver progress towards meeting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, all without compromising the many ecosystem services provided by land and without exceeding planetary boundaries. Managing the land to tackle these pressing issues is a major global challenge. In this perspective paper, I provide a very broad overview of the main challenges, and explore co-benefits, trade-offs and possible solutions. PMID:29514961

Responding Globally to the Online Learning Needs of Military Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bricker, Suzane L.

2012-01-01

The purpose of my proposal is to present a comprehensive look at the specific needs of military students who are actively deployed globally, and who are entering the "virtual classroom" for the first time. Additionally, I have drawn upon my own experiences as an educator of more than 15 years, as well as someone who has developed course curriculum…

Improving wait times to care for individuals with multimorbidities and complex conditions using value stream mapping.

PubMed

Sampalli, Tara; Desy, Michel; Dhir, Minakshi; Edwards, Lynn; Dickson, Robert; Blackmore, Gail

2015-04-05

Recognizing the significant impact of wait times for care for individuals with complex chronic conditions, we applied a LEAN methodology, namely - an adaptation of Value Stream Mapping (VSM) to meet the needs of people with multiple chronic conditions and to improve wait times without additional resources or funding. Over an 18-month time period, staff applied a patient-centric approach that included LEAN methodology of VSM to improve wait times to care. Our framework of evaluation was grounded in the needs and perspectives of patients and individuals waiting to receive care. Patient centric views were obtained through surveys such as Patient Assessment of Chronic Illness Care (PACIC) and process engineering based questions. In addition, LEAN methodology, VSM was added to identify non-value added processes contributing to wait times. The care team successfully reduced wait times to 2 months in 2014 with no wait times for care anticipated in 2015. Increased patient engagement and satisfaction are also outcomes of this innovative initiative. In addition, successful transformations and implementation have resulted in resource efficiencies without increase in costs. Patients have shown significant improvements in functional health following Integrated Chronic Care Service (ICCS) intervention. The methodology will be applied to other chronic disease management areas in Capital Health and the province. Wait times to care in the management of multimoribidities and other complex conditions can add a significant burden not only on the affected individuals but also on the healthcare system. In this study, a novel and modified LEAN methodology has been applied to embed the voice of the patient in care delivery processes and to reduce wait times to care in the management of complex chronic conditions. © 2015 by Kerman University of Medical Sciences.

76 FR 67146 - Stainless Steel Butt-Weld Pipe Fittings From Italy; Extension of Time Limit for Preliminary...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-10-31

... DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE International Trade Administration [A-475-828] Stainless Steel Butt-Weld... antidumping duty order on stainless steel butt-weld pipe fittings from Italy in the Federal Register. See... preliminary results of this review within the original time frame because it needs to obtain additional...

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

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-09-28

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

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

PubMed Central

Beer, Linda; Skarbinski, Jacek

2015-01-01

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

The Need for Training: A Synthesis of Recent Studies. Report 90-17.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Danis, Frances; Lecoupe, Francine

An analysis and summary of 19 recent Canadian and U.S. reports on training needs show that all of them warn that Canada (like North America generally) is facing a serious skills crisis at a time of growing demand for capable workers. In addition, the studies point out that the private sector must contribute much more than it has so far to human…

Progression from isolated growth hormone deficiency to combined pituitary hormone deficiency.

PubMed

Cerbone, Manuela; Dattani, Mehul T

2017-12-01

Growth hormone deficiency (GHD) can present at any time of life from the neonatal period to adulthood, as a result of congenital or acquired insults. It can present as an isolated problem (IGHD) or in combination with other pituitary hormone deficiencies (CPHD). Pituitary deficits can evolve at any time from GHD diagnosis. The number, severity and timing of occurrence of additional endocrinopathies are highly variable. The risk of progression from IGHD to CPHD in children varies depending on the etiology (idiopathic vs organic). The highest risk is displayed by children with abnormalities in the Hypothalamo-Pituitary (H-P) region. Heterogeneous data have been reported on the type and timing of onset of additional pituitary hormone deficits, with TSH deficiency being most frequent and Diabetes Insipidus the least frequent additional deficit in the majority, but not all, of the studies. ACTH deficiency may gradually evolve at any time during follow-up in children or adults with childhood onset IGHD, particularly (but not only) in presence of H-P abnormalities and/or TSH deficiency. Hence there is a need in these patients for lifelong monitoring for ACTH deficiency. GH treatment unmasks central hypothyroidism mainly in patients with organic GHD, but all patients starting GH should have their thyroid function monitored closely. Main risk factors for development of CPHD include organic etiology, H-P abnormalities (in particular pituitary stalk abnormalities, empty sella and ectopic posterior pituitary), midline brain (corpus callosum) and optic nerves abnormalities, genetic defects and longer duration of follow-up. The current available evidence supports longstanding recommendations for the need, in all patients diagnosed with IGHD, of a careful and indefinite follow-up for additional pituitary hormone deficiencies. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A Re-Examination of Faculty Hiring Processes and Procedures.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Academic Senate for California Community Colleges, Sacramento.

This paper discusses faculty hiring procedures by highlighting features of previous models adopted by the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges, and by presenting specific recommendations. By 2010, more than 30,000 full-time and part-time faculty will be replaced, and 15,000 additional new hires will be needed to meet the demands of an…

In Swimming Branch, Identification of Family Burden of Families of Mentally Disabled Athletes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nacar, Eyyup; Karahuseyinoglu, M. Fatih; Karatas, Baykal; Altungul, Oguzhan

2017-01-01

The families of individuals with Down-syndrome, autism, and mental problem who need for special requirements experience physical problems, tiredness, and antisocial life, which bring additional cost to family budget, from time to time due to difficulties of their children The aim of this study is to identify family burdens charged by kids with…

Image Understanding Architecture

DTIC Science & Technology

1991-09-01

architecture to support real-time, knowledge -based image understanding , and develop the software support environment that will be needed to utilize...NUMBER OF PAGES Image Understanding Architecture, Knowledge -Based Vision, AI Real-Time Computer Vision, Software Simulator, Parallel Processor IL PRICE... information . In addition to sensory and knowledge -based processing it is useful to introduce a level of symbolic processing. Thus, vision researchers

Family roots of empathy-related characteristics: the role of perceived maternal and paternal need support in adolescence.

PubMed

Miklikowska, Marta; Duriez, Bart; Soenens, Bart

2011-09-01

Theories on empathy development have stressed the role of socialization in general and the role of parental support in particular. This 3-wave longitudinal study of middle adolescents (N = 678) aimed to contribute to the extant research on the socialization of empathy (a) by examining the relative contribution of perceived maternal and paternal need supportive parenting on over-time changes in adolescents' emotional and cognitive aspects of empathy (i.e., empathic concern and perspective taking, respectively) and (b) by considering the possibility of reciprocal relations between perceived parenting and adolescent empathy. Whereas paternal need support consistently predicted over-time changes in perspective taking in both sons and daughters, perceived maternal need support predicted changes in empathic concern among daughters only. In addition, although less consistently so, empathy dimensions also predicted over-time changes in perceived parenting. Results are discussed in terms of the nature of empathy and in the light of domain-specific effects of each parent.

78 FR 20502 - Energy Conservation Program: Availability of the Preliminary Technical Support Document for...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-04-05

... Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) jointly requested a four-week extension of the comment period. ASAP and NEMA stated the additional time was needed for interested parties to consider and respond to...

The Use of Books and Libraries by Part-Time Business Studies Students at a Polytechnic: A Follow-up Study.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Payne, Philip

To study the effect on library use, of additional expenditure on accounting textbooks needed by part-time business students, a study was conducted in the spring of 1980 at the City of London Polytechnic. Three techniques were used: (1) a questionnaire distributed to all part-time students in the Accountancy Department and, as a control group, all…

A longitudinal investigation of workplace bullying, basic need satisfaction, and employee functioning.

PubMed

Trépanier, Sarah-Geneviève; Fernet, Claude; Austin, Stéphanie

2015-01-01

Drawing on self-determination theory, this study proposes and tests a model investigating the role of basic psychological need satisfaction in relation to workplace bullying and employee functioning (burnout, work engagement, and turnover intention). For this study, data were collected at 2 time points, over a 12-month period, from a sample of 699 nurses. The results from cross-lagged analyses support the proposed model. Results show that workplace bullying thwarts the satisfaction of employees' basic psychological needs and fosters burnout 12 months later. In addition, when taking into account the cross-lagged effect of workplace bullying on employee functioning, basic need satisfaction fosters work engagement and hinders turnover intention over time. Implications for workplace bullying research and managerial practices are discussed. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved.

5 CFR 1312.36 - Appeal procedure.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... Administrative Personnel OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET OMB DIRECTIVES CLASSIFICATION, DOWNGRADING... is declassified and otherwise releasable. If continued classification is required, the requestor... normally be made within 60 working days following receipt. If additional time is needed, the requestor will...

5 CFR 1312.36 - Appeal procedure.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... Administrative Personnel OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET OMB DIRECTIVES CLASSIFICATION, DOWNGRADING... is declassified and otherwise releasable. If continued classification is required, the requestor... normally be made within 60 working days following receipt. If additional time is needed, the requestor will...

Time for Transformation: Public Policy Must Change to Achieve Health Equity for LGBT Older Adults

PubMed Central

Fredriksen-Goldsen, Karen I.; Espinoza, Robert

2015-01-01

The marriage equality movement and the Affordable Care Act have enormous potential to reduce health disparities in LGBT elders, but more data and additional policy changes are sorely needed. PMID:25960600

Impact of positive psychological capital on employee well-being over time.

PubMed

Avey, James B; Luthans, Fred; Smith, Ronda M; Palmer, Noel F

2010-01-01

The recently recognized core construct of psychological capital or PsyCap (consisting of the positive psychological resources of efficacy, hope, optimism, and resilience) has been demonstrated to be related to various employee attitudinal, behavioral, and performance outcomes. However, to date, the impact of this positive core construct over time and on important employee well-being outcomes has not been tested. This study meets this need by analyzing the relationship between a broad cross-section of employees' (N = 280) level of PsyCap and two measures of psychological well-being over time. The results indicated that employees' PsyCap was related to both measures of well-being and, importantly, that PsyCap explained additional variance in these well-being measures over time. The limitations, needed future research, and practical implications conclude the article.

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

PubMed

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

2010-09-01

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

Road map to adaptive optimal control. [jet engine control

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Boyer, R.

1980-01-01

A building block control structure leading toward adaptive, optimal control for jet engines is developed. This approach simplifies the addition of new features and allows for easier checkout of the control by providing a baseline system for comparison. Also, it is possible to eliminate certain features that do not have payoff by being selective in the addition of new building blocks to be added to the baseline system. The minimum risk approach specifically addresses the need for active identification of the plant to be controlled in real time and real time optimization of the control for the identified plant.

Fatigue in airline pilots after an additional day's layover period.

PubMed

Powell, David M C; Spencer, Mick B; Petrie, Keith J

2010-11-01

We investigated the effect of an additional day's layover on reducing fatigue in two different duties: a two-pilot crew flying between Auckland and Brisbane, and a three-pilot crew flying between Auckland and Los Angeles. Pilots completed a reaction time task, the Samn-Perelli fatigue scale, and the Karolinska Sleepiness Scale on both outward and return flights. The flights were conducted with and without a 1-d layover (Brisbane) and with a 1- or 2-d layover (Los Angeles). On the Brisbane route, the addition of a layover resulted in a significant reduction of fatigue, sleepiness, and reaction time. At top of descent, Samn-Perelli fatigue was reduced from over 5.0 to under 4.5. In contrast, the addition of an extra day layover in Los Angeles had no significant effect on the same measures during the return flight; on both flights Samn-Perelli fatigue was over 5.0 at top of descent. The results suggest that the addition of an extra night's layover has different effects depending on the type of operation. Layover periods need to ensure adequate opportunity to recover from any sleep deficit arising from the outbound journey, but the benefit of increased layover time may be limited if time-zone shifts cause a mismatch between local time and the circadian rhythm of sleep.

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

PubMed

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

2018-05-26

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

A grade report for turfgrasses suitable for Maryland right-of-ways : research summary.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2016-11-01

Roadsides are managed as mowed turfgrass to prevent erosion, maintain : visibility, provide a safety zone for stopped vehicles, and improve aesthetics. : Roadside vegetation often needs to be mowed several times each growing : season, and in addition...

Personality, work characteristics, and employee well-being: a longitudinal analysis of additive and moderating effects.

PubMed

Houkes, Inge; Janssen, Peter P M; de Jonge, Jan; Bakker, Arnold B

2003-01-01

This study tested the longitudinal influence of personality (measured by the characteristics growth need strength, negative affectivity [NA], and upward striving) on 3 psychological outcomes (intrinsic work motivation, emotional exhaustion, and turnover intention), using a pattern of specific relationships between work characteristics and these outcomes as a framework. The study hypotheses were tested in a multioccupational sample consisting of bank employees and teachers, using a 2-wave panel design with a 1-year time interval and structural equation modeling. NA had a cross-lagged direct and additive relationship with emotional exhaustion and also moderated the relationship between Time 1 workload and Time 2 emotional exhaustion. The authors concluded that NA may have multiple effects on emotional exhaustion that persist over time.

Updating Landsat time series of surface-reflectance composites and forest change products with new observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hermosilla, Txomin; Wulder, Michael A.; White, Joanne C.; Coops, Nicholas C.; Hobart, Geordie W.

2017-12-01

The use of time series satellite data allows for the temporally dense, systematic, transparent, and synoptic capture of land dynamics over time. Subsequent to the opening of the Landsat archive, several time series approaches for characterizing landscape change have been developed, often representing a particular analytical time window. The information richness and widespread utility of these time series data have created a need to maintain the currency of time series information via the addition of new data, as it becomes available. When an existing time series is temporally extended, it is critical that previously generated change information remains consistent, thereby not altering reported change statistics or science outcomes based on that change information. In this research, we investigate the impacts and implications of adding additional years to an existing 29-year annual Landsat time series for forest change. To do so, we undertook a spatially explicit comparison of the 29 overlapping years of a time series representing 1984-2012, with a time series representing 1984-2016. Surface reflectance values, and presence, year, and type of change were compared. We found that the addition of years to extend the time series had minimal effect on the annual surface reflectance composites, with slight band-specific differences (r ≥ 0.1) in the final years of the original time series being updated. The area of stand replacing disturbances and determination of change year are virtually unchanged for the overlapping period between the two time-series products. Over the overlapping temporal period (1984-2012), the total area of change differs by 0.53%, equating to an annual difference in change area of 0.019%. Overall, the spatial and temporal agreement of the changes detected by both time series was 96%. Further, our findings suggest that the entire pre-existing historic time series does not need to be re-processed during the update process. Critically, given the time series change detection and update approach followed here, science outcomes or reports representing one temporal epoch can be considered stable and will not be altered when a time series is updated with newly available data.

Factors predicting crisis counselor referrals to other crisis counseling, disaster relief, and psychological services: a cross-site analysis of post-Katrina programs.

PubMed

Rosen, Craig S; Matthieu, Monica M; Norris, Fran H

2009-05-01

An important aspect of crisis counseling is linking survivors with services for their unmet needs. We examined determinants of referrals for disaster relief, additional crisis counseling, and psychological services in 703,000 crisis counseling encounters 3-18 months after Hurricane Katrina. Referrals for disaster relief were predicted by clients' losses, age (adults rather than children), and urbanicity. Referrals for additional counseling and psychological services were predicted by urbanicity, losses and trauma exposure, prior trauma, and preexisting mental health problems. Counseling and psychological referrals declined over time despite continuing mental health needs. Results confirm large urban-rural disparities in access to services.

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

Migration and maternity in the age of superdiversity.

PubMed

Newall, Dave; Phillimore, Jenny; Sharpe, Hilary

2012-01-01

The UK has entered an era of superdiversity with our communities being more diverse than ever before. Migration has contributed to rising birth rates, and poor birth outcomes have been increasingly associated with ethnicity, often in areas with high concentrations of migrants. This article sets out the findings of a study looking at the maternity needs and experiences of migrant women and professionals living in the West Midlands. The study found that migrant women tended to book late or drop out of the maternity system due to a range of barriers including lack of understanding of the system, lack of information, poor language skills and poverty. Migrant women often had negative birth experiences and did not receive the follow on care they needed. Professionals recognised many of the problems migrant women experienced but lacked the time and resources to meet needs. The article concludes by recognising that additional training and time are needed to help professionals to address those needs and signposts the reader to good practice.

Ultrafast detection in particle physics and positron emission tomography using SiPMs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dolenec, R.; Korpar, S.; Križan, P.; Pestotnik, R.

2017-12-01

Silicon photomultiplier (SiPM) photodetectors perform well in many particle and medical physics applications, especially where good efficiency, insensitivity to magnetic field and precise timing are required. In Cherenkov time-of-flight positron emission tomography the requirements for photodetector performance are especially high. On average only a couple of photons are available for detection and the best possible timing resolution is needed. Using SiPMs as photodetectors enables good detection efficiency, but the large sensitive area devices needed have somewhat limited time resolution for single photons. We have observed an additional degradation of the timing at very low light intensities due to delayed events in distribution of signals resulting from multiple fired micro cells. In this work we present the timing properties of AdvanSiD ASD-NUV3S-P-40 SiPM at single photon level picosecond laser illumination and a simple modification of the time-walk correction algorithm, that resulted in reduced degradation of timing resolution due to the delayed events.

Changing Landscape: From Cottage Monopoly to Competitive Industry.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Munitz, Barry

2000-01-01

Considers the changing academic education landscape in light of the technology-driven Internet. Topics include alternative educational opportunities, including part-time and distance learning; additional education needed by employed workers; new competitors, including corporate universities; using technology to integrate education, work, and…

Sequential Polarity-Reversing Circuit

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Labaw, Clayton C.

1994-01-01

Proposed circuit reverses polarity of electric power supplied to bidirectional dc motor, reversible electro-mechanical actuator, or other device operating in direction depending on polarity. Circuit reverses polarity each time power turned on, without need for additional polarity-reversing or direction signals and circuitry to process them.

Guidelines for the application of removeable rumble strips

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2006-08-01

In 1999, work zone fatalities in the United States hit an all-time high. In 2000, a new record of 1093 fatalities represented an additional increase of 26%. Statistics such as these have served to highlight the need for transportation agencies to con...

Wavelet-Based Interpolation and Representation of Non-Uniformly Sampled Spacecraft Mission Data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bose, Tamal

2000-01-01

A well-documented problem in the analysis of data collected by spacecraft instruments is the need for an accurate, efficient representation of the data set. The data may suffer from several problems, including additive noise, data dropouts, an irregularly-spaced sampling grid, and time-delayed sampling. These data irregularities render most traditional signal processing techniques unusable, and thus the data must be interpolated onto an even grid before scientific analysis techniques can be applied. In addition, the extremely large volume of data collected by scientific instrumentation presents many challenging problems in the area of compression, visualization, and analysis. Therefore, a representation of the data is needed which provides a structure which is conducive to these applications. Wavelet representations of data have already been shown to possess excellent characteristics for compression, data analysis, and imaging. The main goal of this project is to develop a new adaptive filtering algorithm for image restoration and compression. The algorithm should have low computational complexity and a fast convergence rate. This will make the algorithm suitable for real-time applications. The algorithm should be able to remove additive noise and reconstruct lost data samples from images.

A general dead-time correction method based on live-time stamping. Application to the measurement of short-lived radionuclides.

PubMed

Chauvenet, B; Bobin, C; Bouchard, J

2017-12-01

Dead-time correction formulae are established in the general case of superimposed non-homogeneous Poisson processes. Based on the same principles as conventional live-timed counting, this method exploits the additional information made available using digital signal processing systems, and especially the possibility to store the time stamps of live-time intervals. No approximation needs to be made to obtain those formulae. Estimates of the variances of corrected rates are also presented. This method is applied to the activity measurement of short-lived radionuclides. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

2013 mask industry survey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Malloy, Matt

2013-09-01

A comprehensive survey was sent to merchant and captive mask shops to gather information about the mask industry as an objective assessment of its overall condition. 2013 marks the 12th consecutive year for this process. Historical topics including general mask profile, mask processing, data and write time, yield and yield loss, delivery times, maintenance, and returns were included and new topics were added. Within each category are multiple questions that result in a detailed profile of both the business and technical status of the mask industry. While each year's survey includes minor updates based on feedback from past years and the need to collect additional data on key topics, the bulk of the survey and reporting structure have remained relatively constant. A series of improvements is being phased in beginning in 2013 to add value to a wider audience, while at the same time retaining the historical content required for trend analyses of the traditional metrics. Additions in 2013 include topics such as top challenges, future concerns, and additional details in key aspects of mask masking, such as the number of masks per mask set per ground rule, minimum mask resolution shipped, and yield by ground rule. These expansions beyond the historical topics are aimed at identifying common issues, gaps, and needs. They will also provide a better understanding of real-life mask requirements and capabilities for comparison to the International Technology Roadmap for Semiconductors (ITRS).

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

PubMed

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

2010-09-01

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

Development Status of the Rad-Tolerant TTEthernet Controller

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fidi, Christian; van Masar, Ivan

2016-08-01

The use of switched networking technologies for aerospace and more recently automotive brings additional advantages for space applications like the increase in performance of the overall avionics of a spacecraft. These networks are characterized by a central device (switch) and a point-to-point structure between switch and terminal devices that eases electrical and logical insulation.However, for a use in highly-reliable or highly-available applications as in launchers or satellites systems, these network technologies need to provide built-in determinism and redundancy to fulfill the tight latency and jitter requirements of the avionics control loops and the respective hardware redundancy. Therefore a state of the art networking technology already provides these features and allows the modularity and scalability to be used for the different space applications and would allow combining the deterministic avionics with the high speed payload network in a spacecraft [1].Introducing the time-triggered principle to Ethernet allows combining the open industry standard IEE802.3 Ethernet currently use in almost all GSE platforms, with full control of latency and jitter of the time-triggered approach. To allow the time-triggered data flow over Ethernet, a network- wide synchronization time-base has to be established to allow deriving all network events on a globally known time which is typically done in software in almost all spacecrafts. The additional synchronization service of Time-triggered Ethernet has been implemented as additional quality of service (QoS) on layer 2 of the ISO/OSI network model and been standardized in the SAE AS6802 [3].Within a launcher, the communication system ensured the data exchanges between avionic functions during all phases of the launcher lifecycle which is composed of three areas: AIT operations, ground phase and flight phase. To ensure the use of a single network for the different phases, the network needs to support features like the handling of different traffic classes (critical traffic and non-critical traffic, i.e. TT, RC and BE [2]). Also the compatibility to the IEEE1588 synchronization protocol can be used to connect legacy IEEE1588 equipment for GSE equipment.However this commercially available technology currently used in the aviation-, the industrial- and the automotive market needs to be matured for the use in space applications. Therefore a development of the necessary space-grade components, mainly the switch and the end system is needed.This paper presents the current development status of a radiation tolerant integrated circuit for the use in different space applications. It outlines the different steps needed to be performed to ensure the usability of this digital chip in highly reliable as well as in highly available space applications.

Air Force: Actions Needed to Strengthen Management of Unmanned Aerial System Pilots

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-04-01

demands on RPA pilots limit the time they have available for training and development and negatively affects their work - life balance . In addition, the... balance . To understand the working conditions of RPA pilots that may affect their quality of life , we analyzed Air Force studies that evaluated the...servicemember needs. DOD has broadly defined quality of life to include such factors as morale, health and wellness, and work - life balance . To understand these

Performance of Improved High-Order Filter Schemes for Turbulent Flows with Shocks

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kotov, Dmitry Vladimirovich; Yee, Helen M C.

2013-01-01

The performance of the filter scheme with improved dissipation control ? has been demonstrated for different flow types. The scheme with local ? is shown to obtain more accurate results than its counterparts with global or constant ?. At the same time no additional tuning is needed to achieve high accuracy of the method when using the local ? technique. However, further improvement of the method might be needed for even more complex and/or extreme flows.

Investigation of Calcium Sulfate’s Contribution to Chemical Off Flavor in Baked Items

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-09-30

including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed , and completing and...studies if any calcium additive is needed . If shelf life and texture are not adversely effected it may prove to be a cost savings to eliminate...point Quality scale to assess the overall aroma and flavor quality. The 9-point Quality scale is based on the Hedonic scale developed by David Peryam and

Marketing a managed care plan: achieving product differentiation.

PubMed

Romeo, N C

1996-01-01

The health care marketplace is changing dramatically, even without federal reform measures. This is a volatile, yet promising, time to market a managed care plan. Before marketing the product, it is critical that the competition is thoroughly evaluated and consumer and employer needs are researched. The final product should be distinguishable from the competition and address market needs. Promotion can then begin, utilizing a proactive public relations and advertising campaign in addition to traditional methods of marketing.

Feasibility of using Big Area Additive Manufacturing to Directly Manufacture Boat Molds

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

Post, Brian K.; Chesser, Phillip C.; Lind, Randall F.

The goal of this project was to explore the feasibility of using Big Area Additive Manufacturing (BAAM) to directly manufacture a boat mold without the need for coatings. All prior tooling projects with BAAM required the use to thick coatings to overcome the surface finish limitations of the BAAM process. While the BAAM process significantly lowers the cost of building the mold, the high cost element rapidly became the coatings (cost of the material, labor on coating, and finishing). As an example, the time and cost to manufacture the molds for the Wind Turbine project with TPI Composites Inc. andmore » the molds for the submarine project with Carderock Naval Warfare Systems was a fraction of the time and cost of the coatings. For this project, a catamaran boat hull mold was designed, manufactured, and assembled with an additional 0.15” thickness of material on all mold surfaces. After printing, the mold was immediately machined and assembled. Alliance MG, LLC (AMG), the industry partner of this project, experimented with mold release agents on the carbon-fiber reinforced acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (CF ABS) to verify that the material can be directly used as a mold (rather than needing a coating). In addition, for large molds (such as the wind turbine mold with TPI Composites Inc.), the mold only provided the target surface. A steel subframe had to be manufactured to provide structural integrity. If successful, this will significantly reduce the time and cost necessary for manufacturing large resin infusion molds using the BAAM process.« less

DOD Civilian and Contractor Workforces: Additional Cost Savings Data and Efficiencies Plan are Needed

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-10-01

reductions reported in average strength bNumber of reductions reported in full-time equivalents Note: DOD costs savings provided for the prior FY are...comparing costs from FY 2012 to FY 2017, and not each year in between. Further, officials stated that DOD did not include full- time equivalents ...Application FTE Full-time Equivalent NDAA National Defense Authorization Act This is a work of the U.S. government and is not subject to copyright

The Recovery Assessment Scale - Domains and Stages (RAS-DS): Sensitivity to change over time and convergent validity with level of unmet need.

PubMed

Scanlan, Justin Newton; Hancock, Nicola; Honey, Anne

2018-03-01

There is a need for robust outcome measures for use in psychiatric services. Particularly lacking are self-rated recovery measures with evidence of sensitivity to change. This study was established to examine the convergent validity and sensitivity to change over time (responsiveness) of the Recovery Assessment Scale - Domains and Stages (RAS-DS), in comparison to level of unmet need as measured by the Camberwell Assessment of Need - Short Appraisal Scale (CANSAS). Convergent validity was examined through cross-sectional correlations between 540 CANSAS and RAS-DS scores collected on the same day for the same individuals. Sensitivity to change was examined using correlations between change scores in CANSAS and RAS-DS where both were collected on the same day and the two time points were separated by 90 days or more (n = 498). Results demonstrated moderate, significant cross-sectional correlations between CANSAS scores and RAS-DS total and domain scores and between change scores of both instruments. Results suggest that the RAS-DS is sensitive enough to detect change over time. Only moderate correlation between the RAS-DS and CANSAS suggests that, in the context of recovery-oriented service provision, it is important to measure self-reported recovery in addition to level of unmet needs. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

NUCLEAR SCIENCE, AN INTRODUCTORY COURSE.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

SULCOSKI, JOHN W.

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

Automated irrigation management with soil and canopy sensing

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Automated irrigation management provides for real time feedback between crop water needs and the delivery of specific amount of irrigation water to specific locations on demand. In addition to the basic components of any irrigation system, e.g. pumps, filters, valves, pipes and tubing, sprinkler he...

The Complexity of Workplace Review.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kleimann, Susan D.

1991-01-01

Analyzes the document review process in organizations as described in the literature and describes 1 real-life case at the General Accounting Office in which 20 drafts are written and 9 people review them a total of 31 times. Discusses additional research needed to prepare students for this process. (SR)

The Archival View of Technology: Resources for the Scholar of the Future.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zeidberg, David S.

1999-01-01

Archivists need to apply traditional principles of records management to electronic documents if these records are to survive for research by future scholars. Additionally, archivists must ensure that the electronic records preserved remain accessible as hardware and software change over time. (Author/AEF)

Long-term Observation of Soil Creep Activity around a Landslide Scar

EPA Science Inventory

Rate of sediment infilling into landslide scars by soil creep is needed to estimate the timing of subsequent landslide activity at a particular site. However, knowledge about the spatial distribution of its activity around the landslide scar is scarce. Additionally, there are few...

Toolsets for Airborne Data - URS and New Documentation

Atmospheric Science Data Center

2015-03-23

... geolocated) files based on a user’s choice of time base. In addition, the TAD merge feature allows users to generate standard deviations ... NASA airborne missions. We are currently focused on in situ measurements and we would like to hear from you about the need for other ...

40 CFR 264.55 - Emergency coordinator.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... Contingency Plan and Emergency Procedures § 264.55 Emergency coordinator. At all times, there must be at least...'s contingency plan, all operations and activities at the facility, the location and characteristics... addition, this person must have the authority to commit the resources needed to carry out the contingency...

Regulation of Cancer-Causing Food Additives-Time for a Change?

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-12-11

color, flavor, and aid in processing food or maintaining its nutritional quality. WHY THE REVIEW WAS MADE In response to a request from seven Members...a difficult process 16 Conclusions 19 3 REGULATING CANCER-CAUSING FOOD ADDITIVES--A CONTROVERSIAL ISSUE 20 Experts agree on the need for changing the...HISTORY OF FOOD SAFETY REGULATION Innovations in the food processing industry since the early 1900s have resulted in changes in the concerns about the

ZERODUR thermo-mechanical modelling and advanced dilatometry for the ELT generation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jedamzik, Ralf; Kunisch, Clemens; Westerhoff, Thomas

2016-07-01

Large amounts of low thermal expansion material are required for the upcoming ELT projects. The main mirror is designed using several hundreds of hexagonal 1.4 m sized mirror blanks. The M2 and M3 are monolithic 4 m class mirror blanks. The mirror blank material needs to fulfill tight requirements regarding CTE specification and homogeneity. Additionally the mirror blanks need to be dimensionally stable for more than 30 years. In particular, stress effects due to the changes in the environment shall not entail shape variation of more than 0.5 μm PV within 30 years. In 2010 SCHOTT developed a physically based model to describe the thermal and mechanical long time behavior of ZERODUR. The model enables simulation of the long time behavior of ZERODUR mirror blanks under realistic mechanical and thermal constraints. This presentation shows FEM simulation results on the long time behavior of the ELT M1, M2 and M3 mirror blanks under different loading conditions. Additionally the model results will be compared to an already 15 years lasting long time measurement of a ZERODUR sample at the German federal physical standardization institute (PTB). In recent years SCHOTT pushed the push rod dilatometer measurement technology to its limit. With the new Advanced Dilatometer CTE measurement accuracies of +- 3 ppb/K and reproducibilities of better 1 ppb/K have been achieved. The new Advanced Dilatometer exhibits excellent long time stability.

Public Health Agency Accreditation Among Rural Local Health Departments: Influencers and Barriers.

PubMed

Beatty, Kate E; Erwin, Paul Campbell; Brownson, Ross C; Meit, Michael; Fey, James

Health department accreditation is a crucial strategy for strengthening public health infrastructure. The purpose of this study was to investigate local health department (LHD) characteristics that are associated with accreditation-seeking behavior. This study sought to ascertain the effects of rurality on the likelihood of seeking accreditation through the Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB). Cross-sectional study using secondary data from the 2013 National Association of County & City Health Officials (NACCHO) National Profile of Local Health Departments Study (Profile Study). United States. LHDs (n = 490) that responded to the 2013 NACCHO Profile Survey. LHDs decision to seek PHAB accreditation. Significantly more accreditation-seeking LHDs were located in urban areas (87.0%) than in micropolition (8.9%) or rural areas (4.1%) (P < .001). LHDs residing in urban communities were 16.6 times (95% confidence interval [CI], 5.3-52.3) and micropolitan LHDs were 3.4 times (95% CI, 1.1-11.3) more likely to seek PHAB accreditation than rural LHDs (RLHDs). LHDs that had completed an agency-wide strategic plan were 8.5 times (95% CI, 4.0-17.9), LHDs with a local board of health were 3.3 times (95% CI, 1.5-7.0), and LHDs governed by their state health department were 12.9 times (95% CI, 3.3-50.0) more likely to seek accreditation. The most commonly cited barrier was time and effort required for accreditation application exceeded benefits (73.5%). The strongest predictor for seeking PHAB accreditation was serving an urban jurisdiction. Micropolitan LHDs were more likely to seek accreditation than smaller RLHDs, which are typically understaffed and underfunded. Major barriers identified by the RLHDs included fees being too high and the time and effort needed for accreditation exceeded their perceived benefits. RLHDs will need additional financial and technical support to achieve accreditation. Even with additional funds, clear messaging of the benefits of accreditation tailored to RLHDs will be needed.

Professional School Counselors' Career Development Practices and Continuing Education Needs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Anctil, Tina M.; Smith, Carol Klose; Schenck, Paulette; Dahir, Carol

2012-01-01

This study explored the practices of professional school counselors in their delivery of career counseling. School counselors were found to spend significantly less time on career development than on personal-social and academic development. In addition, new professionals placed more priority on career counseling compared with their more…

40 CFR 63.151 - Initial notification.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... statement of the reasons additional time is needed and the date when the owner or operator first learned of... control technology or pollution prevention measure that will be used for each emission point included in... paragraph (i)(2)(ii) of this section. (iii) The estimated percent reduction if a control technology...

40 CFR 63.1255 - Standards: Equipment leaks.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... considered part of this 3 month period. The monitoring required by this paragraph is in addition to the... needed, within 90 calendar days or by the next Periodic Report following the end of the monitoring period... a period of time for completion of required tasks (e.g., weekly, monthly, quarterly, annual) refer...

Fresh fruit: microstructure, texture and quality

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Fresh-cut produce has a huge following in today’s supermarkets. The trend follows the need to decrease preparation time as well as the desire to follow the current health guidelines for consumption of more whole “heart-healthy” foods. Additionally, consumers are able to enjoy a variety of fresh prod...

Textbooks: Costs and Issues

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mize, Rita

2004-01-01

As community colleges seek to be as accessible as possible to students and attempt to retain low enrollment fees, manageable parking fees, and waiver of fees for those with financial needs, an additional and significant cost ? for textbooks and supplies ? has not been addressed systematically. While fees for a full-time student are $390 per…

Real-Time Computer-Mediated Communication: Email and Instant Messaging Simulation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Newman, Amy

2007-01-01

As computer-mediated communication becomes increasingly prevalent in the workplace, students need to apply effective writing principles to today's technologies. Email, in particular, requires interns and new hires to manage incoming messages, use an appropriate tone, and craft clear, concise messages. In addition, with instant messaging (IM)…

2 CFR 200.440 - Exchange rates.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... availability of funding, and prior approval by the Federal awarding agency. The Federal awarding agency must... currency gains to determine the need for additional federal funding before the expiration date of the... source in effect at the time the expense was made, and to the extent that sufficient Federal funds are...

Classroom Activities and Demonstrations for Use in Behavioral Science Courses.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cology, Lorry J.

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

50 CFR 648.142 - Time restrictions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... specification process, for use in conjunction with the ACL and ACT, sector-specific research set-asides... measures, as needed, that are projected to ensure the sector-specific ACL for an upcoming year or years... additional recreational measures are necessary to assure that the recreational sector ACL is not exceeded, he...

Assessment Challenges for Business Education in Changing Times

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hazari, Sunil; Gaytan, Jorge; North, Alexa

2008-01-01

In addition to the difficult task of identifying teaching methods that ensure student learning, the American educational system is facing significant challenges. Schools are struggling to maintain standards for high-quality teaching while trying to address the learning needs of students with Limited English Proficiency (LEP). The same struggle is…

Toolsets for Airborne Data Beta Release

Atmospheric Science Data Center

2014-09-17

... create merge files based on a user’s choice of time base. In addition, the TAD merge feature allows users to generate standard deviation ... to the TAD database. We are currently focused on the in situ measurements and we want to hear from you about the need for other data ...

Orbital Dynamics, Environmental Heterogeneity, and the Evolution of the Human Brain

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Grove, Matt

2012-01-01

Many explanations have been proposed for the evolution of our anomalously large brains, including social, ecological, and epiphenomenal hypotheses. Recently, an additional hypothesis has emerged, suggesting that advanced cognition and, by inference, increases in brain size, have been driven over evolutionary time by the need to deal with…

Effect of Sodium bicarbonate on Fire behaviour of tilled E- Glass Reinforced Epoxy Composites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Girish, S.; Devendra, K.; Bharath, K. N.

2016-09-01

Composites such as fibre reinforced polymers give us the good mechanical properties, but their fire behaviour is not appreciable and needs to be improved. In this work, E- glass fiber is used as a reinforcement material and Epoxy resin is used as a matrix with particulate sodium bi-carbonate (NaHCO3) is used as additive. The hand lay-up technique is adopted for the development of composites by varying percentage of additive. All the tests were conducted according to ASTM standards to study the Fire behaviour of the developed composites. The different fire properties like Ignition time, mass loss rate and flame propagation rate of Fiber Reinforced Polymers (FRP) with NaHCO3 are compared with neat FRPs. It is found that the ignition time increases as the percentage of additive is increased.

Exploring the Design and Role of Mobile Apps for Healthcare Providers to Find Teratogenic Information

PubMed Central

Lie, Lily; Shetty, Vishwas; Gupta, Karan; Polifka, Janine E; Markham, Glen; Albee, Sarah; Collins, Carol; Hsieh, Gary

2017-01-01

Healthcare providers (HCPs) caring for pregnant patients often need information on drug risks to the embryo or fetus, but such complex information takes time to find and is difficult to convey on an app. In this work, we first surveyed 167 HCPs to understand their current teratogen information-seeking practices to help inform our general design goals. Using the insights gained, we then designed a prototype of a mobile app and tested it with 22 HCPs. We learned that HCP ’s information needs in this context can be grouped into 3 types: to understand, to decide, and to explain. Different sets of information and features may be needed to support these different needs. Further, while some HCPs had concerns about appearing unprofessional and unknowledgeable when using the app in front of patients, many did not. They noted that incorporating mobile information apps into practice improves information access, can help signal care and technology-savviness, in addition to providing an opportunity to engage and educate patients. Implications for design and additional features for reference apps for HCPs are discussed. PMID:29854178

Setting temporal baselines for biodiversity: the limits of available monitoring data for capturing the full impact of anthropogenic pressures

PubMed Central

Mihoub, Jean-Baptiste; Henle, Klaus; Titeux, Nicolas; Brotons, Lluís; Brummitt, Neil A.; Schmeller, Dirk S.

2017-01-01

Temporal baselines are needed for biodiversity, in order for the change in biodiversity to be measured over time, the targets for biodiversity conservation to be defined and conservation progress to be evaluated. Limited biodiversity information is widely recognized as a major barrier for identifying temporal baselines, although a comprehensive quantitative assessment of this is lacking. Here, we report on the temporal baselines that could be drawn from biodiversity monitoring schemes in Europe and compare those with the rise of important anthropogenic pressures. Most biodiversity monitoring schemes were initiated late in the 20th century, well after anthropogenic pressures had already reached half of their current magnitude. Setting temporal baselines from biodiversity monitoring data would therefore underestimate the full range of impacts of major anthropogenic pressures. In addition, biases among taxa and organization levels provide a truncated picture of biodiversity over time. These limitations need to be explicitly acknowledged when designing management strategies and policies as they seriously constrain our ability to identify relevant conservation targets aimed at restoring or reversing biodiversity losses. We discuss the need for additional research efforts beyond standard biodiversity monitoring to reconstruct the impacts of major anthropogenic pressures and to identify meaningful temporal baselines for biodiversity. PMID:28134310

Naval Coastal Warfare Operations from 2000 to Operation Iraqi Freedom and the Deficiencies that Prompted their Addition to the Naval Expeditionary Combat Command

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-11-02

overmatched small boats sought refuge with the Boutwell but very little could be done and the 25ft boats were sent back to MABOT under the escort of a zodiac ...NAVAL COASTAL WARFARE OPERATIONS FROM 2000 TO OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM AND THE DEFICIENCIES THAT PROMPTED THEIR ADDITION TO THE NAVAL EXPEDITIONARY...including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing

Enabling fast charging - Infrastructure and economic considerations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burnham, Andrew; Dufek, Eric J.; Stephens, Thomas; Francfort, James; Michelbacher, Christopher; Carlson, Richard B.; Zhang, Jiucai; Vijayagopal, Ram; Dias, Fernando; Mohanpurkar, Manish; Scoffield, Don; Hardy, Keith; Shirk, Matthew; Hovsapian, Rob; Ahmed, Shabbir; Bloom, Ira; Jansen, Andrew N.; Keyser, Matthew; Kreuzer, Cory; Markel, Anthony; Meintz, Andrew; Pesaran, Ahmad; Tanim, Tanvir R.

2017-11-01

The ability to charge battery electric vehicles (BEVs) on a time scale that is on par with the time to fuel an internal combustion engine vehicle (ICEV) would remove a significant barrier to the adoption of BEVs. However, for viability, fast charging at this time scale needs to also occur at a price that is acceptable to consumers. Therefore, the cost drivers for both BEV owners and charging station providers are analyzed. In addition, key infrastructure considerations are examined, including grid stability and delivery of power, the design of fast charging stations and the design and use of electric vehicle service equipment. Each of these aspects have technical barriers that need to be addressed, and are directly linked to economic impacts to use and implementation. This discussion focuses on both the economic and infrastructure issues which exist and need to be addressed for the effective implementation of fast charging at 400 kW and above. In so doing, it has been found that there is a distinct need to effectively manage the intermittent, high power demand of fast charging, strategically plan infrastructure corridors, and to further understand the cost of operation of charging infrastructure and BEVs.

Enabling fast charging – Infrastructure and economic considerations

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

Burnham, Andrew; Dufek, Eric J.; Stephens, Thomas

The ability to charge battery electric vehicles (BEVs) on a time scale that is on par with the time to fuel an internal combustion engine vehicle (ICEV) would remove a significant barrier to the adoption of BEVs. However, for viability, fast charging at this time scale needs to also occur at a price that is acceptable to consumers. Therefore, the cost drivers for both BEV owners and charging station providers are analyzed. In addition, key infrastructure considerations are examined, including grid stability and delivery of power, the design of fast charging stations and the design and use of electric vehiclemore » service equipment. Each of these aspects have technical barriers that need to be addressed, and are directly linked to economic impacts to use and implementation. This discussion focuses on both the economic and infrastructure issues which exist and need to be addressed for the effective implementation of fast charging at 400 kW and above. In so doing, it has been found that there is a distinct need to effectively manage the intermittent, high power demand of fast charging, strategically plan infrastructure corridors, and to further understand the cost of operation of charging infrastructure and BEVs.« less

Enabling fast charging – Infrastructure and economic considerations

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

Burnham, Andrew; Dufek, Eric J.; Stephens, Thomas

The ability to charge battery electric vehicles (BEVs) on a time scale that is on par with the time to fuel an internal combustion engine vehicle (ICEV) would remove a significant barrier to the adoption of BEVs. However, for viability, fast charging at this time scale needs to also occur at a price that is acceptable to consumers. Therefore, the cost drivers for both BEV owners and charging station providers are analyzed. In addition, key infrastructure considerations are examined, including grid stability and delivery of power, the design of fast charging stations and the design and use of electric vehiclemore » service equipment. Each of these aspects have technical barriers that need to be addressed, and are directly linked to economic impacts to use and implementation. Here, this discussion focuses on both the economic and infrastructure issues which exist and need to be addressed for the effective implementation of fast charging up to 350 kW. In doing so, it has been found that there is a distinct need to effectively manage the intermittent, high power demand of fast charging, strategically plan infrastructure corridors, and to further understand the cost of operation of charging infrastructure and BEVs.« less

Enabling fast charging – Infrastructure and economic considerations

DOE PAGES

Burnham, Andrew; Dufek, Eric J.; Stephens, Thomas; ...

2017-10-23

The ability to charge battery electric vehicles (BEVs) on a time scale that is on par with the time to fuel an internal combustion engine vehicle (ICEV) would remove a significant barrier to the adoption of BEVs. However, for viability, fast charging at this time scale needs to also occur at a price that is acceptable to consumers. Therefore, the cost drivers for both BEV owners and charging station providers are analyzed. In addition, key infrastructure considerations are examined, including grid stability and delivery of power, the design of fast charging stations and the design and use of electric vehiclemore » service equipment. Each of these aspects have technical barriers that need to be addressed, and are directly linked to economic impacts to use and implementation. Here, this discussion focuses on both the economic and infrastructure issues which exist and need to be addressed for the effective implementation of fast charging up to 350 kW. In doing so, it has been found that there is a distinct need to effectively manage the intermittent, high power demand of fast charging, strategically plan infrastructure corridors, and to further understand the cost of operation of charging infrastructure and BEVs.« less

Non-interferometric quantitative phase imaging of yeast cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Poola, Praveen K.; Pandiyan, Vimal Prabhu; John, Renu

2015-12-01

Real-time imaging of live cells is quite difficult without the addition of external contrast agents. Various methods for quantitative phase imaging of living cells have been proposed like digital holographic microscopy and diffraction phase microscopy. In this paper, we report theoretical and experimental results of quantitative phase imaging of live yeast cells with nanometric precision using transport of intensity equations (TIE). We demonstrate nanometric depth sensitivity in imaging live yeast cells using this technique. This technique being noninterferometric, does not need any coherent light sources and images can be captured through a regular bright-field microscope. This real-time imaging technique would deliver the depth or 3-D volume information of cells and is highly promising in real-time digital pathology applications, screening of pathogens and staging of diseases like malaria as it does not need any preprocessing of samples.

Momentary Work Happiness as a Function of Enduring Burnout and Work Engagement.

PubMed

Bakker, Arnold B; Oerlemans, Wido G M

2016-08-17

The present study (N = 136) combined global measures with specific, experience-based measures to investigate how enduring job burnout and engagement influence the impact of daily work activities on momentary need satisfaction and happiness. We used the day reconstruction method (DRM) to ask employees from various occupations to reconstruct their working days. On the basis of employee work engagement and self-determination theories, we hypothesized that time spent on (a) core work tasks; (b) administrative work tasks; (c) client interactions; (d) interactions with colleagues; and (e) meetings would be negatively related to need satisfaction on the task level for employees high (vs. low) in enduring burnout; and positively related to need satisfaction on the task level for employees high (vs. low) in enduring work engagement. In addition, we predicted that psychological need satisfaction would mediate the relationships between time spent on work tasks and happiness during the tasks. The results of multilevel analyses largely supported these hypotheses. Our findings contribute to the literature by showing how those with high levels of burnout do not manage to satisfy their basic needs through their work, whereas those with high levels of work engagement satisfy their daily needs and stay happy.

Development of a floating drug delivery system with superior buoyancy in gastric fluid using hot-melt extrusion coupled with pressurized CO₂.

PubMed

Almutairy, B K; Alshetaili, A S; Ashour, E A; Patil, H; Tiwari, R V; Alshehri, S M; Repka, M A

2016-03-01

The present study aimed to develop a continuous single-step manufacturing platform to prepare a porous, low-density, and floating multi-particulate system (mini-tablet, 4 mm size). This process involves injecting inert, non-toxic pressurized CO₂gas (P-CO₂) in zone 4 of a 16-mm hot-melt extruder (HME) to continuously generate pores throughout the carrier matrix. Unlike conventional methods for preparing floating drug delivery systems, additional chemical excipients and additives are not needed in this approach to create minute openings on the surface of the matrices. The buoyancy efficiency of the prepared floating system (injection of P-CO₂) in terms of lag time (0 s) significantly improved (P < 0.05), compared to the formulation prepared by adding the excipient sodium bicarbonate (lag time 120 s). The main advantages of this novel manufacturing technique include: (i) no additional chemical excipients need to be incorporated in the formulation, (ii) few manufacturing steps are required, (iii) high buoyancy efficiency is attained, and (iv) the extrudate is free of toxic solvent residues. Floating mini-tablets containing acetaminophen (APAP) as a model drug within the matrix-forming carrier (Eudragit® RL PO) have been successfully processed via this combined technique (P-CO₂/HME). Desired controlled release profile of APAP from the polymer Eudragit® RL PO is attained in the optimized formulation, which remains buoyant on the surface of gastric fluids prior to gastric emptying time (average each 4 h).

Decision-Making Competence, Social Orientation, Time Style, and Perceived Stress.

PubMed

Geisler, Martin; Allwood, Carl Martin

2018-01-01

Peoples' decision-making competence, defined as tendency to follow normative rational principles in their decision making, is important as it may influence the extent that requirements are met and levels of perceived stress. In addition, perceived stress could be influenced by social orientation and time style; for example, decisions need to comply with given deadlines and the expectations of others. In two studies, with students ( n = 118) and professionals (police investigators, n = 90), we examined how the three individual difference features: decision-making competence, social orientation, and time approach relate to perceived stress. Results showed that social orientation and time approach were related to levels of perceived stress, but decision-making competence was not. These results indicate that social orientation and time approach are important to consider in relation to perceived stress, but the role of decision-making competence may be less important for perceived stress. However, the role of decision-making competence for perceived stress needs to be further researched.

Decision-Making Competence, Social Orientation, Time Style, and Perceived Stress

PubMed Central

Geisler, Martin; Allwood, Carl Martin

2018-01-01

Peoples’ decision-making competence, defined as tendency to follow normative rational principles in their decision making, is important as it may influence the extent that requirements are met and levels of perceived stress. In addition, perceived stress could be influenced by social orientation and time style; for example, decisions need to comply with given deadlines and the expectations of others. In two studies, with students (n = 118) and professionals (police investigators, n = 90), we examined how the three individual difference features: decision-making competence, social orientation, and time approach relate to perceived stress. Results showed that social orientation and time approach were related to levels of perceived stress, but decision-making competence was not. These results indicate that social orientation and time approach are important to consider in relation to perceived stress, but the role of decision-making competence may be less important for perceived stress. However, the role of decision-making competence for perceived stress needs to be further researched. PMID:29686634

Real-time simulation of a Doubly-Fed Induction Generator based wind power system on eMEGASimRTM Real-Time Digital Simulator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boakye-Boateng, Nasir Abdulai

The growing demand for wind power integration into the generation mix prompts the need to subject these systems to stringent performance requirements. This study sought to identify the required tools and procedures needed to perform real-time simulation studies of Doubly-Fed Induction Generator (DFIG) based wind generation systems as basis for performing more practical tests of reliability and performance for both grid-connected and islanded wind generation systems. The author focused on developing a platform for wind generation studies and in addition, the author tested the performance of two DFIG models on the platform real-time simulation model; an average SimpowerSystemsRTM DFIG wind turbine, and a detailed DFIG based wind turbine using ARTEMiSRTM components. The platform model implemented here consists of a high voltage transmission system with four integrated wind farm models consisting in total of 65 DFIG based wind turbines and it was developed and tested on OPAL-RT's eMEGASimRTM Real-Time Digital Simulator.

Time perception, attention, and memory: a selective review.

PubMed

Block, Richard A; Gruber, Ronald P

2014-06-01

This article provides a selective review of time perception research, mainly focusing on the authors' research. Aspects of psychological time include simultaneity, successiveness, temporal order, and duration judgments. In contrast to findings at interstimulus intervals or durations less than 3.0-5.0 s, there is little evidence for an "across-senses" effect of perceptual modality (visual vs. auditory) at longer intervals or durations. In addition, the flow of time (events) is a pervasive perceptual illusion, and we review evidence on that. Some temporal information is encoded All rights reserved. relatively automatically into memory: People can judge time-related attributes such as recency, frequency, temporal order, and duration of events. Duration judgments in prospective and retrospective paradigms reveal differences between them, as well as variables that moderate the processes involved. An attentional-gate model is needed to account for prospective judgments, and a contextual-change model is needed to account for retrospective judgments. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Additional self-monitoring tools in the dietary modification component of The Women's Health Initiative.

PubMed

Mossavar-Rahmani, Yasmin; Henry, Holly; Rodabough, Rebecca; Bragg, Charlotte; Brewer, Amy; Freed, Trish; Kinzel, Laura; Pedersen, Margaret; Soule, C Oehme; Vosburg, Shirley

2004-01-01

Self-monitoring promotes behavior changes by promoting awareness of eating habits and creates self-efficacy. It is an important component of the Women's Health Initiative dietary intervention. During the first year of intervention, 74% of the total sample of 19,542 dietary intervention participants self-monitored. As the study progressed the self-monitoring rate declined to 59% by spring 2000. Participants were challenged by inability to accurately estimate fat content of restaurant foods and the inconvenience of carrying bulky self-monitoring tools. In 1996, a Self-Monitoring Working Group was organized to develop additional self-monitoring options that were responsive to participant needs. This article describes the original and additional self-monitoring tools and trends in tool use over time. Original tools were the Food Diary and Fat Scan. Additional tools include the Keeping Track of Goals, Quick Scan, Picture Tracker, and Eating Pattern Changes instruments. The additional tools were used by the majority of participants (5,353 of 10,260 or 52% of participants who were self-monitoring) by spring 2000. Developing self-monitoring tools that are responsive to participant needs increases the likelihood that self-monitoring can enhance dietary reporting adherence, especially in long-term clinical trials.

In Situ Manufacturing is a Necessary Part of Any Planetary Architecture

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Edmunson, Jennifer E.; McLemore, Carole A.

2012-01-01

The key to any sustainable presence in space is the ability to manufacture necessary tools, parts, structures, spares, etc. in situ and on demand. Cost, volume, and up-mass constraints prohibit launching everything needed for long-duration or long-distance missions from Earth, including spare parts and replacement systems. There are many benefits to building items as-needed in situ using computer aided drafting (CAD) models and additive manufacturing technology: (1) Cost, up-mass, and volume savings for launch due to the ability to manufacture specific parts when needed. (2) CAD models can be generated on Earth and transmitted to the station or spacecraft, or they can be designed in situ for any task. Thus, multiple people in many locations can work on a single problem. (3) Items can be produced that will enhance the safety of crew and vehicles (e.g., latches or guards). (4) Items can be produced on-demand in a small amount of time (i.e., hours or days) compared to traditional manufacturing methods and, therefore, would not require the lengthy amount of time needed to machine the part from a solid block of material nor the wait time required if the part had to be launched from Earth. (5) Used and obsolete parts can be recycled into powder or wire feedstock for use in later manufacturing. (6) Ultimately, the ability to produce items as-needed will reduce mission risk, as one will have everything they need to fix a broken system or fashion a new part making it available on a more timely basis.

Achieving Ships Mission Flexibility Through Designing, Printing And Operating Unmanned Systems With Additive Manufacturing And Delayed Differentiation

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-09-01

the UAV’s reliability in fulfilling the mission as well as the build- time of the UAV. 14. SUBJECT TERMS design , print and operate, DPO...previously. There are opportunities to work on the design of the UAV to reduce the cognitive workload of the service member and time required to “print” and...the need arises to tailor the UAV for the specific mission. The modification of an existing design is expected to take a much shorter time than the

Outcomes after foot surgery in people with a diabetic foot ulcer and a 12-month follow-up.

PubMed

Lenselink, E; Holloway, S; Eefting, D

2017-05-02

The aim of this study was to retrospectively measure the outcomes of foot-sparing surgery at one year follow-up for patients with diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs). We assessed wound healing and the need for further surgery in relation to the variables that influence healing. Data were retrospectively collected by reviewing the electronic files of patients attending the Wound Expert Clinic (WEC). Outcomes of surgical debridement, toe, ray and transmetatarsal amputations were assessed. A total of 129 cases in 121 patients were identified for inclusion. The results demonstrated that complete wound healing was reached in 52% (61/117) of the patients within 12 months. The need for additional surgery or for major amputation was 56% (n=72/129) and 30% (n=39/129) respectively. The need for an additional procedure was particularly high after surgical debridement (75%, 33/44) and transmetatarsal amputation (64%, 7/11). Risk factors for non-healing or for a major amputation were: infection (p=0.01), ischaemia (p=0.01), a history of peripheral arterial occlusive disease (p<0.01) and smoking (p=0.01). Additional findings were that not all patients underwent vascular assessment and in half of the patients there was a delay in undergoing revascularisation. The results of the study reveal some areas for improvement including timely revascularisation and performance of multiple debridement procedures if needed in order to save a limb.

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

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hansen, Dee; Milligan, Sarah A.

2012-01-01

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

EvoBuild: A Quickstart Toolkit for Programming Agent-Based Models of Evolutionary Processes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wagh, Aditi; Wilensky, Uri

2018-01-01

Extensive research has shown that one of the benefits of programming to learn about scientific phenomena is that it facilitates learning about mechanisms underlying the phenomenon. However, using programming activities in classrooms is associated with costs such as requiring additional time to learn to program or students needing prior experience…

What Does the Research Tell Us about Teacher Leadership? Research Brief

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Center for Comprehensive School Reform and Improvement, 2005

2005-01-01

In this age of high accountability, teacher quality is receiving more attention than ever before. Research that investigates ways to increase teacher quality is much needed, making this study a timely addition to the literature. Although increases in student achievement related to teacher quality have yet to be adequately documented, the research…

Online Education to Improve Workforce Skills: The Experience in the United States

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Robertson, Robert W.; De Aquino, Carlos Tasso E.

2016-01-01

The forces of globalization and technological advances are driving a need for skilled workers. In many countries, there is a "skill gap" that must be acknowledged. Individuals must increasingly embrace lifelong learning to remain competitive in turbulent times. This paper provides an introduction to the skills gap issue. In addition, the…

Toward a rational exuberance for ecosystem services markets

Treesearch

Jeffrey D. Kline; Marisa J. Mazzotta; Trista M. Patterson

2009-01-01

Ecosystem services markets have become a popular topic among environmental policymakers and ecosystem protection advocates. Their proponents view markets as a promising new way to finance conservation of threatened ecosystems worldwide at a time when the need for additional protection seems especially critical. Their advocates in forestry promise that such markets will...

76 FR 28383 - Occupational Injury and Illness Recording and Reporting Requirements

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-05-17

...., involves days away from work, restricted work, or medical treatment beyond first aid). The only additional... establishment the first year and 67 cents in future years). The costs represent the time that establishments would need to become familiar with the rule (5 minutes per establishment the first year) and to...

Enhancing Non-Technical Skills by a Multidisciplinary Engineering Summer School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Larsen, Peter Gorm; Kristiansen, Erik Lasse; Bennedsen, Jens; Bjerge, Kim

2017-01-01

In general engineering studies focus on the technical skills in their own discipline. However, in their subsequent industrial careers, a significant portion of their time needs to be devoted to non-technical skills. In addition, in an increasingly globalised world collaboration in teams across cultures and disciplines is paramount to the creation…

Status quo and future research challenges on organic food quality determination with focus on laboratory methods.

PubMed

Kahl, Johannes; Bodroza-Solarov, Marija; Busscher, Nicolaas; Hajslova, Jana; Kneifel, Wolfgang; Kokornaczyk, Maria Olga; van Ruth, Saskia; Schulzova, Vera; Stolz, Peter

2014-10-01

Organic food quality determination needs multi-dimensional evaluation tools. The main focus is on the authentication as an analytical verification of the certification process. New fingerprinting approaches such as ultra-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, direct analysis in real time-high-resolution mass spectrometry as well as crystallization with and without the presence of additives seem to be promising methods in terms of time of analysis and detecting organic system-related parameters. For further methodological development, a system approach is recommended, which also takes into account food structure aspects. Furthermore, the authentication of processed organic samples needs more consciousness, hence most of organic food is complex and processed. © 2013 Society of Chemical Industry.

Telecommuting. Factors to consider.

PubMed

D'Arruda, K A

2001-10-01

1. Telecommuting is a work arrangement in which employees work part time or full time from their homes or smaller telework centers. They communicate with employers via computer. 2. Telecommuting can raise legal issues for companies. Can telecommuting be considered a reasonable accommodation under the Americans With Disabilities Act? When at home, is a worker injured within the course and scope of their employment for purposes of workers' compensation? 3. Occupational and environmental health nurses may need to alter existing programs to meet the distinct needs of telecommuters. Often, there are ergonomic issues and home office safety issues which are not of concern to other employees. Additionally, occupational and environmental health nurses may have to offer programs in new formats (e.g., Internet or Intranet programs) to effectively communicate with teleworkers.

Teaching and learning in the operating theatre: a framework for trainers and advanced trainees in obstetrics and gynaecology.

PubMed

Mukhopadhyay, S; China, S

2010-04-01

Surgical training of 'advanced trainees' in Obstetrics and Gynaecology currently occurs in a rather unstructured fashion. This is even more complicated by reduced training time of doctors necessitated by the European working time directive. Teaching and learning in theatre is a combination of art and science. This paper attempts to address the issues hampering effective theatre training and suggests ways to overcome them. The 'operating theatre' plan includes a needs assessment of trainees, goal setting and instructional methodologies. Various learning styles could potentially be adopted, although it might be difficult to choose a learning style suitable for a particular trainee. Additionally, team working skills and experiential learning need to be facilitated.

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

Wahanani, Nursinta Adi, E-mail: sintaadi@batan.go.id; Natsir, Khairina, E-mail: sintaadi@batan.go.id; Hartini, Entin, E-mail: sintaadi@batan.go.id

Data processing software packages such as VSOP and MCNPX are softwares that has been scientifically proven and complete. The result of VSOP and MCNPX are huge and complex text files. In the analyze process, user need additional processing like Microsoft Excel to show informative result. This research develop an user interface software for output of VSOP and MCNPX. VSOP program output is used to support neutronic analysis and MCNPX program output is used to support burn-up analysis. Software development using iterative development methods which allow for revision and addition of features according to user needs. Processing time with this softwaremore » 500 times faster than with conventional methods using Microsoft Excel. PYTHON is used as a programming language, because Python is available for all major operating systems: Windows, Linux/Unix, OS/2, Mac, Amiga, among others. Values that support neutronic analysis are k-eff, burn-up and mass Pu{sup 239} and Pu{sup 241}. Burn-up analysis used the mass inventory values of actinide (Thorium, Plutonium, Neptunium and Uranium). Values are visualized in graphical shape to support analysis.« less

Additional Support Needs Policy in Scotland: Challenging or Reinforcing Social Inequality?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Riddell, Sheila; Weedon, Elisabet

2016-01-01

This paper focuses on Scottish policy on additional support needs and its material outcomes. The central question addressed is the extent to which the Scottish additional support needs system undermines or reinforces existing social and economic inequalities. Administrative data highlight the inflation of the additional support needs category,…

Oncologist burnout and compassion fatigue: investigating time pressure at work as a predictor and the mediating role of work-family conflict.

PubMed

Kleiner, Sibyl; Wallace, Jean E

2017-09-11

Oncologists are at high risk of poor mental health. Prior research has focused on burnout, and has identified heavy workload as a key predictor. Compassion fatigue among physicians has generally received less attention, although medical specialties such as oncology may be especially at risk of compassion fatigue. We contribute to research by identifying predictors of both burnout and compassion fatigue among oncologists. In doing so, we distinguish between quantitative workload (e.g., work hours) and subjective work pressure, and test whether work-family conflict mediates the relationships between work pressure and burnout or compassion fatigue. In a cross-sectional study, oncologists from across Canada (n = 312) completed questionnaires assessing burnout, compassion fatigue, workload, time pressure at work, work-family conflict, and other personal, family, and occupational characteristics. Analyses use Ordinary Least Squares regression. Subjective time pressure at work is a key predictor of both burnout and compassion fatigue. Our results also show that work-family conflict fully mediates these relationships. Overall, the models explain more of the variation in burnout as compared to compassion fatigue. Our study highlights the need to consider oncologists' subjective time pressure, in addition to quantitative workload, in interventions to improve mental health. The findings also highlight a need to better understand additional predictors of compassion fatigue.

The Effects of Age and Set Size on the Fast Extraction of Egocentric Distance

PubMed Central

Gajewski, Daniel A.; Wallin, Courtney P.; Philbeck, John W.

2016-01-01

Angular direction is a source of information about the distance to floor-level objects that can be extracted from brief glimpses (near one's threshold for detection). Age and set size are two factors known to impact the viewing time needed to directionally localize an object, and these were posited to similarly govern the extraction of distance. The question here was whether viewing durations sufficient to support object detection (controlled for age and set size) would also be sufficient to support well-constrained judgments of distance. Regardless of viewing duration, distance judgments were more accurate (less biased towards underestimation) when multiple potential targets were presented, suggesting that the relative angular declinations between the objects are an additional source of useful information. Distance judgments were more precise with additional viewing time, but the benefit did not depend on set size and accuracy did not improve with longer viewing durations. The overall pattern suggests that distance can be efficiently derived from direction for floor-level objects. Controlling for age-related differences in the viewing time needed to support detection was sufficient to support distal localization but only when brief and longer glimpse trials were interspersed. Information extracted from longer glimpse trials presumably supported performance on subsequent trials when viewing time was more limited. This outcome suggests a particularly important role for prior visual experience in distance judgments for older observers. PMID:27398065

Hydrocodone-acetaminophen for pain control in first-trimester surgical abortion: a randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

Micks, Elizabeth A; Edelman, Alison B; Renner, Regina-Maria; Fu, Rongwei; Lambert, William E; Bednarek, Paula H; Nichols, Mark D; Beckley, Ethan H; Jensen, Jeffrey T

2012-11-01

Although hydrocodone-acetaminophen is commonly used for pain control in first-trimester abortion, the efficacy of oral opioids for decreasing pain has not been established. Our objective was to estimate the effect of hydrocodone-acetaminophen on patient pain perception during first-trimester surgical abortion. We conducted a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial. Patients (before 11 weeks of gestation) received standard premedication (ibuprofen and lorazepam) and a paracervical block with the addition of 10 mg hydrocodone and 650 mg acetaminophen or placebo 45-90 minutes before surgical abortion. A sample size of 120 was calculated to provide 80% power to show a 15-mm difference (α=0.05) in the primary outcome of pain with uterine aspiration (100-mm visual analog scale). Secondary outcomes were pain at additional time points, satisfaction, side effects, adverse events, and need for additional pain medications. There were no significant differences in demographics or baseline pain between groups. There were no differences in pain scores between patients receiving hydrocodone-acetaminophen compared with placebo during uterine aspiration (65.7 mm compared with 63.2 mm, P=.59) or other procedural time points. There were no differences in satisfaction or need for additional pain medications. Patients who received hydrocodone-acetaminophen had more postoperative nausea than those receiving placebo (P=.03) when controlling for baseline nausea. No medication-related adverse events were noted. Hydrocodone-acetaminophen does not decrease pain during first-trimester abortion and may increase postoperative nausea. Clinicaltrials.gov, www.clinicaltrials.gov, NCT01330459. I.

Evolving user needs and late-mover advantage

PubMed Central

Querbes, Adrien; Frenken, Koen

2016-01-01

We propose a generalized NK-model of late-mover advantage where late-mover firms leapfrog first-mover firms as user needs evolve over time. First movers face severe trade-offs between the provision of functionalities in which their products already excel and the additional functionalities requested by users later on. Late movers, by contrast, start searching when more functionalities are already known and typically come up with superior product designs. We also show that late-mover advantage is more probable for more complex technologies. Managerial implications follow. PMID:28596705

Virtual Environments, Online Racial Discrimination, and Adjustment among a Diverse, School-Based Sample of Adolescents

PubMed Central

Tynes, Brendesha M.; Rose, Chad A.; Hiss, Sophia; Umaña-Taylor, Adriana J.; Mitchell, Kimberly; Williams, David

2015-01-01

Given the recent rise in online hate activity and the increased amount of time adolescents spend with media, more research is needed on their experiences with racial discrimination in virtual environments. This cross-sectional study examines the association between amount of time spent online, traditional and online racial discrimination and adolescent adjustment, including depressive symptoms, anxiety and externalizing behaviors. The study also explores the role that social identities, including race and gender, play in these associations. Online surveys were administered to 627 sixth through twelfth graders in K-8, middle and high schools. Multiple regression results revealed that discrimination online was associated with all three outcome variables. Additionally, a significant interaction between online discrimination by time online was found for externalizing behaviors indicating that increased time online and higher levels of online discrimination are associated with more problem behavior. This study highlights the need for clinicians, educational professionals and researchers to attend to race-related experiences online as well as in traditional environments. PMID:27134698

Cancer treatment in older adults: implications for psychosocial research.

PubMed

Given, Barbara; Given, Charles W

2009-11-01

The purpose of this article is to describe areas in need of psychosocial research for older adults who are currently receiving cancer treatment. Areas in which there are gaps in knowledge related to psychosocial research are outlined. Topics discussed for future research include comorbidity, physical function, cognitive status, frailty, and geriatric syndromes. In addition, the need for intervention to support patients and family caregivers is outlined. There are numerous areas of concern to older patients with cancer receiving treatment that warrant further study. Research is needed to identify ways to support patients and families at the time of cancer treatment so that they can make informed decisions and actively participate in cancer treatment.

Parallel architecture for rapid image generation and analysis

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

Nerheim, R.J.

1987-01-01

A multiprocessor architecture inspired by the Disney multiplane camera is proposed. For many applications, this approach produces a natural mapping of processors to objects in a scene. Such a mapping promotes parallelism and reduces the hidden-surface work with minimal interprocessor communication and low-overhead cost. Existing graphics architectures store the final picture as a monolithic entity. The architecture here stores each object's image separately. It assembles the final composite picture from component images only when the video display needs to be refreshed. This organization simplifies the work required to animate moving objects that occlude other objects. In addition, the architecture hasmore » multiple processors that generate the component images in parallel. This further shortens the time needed to create a composite picture. In addition to generating images for animation, the architecture has the ability to decompose images.« less

Optimal Reservoir Operation using Stochastic Model Predictive Control

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sahu, R.; McLaughlin, D.

2016-12-01

Hydropower operations are typically designed to fulfill contracts negotiated with consumers who need reliable energy supplies, despite uncertainties in reservoir inflows. In addition to providing reliable power the reservoir operator needs to take into account environmental factors such as downstream flooding or compliance with minimum flow requirements. From a dynamical systems perspective, the reservoir operating strategy must cope with conflicting objectives in the presence of random disturbances. In order to achieve optimal performance, the reservoir system needs to continually adapt to disturbances in real time. Model Predictive Control (MPC) is a real-time control technique that adapts by deriving the reservoir release at each decision time from the current state of the system. Here an ensemble-based version of MPC (SMPC) is applied to a generic reservoir to determine both the optimal power contract, considering future inflow uncertainty, and a real-time operating strategy that attempts to satisfy the contract. Contract selection and real-time operation are coupled in an optimization framework that also defines a Pareto trade off between the revenue generated from energy production and the environmental damage resulting from uncontrolled reservoir spills. Further insight is provided by a sensitivity analysis of key parameters specified in the SMPC technique. The results demonstrate that SMPC is suitable for multi-objective planning and associated real-time operation of a wide range of hydropower reservoir systems.

The Improved Locating Algorithm of Particle Filter Based on ROS Robot

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fang, Xun; Fu, Xiaoyang; Sun, Ming

2018-03-01

This paperanalyzes basic theory and primary algorithm of the real-time locating system and SLAM technology based on ROS system Robot. It proposes improved locating algorithm of particle filter effectively reduces the matching time of laser radar and map, additional ultra-wideband technology directly accelerates the global efficiency of FastSLAM algorithm, which no longer needs searching on the global map. Meanwhile, the re-sampling has been largely reduced about 5/6 that directly cancels the matching behavior on Roboticsalgorithm.

KSOS Secure Unix Verification Plan (Kernelized Secure Operating System).

DTIC Science & Technology

1980-12-01

shall be handled as proprietary information untii 5 Apri 1978. After that time, the Government m-. distribute the document as it sees fit. UNIX and PWB...Accession For P-’(’ T.’i3 :- NTI G.;:’... &I : " \\ " Y: Codes mdlc/or 71!O lii WDL-TR7809 KSOS VERIFICATION PLAN SECTION I INTRODUCTION "’The purpose...funding, additional tools may be available by the time they are needed for FSOS verification. We intend to use the best available technology in

On Location Estimation Technique Based of the Time of Flight in Low-power Wireless Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Botta, Miroslav; Simek, Milan; Krajsa, Ondrej; Cervenka, Vladimir; Pal, Tamas

2015-04-01

This study deals with the distance estimation issue in low-power wireless systems being usually used for sensor networking and interconnecting the Internet of Things. There is an effort to locate or track these sensor entities for different needs the radio signal time of flight principle from the theoretical and practical side of application research is evaluated. Since these sensor devices are mainly targeted for low power consumption appliances, there is always need for optimization of any aspects needed for regular sensor operation. For the distance estimation we benefit from IEEE 802.15.4a technology, which offers the precise ranging capabilities. There is no need for additional hardware to be used for the ranging task and all fundamental measurements are acquired within the 15.4a standard compliant hardware in the real environment. The proposed work examines the problems and the solutions for implementation of distance estimation algorithms for WSN devices. The main contribution of the article is seen in this real testbed evaluation of the ranging technology.

NASA/ORNL/AFRL Project Work on EBM LSHR: Additive Manufacturing of High-Temperature Gamma-Prime Strengthened Ni-Based Superalloys

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sudbrack, Chantal K.; Kirka, Michael M.; Dehoff, Ryan R.; Carter, Robert W.; Semiatin, Sheldon L.; Gabb, Timothy P.

2016-01-01

Powder-bed fabrication of aerospace alloys may revolutionize production by eliminating the need for extensive machining and expensive tooling. Heated-bed electron-beam melting (EBM) offers advantages over non-heated laser additive manufacturing (AM) methods, including lower residual stress, reduced risk of contamination, slower cooling rates, and faster build times. NASA Glenn Research Center has joint project work with Oak Ridge National Lab and the Air Force Research Laboratory to explore the feasibility of fabricating advanced Ni-based gamma-prime superalloys with EBM AM.

Low-Cost Rapid Usability Testing: Its Application in Both Product Development and System Implementation.

PubMed

Kushniruk, Andre; Borycki, Elizabeth

2017-01-01

In recent years there has been considerable discussion around the need for certification and regulation of healthcare information technology (IT). In particular, the usability of the products being developed needs to be evaluated. This has included the application of standards designed to ensure the process of system development is user-centered and takes usability into consideration while a product is being developed. In addition to this, in healthcare, organizations in the United States and Europe have also addressed the need and requirement for product certification. However, despite these efforts there are continued reports of unusable and unsafe implementations. In this paper we discuss the need to not only include (and require) usability testing in the one-time development process of health IT products (such as EHRs), but we also argue for the need to additionally develop specific usability standards and requirements for usability testing during the implementation of vendor products (i.e. post product development) in healthcare settings. It is further argued that health IT products that may have been certified regarding their development process will still require application of usability testing in the process of implementing them in real hospital settings in order to ensure usability and safety. This is needed in order to ensure that the final result of both product development and implementation processes take into account and apply the latest usability principles and methods.

C-14/I-29 Preservation and Hold Time Survey

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

Kitchen, S.

2015-04-08

Preservation and hold time of radionuclides must account for both nuclear half-lives and nonnuclear loss mechanisms, but variations in the latter are often neglected. Metals-based defaults are inappropriate for long-lived non-metals C-14 and I-129, which are vulnerable to chemical and biological volatilization. Non-acidification is already widely practiced for them. Recommended addition measures from radiological and chemical literature include glass containers where possible, water filtration where possible, headspace minimization, light shielding, cold (4°C) storage and unfiltered water hold time of 28 days. Soil hold time may need to be shortened when water-logged, excessively sandy, or still adjusting to significant new contamination.

A semi-parametric within-subject mixture approach to the analyses of responses and response times.

PubMed

Molenaar, Dylan; Bolsinova, Maria; Vermunt, Jeroen K

2018-05-01

In item response theory, modelling the item response times in addition to the item responses may improve the detection of possible between- and within-subject differences in the process that resulted in the responses. For instance, if respondents rely on rapid guessing on some items but not on all, the joint distribution of the responses and response times will be a multivariate within-subject mixture distribution. Suitable parametric methods to detect these within-subject differences have been proposed. In these approaches, a distribution needs to be assumed for the within-class response times. In this paper, it is demonstrated that these parametric within-subject approaches may produce false positives and biased parameter estimates if the assumption concerning the response time distribution is violated. A semi-parametric approach is proposed which resorts to categorized response times. This approach is shown to hardly produce false positives and parameter bias. In addition, the semi-parametric approach results in approximately the same power as the parametric approach. © 2017 The British Psychological Society.

Understanding Teacher Stress in an Age of Accountability. Research on Stress and Coping in Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lambert, Richard, Ed.; McCarthy, Christopher, Ed.

2006-01-01

School districts today face increasing calls for accountability during a time when budgets are stretched and students' needs have become increasingly complex. The teacher's responsibility is to educate younger people, but now more than ever, teachers face demands on a variety of fronts. In addition to teaching academic content, schools are…

Parenting in the '80s. . . Student Guide. Brookhaven College Child Development Program.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Linn, Hilda; And Others

This guide was developed to accompany a series of 16 seminars on parenting offered by the Brookhaven College Child Development Program to help meet the concerns and needs of working parents in a time of changing lifestyles and family patterns. In addition to providing an overview of each seminar topic, the guide contains informational essays…

Additional requirements for charitable hospitals; community health needs assessments for charitable hospitals; requirement of a section 4959 excise tax return and time for filing the return. Final regulations and removal of temporary regulations.

PubMed

2014-12-31

This document contains final regulations that provide guidance regarding the requirements for charitable hospital organizations added by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010. The regulations will affect charitable hospital organizations

The Complex Determinants of School Intake Characteristics and Segregation, England 1989 to 2014

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gorard, Stephen

2016-01-01

The extent of between-school segregation, or clustering of disadvantaged students within schools, in England varies depending on the indicator of interest. For example, the trend over time for segregation by student poverty differs from those for ethnicity or special educational need. Additionally the causes of the level of segregation for any…

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

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-09-14

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

Venturing beyond the Gates: Facilitating Successful Reentry with Entrepreneurship. Summer 2007

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lindahl, Nicole

2007-01-01

The rising number of individuals returning to communities from prison and jail represents one of the defining issues of time. Individuals reentering society face myriad challenges, not the least of which is securing viable employment; in addition, each individual has a unique set of experiences, needs and resources. This project stems from the…

Student Teams' Development over Time: Tracing the Relationship between the Quality of Communication and Teams' Performance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pöysä-Tarhonen, Johanna; Elen, Jan; Tarhonen, Pasi

2016-01-01

Current discussions in higher education and alumni training acknowledge the challenges training programs face in responding to the authentic needs of the labor market. In addition to academic knowledge, higher education institutions are expected to provide general twenty-first-century skills, such as problem-solving, critical thinking,…

Incorporating a Career Planning Lab into a Managerial Communications Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

May, Gary L.

2005-01-01

This article describes how a small business school, as part of a strategic planning initiative to improve career services, added a self-directed career planning lab to an existing managerial communication course. The lab concept and the learning design are innovative because they met a student need without creating additional time demands on the…

Sleep and Rest Requirements: Physiological Considerations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Neri, David F.; Rosekind, Mark R. (Technical Monitor)

1997-01-01

Sleep is a vital physiological need which must be met to insure optimal functioning. A single night of significantly shortened sleep negatively impacts performance, alertness, and mood. Restricted sleep studies have shown that even a relatively small amount of sleep loss over several consecutive days can be additive and result in a cumulative sleep debt with similar detrimental effects. Compounding the problem of sleep loss in the operational environment is the poor correlation between subjective reports of sleepiness and objective measures of physiological sleep need. Some of the factors determining how sleepy an individual is at a given point in time are: (1) individual characteristics (e.g., amount of prior sleep and wakefulness, circadian phase, age), (2) environmental conditions (e.g., noise, temperature, amount of social interaction), and (3) task variables (e.g., signal rate, workload). Although sleep need can be masked with medications, the only way to reduce it is with sleep itself. The timing of the sleep period can affect sleep duration and quality and thus its restorative strength. The data are clear that increasing sleep time results in improved alertness. This paper will briefly review the scientific findings on sleep need, the effects of sleep loss, napping strategies, and the implications of incorporating physiologically sound sleep and rest strategies into the operational aviation environment.

[Mathematic modeling for prediction of waning immunity and timing of booster doses].

PubMed

Matuo, Fujio; Okada, Kenji

2008-10-01

Under an environment that a vaccination rate is low and an infectious disease is prevalent, it is thought that most vaccinee got additional immunity by natural infection. On the other hand, in the area where the incidence of disease has been reduced by high rate vaccination, it is also decreased the chance of additional immunity by natural infection. Therefore susceptible individuals are increased because of the waning immunity. In the community where a vaccination rate is high, it may be necessary to consider the booster vaccination for adolescent and adult even if one completed the primary vaccinations. It may also be important to explore the timing of booster dose. In this paper, we attempt to give a comprehensive explanation of mathematical model for predicting the antibody duration, and we introduce the role of mathematical model on a consideration to the need and timing of booster doses after the primary series.

Properties of High Strength Concrete Applied on Semarang - Bawen Highway

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Setiyawan, Prabowo; Antonius; Wedyowibowo, R. Hawik Jenny

2018-04-01

To fulfill the needs of highway construction then a high quality concrete is expected to be produced by a short time and high workability, therefore the addition of additive chemicals needs to be conducted. The objective of the study was to find out the properties of high quality concrete including slump value, compressive strength, flexural strength, elasticity modulus and stress-strain diagrams with the addition of fly ash and superplasticizer. There were five types of mixtures were made in this study with a fas (cement water factor) was 0,41 and an additional 15% of fly ash and a varied superplasticizer of 0%, 0.5%, 1%, 2% towards the weight/volume and cement/water. Test samples of cylinders and prisms or beams were tested in the laboratory at 1, 3, 7, 14, and 28 days. The test results were then compared with the test results made without additional additives. Based on the result of this research, it can be concluded that the increase of slump value due to the addition of 15% fly ash is 0,53 cm of the base slump value. The use of superplasticizer causes the weight of the type to be greater. The optimum dose of superplasticizer is 1,2%, it is still in the usage level according to the F-type admixture brochure (water reducing, high-range admixture) such as 0,6 % -1,5 %. All mixture types which use addition materials for flexural strength (fr'=45kg/cm2) can be achieved at 3 days.

The future role of dams in the United States of America

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ho, Michelle; Lall, Upmanu; Allaire, Maura; Devineni, Naresh; Kwon, Hyun Han; Pal, Indrani; Raff, David; Wegner, David

2017-02-01

xml:id="wrcr22481-sec-1001" numbered="no">Storage and controlled distribution of water have been key elements of a human strategy to overcome the space and time variability of water, which have been marked by catastrophic droughts and floods throughout the course of civilization. In the United States, the peak of dam building occurred in the mid-20th century with knowledge limited to the scientific understanding and hydrologic records of the time. Ecological impacts were considered differently than current legislative and regulatory controls would potentially dictate. Additionally, future costs such as maintenance or removal beyond the economic design life were not fully considered. The converging risks associated with aging water storage infrastructure and uncertainty in climate in addition to the continuing need for water storage, flood protection, and hydropower result in a pressing need to address the state of dam infrastructure across the nation. Decisions regarding the future of dams in the United States may, in turn, influence regional water futures through groundwater outcomes, economic productivity, migration, and urban growth. We advocate for a comprehensive national water assessment and a formal analysis of the role dams play in our water future. We emphasize the urgent need for environmentally and economically sound strategies to integrate surface and groundwater storage infrastructure in local, regional, and national water planning considerations. A research agenda is proposed to assess dam failure impacts and the design, operation, and need for dams considering both paleo and future climate, utilization of groundwater resources, and the changing societal values toward the environment.

A new battery-charging method suggested by molecular dynamics simulations.

PubMed

Abou Hamad, Ibrahim; Novotny, M A; Wipf, D O; Rikvold, P A

2010-03-20

Based on large-scale molecular dynamics simulations, we propose a new charging method that should be capable of charging a lithium-ion battery in a fraction of the time needed when using traditional methods. This charging method uses an additional applied oscillatory electric field. Our simulation results show that this charging method offers a great reduction in the average intercalation time for Li(+) ions, which dominates the charging time. The oscillating field not only increases the diffusion rate of Li(+) ions in the electrolyte but, more importantly, also enhances intercalation by lowering the corresponding overall energy barrier.

Whole-body CT-based imaging algorithm for multiple trauma patients: radiation dose and time to diagnosis

PubMed Central

Gordic, S; Hodel, S; Simmen, H-P; Brueesch, M; Frauenfelder, T; Wanner, G; Sprengel, K

2015-01-01

Objective: To determine the number of imaging examinations, radiation dose and the time to complete trauma-related imaging in multiple trauma patients before and after introduction of whole-body CT (WBCT) into early trauma care. Methods: 120 consecutive patients before and 120 patients after introduction of WBCT into the trauma algorithm of the University Hospital Zurich were compared regarding the number and type of CT, radiography, focused assessment with sonography for trauma (FAST), additional CT examinations (defined as CT of the same body regions after radiography and/or FAST) and the time to complete trauma-related imaging. Results: In the WBCT cohort, significantly more patients underwent CT of the head, neck, chest and abdomen (p < 0.001) than in the non-WBCT cohort, whereas the number of radiographic examinations of the cervical spine, chest and pelvis and of FAST examinations were significantly lower (p < 0.001). There were no significant differences between cohorts regarding the number of radiographic examinations of the upper (p = 0.56) and lower extremities (p = 0.30). We found significantly higher effective doses in the WBCT (29.5 mSv) than in the non-WBCT cohort (15.9 mSv; p < 0.001), but fewer additional CT examinations for completing the work-up were needed in the WBCT cohort (p < 0.001). The time to complete trauma-related imaging was significantly shorter in the WBCT (12 min) than in the non-WBCT cohort (75 min; p < 0.001). Conclusion: Including WBCT in the initial work-up of trauma patients results in higher radiation doses, but fewer additional CT examinations are needed, and the time for completing trauma-related imaging is shorter. Advances in knowledge: WBCT in trauma patients is associated with a high radiation dose of 29.5 mSv. PMID:25594105

Higher-order accurate space-time schemes for computational astrophysics—Part I: finite volume methods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Balsara, Dinshaw S.

2017-12-01

As computational astrophysics comes under pressure to become a precision science, there is an increasing need to move to high accuracy schemes for computational astrophysics. The algorithmic needs of computational astrophysics are indeed very special. The methods need to be robust and preserve the positivity of density and pressure. Relativistic flows should remain sub-luminal. These requirements place additional pressures on a computational astrophysics code, which are usually not felt by a traditional fluid dynamics code. Hence the need for a specialized review. The focus here is on weighted essentially non-oscillatory (WENO) schemes, discontinuous Galerkin (DG) schemes and PNPM schemes. WENO schemes are higher order extensions of traditional second order finite volume schemes. At third order, they are most similar to piecewise parabolic method schemes, which are also included. DG schemes evolve all the moments of the solution, with the result that they are more accurate than WENO schemes. PNPM schemes occupy a compromise position between WENO and DG schemes. They evolve an Nth order spatial polynomial, while reconstructing higher order terms up to Mth order. As a result, the timestep can be larger. Time-dependent astrophysical codes need to be accurate in space and time with the result that the spatial and temporal accuracies must be matched. This is realized with the help of strong stability preserving Runge-Kutta schemes and ADER (Arbitrary DERivative in space and time) schemes, both of which are also described. The emphasis of this review is on computer-implementable ideas, not necessarily on the underlying theory.

Solar array model corrections from Mars Pathfinder lander data

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

Ewell, R.C.; Burger, D.R.

1997-12-31

The MESUR solar array power model initially assumed values for input variables. After landing early surface variables such as array tilt and azimuth or early environmental variables such as array temperature can be corrected. Correction of later environmental variables such as tau versus time, spectral shift, dust deposition, and UV darkening is dependent upon time, on-board science instruments, and ability to separate effects of variables. Engineering estimates had to be made for additional shadow losses and Voc sensor temperature corrections. Some variations had not been expected such as tau versus time of day, and spectral shift versus time of day.more » Additions needed to the model are thermal mass of lander petal and correction between Voc sensor and temperature sensor. Conclusions are: the model works well; good battery predictions are difficult; inclusion of Isc and Voc sensors was valuable; and the IMP and MAE science experiments greatly assisted the data analysis and model correction.« less

The Antecedents of Coaches' Interpersonal Behaviors: The Role of the Coaching Context, Coaches' Psychological Needs, and Coaches' Motivation.

PubMed

Rocchi, Meredith; Pelletier, Luc G

2017-10-01

This study explored how the coaching context influences coaches' psychological needs, motivation, and reported interpersonal behaviors, using self-determination theory. In Study 1, 56 coaches identified how contextual factors influence their coaching experience. Coaches identified administration, athlete motivation, colleagues, parents, professional development, time, and work-life as having the largest impact on them. In Study 2, 424 coaches reported on their perceptions of the factors identified in Study 1 and their psychological needs, motivation, and interpersonal behaviors. Structural equation modeling analyses suggested perceptions of the coaching context supported or thwarted their psychological needs, which positively or negatively predicted their autonomous and controlled motivation. Coaches' autonomous motivation predicted their reported supportive interpersonal behaviors and controlled motivation predicted thwarting behaviors. Overall, the results provided additional support for understanding how the coaching context, coaches' psychological needs, and their motivation for coaching relate to their coaching behaviors.

"It's a Battle… You Want to Do It, but How Will You Get It Done?": Teachers' and Principals' Perceptions of Implementing Additional Physical activity in School for Academic Performance.

PubMed

van den Berg, Vera; Salimi, Rosanne; de Groot, Renate H M; Jolles, Jelle; Chinapaw, Mai J M; Singh, Amika S

2017-09-30

School is an ideal setting to promote and increase physical activity (PA) in children. However, implementation of school-based PA programmes seems difficult, in particular due to schools' focus on academic performance and a lack of involvement of school staff in program development. The potential cognitive and academic benefits of PA might increase chances of successful implementation. Therefore, the aim of this qualitative study was: (1) to explore the perceptions of teachers and principals with regard to implementation of additional PA aimed at improving cognitive and academic performance, and (2) to identify characteristics of PA programmes that according to them are feasible in daily school practice. Twenty-six face-to-face semi-structured interviews were conducted with primary school teachers (grades 5 and 6) and principals in The Netherlands, and analysed using inductive content analysis. Teachers and principals expressed their willingness to implement additional PA if it benefits learning. Time constraints appeared to be a major barrier, and strongly influenced participants' perceptions of feasible PA programmes. Teachers and principals emphasised that additional PA needs to be short, executed in the classroom, and provided in "ready-to-use" materials, i.e., that require no or little preparation time (e.g., a movie clip). Future research is needed to strengthen the evidence on the effects of PA for academic purposes, and should examine the forms of PA that are both effective as well as feasible in the school setting.

“It’s a Battle… You Want to Do It, but How Will You Get It Done?”: Teachers’ and Principals’ Perceptions of Implementing Additional Physical activity in School for Academic Performance

PubMed Central

van den Berg, Vera; Salimi, Rosanne; de Groot, Renate H. M.; Jolles, Jelle; Chinapaw, Mai J. M.; Singh, Amika S.

2017-01-01

School is an ideal setting to promote and increase physical activity (PA) in children. However, implementation of school-based PA programmes seems difficult, in particular due to schools’ focus on academic performance and a lack of involvement of school staff in program development. The potential cognitive and academic benefits of PA might increase chances of successful implementation. Therefore, the aim of this qualitative study was: (1) to explore the perceptions of teachers and principals with regard to implementation of additional PA aimed at improving cognitive and academic performance, and (2) to identify characteristics of PA programmes that according to them are feasible in daily school practice. Twenty-six face-to-face semi-structured interviews were conducted with primary school teachers (grades 5 and 6) and principals in The Netherlands, and analysed using inductive content analysis. Teachers and principals expressed their willingness to implement additional PA if it benefits learning. Time constraints appeared to be a major barrier, and strongly influenced participants’ perceptions of feasible PA programmes. Teachers and principals emphasised that additional PA needs to be short, executed in the classroom, and provided in “ready-to-use” materials, i.e., that require no or little preparation time (e.g., a movie clip). Future research is needed to strengthen the evidence on the effects of PA for academic purposes, and should examine the forms of PA that are both effective as well as feasible in the school setting. PMID:28973967

Rehabilitation goal setting with community dwelling adults with acquired brain injury: a theoretical framework derived from clinicians' reflections on practice.

PubMed

Prescott, Sarah; Fleming, Jennifer; Doig, Emmah

2017-06-11

The aim of this study was to explore clinicians' experiences of implementing goal setting with community dwelling clients with acquired brain injury, to develop a goal setting practice framework. Grounded theory methodology was employed. Clinicians, representing six disciplines across seven services, were recruited and interviewed until theoretical saturation was achieved. A total of 22 clinicians were interviewed. A theoretical framework was developed to explain how clinicians support clients to actively engage in goal setting in routine practice. The framework incorporates three phases: a needs identification phase, a goal operationalisation phase, and an intervention phase. Contextual factors, including personal and environmental influences, also affect how clinicians and clients engage in this process. Clinicians use additional strategies to support clients with impaired self-awareness. These include structured communication and metacognitive strategies to operationalise goals. For clients with emotional distress, clinicians provide additional time and intervention directed at new identity development. The goal setting practice framework may guide clinician's understanding of how to engage in client-centred goal setting in brain injury rehabilitation. There is a predilection towards a client-centred goal setting approach in the community setting, however, contextual factors can inhibit implementation of this approach. Implications for Rehabilitation The theoretical framework describes processes used to develop achievable client-centred goals with people with brain injury. Building rapport is a core strategy to engage clients with brain injury in goal setting. Clients with self-awareness impairment benefit from additional metacognitive strategies to participate in goal setting. Clients with emotional distress may need additional time for new identity development.

Beyond using composite measures to analyze the effect of unmet supportive care needs on caregivers' anxiety and depression.

PubMed

Lambert, Sylvie D; Hulbert-Williams, Nicholas; Belzile, Eric; Ciampi, Antonio; Girgis, Afaf

2018-06-01

Caregiver research has relied on composite measures (eg, count) of unmet supportive care needs to determine relationships with anxiety and depression. Such composite measures assume that all unmet needs have a similar impact on outcomes. The purpose of this study is to identify individual unmet needs most associated with caregivers' anxiety and depression. Two hundred nineteen caregivers completed the 44-item Supportive Care Needs Survey and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (minimal clinically important difference = 1.5) at 6 to 8 months and 1, 2, 3.5, and 5 years following the patients' cancer diagnosis. The list of needs was reduced using partial least square regression, and those with a variance importance in projection >1 were analyzed using Bayesian model averaging. Across time, 8 items remained in the top 10 based on prevalence and were labelled "core." Three additional ones were labelled "frequent," as they remained in the top 10 from 1 year onwards. Bayesian model averaging identified a maximum of 3 significant unmet needs per time point-all leading to a difference greater than the minimal clinically important difference. For depression, none of the core unmet needs were significant, rather significance was noted for frequent needs and needs that were not prevalent. For anxiety, 3/8 core and 3/3 frequent unmet needs were significant. Those unmet needs that are most prevalent are not necessarily the most significant ones, and findings provide an evidence-based framework to guide the development of caregiver interventions. A broader contribution is proposing a different approach to identify significant unmet needs. Copyright © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

THE USE OF KF STYLE FLANGES IN LOW PARTICULATE APPLICATIONS

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

Kendziora, K. R.; Angelo, J.; Baffes, C.

As SCRF particle accelerator technology advances the need for “low particulate” and “particle free” vacuum sys-tems becomes greater and greater. In the course of the op-eration of these systems, there comes a time when various instruments have to be temporarily attached for diagnostic purposes: RGAs, leak detectors, and additional pumps. In an effort to make the additions of these instruments easier and more time effective, we propose to use KF style flanges for these types of temporary diagnostic connec-tions. This document will describe the tests used to com-pare the particles generated using the assembly of the, widely accepted for “particlemore » free” use, conflat flange to the proposed KF style flange, and demonstrate that KF flanges produce comparable or even less particles« less

Satellite control of electric power distribution

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bergen, L.

1981-01-01

An L-band frequencies satellite link providing the medium for direct control of electrical loads at individual customer sites from remote central locations is described. All loads supplied under interruptible-service contracts are likely condidates for such control, and they can be cycled or switched off to reduce system loads. For every kW of load eliminated or deferred to off-peak hours, the power company reduces its need for additional generating capacity. In addition, the satellite could switch meter registers so that their readings automatically reflected the time of consumption. The system would perform load-shedding operations during emergencies, disconnecting large blocks of load according to predetermined priorities. Among the distribution operations conducted by the satellite in real time would be: load reconfiguration, voltage regulation, fault isolation, and capacitor and feeder load control.

Implementation and Results of a Learning Assistant Program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bogue, Thomas B.; Seeley, L.; Vokos, S.

2006-12-01

The Physics Department at Seattle Pacific University has recently completed a three-year CCLI grant to integrate Tutorials in Introductory Physics , Activity Based Physics , and Real Time Physics into our one-year introductory curriculum. One of the difficulties encountered in doing this at a small undergraduate university was the need for additional instructors. This need is met through the use of undergraduate learning assistants. The development of recruitment and implementation methods will be discussed, along with the advantages to physics education, and the challenges encountered. We will also discuss several strategies we have identified as critical to a successful learning assistant program.

Tactical decision making for selective expansion of operating room resources incorporating financial criteria and uncertainty in subspecialties' future workloads.

PubMed

Dexter, Franklin; Ledolter, Johannes; Wachtel, Ruth E

2005-05-01

We considered the allocation of operating room (OR) time at facilities where the strategic decision had been made to increase the number of ORs. Allocation occurs in two stages: a long-term tactical stage followed by short-term operational stage. Tactical decisions, approximately 1 yr in advance, determine what specialized equipment and expertise will be needed. Tactical decisions are based on estimates of future OR workload for each subspecialty or surgeon. We show that groups of surgeons can be excluded from consideration at this tactical stage (e.g., surgeons who need intensive care beds or those with below average contribution margins per OR hour). Lower and upper limits are estimated for the future demand of OR time by the remaining surgeons. Thus, initial OR allocations can be accomplished with only partial information on future OR workload. Once the new ORs open, operational decision-making based on OR efficiency is used to fill the OR time and adjust staffing. Surgeons who were not allocated additional time at the tactical stage are provided increased OR time through operational adjustments based on their actual workload. In a case study from a tertiary hospital, future demand estimates were needed for only 15% of surgeons, illustrating the practicality of these methods for use in tactical OR allocation decisions.

A high time resolution x-ray diagnostic on the Madison Symmetric Torus

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

DuBois, Ami M.; Lee, John David; Almagri, Abdulgadar F.

2015-07-01

A new high time resolution x-ray detector has been installed on the Madison Symmetric Torus (MST) to make measurements around sawtooth events. The detector system is comprised of a silicon avalanche photodiode, a 20 ns Gaussian shaping amplifier, and a 500 MHz digitizer with 14-bit sampling resolution. The fast shaping time diminishes the need to restrict the amount of x-ray flux reaching the detector, limiting the system dead-time. With a much higher time resolution than systems currently in use in high temperature plasma physics experiments, this new detector has the versatility to be used in a variety of discharges with varying flux and the ability to study dynamics on both slow and fast time scales. This paper discusses the new fast x-ray detector recently installed on MST and the improved time resolution capabilities compared to the existing soft and hard x-ray diagnostics. In addition to the detector hardware, improvements to the detector calibration and x-ray pulse identification software, such as additional fitting parameters and a more sophisticated fitting routine are discussed. Finally, initial data taken in both high confinement and standard reversed-field pinch plasma discharges are compared.

STREAMLINED LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT: A FINAL REPORT FROM THE SETAC-NORTH AMERICA STREAMLINED LCA WORKGROUP

EPA Science Inventory

The original goal of the Streamlined LCA workgroup was to define and document a process for a shortened form of LCA. At the time, because of the large amount of data needed to do a cradle-to-grave evaluation, it was believed that in addition to such a "full" LCA approach there w...

Alternative Fuels Data Center: DC Fast Charging at the Workplace:

Science.gov Websites

alleviate charging congestion when there are more PEV drivers than Level 1 or 2 charging at a worksite. DCFC can also be beneficial in emergencies or other situations when PEV drivers do not have time to charge electrical capacity for the DCFC's high power needs. There may also be additional costs to permitting or

Reprogramming the Metastatic Microenvironment to Combat Disease Recurrence

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-10-01

the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing this...lead to pathological bone loss, which can stimulate tumor cell outgrowth. In addition to contributing to morbidity, this ‘vicious cycle’ also...surveillance and antigen presentation affect metastatic relapse in the bone. In so doing, we discovered that inhibiting colony stimulating factor-1

Regionally Aligned Forces and Megacities

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-05-21

the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed , and completing and reviewing this...3 isolation of dispersed enemy forces impossible. Additionally, doctrine presents an argument that cities are complex “systems of systems.”8 While...Dimension in TP 523-3-7 as “the cognitive , physical, and social components of Soldier, Army Civilians, leader, and organizational development and

77 FR 38309 - Notice of Regulatory Waiver Requests Granted for the First Quarter of Calendar Year 2012

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-06-27

... otherwise be said to occur, in light of the lack of definitions of ``public corridor'' or ``public area... 20410, telephone (202) 708-3000. Regulation: 24 CFR 891.165. Project/Activity: Villa Davis, Phoenix, AZ...: Additional time was needed for the sponsor/owner to receive approval from the Phoenix City Council for...

38 CFR 21.8072 - Authorizing training, services, and assistance beyond the initial individualized written plan of...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... CP or VRC sets aside the child's achievement of that vocational goal under § 21.8284. (Authority: 38 U.S.C. 1804(b) through (e), 1814) (c) Responsibility for authorizing a program extension. A CP or... program limit of 48 months if the CP or VRC determines that the child needs the additional time to...

Becoming an Applied Linguist: A Study of Authorial Voice in International PhD Students' Confirmation Reports

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thompson, Celia; Morton, Janne; Storch, Neomy

2016-01-01

The need to establish an authorial identity in academic discourse has been considered to be critical for all doctoral students by academic writing teachers and researchers for some time. For students for whom English is an additional language (EAL) in particular, the challenges are not only how to communicate this identity effectively in English,…

Form reconciles meds, but doctor buy-in difficult.

PubMed

2006-02-01

One ED has developed a medication reconciliation form to meet the National Patient Safety Goal of reconciling medications across the continuum of care. The form does require additional staff time to complete. Staff and physicians need training so they understand the importance of meeting the safety goal. Physicians may resist giving orders on previously prescribed meds and may see the form as redundant.

Personalized USB Biosensor Module for Effective ECG Monitoring.

PubMed

Sladojević, Srdjan; Arsenović, Marko; Lončar-Turukalo, Tatjana; Sladojević, Miroslava; Ćulibrk, Dubravko

2016-01-01

The burden of chronic disease and associated disability present a major threat to financial sustainability of healthcare delivery systems. The need for cost-effective early diagnosis and disease prevention is evident driving the development of personalized home health solutions. The proposed solution presents an easy to use ECG monitoring system. The core hardware component is a biosensor dongle with sensing probes at one end, and micro USB interface at the other end, offering reliable and unobtrusive sensing, preprocessing and storage. An additional component is a smart phone, providing both the biosensor's power supply and an intuitive user application for the real-time data reading. The system usage is simplified, with innovative solutions offering plug and play functionality avoiding additional driver installation. Personalized needs could be met with different sensor combinations enabling adequate monitoring in chronic disease, during physical activity and in the rehabilitation process.

Concrete volute pumps: technology review and improvement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prunières, R.; Longatte, F.; Catelan, F. X.; Philippot, J. M.

2012-11-01

When pumps need to deliver large water flow rates (typically more than 5 m3.s-1), concrete volute pumps (CVP) offer an interesting alternative to standard vertical wet-pit pumps. One of the major advantages of CVP is its simplicity in terms of design, manufacturability and maintainability. In addition, CVP geometrical arrangement allows to reach high performances in terms of hydraulic and mechanical behaviour. These advantages can be specifically appreciated when such pumps are used in the energy field for Power Plants which need high flow rate and reliability, and can lead to important financial savings over the Plant lifetime compared to vertical wet-pit pumps. Finally, as CVP was for a long time limited to total head rise lower than 30 mWC, it was established through CFD analysis that the addition of guide vanes between the impeller and the volute allows to achieve higher head rise without risk.

Process Development of Porcelain Ceramic Material with Binder Jetting Process for Dental Applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miyanaji, Hadi; Zhang, Shanshan; Lassell, Austin; Zandinejad, Amirali; Yang, Li

2016-03-01

Custom ceramic structures possess significant potentials in many applications such as dentistry and aerospace where extreme environments are present. Specifically, highly customized geometries with adequate performance are needed for various dental prostheses applications. This paper demonstrates the development of process and post-process parameters for a dental porcelain ceramic material using binder jetting additive manufacturing (AM). Various process parameters such as binder amount, drying power level, drying time and powder spread speed were studied experimentally for their effect on geometrical and mechanical characteristics of green parts. In addition, the effects of sintering and printing parameters on the qualities of the densified ceramic structures were also investigated experimentally. The results provide insights into the process-property relationships for the binder jetting AM process, and some of the challenges of the process that need to be further characterized for the successful adoption of the binder jetting technology in high quality ceramic fabrications are discussed.

Upgrade of The Thermal Vacuum Data System at NASA/GSFC

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Palmer, John; Powers, Edward I. (Technical Monitor)

2000-01-01

The Goddard Space Flight Center's new thermal vacuum data acquisition system is a networked client-sever application that enables lab operations crews to monitor all tests from a central location. The GSFC thermal vacuum lab consists of eleven chambers in Building 7 and one chamber in Building 10. The new data system was implemented for several reasons. These included the need for centralized data collection, more flexible and easier to use operator interface, greater data accessibility, a reduction in testing time and cost, and increased payload and personnel safety. Additionally, a new data system was needed for year-2000 compliance. This paper discusses the incorporation of the Thermal Vacuum Data System (TVDS) within the thermal vacuum lab at GSFC, its features and capabilities and lessons learned in its implementation. Additional topics include off-center (Internet) capability for remote monitoring and the role of TVDS in the efforts to automate thermal vacuum chamber operations.

Upgrade of the Thermal Vacuum Data System at NASA/GSFC

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Palmer, John

2000-01-01

The Goddard Space Flight Center's new thermal vacuum data acquisition system is a networked client-sever application that enables lab operations crews to monitor all tests from a central location. The GSFC thermal vacuum lab consists of eleven chambers in Building 7 and one chamber in Building 10. The new data system was implemented for several reasons. These included the need for centralized data collection, more flexible and easier to use operator interface, greater data accessibility, a reduction in testing time and cost, and increased payload and personnel safety. Additionally, a new data system was needed for year-2000 compliance. This paper discusses the incorporation of the Thermal Vacuum Data System (TVDS) within the thermal vacuum lab at GSFC, its features and capabilities and lessons learned in its implementation. Additional topics include off-center (Internet) capability for remote monitoring and the role of TVDS in the efforts to automate thermal vacuum chamber operations.

Insights into the disparate action of osmolytes and macromolecular crowders on amyloid formation

PubMed Central

Sukenik, Shahar

2012-01-01

It is widely recognized that amyloid formation sensitively responds to conditions set by myriad cellular solutes. These cosolutes include two important classes: macromolecular crowders and compatible osmolytes. We have recently found that addition of macromolecular PEG only slightly affects fibril formation of a model peptide in vitro. Polyol osmolytes, in contrast, lengthen the lag time for aggregation, and lead to larger fibril mass at equilibrium. To further hypothesize on the molecular underpinnings of the disparate effect of the two cosolute classes, we have further analyzed the experiments using an available kinetic mechanism describing fibril aggregation. Model calculations suggest that all cosolutes similarly lengthen the time required for nucleation, possibly due to their excluded volume effect. However, PEGs may in addition promote fibril fragmentation, leading to lag times that are overall almost unvaried. Moreover, polyols effectively slow the monomer-fibril detachment rates, thereby favoring additional fibril formation. Our analysis provides first hints that cosolutes act not only by changing association or dissociation rates, but potentially also by directing the formation of fibrils of varied morphologies with different mechanical properties. Although additional experiments are needed to unambiguously resolve the action of excluded cosolutes on amyloid formation, it is becoming clear that these compounds are important to consider in the search for ways to modulate fibril formation. PMID:22453174

An Overview of Recent Developments in Computational Aeroelasticity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bennett, Robert M.; Edwards, John W.

2004-01-01

The motivation for Computational Aeroelasticity (CA) and the elements of one type of the analysis or simulation process are briefly reviewed. The need for streamlining and improving the overall process to reduce elapsed time and improve overall accuracy is discussed. Further effort is needed to establish the credibility of the methodology, obtain experience, and to incorporate the experience base to simplify the method for future use. Experience with the application of a variety of Computational Aeroelasticity programs is summarized for the transonic flutter of two wings, the AGARD 445.6 wing and a typical business jet wing. There is a compelling need for a broad range of additional flutter test cases for further comparisons. Some existing data sets that may offer CA challenges are presented.

Addressing Adolescent Oral Health: A Review.

PubMed

Silk, Hugh; Kwok, Amy

2017-02-01

Oral health is one of the most unmet health care needs of adolescents. Oral disease can have a profound effect on overall health, including pain, missed school, heart disease, and even death. Adolescents have specific needs pertaining to oral health in addition to the usual lifelong issues of caries management, sports injury prevention, and dental referrals. Teen years are a higher risk time for oral piercings, increased sugar intake, nicotine initiation, and orthodontic considerations. Adolescents need a unique approach to motivate them about their oral health issues. This is particularly important because lifelong health habits are created during these formative years, and prevention opportunities for sealants and varnish are only available at this age. © American Academy of Pediatrics, 2017. All rights reserved.

The frail elderly: a matter of caring.

PubMed

Erlen, Judith A

2007-01-01

Nurses caring for patients with orthopaedic problems often encounter elderly patients in their caseload. These patients have variable levels of functioning; some may be frail and, therefore, require greater assistance and possibly more time with their care. This loss of function and need for more assistance increases their vulnerability and creates challenges for nurses and other healthcare providers who are delivering patient care. This article offers a brief description of the frail elderly and examines their increasing vulnerability and their need for additional protection, preserving their dignity and respecting their autonomy, and how caring helps to guide nurses in addressing the special needs of this particularly vulnerable patient population. Sensitivity, patience, trust, compassion, and clinical competence matter when caring for the frail elderly.

A Probabilistic Tool that Aids Logistics Engineers in the Establishment of High Confidence Repair Need-Dates at the NASA Shuttle Logistics Depot

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bullington, J. V.; Winkler, J. C.; Linton, D. G.; Khajenoori, S.

1995-01-01

The NASA Shuttle Logistics Depot (NSLD) is tasked with the responsibility for repair and manufacture of Line Replaceable Unit (LRU) hardware and components to support the Space Shuttle Orbiter. Due to shrinking budgets, cost effective repair of LRU's becomes a primary objective. To achieve this objective, is imperative that resources be assigned to those LRU's which have the greatest expectation of being needed as a spare. Forecasting the times at which spares are needed requires consideration of many significant factors including: failure rate, flight rate, spares availability, and desired level of support, among others. This paper summarizes the results of the research and development work that has been accomplished in producing an automated tool that assists in the assignment of effective repair start-times for LRU's at the NSLD. This system, called the Repair Start-time Assessment System (RSAS), uses probabilistic modeling technology to calculate a need date for a repair that considers the current repair pipeline status, as well as, serviceable spares and projections of future demands. The output from the system is a date for beginning the repair that has significantly greater confidence (in the sense that a desired probability of support is ensured) than times produced using other techniques. Since an important output of RSAS is the longest repair turn-around time that will ensure a desired probability of support, RSAS has the potential for being applied to operations at any repair depot where spares are on-hand and repair start-times are of interest. In addition, RSAS incorporates tenants of Just-in-Time (JIT) techniques in that the latest repair start-time (i.e., the latest time at which repair resources must be committed) may be calculated for every failed unit This could reduce the spares inventory for certain items, without significantly increasing the risk of unsatisfied demand.

NASA Satellite Monitoring of Water Clarity in Mobile Bay for Nutrient Criteria Development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Blonski, Slawomir; Holekamp, Kara; Spiering, Bruce A.

2009-01-01

This project has demonstrated feasibility of deriving from MODIS daily measurements time series of water clarity parameters that provide coverage of a specific location or an area of interest for 30-50% of days. Time series derived for estuarine and coastal waters display much higher variability than time series of ecological parameters (such as vegetation indices) derived for land areas. (Temporal filtering often applied in terrestrial studies cannot be used effectively in ocean color processing). IOP-based algorithms for retrieval of diffuse light attenuation coefficient and TSS concentration perform well for the Mobile Bay environment: only a minor adjustment was needed in the TSS algorithm, despite generally recognized dependence of such algorithms on local conditions. The current IOP-based algorithm for retrieval of chlorophyll a concentration has not performed as well: a more reliable algorithm is needed that may be based on IOPs at additional wavelengths or on remote sensing reflectance from multiple spectral bands. CDOM algorithm also needs improvement to provide better separation between effects of gilvin (gelbstoff) and detritus. (Identification or development of such algorithm requires more data from in situ measurements of CDOM concentration in Gulf of Mexico coastal waters (ongoing collaboration with the EPA Gulf Ecology Division))

The Use of Redox Mediators for Enhancing Utilization of Li2S Cathodes for Advanced Li-S Battery Systems.

PubMed

Meini, Stefano; Elazari, Ran; Rosenman, Ariel; Garsuch, Arnd; Aurbach, Doron

2014-03-06

The development of Li2S electrodes is a crucial step toward industrial manufacturing of Li-S batteries, a promising alternative to Li-ion batteries due to their projected two times higher specific capacity. However, the high voltages needed to activate Li2S electrodes, and the consequent electrolyte solution degradation, represent the main challenge. We present a novel concept that could make feasible the widespread application of Li2S electrodes for Li-S cell assembly. In this concept, the addition of redox mediators as additives to the standard electrolyte solution allows us to recover most of Li2S theoretical capacity in the activation cycle at potentials as low as 2.9 VLi, substantially lower than the typical potentials >4 VLi needed with standard electrolyte solution. Those novel additives permit us to preserve the electrolyte solution from being degraded, allowing us to achieve capacity as high as 500 mAhg(-1)Li2S after 150 cycles with no major structural optimization of the electrodes.

HEVC real-time decoding

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bross, Benjamin; Alvarez-Mesa, Mauricio; George, Valeri; Chi, Chi Ching; Mayer, Tobias; Juurlink, Ben; Schierl, Thomas

2013-09-01

The new High Efficiency Video Coding Standard (HEVC) was finalized in January 2013. Compared to its predecessor H.264 / MPEG4-AVC, this new international standard is able to reduce the bitrate by 50% for the same subjective video quality. This paper investigates decoder optimizations that are needed to achieve HEVC real-time software decoding on a mobile processor. It is shown that HEVC real-time decoding up to high definition video is feasible using instruction extensions of the processor while decoding 4K ultra high definition video in real-time requires additional parallel processing. For parallel processing, a picture-level parallel approach has been chosen because it is generic and does not require bitstreams with special indication.

A single-sweep, nanosecond time resolution laser temperature-jump apparatus

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ballew, R. M.; Sabelko, J.; Reiner, C.; Gruebele, M.

1996-10-01

We describe a fast temperature-jump (T-jump) apparatus capable of acquiring kinetic relaxation transients via real-time fluorescence detection over a time interval from nanoseconds to milliseconds in a single sweep. The method is suitable for aqueous solutions, relying upon the direct absorption of laser light by the bulk water. This obviates the need for additives (serving as optical or conductive heaters) that may interact with the sample under investigation. The longitudinal temperature profile is made uniform by counterpropagating heating pulses. Dead time is limited to one period of the probe laser (16 ns). The apparatus response is tested with aqueous tryptophan and the diffusion-controlled dimerization of proflavine.

Prognostic categories and timing of negative prognostic communication from critical care physicians to family members at end-of-life in an intensive care unit.

PubMed

Gutierrez, Karen M

2013-09-01

Negative prognostic communication is often delayed in intensive care units, which limits time for families to prepare for end-of-life. This descriptive study, informed by ethnographic methods, was focused on exploring critical care physician communication of negative prognoses to families and identifying timing influences. Prognostic communication of critical care physicians to nurses and family members was observed and physicians and family members were interviewed. Physician perception of prognostic certainty, based on an accumulation of empirical data, and the perceived need for decision-making, drove the timing of prognostic communication, rather than family needs. Although prognoses were initially identified using intuitive knowledge for patients in one of the six identified prognostic categories, utilizing decision-making to drive prognostic communication resulted in delayed prognostic communication to families until end-of-life (EOL) decisions could be justified with empirical data. Providers will better meet the needs of families who desire earlier prognostic information by separating prognostic communication from decision-making and communicating the possibility of a poor prognosis based on intuitive knowledge, while acknowledging the uncertainty inherent in prognostication. This sets the stage for later prognostic discussions focused on EOL decisions, including limiting or withdrawing treatment, which can be timed when empirical data substantiate intuitive prognoses. This allows additional time for families to anticipate and prepare for end-of-life decision-making. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Emerging Technologies for Real-Time Continuous Monitoring of Wellbore Integrity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Freifeld, B. M.

2017-12-01

Assessment of a well's integrity has traditionally been carried out through periodic wireline logging, often performed only when an operational problem was noted at the surface. There are several emerging technologies that can be installed permanently as part of the well completion and offer the ability to monitor operations while providing continuous indicators to evaluate the structural health of a well. Permanent behind casing instrumentation, such as pressure and temperature gauges can monitor for behind casing leakage. Similarly, fiber-optic distributed temperature and acoustic sensing provide additional information for assessing unwanted movement of fluid, which is indicative of problems either inside or outside of casing. Furthermore, these technologies offer the benefit of providing real-time continuous streams of information that serve as leading-indicators of wellbore problems to allow for early intervention. Additional research is still needed to develop best practices for the installation and operation of these technologies, as they increase cost and add additional risks that must be managed.

Turbofan forced mixer lobe flow modeling. Part 3: Application to augment engines

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Barber, T.; Moore, G. C.; Blatt, J. R.

1988-01-01

Military engines frequently need large quantities of thrust for short periods of time. The addition of an augmentor can provide such thrust increases but with a penalty of increased duct length and engine weight. The addition of a forced mixer to the augmentor improves performance and reduces the penalty, as well as providing a method for siting the required flame holders. In this report two augmentor concepts are investigated: a swirl-mixer augmentor and a mixer-flameholder augmentor. Several designs for each concept are included and an experimental assessment of one of the swirl-mixer augmentors is presented.

Fundamental Flux Equations for Fracture-Matrix Interactions with Linear Diffusion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oldenburg, C. M.; Zhou, Q.; Rutqvist, J.; Birkholzer, J. T.

2017-12-01

The conventional dual-continuum models are only applicable for late-time behavior of pressure propagation in fractured rock, while discrete-fracture-network models may explicitly deal with matrix blocks at high computational expense. To address these issues, we developed a unified-form diffusive flux equation for 1D isotropic (spheres, cylinders, slabs) and 2D/3D rectangular matrix blocks (squares, cubes, rectangles, and rectangular parallelepipeds) by partitioning the entire dimensionless-time domain (Zhou et al., 2017a, b). For each matrix block, this flux equation consists of the early-time solution up until a switch-over time after which the late-time solution is applied to create continuity from early to late time. The early-time solutions are based on three-term polynomial functions in terms of square root of dimensionless time, with the coefficients dependent on dimensionless area-to-volume ratio and aspect ratios for rectangular blocks. For the late-time solutions, one exponential term is needed for isotropic blocks, while a few additional exponential terms are needed for highly anisotropic blocks. The time-partitioning method was also used for calculating pressure/concentration/temperature distribution within a matrix block. The approximate solution contains an error-function solution for early times and an exponential solution for late times, with relative errors less than 0.003. These solutions form the kernel of multirate and multidimensional hydraulic, solute and thermal diffusion in fractured reservoirs.

Horizontal cosmic ray muon radiography for imaging nuclear threats

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morris, Christopher L.; Bacon, Jeffrey; Borozdin, Konstantin; Fabritius, Joseph; Miyadera, Haruo; Perry, John; Sugita, Tsukasa

2014-07-01

Muon tomography is a technique that uses information contained in the Coulomb scattering of cosmic ray muons to generate three dimension images of volumes between tracking detectors. Advantages of this technique are the muons ability to penetrate significant overburden and the absence of any additional dose beyond the natural cosmic ray flux. Disadvantages include the long exposure times and limited resolution because of the low flux. Here we compare the times needed to image objects using both vertically and horizontally mounted tracking detectors and we develop a predictive model for other geometries.

Continued driving and time to transition to nondriver status through error-specific driving restrictions.

PubMed

Freund, Barbara; Petrakos, Davithoula

2008-01-01

We developed driving restrictions that are linked to specific driving errors, allowing cognitively impaired individuals to continue to independently meet mobility needs while minimizing risk to themselves and others. The purpose of this project was to evaluate the efficacy and duration expectancy of these restrictions in promoting safe continued driving. We followed 47 drivers age 60 years and older for 18 months, evaluating driving performance at 6-month intervals. Results demonstrated restricted drivers had safety profiles similar to safe drivers and gained additional driving time to transition to nondrivers.

Prevention of the first cesarean delivery.

PubMed

Spong, Catherine Y

2015-06-01

Education of providers and patients on the importance of vaginal delivery, for the current pregnancy as well as future pregnancies, is essential to reverse the current trend of primary cesareans. When discussing cesarean with patients, counseling should include the effect on subsequent pregnancy risks including the possibility of uterine rupture and placentation abnormalities. In addition, counseling must include the concept that normal labor takes time. Re-education on the natural process of labor, the importance of allowing the time needed, and patience with the duration of pregnancy and process of labor is essential. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Influence of red wine fermentation oenological additives on inoculated strain implantation.

PubMed

Duarte, Filomena L; Alves, Ana Claudia; Alemão, Maria Filomena; Baleiras-Couto, M Margarida

2013-06-01

Pure selected cultures of Saccharomyces cerevisiae starters are regularly used in the wine industry. A survey of S. cerevisiae populations during red wine fermentations was performed in order to evaluate the influence of oenological additives on the implantation of the inoculated strain. Pilot scale fermentations (500 L) were conducted with active dry yeast (ADY) and other commercial oenological additives, namely two commercial fermentation activators and two commercial tannins. Six microsatellite markers were used to type S. cerevisiae strains. The methodology proved to be very discriminating as a great diversity of wild strains (48 genotypes) was detected. Statistical analysis confirmed a high detection of the inoculated commercial strain, and for half the samples an effective implantation of ADY (over 80 %) was achieved. At late fermentation time, ADY strain implantation in fermentations conducted with commercial additives was lower than in the control. These results question the efficacy of ADY addition in the presence of other additives, indicating that further studies are needed to improve knowledge on oenological additives' use.

Achieving health care cost containment through provider payment reform that engages patients and providers.

PubMed

Ginsburg, Paul B

2013-05-01

The best opportunity to pursue cost containment in the next five to ten years is through reforming provider payment to gradually diminish the role of fee-for-service reimbursement. Public and private payers have launched many promising payment reform pilots aimed at blending fee-for-service with payment approaches based on broader units of care, such as an episode or patients' total needs over a period of time, a crucial first step. But meaningful cost containment from payment reform will not be achieved until Medicare and Medicaid establish stronger incentives for providers to contract in this way, with discouragement of nonparticipation increasing over time. In addition, the models need to evolve to engage beneficiaries, perhaps through incentives for patients to enroll in an accountable care organization and to seek care within that organization's network of providers.

Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction methods for four genetically modified maize varieties and maize DNA content in food.

PubMed

Brodmann, Peter D; Ilg, Evelyn C; Berthoud, Hélène; Herrmann, Andre

2002-01-01

Quantitative detection methods are needed for enforcement of the recently introduced labeling threshold for genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in food ingredients. This labeling threshold, which is set to 1% in the European Union and Switzerland, must be applied to all approved GMOs. Four different varieties of maize are approved in the European Union: the insect-resistant Bt176 maize (Maximizer), Btl 1 maize, Mon810 (YieldGard) maize, and the herbicide-tolerant T25 (Liberty Link) maize. Because the labeling must be considered individually for each ingredient, a quantitation system for the endogenous maize content is needed in addition to the GMO-specific detection systems. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction detection methods were developed for the 4 approved genetically modified maize varieties and for an endogenous maize (invertase) gene system.

Selective Angiography Using the Radiofrequency Catheter: An Alternative Technique for Mapping and Ablation in the Aortic Cusps.

PubMed

Roca-Luque, Ivo; Rivas, Nuria; Francisco, Jaume; Perez, Jordi; Acosta, Gabriel; Oristrell, Gerard; Terricabres, Maria; Garcia-Dorado, David; Moya, Angel

2017-01-01

Ablation in aortic cusps could be necessary in up to 15% of the patients, especially in para-Hisian atrial tachycardia and ventricular arrhythmias arising from outflow tracts. Risk of coronary damage has led to recommendation of systematic coronary angiography (CA) during the procedure. Other image tests as intravascular (ICE) or transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) have been proposed. Both methods have limitations: additional vascular access for ICE and need for additional CA in some patients in case of TEE. We describe an alternative method to assess relation of catheter tip and coronary ostia during ablation in aortic cusps without additional vascular accesses by performing selective angiography with the ablation catheter. We prospectively evaluated 12 consecutive patients (69.3 ± 8.5, 6 female) who underwent ablation in right (1), left (5), and noncoronary cusps (6). We performed angiography through the ablation cooled tip radiofrequency catheter at the ablation site. Ablation was effective in 91.6% of the patients (3 patients needed additional ablation out of coronary cusps: pulmonary cusp, right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT), and coronary sinus and 1 patient underwent a second procedure because recurrence). No complications occurred neither during procedure nor follow-up (6.2 ± 3.8 months). No technical problems occurred with the ablation catheter after contrast injection. Selective angiography through a cooled-tip radiofrequency ablation catheter is feasible to assess relation of coronary ostia and ablation site when ablation in aortic cusps. It allows continuous real-time assessment of this relation, avoids the need for additional vascular accesses and no complications occurred in our series. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The Planning and Implementation of Test Facility Improvements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Oberlander, Larry

2008-01-01

As engineering programs develop, and product testing begins, ideas for process improvement soon become obvious. Engineers envision new holding and handling fixtures. Additional custom-made support equipment may be needed. Perhaps modifications to the building or modifications to facility hardware are the order of the day. This is where a flexible creative test organization is needed. We need not be content with the status quo. All of these desired test innovations can make the difficult easy and improve the work flow. At times, implementing these new ideas demands more time or specialized expertise than test team members have. Through the coordinated use of labor resources, the needed improvements can still be made and in a timely fashion that supports program schedules. This presentation provides practical advice and a method whereby test personnel can creatively develop facility improvements and manage them from start to finish. You can control just how much time you invest and what part of your concepts you will personally design. By wisely defining the requirements and presenting them to the appropriate help sources (vendors, contractors, coworkers, and support departments), you can get the help you need to bring the improvements you have conceived, into fruition. Aspects of this presentation include defining requirements for test facility improvements, choosing labor resources, writing a statement of work, determining cost and benefits, securing department approval, coordinating procurement, managing the project, and training the end users. The process of successfully implementing test facility improvements is thoroughly explained. It has been tried, proven and improved over nearly 25 years of use. Whether considering a $50 improvement or a $50 million dollar improvement, this discussion will provide helpful pointers. Examples of improvements made through this process and their illustration will be included.

Reservoir Sedimentation and Upstream Sediment Sources: Perspectives and Future Research Needs on Streambank and Gully Erosion.

PubMed

Fox, G A; Sheshukov, A; Cruse, R; Kolar, R L; Guertault, L; Gesch, K R; Dutnell, R C

2016-05-01

The future reliance on water supply and flood control reservoirs across the globe will continue to expand, especially under a variable climate. As the inventory of new potential dam sites is shrinking, construction of additional reservoirs is less likely compared to simultaneous flow and sediment management in existing reservoirs. One aspect of this sediment management is related to the control of upstream sediment sources. However, key research questions remain regarding upstream sediment loading rates. Highlighted in this article are research needs relative to measuring and predicting sediment transport rates and loading due to streambank and gully erosion within a watershed. For example, additional instream sediment transport and reservoir sedimentation rate measurements are needed across a range of watershed conditions, reservoir sizes, and geographical locations. More research is needed to understand the intricate linkage between upland practices and instream response. A need still exists to clarify the benefit of restoration or stabilization of a small reach within a channel system or maturing gully on total watershed sediment load. We need to better understand the intricate interactions between hydrological and erosion processes to improve prediction, location, and timing of streambank erosion and failure and gully formation. Also, improved process-based measurement and prediction techniques are needed that balance data requirements regarding cohesive soil erodibility and stability as compared to simpler topographic indices for gullies or stream classification systems. Such techniques will allow the research community to address the benefit of various conservation and/or stabilization practices at targeted locations within watersheds.

Reservoir Sedimentation and Upstream Sediment Sources: Perspectives and Future Research Needs on Streambank and Gully Erosion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fox, G. A.; Sheshukov, A.; Cruse, R.; Kolar, R. L.; Guertault, L.; Gesch, K. R.; Dutnell, R. C.

2016-05-01

The future reliance on water supply and flood control reservoirs across the globe will continue to expand, especially under a variable climate. As the inventory of new potential dam sites is shrinking, construction of additional reservoirs is less likely compared to simultaneous flow and sediment management in existing reservoirs. One aspect of this sediment management is related to the control of upstream sediment sources. However, key research questions remain regarding upstream sediment loading rates. Highlighted in this article are research needs relative to measuring and predicting sediment transport rates and loading due to streambank and gully erosion within a watershed. For example, additional instream sediment transport and reservoir sedimentation rate measurements are needed across a range of watershed conditions, reservoir sizes, and geographical locations. More research is needed to understand the intricate linkage between upland practices and instream response. A need still exists to clarify the benefit of restoration or stabilization of a small reach within a channel system or maturing gully on total watershed sediment load. We need to better understand the intricate interactions between hydrological and erosion processes to improve prediction, location, and timing of streambank erosion and failure and gully formation. Also, improved process-based measurement and prediction techniques are needed that balance data requirements regarding cohesive soil erodibility and stability as compared to simpler topographic indices for gullies or stream classification systems. Such techniques will allow the research community to address the benefit of various conservation and/or stabilization practices at targeted locations within watersheds.

Clinical efficacy of periodontal plastic surgery procedures: consensus report of Group 2 of the 10th European Workshop on Periodontology.

PubMed

Tonetti, Maurizio S; Jepsen, Søren

2014-04-01

The scope of the discussions of this consensus report was to assess the strength of the scientific evidence and make clinical and research recommendations for surgical interventions to cover exposed root surfaces and enhance soft tissues at implants. Discussions were informed by three systematic reviews covering single recessions, multiple recessions and soft-tissue deficiencies at implants. The strength of the evidence was assessed using a modification in GRADE. The group also emphasized the need to report the experience of the surgeon and the performance of the control intervention (CONSORT guidelines for non-pharmacological treatment). A moderate strength of evidence supported the following statements for single (moderately deep, mostly maxillary) recessions without inter-dental attachment loss: (i) The addition of a connective tissue graft (CTG) improved outcomes of coronally advanced flaps (CAF). (ii) The addition of enamel matrix derivative (EMD) improved the outcomes of CAF. For multiple recessions, preliminary data indicate that flaps specifically designed to treat this condition are worthy of additional attention. Emerging data indicate that it is possible to obtain complete root coverage at sites with some inter-dental attachment loss. With regards to soft-tissue deficiencies at implants, several procedures are available, but great heterogeneity among studies does not allow drawing conclusions at this time. The group highlighted that periodontal plastic procedures are complex, technique-sensitive interventions that require advanced skills and expertise. At single recessions, the addition of autologous CTG or EMD under CAF improves complete root coverage and may be considered the procedure of choice at maxillary anterior and premolar teeth. The adjunctive benefit needs to be put in the context of increased morbidity of the donor area or increased cost. Additional research is needed to: (i) assess the role of alternatives to autologous soft-tissue grafting in combination with CAF; (ii) identify the optimal surgical design and the need for additional soft-tissue grafting (or alternatives) at multiple recessions, recessions with inter-dental attachment loss and soft-tissue deficiencies at implants. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

The acculturation, language and learning experiences of international nursing students: Implications for nursing education.

PubMed

Mitchell, Creina; Del Fabbro, Letitia; Shaw, Julie

2017-09-01

International or foreign students are those who enrol in universities outside their country of citizenship. They face many challenges acculturating to and learning in a new country and education system, particularly if they study in an additional language. This qualitative inquiry aimed to explore the learning and acculturating experiences of international nursing students to identify opportunities for teaching innovation to optimise the experiences and learning of international nursing students. Undergraduate and postgraduate international nursing students were recruited from one campus of an Australian university to take part in semi-structured interviews. A purposive and theoretically saturated sample of 17 students was obtained. Interviews were audio-recorded and field notes and interview data were thematically analysed. Expressing myself and Finding my place were the two major themes identified from the international student data. International nursing students identified that it took them longer to study in comparison with domestic students and that stress negatively influenced communication, particularly in the clinical setting. Additionally international nursing students identified the need to find supportive opportunities to speak English to develop proficiency. Clinical placement presented the opportunity to speak English and raised the risk of being identified as lacking language proficiency or being clinically unsafe. Initially, international nursing students felt isolated and it was some time before they found their feet. In this time, they experienced otherness and discrimination. International nursing students need a safe place to learn so they can adjust and thrive in the university learning community. Faculty and clinical educators must be culturally competent; they need to understand international nursing students' needs and be willing and able to advocate for and create an equitable environment that is appropriate for international nursing students' learning. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Number needed to treat and associated incremental costs of treatment with enzalutamide versus abiraterone acetate plus prednisone in chemotherapy-naïve patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer.

PubMed

Massoudi, Marjan; Balk, Mark; Yang, Hongbo; Bui, Cat N; Pandya, Bhavik J; Guo, Jenny; Song, Yan; Wu, Eric Q; Brown, Bruce; Barlev, Arie; Flanders, Scott

2017-02-01

Enzalutamide (ENZA) and abiraterone acetate plus prednisone (AA) are approved second-generation hormone therapies for chemotherapy-naïve metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). This study compared ENZA with AA in chemotherapy-naïve mCRPC by calculating the number needed to treat (NNT) and associated incremental costs to achieve one additional chemotherapy-naïve patient with mCRPC free of radiographic progression, chemotherapy, or death over a 1-year time horizon. Clinical outcomes were obtained from the PREVAIL and COU-AA-302 trials. Three outcomes were evaluated: radiographic progression-free survival, time to cytotoxic chemotherapy initiation, and overall survival at 1 year. NNT was calculated as the reciprocal of the outcome event rate difference for ENZA compared with AA. The incremental costs to achieve one additional outcome at 1 year were calculated as the difference in cost per treated patient multiplied by the NNT. Per-treated-patient costs were considered from a US payer perspective and included medications, monitoring, adverse events, post-progression treatments, and end-of-life care. Within a 1-year time horizon, the total cost per treated patient for ENZA was $2,666 less than AA. Compared with AA, treating 14 patients with ENZA resulted in one additional patient free of progression or death over 1 year; treating 26 patients with ENZA resulted in one additional patient with chemotherapy delayed over 1 year; and treating 91 patients with ENZA resulted in one additional patient free of death over 1 year. Therefore, ENZA is cost-effective compared with AA for all three outcomes evaluated, and the modeled results suggest ENZA is associated with potentially improved clinical outcomes in delaying chemotherapy initiation and disease progression for chemotherapy-naïve patients. The results are robust in sensitivity analyses, where the effect of changes in key model inputs and assumptions were tested. The results modeled in the present study suggest ENZA is cost-effective compared with AA for treating chemotherapy-naïve patients with mCRPC.

The US emergency care system: meeting everyday acute care needs while being ready for disasters.

PubMed

Lurie, Nicole; Margolis, Gregg S; Rising, Kristin L

2013-12-01

The emergency care system is an essential part of the US health care system. In addition to providing acute resuscitation and life- and limb-saving care, the emergency care system provides considerable support to physicians outside the emergency department and serves as an important safety-net provider. In times of disaster, the emergency care system must be able to surge rapidly to accommodate a massive influx of patients, sometimes with little or no notice. Extreme daily demands on the system can promote innovations and adaptations that are invaluable in responding to disasters. However, excessive and inappropriate utilization is wasteful and can diminish "surge capacity" when it is most needed. Certain features of the US health care system have imposed strains on the emergency care system. We explore policy issues related to moving toward an emergency care system that can more effectively meet both individuals' needs for acute care and the broader needs of the community in times of disaster. Strategies for the redesign of the emergency care system must include the active engagement of both patients and the community and a close look at how to align incentives to reward quality and efficiency throughout the health care system.

Real-time quasi-3D tomographic reconstruction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buurlage, Jan-Willem; Kohr, Holger; Palenstijn, Willem Jan; Joost Batenburg, K.

2018-06-01

Developments in acquisition technology and a growing need for time-resolved experiments pose great computational challenges in tomography. In addition, access to reconstructions in real time is a highly demanded feature but has so far been out of reach. We show that by exploiting the mathematical properties of filtered backprojection-type methods, having access to real-time reconstructions of arbitrarily oriented slices becomes feasible. Furthermore, we present , software for visualization and on-demand reconstruction of slices. A user of can interactively shift and rotate slices in a GUI, while the software updates the slice in real time. For certain use cases, the possibility to study arbitrarily oriented slices in real time directly from the measured data provides sufficient visual and quantitative insight. Two such applications are discussed in this article.

An Alternative Approach to Human Servicing of Crewed Earth Orbiting Spacecraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mularski, John R.; Alpert, Brian K.

2017-01-01

As crewed spacecraft have grown larger and more complex, they have come to rely on spacewalks, or Extravehicular Activities (EVA), for mission success and crew safety. Typically, these spacecraft maintain all of the hardware and trained personnel needed to perform an EVA on-board at all times. Maintaining this capability requires volume and up-mass for storage of EVA hardware, crew time for ground and on-orbit training, and on-orbit maintenance of EVA hardware. This paper proposes an alternative methodology, utilizing launch on-need hardware and crew to provide EVA capability for space stations in Earth orbit after assembly complete, in the same way that one would call a repairman to fix something at their home. This approach would reduce ground training requirements, save Intravehicular Activity (IVA) crew time in the form of EVA hardware maintenance and on-orbit training, and lead to more efficient EVAs because they would be performed by specialists with detailed knowledge and training stemming from their direct involvement in the development of the EVA. The on-orbit crew would then be available to focus on the immediate response to the failure as well as the day-to-day operations of the spacecraft and payloads. This paper will look at how current unplanned EVAs are conducted, including the time required for preparation, and offer alternatives for future spacecraft. As this methodology relies on the on-time and on-need launch of spacecraft, any space station that utilized this approach would need a robust transportation system including more than one launch vehicle capable of carrying crew. In addition, the fault tolerance of the space station would be an important consideration in how much time was available for EVA preparation after the failure. Each future program would have to weigh the risk of on-time launch against the increase in available crew time for the main objective of the spacecraft.

An Alternative Approach to Human Servicing of Manned Earth Orbiting Spacecraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mularski, John; Alpert, Brian

2011-01-01

As manned spacecraft have grown larger and more complex, they have come to rely on spacewalks or Extravehicular Activities (EVA) for both mission success and crew safety. Typically these spacecraft maintain all of the hardware and trained personnel needed to perform an EVA on-board at all times. Maintaining this capability requires volume and up-mass for storage of EVA hardware, crew time for ground and on-orbit training, and on-orbit maintenance of EVA hardware . This paper proposes an alternative methodology to utilize launch-on-need hardware and crew to provide EVA capability for space stations in Earth orbit after assembly complete, in the same way that most people would call a repairman to fix something at their home. This approach would not only reduce ground training requirements and save Intravehicular Activity (IVA) crew time in the form of EVA hardware maintenance and on-orbit training, but would also lead to more efficient EVAs because they would be performed by specialists with detailed knowledge and training stemming from their direct involvement in the development of the EVA. The on-orbit crew would then be available to focus on the immediate response to the failure as well as the day-to-day operations of the spacecraft and payloads. This paper will look at how current ISS unplanned EVAs are conducted, including the time required for preparation, and offer alternatives for future spacecraft utilizing lessons learned from ISS. As this methodology relies entirely on the on-time and on-need launch of spacecraft, any space station that utilized this approach would need a robust transportation system including more than one launch vehicle capable of carrying crew. In addition the fault tolerance of the space station would be an important consideration in how much time was available for EVA preparation after the failure. Each future program would have to weigh the risk of on-time launch against the increase in available crew time for the main objective of the spacecraft.

Learning About Baby: What New Mothers Would Like to Know

PubMed Central

Barnes, Margaret; Pratt, Jan; Finlayson, Kathleen; Courtney, Mary; Pitt, Barbara; Knight, Cheryl

2008-01-01

As part of a larger research project to evaluate a new model of care for first-time mothers in a community health-care setting, this study aimed to identify the preparation and information needs of first-time mothers. All first-time mothers attending a selection of community child health centers in Brisbane, Australia, who presented with no overt risk factors and with a thriving child, were invited to participate in the study. Three months after mothers entered the service, data were collected via telephone survey (N = 151). In addition, focus group interviews were conducted 7–9 months following entry to the service (n = 8). Participants reported seeking information from a variety of sources during pregnancy. Few participants felt well prepared for managing either the physical or emotional experience of early mothering or the essential maternal and child health issues and common problems in the early months. Findings suggest that current approaches to care and education may not meet the needs of first-time mothers. Different approaches are suggested to enhance women's maternal competence during the first few months of becoming a new mother. PMID:19436413

Information mining over heterogeneous and high-dimensional time-series data in clinical trials databases.

PubMed

Altiparmak, Fatih; Ferhatosmanoglu, Hakan; Erdal, Selnur; Trost, Donald C

2006-04-01

An effective analysis of clinical trials data involves analyzing different types of data such as heterogeneous and high dimensional time series data. The current time series analysis methods generally assume that the series at hand have sufficient length to apply statistical techniques to them. Other ideal case assumptions are that data are collected in equal length intervals, and while comparing time series, the lengths are usually expected to be equal to each other. However, these assumptions are not valid for many real data sets, especially for the clinical trials data sets. An addition, the data sources are different from each other, the data are heterogeneous, and the sensitivity of the experiments varies by the source. Approaches for mining time series data need to be revisited, keeping the wide range of requirements in mind. In this paper, we propose a novel approach for information mining that involves two major steps: applying a data mining algorithm over homogeneous subsets of data, and identifying common or distinct patterns over the information gathered in the first step. Our approach is implemented specifically for heterogeneous and high dimensional time series clinical trials data. Using this framework, we propose a new way of utilizing frequent itemset mining, as well as clustering and declustering techniques with novel distance metrics for measuring similarity between time series data. By clustering the data, we find groups of analytes (substances in blood) that are most strongly correlated. Most of these relationships already known are verified by the clinical panels, and, in addition, we identify novel groups that need further biomedical analysis. A slight modification to our algorithm results an effective declustering of high dimensional time series data, which is then used for "feature selection." Using industry-sponsored clinical trials data sets, we are able to identify a small set of analytes that effectively models the state of normal health.

The work hours of GPs: survey of English GPs.

PubMed

Gravelle, Hugh; Hole, Arne Risa

2007-02-01

There is no current information about the hours worked by English GPs. To compare the reported hours worked by GPs with that of other professions and to explain the variation in GP hours worked and on call. National postal survey of 1871 GPs in February 2004. English general practice. Multiple regression analyses of part-time versus full-time status, hours worked, and hours on call. Full-time male GPs report more hours worked (49.6; 95% CI [confidence interval] = 48.9 to 50.2) than males in other professional occupations (47.9; 95% CI = 47.6 to 48.1) and male managers (49.1; 95% CI = 48.8 to 49.5). Full-time female GPs report fewer hours (43.2; 95% CI = 42.0 to 44.3) than females in other professional occupations (44.7; 95% CI = 44.4 to 45.0) and female managers (44.1; 95% CI = 43.7 to 44.5). The number of hours worked decreased with practice list size, and increased with the number of patients per GP. GPs work longer hours in practices with older patients and with a higher proportion of patients in nursing homes. Fewer hours are worked in practices with higher 'additional needs' payments. Having children under 18 years of age increased the probability that female GPs work part-time but has no effect on the probability of male GPs working part-time. Given full-time/part-time status, having children under 18 years of age reduces the hours of male and female GPs. Male English GPs report longer hours worked than other professional groups and managers. The sex differences between GPs in hours worked are mostly attributable to the differential impact of family circumstances, particularly the number of children they have. Perversely, 'additional needs' payments are higher in practices where GPs work fewer hours.

Identifying Emerging Hybrid Adversaries

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-01-01

average 1 hour per response , including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed...SECURITY CLASSIFICATION OF: 17. LIMITATION OF ABSTRACT Same as Report (SAR) 18. NUMBER OF PAGES 12 19a. NAME OF RESPONSIBLE PERSON a. REPORT...an extended engage- ment area to get into the close fight.4 In addition, they will employ a wide range of capabilities including cyber, social media

Microbiological and Corrosivity Characterizations of Biodiesels and Advanced Diesel Fuels

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-01-01

hour per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and...including corrosion inhibitors. Requirements for microbial growth are water and nutrients. In addition to carbon , all organisms require nitrogen...microbial mineralization of fuel to generate a water phase for further proliferation. For example, Cladosporium resinae grew in 80 mg water per liter

78 FR 23855 - Improving Public Safety Communications in the 800 MHz Band; New 800 MHz Band Plan for U.S.-Mexico...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-04-23

... rebanding as of the 18th month of the transition period to determine whether additional time is needed based... that ``the rule will not, if promulgated, have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of... nationwide problem of interference created by a fundamentally incompatible mix of technologies in the band...

The First 60 Days

DTIC Science & Technology

1987-03-23

solution . Using the battalion training NCO, senior guidance counselor, operations NCO, SGM, XO and operations officer as trainers will assist both the... towsrd justification of additional advertising funds, if needed. SProviding a workable Total Army Involvement in Recruiting (TAIR) plan on a quarterly... solution to this problem. 0 Have your CLT visit local reserve canters for assistance in gaining access to schools. Many times, members of the reserve units

38 CFR 21.8072 - Authorizing training, services, and assistance beyond the initial individualized written plan of...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... section unless a CP or VRC sets aside the child's achievement of that vocational goal under § 21.8284. (Authority: 38 U.S.C. 1804(b) through (e), 1814) (c) Responsibility for authorizing a program extension. A CP... maximum program limit of 48 months if the CP or VRC determines that the child needs the additional time to...

38 CFR 21.8072 - Authorizing training, services, and assistance beyond the initial individualized written plan of...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... section unless a CP or VRC sets aside the child's achievement of that vocational goal under § 21.8284. (Authority: 38 U.S.C. 1804(b) through (e), 1814) (c) Responsibility for authorizing a program extension. A CP... maximum program limit of 48 months if the CP or VRC determines that the child needs the additional time to...

38 CFR 21.8072 - Authorizing training, services, and assistance beyond the initial individualized written plan of...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... section unless a CP or VRC sets aside the child's achievement of that vocational goal under § 21.8284. (Authority: 38 U.S.C. 1804(b) through (e), 1814) (c) Responsibility for authorizing a program extension. A CP... maximum program limit of 48 months if the CP or VRC determines that the child needs the additional time to...

38 CFR 21.8072 - Authorizing training, services, and assistance beyond the initial individualized written plan of...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... section unless a CP or VRC sets aside the child's achievement of that vocational goal under § 21.8284. (Authority: 38 U.S.C. 1804(b) through (e), 1814) (c) Responsibility for authorizing a program extension. A CP... maximum program limit of 48 months if the CP or VRC determines that the child needs the additional time to...

Sublingual misoprostol to decrease blood loss after caesarean delivery: a randomised controlled trial.

PubMed

Ugwu, I A; Enabor, O O; Adeyemi, A B; Lawal, O O; Oladokun, A; Olayemi, O

2014-07-01

The aim of the study was to compare the efficacy of sublingual misoprostol in addition to intravenous oxytocin, with oxytocin alone, in reducing blood loss during and following caesarean section. A total of 120 women undergoing caesarean delivery at the University College Hospital, Ibadan, were randomised into two equal groups. In Group A, 20 IU of intravenous oxytocin was given after umbilical cord clamping, while in Group B, the women received 400 μg misoprostol sublingually and 20 IU oxytocin intravenously. The outcome measures were blood loss, additional uterotonics, change in packed cell volume and side-effect profile. Associations between variables were determined by the χ(2) and Student's t-test. Relative risks were calculated for side-effects; the level of significance was p < 0.05. Intraoperative and postoperative blood loss were significantly lower in Group B (451.3 ml vs 551.2 ml, p = 0.007; 22.7 vs 42.2 ml, p < 0.001, respectively). In Group B, women were 7.4 (p < 0.001) and 9.0 (p = 0.008) times more likely to experience shivering and fever, respectively. The need for additional uterotonics was greater in the oxytocin group (66.7% vs 27.6%, p < 0.001). The addition of sublingual misoprostol to intravenous oxytocin reduces postpartum blood loss and the need for additional uterotonics. There is however, an increased risk of shivering and fever with this combination.

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

PubMed

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

2015-12-01

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

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

PubMed Central

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

2015-01-01

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

Is there evidence to support a forefoot strike pattern in barefoot runners? A review.

PubMed

Lorenz, Daniel S; Pontillo, Marisa

2012-11-01

Barefoot running is a trend among running enthusiasts that is the subject of much controversy. At this time, benefits appear to be more speculative and anecdotal than evidence based. Additionally, the risk of injuries is not well established. A PubMed search was undertaken for articles published in English from 1980 to 2011. Additional references were accrued from reference lists of research articles. While minimal data exist that definitively support barefoot running, there are data lending support to the argument that runners should use a forefoot strike pattern in lieu of a heel strike pattern to reduce ground reaction forces, ground contact time, and step length. Whether there is a positive or negative effect on injury has yet to be determined. Unquestionably, more research is needed before definitive conclusions can be drawn.

A Model of Batch Scheduling for a Single Batch Processor with Additional Setups to Minimize Total Inventory Holding Cost of Parts of a Single Item Requested at Multi-due-date

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hakim Halim, Abdul; Ernawati; Hidayat, Nita P. A.

2018-03-01

This paper deals with a model of batch scheduling for a single batch processor on which a number of parts of a single items are to be processed. The process needs two kinds of setups, i. e., main setups required before processing any batches, and additional setups required repeatedly after the batch processor completes a certain number of batches. The parts to be processed arrive at the shop floor at the times coinciding with their respective starting times of processing, and the completed parts are to be delivered at multiple due dates. The objective adopted for the model is that of minimizing total inventory holding cost consisting of holding cost per unit time for a part in completed batches, and that in in-process batches. The formulation of total inventory holding cost is derived from the so-called actual flow time defined as the interval between arrival times of parts at the production line and delivery times of the completed parts. The actual flow time satisfies not only minimum inventory but also arrival and delivery just in times. An algorithm to solve the model is proposed and a numerical example is shown.

The RFad Method--a new fatigue recovery time assessment for industrial activities.

PubMed

Silva e Santos, Marcello; Vidal, Mario Cesar Rodriguez; Moreira, Sergio Bastos

2012-01-01

This paper presents a study about fatigue recovery time assessment processes in work activities. It came about due to a demand presented by an automotive industry giant, in need of updating existing cycle time sheets and TAKT time parameters. The company decided to hire an Ergonomics Laboratory with ties to a major Brazilian University in order to evaluate current conditions and establish a new method to either calculate recovery times or validate existing assessment criteria, based in the ergonomics evaluation of the work activities. It is clear that there has been evident evolution in the industrial sector in the past two decades. It brought up fast modernization of industrial processes, not only in production but also in terms of management systems. Due to improved computer and robotics systems, combined with overall operational advancements - like the use of lighter hand tools and more effective hoist systems - most work activities have had its physical effort requirements reduced in the past decades. Thus, compensation factors built into production times need to be reviewed in order to avoid unnecessary costs associated to them. By using ergonomics considerations, we prevent simply removing the physical variables built in rest time calculations without taking on account, for example, additional cognitive load represented by the use of more sophisticated pieces of equipment.

Reticles, write time, and the need for speed

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ackmann, Paul W.; Litt, Lloyd C.; Ning, Guo Xiang

2014-10-01

Historical data indicates reticle write times are increasing node-to-node. The cost of mask sets is increasing driven by the tighter requirements and more levels. The regular introduction of new generations of mask patterning tools with improved performance is unable to fully compensate for the increased data and complexity required. Write time is a primary metric that drives mask fabrication speed. Design (Raw data) is only the first step in the process and many interactions between mask and wafer technology such as OPC used, OPC efficiency for writers, fracture engines, and actual field size used drive total write time. Yield, technology, and inspection rules drive the remaining raw cycle time. Yield can be even more critical for speed of delivery as it drives re-writes and wasted time. While intrinsic process yield is important, repair capability is the reason mask delivery is still able to deliver 100% good reticles to the fab. Advanced nodes utilizing several layers of multiple patterning may require mask writer tool dedication to meet image placement specifications. This will increase the effective mask cycle time for a layer mask set and drive the need for additional mask write capability in order to deliver masks at the rate required by the wafer fab production schedules.

Observation Planning Made Simple with Science Opportunity Analyzer (SOA)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Streiffert, Barbara A.; Polanskey, Carol A.

2004-01-01

As NASA undertakes the exploration of the Moon and Mars as well as the rest of the Solar System while continuing to investigate Earth's oceans, winds, atmosphere, weather, etc., the ever-existing need to allow operations users to easily define their observations increases. Operation teams need to be able to determine the best time to perform an observation, as well as its duration and other parameters such as the observation target. In addition, operations teams need to be able to check the observation for validity against objectives and intent as well as spacecraft constraints such as turn rates and acceleration or pointing exclusion zones. Science Opportunity Analyzer (SOA), in development for the last six years, is a multi-mission toolset that has been built to meet those needs. The operations team can follow six simple steps and define his/her observation without having to know the complexities of orbital mechanics, coordinate transformations, or the spacecraft itself.

Second-order standard addition for deconvolution and quantification of fatty acids of fish oil using GC-MS.

PubMed

Vosough, Maryam; Salemi, Amir

2007-08-15

In the present work two second-order calibration methods, generalized rank annihilation method (GRAM) and multivariate curve resolution-alternating least square (MCR-ALS) have been applied on standard addition data matrices obtained by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) to characterize and quantify four unsaturated fatty acids cis-9-hexadecenoic acid (C16:1omega7c), cis-9-octadecenoic acid (C18:1omega9c), cis-11-eicosenoic acid (C20:1omega9) and cis-13-docosenoic acid (C22:1omega9) in fish oil considering matrix interferences. With these methods, the area does not need to be directly measured and predictions are more accurate. Because of non-trilinear conditions of GC-MS data matrices, at first MCR-ALS and GRAM have been used on uncorrected data matrices. In comparison to MCR-ALS, biased and imprecise concentrations (%R.S.D.=27.3) were obtained using GRAM without correcting the retention time-shift. As trilinearity is the essential requirement for implementing GRAM, the data need to be corrected. Multivariate rank alignment objectively corrects the run-to-run retention time variations between sample GC-MS data matrix and a standard addition GC-MS data matrix. Then, two second-order algorithms have been compared with each other. The above algorithms provided similar mean predictions, pure concentrations and spectral profiles. The results validated using standard mass spectra of target compounds. In addition, some of the quantification results were compared with the concentration values obtained using the selected mass chromatograms. As in the case of strong peak-overlap and the matrix effect, the classical univariate method of determination of the area of the peaks of the analytes will fail, the "second-order advantage" has solved this problem successfully.

An Abbreviated Protocol for High-Risk Screening Breast MRI Saves Time and Resources.

PubMed

Harvey, Susan C; Di Carlo, Phillip A; Lee, Bonmyong; Obadina, Eniola; Sippo, Dorothy; Mullen, Lisa

2016-04-01

To review the ability of an abbreviated, high-risk, screening, breast MRI protocol to detect cancer and save resources. High-risk screening breast MR images were reviewed, from both an abbreviated protocol and a full diagnostic protocol. Differences in cancer detection, scanner utilization, interpretation times, and need for additional imaging were recorded in an integrated data form, and reviewed and compared. A total of 568 MRI cases were reviewed, with the abbreviated and full protocols. No difference was found in the number of cancers detected. Scan times were decreased by 18.8 minutes per case, for a total of 10,678 minutes (178 hours). Interpretation time, on average, was 1.55 minutes for the abbreviated protocol, compared with 6.43 minutes for the full protocol. Review of the full protocol led to a significant change in the final BI-RADS(®) assessment in 12 of 568 (2.1%) cases. Abbreviated MRI is as effective as full-protocol MRI for demonstration of cancers in the high-risk screening setting, with only 12 (2.1%) cases recommended for additional MRI evaluation. The efficiency and resource savings of an abbreviated protocol would be significant, and would allow for opportunities to provide MRI for additional patients, as well as improved radiologist time management and workflow, with the potential to add real-time MRI interpretation or double reading. Copyright © 2016 American College of Radiology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

An Abbreviated Protocol for High-Risk Screening Breast MRI Saves Time and Resources.

PubMed

Harvey, Susan C; Di Carlo, Phillip A; Lee, Bonmyong; Obadina, Eniola; Sippo, Dorothy; Mullen, Lisa

2016-11-01

To review the ability of an abbreviated, high-risk, screening, breast MRI protocol to detect cancer and save resources. High-risk screening breast MR images were reviewed, from both an abbreviated protocol and a full diagnostic protocol. Differences in cancer detection, scanner utilization, interpretation times, and need for additional imaging were recorded in an integrated data form, and reviewed and compared. A total of 568 MRI cases were reviewed, with the abbreviated and full protocols. No difference was found in the number of cancers detected. Scan times were decreased by 18.8 minutes per case, for a total of 10,678 minutes (178 hours). Interpretation time, on average, was 1.55 minutes for the abbreviated protocol, compared with 6.43 minutes for the full protocol. Review of the full protocol led to a significant change in the final BI-RADS ® assessment in 12 of 568 (2.1%) cases. Abbreviated MRI is as effective as full-protocol MRI for demonstration of cancers in the high-risk screening setting, with only 12 (2.1 %) cases recommended for additional MRI evaluation. The efficiency and resource savings of an abbreviated protocol would be significant, and would allow for opportunities to provide MRI for additional patients, as well as improved radiologist time management and workflow, with the potential to add real-time MRI interpretation or double reading. Copyright © 2016 American College of Radiology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Testing of Front End Electronics for 10ps Time of Flight Detectors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kimball, Matthew; EIC PID Consortium Collaboration

2016-09-01

To fully achieve the physics goals of the future Electron Ion Collider (EIC), continued development of the detectors involved is needed. One area of research involves improving the timing resolution of Time of Flight (ToF) detectors from 100ps to 10ps. When the timing resolution of these ToF detectors is improved, better particle identification can be achieved. In addition, as ToF detectors are being constructed with ever improving timing resolution, the need to improve the high speed performance of the fast electronics used in their front-end electronics (FEE) increases. A series of careful measurements has been performed to investigate the performance and efficiency of each element in the FEE chain. The focus of these tests lies on the amplitude transmission efficiency of the high speed signals as a function of frequency, also known as the bandwidth. The components tested include balanced to unbalanced (balun) boards, signal pre-amps, and waveform digitizers. These tests were performed on individual components and with all elements connected over a frequency range of 1MHz to 1GHz. The results of these tests will be presented. This research was supported by US DOE MENP Grant DE-FG02-03ER41243.

Integrating the Internship into Ophthalmology Residency Programs: Association of University Professors of Ophthalmology American Academy of Ophthalmology White Paper.

PubMed

Oetting, Thomas A; Alfonso, Eduardo C; Arnold, Anthony; Cantor, Louis B; Carter, Keith; Cruz, Oscar A; Feldon, Steven; Mondino, Bartly; Parke, David W; Pershing, Suzann; Uhler, Tara; Volpe, Nicholas J

2016-09-01

Future ophthalmologists will need to have broad skills to thrive in complex health care organizations. However, training for ophthalmologists does not take advantage of all of the postgraduate years (PGYs). Although the traditional residency years seem to have little excess capacity, enhancing the internship year does offer an opportunity to expand the time for ophthalmology training in the same 4 PGYs. Integrating the internship year into residency would allow control of all of the PGYs, allowing our profession to optimize training for ophthalmology. In this white paper, we propose that we could capture an additional 6 months of training time by integrating basic ophthalmology training into the intern year. This would allow 6 additional months to expand training in areas such as quality improvement or time for "mini-fellowships" to allow graduates to develop a deeper set of skills. Copyright © 2016 American Academy of Ophthalmology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Glyph-based generic network visualization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Erbacher, Robert F.

2002-03-01

Network managers and system administrators have an enormous task set before them in this day of growing network usage. This is particularly true of e-commerce companies and others dependent on a computer network for their livelihood. Network managers and system administrators must monitor activity for intrusions and misuse while at the same time monitoring performance of the network. In this paper, we describe our visualization techniques for assisting in the monitoring of networks for both of these tasks. The goal of these visualization techniques is to integrate the visual representation of both network performance/usage as well as data relevant to intrusion detection. The main difficulties arise from the difference in the intrinsic data and layout needs of each of these tasks. Glyph based techniques are additionally used to indicate the representative values of the necessary data parameters over time. Additionally, our techniques are geared towards providing an environment that can be used continuously for constant real-time monitoring of the network environment.

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

PubMed

Nolan, Mary

2012-06-01

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

Enteral Nutrition in Pediatric Patients

PubMed Central

2018-01-01

Pediatric patients require specialized attention and have diverse demands for proper growth and development, and thus need a different approach and interest in nutritional assessment and supply. Enteral nutrition is the most basic and important method of nutritional intervention, and its indications should be identified. Also, the sites, modes, types, and timing of nutritional intervention according to the patient's condition should be determined. In addition, various complications associated with enteral nutrition supply should be identified, and prevention and treatment are required. This approach to enteral nutrition and proper administration can help in the proper growth and recovery of pediatric patients with nutritional imbalances or nutritional needs. PMID:29383300

Protein Aggregation Measurement through Electrical Impedance Spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Affanni, A.; Corazza, A.; Esposito, G.; Fogolari, F.; Polano, M.

2013-09-01

The paper presents a novel methodology to measure the fibril formation in protein solutions. We designed a bench consisting of a sensor having interdigitated electrodes, a PDMS hermetic reservoir and an impedance meter automatically driven by calculator. The impedance data are interpolated with a lumped elements model and their change over time can provide information on the aggregation process. Encouraging results have been obtained by testing the methodology on K-casein, a protein of milk, with and without the addition of a drug inhibiting the aggregation. The amount of sample needed to perform this measurement is by far lower than the amount needed by fluorescence analysis.

Financial well-being of young children with disabilities and their families.

PubMed

Parish, Susan L; Cloud, Jennifer M

2006-07-01

Young children with disabilities are significantly more likely to live in poverty than their peers without disabilities. Exposure to poverty creates additional risk of adverse outcomes for these vulnerable children. In this article, the following key circumstances contributing to this increased risk of impoverishment are analyzed: elevated costs of raising children with disabilities, low levels of public income transfer benefits, difficulty balancing parental employment and caregiving responsibilities, unavailable or high-cost child care, and inadequate leave time to permit parents to meet their children's episodic care needs. The implications of these issues for social work practice and advocacy needs are discussed.

Terminal addition in a cellular world.

PubMed

Torday, J S; Miller, William B

2018-07-01

Recent advances in our understanding of evolutionary development permit a reframed appraisal of Terminal Addition as a continuous historical process of cellular-environmental complementarity. Within this frame of reference, evolutionary terminal additions can be identified as environmental induction of episodic adjustments to cell-cell signaling patterns that yield the cellular-molecular pathways that lead to differing developmental forms. Phenotypes derive, thereby, through cellular mutualistic/competitive niche constructions in reciprocating responsiveness to environmental stresses and epigenetic impacts. In such terms, Terminal Addition flows according to a logic of cellular needs confronting environmental challenges over space-time. A reconciliation of evolutionary development and Terminal Addition can be achieved through a combined focus on cell-cell signaling, molecular phylogenies and a broader understanding of epigenetic phenomena among eukaryotic organisms. When understood in this manner, Terminal Addition has an important role in evolutionary development, and chronic disease might be considered as a form of 'reverse evolution' of the self-same processes. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

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

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Clark, J.; Bloom, N.

2016-12-01

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

A study of the additional costs of dispensing workers' compensation prescriptions.

PubMed

Schafermeyer, Kenneth W

2007-03-01

Although there is a significant amount of additional work involved in dispensing workers' compensation prescriptions, these costs have not been quantified. A study of the additional costs to dispense a workers' compensation prescription is needed to measure actual costs and to help determine the reasonableness of reimbursement for prescriptions dispensed under workers' compensation programs. The purpose of this study was to determine the minimum additional time and costs required to dispense workers' compensation prescriptions in Texas. A convenience sample of 30 store-level pharmacy staff members involved in submitting and processing prescription claims for the Texas Mutual workers' compensation program were interviewed by telephone. Data collected to determine the additional costs of dispensing a workers' compensation prescription included (1) the amount of additional time and personnel costs required to dispense and process an average workers' compensation prescription claim, (2) the difference in time required for a new versus a refilled prescription, (3) overhead costs for processing workers' compensation prescription claims by experienced experts at a central processing facility, (4) carrying costs for workers' compensation accounts receivable, and (5) bad debts due to uncollectible workers' compensation claims. The median of the sample pharmacies' additional costs for dispensing a workers' compensation prescription was estimated to be at least $9.86 greater than for a cash prescription. This study shows that the estimated costs for workers' compensation prescriptions were significantly higher than for cash prescriptions. These costs are probably much more than most employers, workers' compensation payers, and pharmacy managers would expect. It is recommended that pharmacy managers should estimate their own costs and compare these costs to actual reimbursement when considering the reasonableness of workers' compensation prescriptions and whether to accept these prescriptions.

43 CFR 2430.3 - Additional criteria for classification of lands needed for urban or suburban purposes.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 43 Public Lands: Interior 2 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Additional criteria for classification of... MANAGEMENT (2000) DISPOSAL CLASSIFICATIONS Criteria for Disposal Classifications § 2430.3 Additional criteria for classification of lands needed for urban or suburban purposes. (a) To be needed for urban or...

34 CFR 388.20 - What additional selection criterion is used under this program?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... State unit in-service training plan responds to needs identified in their training needs assessment and... employment outcomes; and (iv) The State has conducted a needs assessment of the in-service training needs for... Secretary uses the following additional selection criteria to evaluate an application: (a) Evidence of need...

34 CFR 388.20 - What additional selection criterion is used under this program?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... State unit in-service training plan responds to needs identified in their training needs assessment and... employment outcomes; and (iv) The State has conducted a needs assessment of the in-service training needs for... Secretary uses the following additional selection criteria to evaluate an application: (a) Evidence of need...

34 CFR 388.20 - What additional selection criterion is used under this program?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... State unit in-service training plan responds to needs identified in their training needs assessment and... employment outcomes; and (iv) The State has conducted a needs assessment of the in-service training needs for... Secretary uses the following additional selection criteria to evaluate an application: (a) Evidence of need...

34 CFR 388.20 - What additional selection criterion is used under this program?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... State unit in-service training plan responds to needs identified in their training needs assessment and... employment outcomes; and (iv) The State has conducted a needs assessment of the in-service training needs for... Secretary uses the following additional selection criteria to evaluate an application: (a) Evidence of need...

34 CFR 388.20 - What additional selection criterion is used under this program?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... State unit in-service training plan responds to needs identified in their training needs assessment and... employment outcomes; and (iv) The State has conducted a needs assessment of the in-service training needs for... Secretary uses the following additional selection criteria to evaluate an application: (a) Evidence of need...

Real-time landslide warning during heavy rainfall

USGS Publications Warehouse

Keefer, D.K.; Wilson, R.C.; Mark, R.K.; Brabb, E.E.; Brown, W. M.; Ellen, S.D.; Harp, E.L.; Wieczorek, G.F.; Alger, C.S.; Zatkin, R.S.

1987-01-01

A real-time system for issuing warnings of landslides during major storms is being developed for the San Francisco Bay region, California. The system is based on empirical and theoretical relations between rainfall and landslide initiation, geologic determination of areas susceptible to landslides, real-time monitoring of a regional network of telemetering rain gages, and National Weather Service precipitation forecasts. This system was used to issue warnings during the storms of 12 to 21 February 1986, which produced 800 millimeters of rainfall in the region. Although analysis after the storms suggests that modifications and additional developments are needed, the system successfully predicted the times of major landslide events. It could be used as a prototype for systems in other landslide-prone regions.

Stereotaxy, navigation and the temporal concatenation.

PubMed

Apuzzo, M L; Chen, J C

1999-01-01

Nautical and cerebral navigation share similar elements of functional need and similar developmental pathways. The need for orientation necessitates the development of appropriate concepts, and such concepts are dependent on technology for practical realization. Occasionally, a concept precedes technology in time and requires periods of delay for appropriate development. A temporal concatenation exists where time allows the additive as need, concept and technology ultimately provide an endpoint of elegant solution. Nautical navigation has proceeded through periods of dead reckoning and celestial navigation to satellite orientation with associated refinements of instrumentation and charts for guidance. Cerebral navigation has progressed from craniometric orientation and burr hole mounted guidance systems to simple rectolinear and arc-centered devices based on radiographs to guidance by complex anatomical and functional maps provided as an amalgam of modern imaging modes. These maps are now augmented by complex frame and frameless systems which allow not only precise orientation, but also point and volumetric action. These complex technical modalities required and developed in part from elements of maritime navigation that have been translated to cerebral navigation in a temporal concatenation. Copyright 2000 S. Karger AG, Basel

How to Deal with the Upcoming Challenges in GMO Detection in Food and Feed

PubMed Central

Broeders, Sylvia R. M.; De Keersmaecker, Sigrid C. J.; Roosens, Nancy H. C.

2012-01-01

Biotech crops are the fastest adopted crop technology in the history of modern agriculture. The commercialisation of GMO is in many countries strictly regulated laying down the need for traceability and labelling. To comply with these legislations, detection methods are needed. To date, GM events have been developed by the introduction of a transgenic insert (i.e., promoter, coding sequence, terminator) into the plant genome and real-time PCR is the detection method of choice. However, new types of genetic elements will be used to construct new GMO and new crops will be transformed. Additionally, the presence of unauthorised GMO in food and feed samples might increase in the near future. To enable enforcement laboratories to continue detecting all GM events and to obtain an idea of the possible presence of unauthorised GMO in a food and feed sample, an intensive screening will become necessary. A pragmatic, cost-effective, and time-saving approach is presented here together with an overview of the evolution of the GMO and the upcoming needs. PMID:23193359

How to deal with the upcoming challenges in GMO detection in food and feed.

PubMed

Broeders, Sylvia R M; De Keersmaecker, Sigrid C J; Roosens, Nancy H C

2012-01-01

Biotech crops are the fastest adopted crop technology in the history of modern agriculture. The commercialisation of GMO is in many countries strictly regulated laying down the need for traceability and labelling. To comply with these legislations, detection methods are needed. To date, GM events have been developed by the introduction of a transgenic insert (i.e., promoter, coding sequence, terminator) into the plant genome and real-time PCR is the detection method of choice. However, new types of genetic elements will be used to construct new GMO and new crops will be transformed. Additionally, the presence of unauthorised GMO in food and feed samples might increase in the near future. To enable enforcement laboratories to continue detecting all GM events and to obtain an idea of the possible presence of unauthorised GMO in a food and feed sample, an intensive screening will become necessary. A pragmatic, cost-effective, and time-saving approach is presented here together with an overview of the evolution of the GMO and the upcoming needs.

TV Time but Not Computer Time Is Associated with Cardiometabolic Risk in Dutch Young Adults

PubMed Central

Altenburg, Teatske M.; de Kroon, Marlou L. A.; Renders, Carry M.; HiraSing, Remy; Chinapaw, Mai J. M.

2013-01-01

Background TV time and total sedentary time have been positively related to biomarkers of cardiometabolic risk in adults. We aim to examine the association of TV time and computer time separately with cardiometabolic biomarkers in young adults. Additionally, the mediating role of waist circumference (WC) is studied. Methods and Findings Data of 634 Dutch young adults (18–28 years; 39% male) were used. Cardiometabolic biomarkers included indicators of overweight, blood pressure, blood levels of fasting plasma insulin, cholesterol, glucose, triglycerides and a clustered cardiometabolic risk score. Linear regression analyses were used to assess the cross-sectional association of self-reported TV and computer time with cardiometabolic biomarkers, adjusting for demographic and lifestyle factors. Mediation by WC was checked using the product-of-coefficient method. TV time was significantly associated with triglycerides (B = 0.004; CI = [0.001;0.05]) and insulin (B = 0.10; CI = [0.01;0.20]). Computer time was not significantly associated with any of the cardiometabolic biomarkers. We found no evidence for WC to mediate the association of TV time or computer time with cardiometabolic biomarkers. Conclusions We found a significantly positive association of TV time with cardiometabolic biomarkers. In addition, we found no evidence for WC as a mediator of this association. Our findings suggest a need to distinguish between TV time and computer time within future guidelines for screen time. PMID:23460900

How do plants enlarge? A balancing act; Final report

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

Boyer, J.S.

1996-12-31

Cells of plants are surrounded by strong walls that prevent rupture from internal pressures that can be two or three times that of an automobile tire. In this way, the walls protect the cytoplasm. However, at the same time, the cells can enlarge as they grow. How this balancing act works and how it enlarges the plant were the subject of a recent conference at the University of Delaware in Lewes. The aim was to identify areas for future research that could explain the enlargement of whole plants. There is a large practical need to predict and modify plant enlargementmore » but the additional processes that overlie the molecular ones need to be integrated with the molecular information before a picture will emerge. How best to accomplish this involved input from cross-disciplinary areas in biomechanics, physics and engineering as well as molecular biology, biochemistry and ultrastructure.« less

Electrochemical disinfection of repeatedly recycled blackwater in a free-standing, additive-free toilet.

PubMed

Hawkins, Brian T; Sellgren, Katelyn L; Klem, Ethan J D; Piascik, Jeffrey R; Stoner, Brian R

2017-11-01

Decentralized, energy-efficient waste water treatment technologies enabling water reuse are needed to sustainably address sanitation needs in water- and energy-scarce environments. Here, we describe the effects of repeated recycling of disinfected blackwater (as flush liquid) on the energy required to achieve full disinfection with an electrochemical process in a prototype toilet system. The recycled liquid rapidly reached a steady state with total solids reliably ranging between 0.50 and 0.65% and conductivity between 20 and 23 mS/cm through many flush cycles over 15 weeks. The increase in accumulated solids was associated with increased energy demand and wide variation in the free chlorine contact time required to achieve complete disinfection. Further studies on the system at steady state revealed that running at higher voltage modestly improves energy efficiency, and established running parameters that reliably achieve disinfection at fixed run times. These results will guide prototype testing in the field.

Comparative study of hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells between sexes in mice under physiological conditions along time.

PubMed

Gasco, Samanta; Rando, Amaya; Zaragoza, Pilar; García-Redondo, Alberto; Calvo, Ana Cristina; Osta, Rosario

2017-12-01

Hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) are attractive targets in regenerative medicine, although the differences in their homeostatic maintenance between sexes along time are still under debate. We accurately monitored hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), common lymphoid progenitors (CLPs), and common myeloid progenitors (CMPs) frequencies by flow cytometry, by performing serial peripheral blood extractions from male and female B6SJL wild-type mice and found no significant differences. Only modest differences were found in the gene expression profile of Slamf1 and Gata2. Our findings suggest that both sexes could be used indistinctly to perform descriptive studies in the murine hematopoietic system, especially for flow cytometry studies in peripheral blood. This would allow diminishing the number of animals needed for the experimental procedures. In addition, the use of serial extractions in the same animals drastically decreases the number of animals needed. © 2017 International Federation for Cell Biology.

Counselor Assessments of Training and Adoption Barriers

PubMed Central

Bartholomew, Norma G.; Joe, George W.; Rowan-Szal, Grace A.; Simpson, D. Dwayne

2007-01-01

The prevailing emphasis on adoption of evidence-based practices suggests more focused training evaluations are needed that capture factors in clinician decisions to use new techniques. This includes relationships of post-conference evaluations with subsequent adoption of training materials. Training assessments were therefore collected at two time points from substance abuse treatment counselors who attended training on dual diagnosis and on therapeutic alliance as part of a state-sponsored conference. Customized evaluations were collected to assess counselor perceptions of training quality, relevance, and resources in relation to its utilization during the 6 months following the conference. Higher ratings for relevance of training concepts and materials to service needs of clients, desire to have additional training, and level of program support were each related to greater trial usage during the follow-up period. Primary resource-related and procedural barriers cited by counselors included lack of time and redundancy with existing practices. PMID:17434707

Competency-based education in anesthesiology: history and challenges.

PubMed

Ebert, Thomas J; Fox, Chris A

2014-01-01

The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education is transitioning to a competency-based system with milestones to measure progress and define success of residents. The confines of the time-based residency will be relaxed. Curriculum must be redesigned and assessments will need to be precise and in-depth. Core anesthesiology faculty will be identified and will be the "trained observers" of the residents' progress. There will be logistic challenges requiring creative management by program directors. There may be residents who achieve "expert" status earlier than the required 36 months of clinical anesthesia education, whereas others may struggle to achieve acceptable status and will require additional education time. Faculty must accept both extremes without judgment. Innovative new educational opportunities will need to be created for fast learners. Finally, it will be important that residents embrace this change. This will require programs to clearly define the specific aims and measurement endpoints for advancement and success.

Proceeding On : Parallelisation Of Critical Code Passages In PHOENIX/3D

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arkenberg, Mario; Wichert, Viktoria; Hauschildt, Peter H.

2016-10-01

Highly resolved state-of-the-art 3D atmosphere simulations will remain computationally extremely expensive for years to come. In addition to the need for more computing power, rethinking coding practices is necessary. We take a dual approach here, by introducing especially adapted, parallel numerical methods and correspondingly parallelising time critical code passages. In the following, we present our work on PHOENIX/3D.While parallelisation is generally worthwhile, it requires revision of time-consuming subroutines with respect to separability of localised data and variables in order to determine the optimal approach. Of course, the same applies to the code structure. The importance of this ongoing work can be showcased by recently derived benchmark results, which were generated utilis- ing MPI and OpenMP. Furthermore, the need for a careful and thorough choice of an adequate, machine dependent setup is discussed.

Effect of the number of request calls on the time from call to hospital arrival: a cross-sectional study of an ambulance record database in Nara prefecture, Japan.

PubMed

Hanaki, Nao; Yamashita, Kazuto; Kunisawa, Susumu; Imanaka, Yuichi

2016-12-09

In Japan, ambulance staff sometimes must make request calls to find hospitals that can accept patients because of an inadequate information sharing system. This study aimed to quantify effects of the number of request calls on the time interval between an emergency call and hospital arrival. A cross-sectional study of an ambulance records database in Nara prefecture, Japan. A total of 43 663 patients (50% women; 31.2% aged 80 years and over): (1) transported by ambulance from April 2013 to March 2014, (2) aged 15 years and over, and (3) with suspected major illness. The time from call to hospital arrival, defined as the time interval from receipt of an emergency call to ambulance arrival at a hospital. The mean time interval from emergency call to hospital arrival was 44.5 min, and the mean number of requests was 1.8. Multilevel linear regression analysis showed that ∼43.8% of variations in transportation times were explained by patient age, sex, season, day of the week, time, category of suspected illness, person calling for the ambulance, emergency status at request call, area and number of request calls. A higher number of request calls was associated with longer time intervals to hospital arrival (addition of 6.3 min per request call; p<0.001). In an analysis dividing areas into three groups, there were differences in transportation time for diseases needing cardiologists, neurologists, neurosurgeons and orthopaedists. The study revealed 6.3 additional minutes needed in transportation time for every refusal of a request call, and also revealed disease-specific delays among specific areas. An effective system should be collaboratively established by policymakers and physicians to ensure the rapid identification of an available hospital for patient transportation in order to reduce the time from the initial emergency call to hospital arrival. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

Effect of the number of request calls on the time from call to hospital arrival: a cross-sectional study of an ambulance record database in Nara prefecture, Japan

PubMed Central

Hanaki, Nao; Yamashita, Kazuto; Kunisawa, Susumu; Imanaka, Yuichi

2016-01-01

Objectives In Japan, ambulance staff sometimes must make request calls to find hospitals that can accept patients because of an inadequate information sharing system. This study aimed to quantify effects of the number of request calls on the time interval between an emergency call and hospital arrival. Design and setting A cross-sectional study of an ambulance records database in Nara prefecture, Japan. Cases A total of 43 663 patients (50% women; 31.2% aged 80 years and over): (1) transported by ambulance from April 2013 to March 2014, (2) aged 15 years and over, and (3) with suspected major illness. Primary outcome measures The time from call to hospital arrival, defined as the time interval from receipt of an emergency call to ambulance arrival at a hospital. Results The mean time interval from emergency call to hospital arrival was 44.5 min, and the mean number of requests was 1.8. Multilevel linear regression analysis showed that ∼43.8% of variations in transportation times were explained by patient age, sex, season, day of the week, time, category of suspected illness, person calling for the ambulance, emergency status at request call, area and number of request calls. A higher number of request calls was associated with longer time intervals to hospital arrival (addition of 6.3 min per request call; p<0.001). In an analysis dividing areas into three groups, there were differences in transportation time for diseases needing cardiologists, neurologists, neurosurgeons and orthopaedists. Conclusions The study revealed 6.3 additional minutes needed in transportation time for every refusal of a request call, and also revealed disease-specific delays among specific areas. An effective system should be collaboratively established by policymakers and physicians to ensure the rapid identification of an available hospital for patient transportation in order to reduce the time from the initial emergency call to hospital arrival. PMID:27940625

["Lex Kendra" in New York, United States. Homicide, "revolving door psychiatry" and political response].

PubMed

Röttgers, H R; Nedjat, S

2001-03-01

The history, motivation and consequences of the New York State "Kendra's Law" as of August 1999 are reviewed. "Kendra's Law" was the consequence of the killing of a young woman, Kendra W., by a schizophrenic patient later convicted for second degree murder. Before, he had been repeatedly rejected when he sought treatment in state-run psychiatric facilities and was expelled several times from long-term hospitals despite a long history of violent behaviour when untreated. "Kendra's Law" now entitles physicians, case workers, roommates and families of untreated mentally ill persons to seek a court order forcing a patient to comply with treatment and, at the same time, compelling mental health institutions to grant this treatment. Additionally, the law and another bill signed in November 1999 provided for additional funding for the underfinanced state-run mental health system. "Kendra's Law" illustrates a bidirectional attempt to cope with the revolving door treatment situation of mentally ill in the State of New York by additional funding and additional possibilities to enforce treatment. The law illustrates the fundamental conflict between individual autonomy and the need for treatment of people suffering from severe mental illness.

Compensation of Physical Activity and Sedentary Time in Primary School Children

PubMed Central

RIDGERS, NICOLA D.; TIMPERIO, ANNA; CERIN, ESTER; SALMON, JO

2014-01-01

ABSTRACT Purpose There is considerable debate about the possibility of physical activity compensation. This study examined whether increased levels in physical activity and/or sedentary behavior on 1 d were predictive of lower levels in these behaviors on the following day (compensatory mechanisms) among children. Methods Two hundred and forty-eight children (121 boys and 127 girls) age 8–11 yr from nine primary schools in Melbourne, Australia, wore a GT3X+ ActiGraph for seven consecutive days. Time spent in light physical activity (LPA) and moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activity (MVPA) was derived using age-specific cut points. Sedentary time was defined as 100 counts per minute. Meteorological data (temperature, precipitation, relative humidity, and daylight hours) were obtained daily and matched to accelerometer wear days. Multilevel analyses (day, child, and school) were conducted using generalized linear latent and mixed models. Results On any given day, every additional 10 min spent in MVPA was associated with approximately 25 min less LPA and 5 min less MVPA the following day. Similarly, additional time spent in LPA on any given day was associated with less time in LPA and MVPA the next day. Time spent sedentary was associated with less sedentary time the following day. Adjusting for meteorological variables did not change observed compensation effects. No significant moderating effect of sex was observed. Conclusion The results are consistent with the compensation hypothesis, whereby children appear to compensate their physical activity or sedentary time between days. Additional adjustment for meteorological variables did not change the observed associations. Further research is needed to examine what factors may explain apparent compensatory changes in children’s physical activity and sedentary time. PMID:24492632

Nuclear-renewable hybrid energy systems: Opportunities, interconnections, and needs

DOE PAGES

Ruth, Mark F.; Zinaman, Owen R.; Antkowiak, Mark; ...

2013-12-20

As the U.S. energy system evolves, the amount of electricity from variable-generation sources is likely to increase, which could result in additional times when electricity demand is lower than available production. Therefore, purveyors of technologies that traditionally have provided base-load electricity—such as nuclear power plants—can explore new operating procedures to deal with the associated market signals. Concurrently, innovations in nuclear reactor design coupled with sophisticated control systems now allow for more complex apportionment of heat within an integrated system such as one linked to energy-intensive chemical processes. Our paper explores one opportunity – nuclear-renewable hybrid energy systems. These are definedmore » as integrated facilities comprised of nuclear reactors, renewable energy generation, and industrial processes that can simultaneously address the need for grid flexibility, greenhouse gas emission reductions, and optimal use of investment capital. Six aspects of interaction (interconnections) between elements of nuclear-renewable hybrid energy systems are identified: Thermal, electrical, chemical, hydrogen, mechanical, and information. In addition, system-level aspects affect selection, design, and operation of this hybrid system type. Throughout the paper, gaps and research needs are identified to promote further exploration of the topic.« less

An approach to radiation safety department benchmarking in academic and medical facilities.

PubMed

Harvey, Richard P

2015-02-01

Based on anecdotal evidence and networking with colleagues at other facilities, it has become evident that some radiation safety departments are not adequately staffed and radiation safety professionals need to increase their staffing levels. Discussions with management regarding radiation safety department staffing often lead to similar conclusions. Management acknowledges the Radiation Safety Officer (RSO) or Director of Radiation Safety's concern but asks the RSO to provide benchmarking and justification for additional full-time equivalents (FTEs). The RSO must determine a method to benchmark and justify additional staffing needs while struggling to maintain a safe and compliant radiation safety program. Benchmarking and justification are extremely important tools that are commonly used to demonstrate the need for increased staffing in other disciplines and are tools that can be used by radiation safety professionals. Parameters that most RSOs would expect to be positive predictors of radiation safety staff size generally are and can be emphasized in benchmarking and justification report summaries. Facilities with large radiation safety departments tend to have large numbers of authorized users, be broad-scope programs, be subject to increased controls regulations, have large clinical operations, have significant numbers of academic radiation-producing machines, and have laser safety responsibilities.

Sterilization processes. Meeting the demands of today's health care technology.

PubMed

Crow, S

1993-09-01

Universal Precautions dictate sterilization for all invasive equipment that break the blood barrier; however, current methods of sterilization, such as steam and ethylene oxide gas (ETO), are not compatible with many of the delicate, heat-sensitive surgical instruments used in modern health care. In addition, traditional sterilization methods are often too time consuming for practical use in the operating room. Clearly, new sterilization processes need to be developed. In this article, the criteria modern sterilization processes must meet and how some manufacturers plan to meet this challenge are discussed. In addition, the pros and cons of using peracetic acid (the newest sterilization process currently available) are examined.

[The new preschool examination in Baden-Wuerttemberg: what determinants influence the school medical evaluation special need for language promotion in childhood development?].

PubMed

Spannenkrebs, M; Crispin, A; Krämer, D

2013-12-01

The new examination before primary school enrollment in Baden-Wuerttemberg aims at detecting problems in infant development with regard to later school success in time to initiate supporting measures, especially to improve the language skills of children with other native languages. By a 2-level process composed of a screening of language skills (HASE and KVS) and an additional test (SETK 3-5) of children who did not pass the screening, the school physicians attested special needs for language promotion in the kindergarten. This study looked for associated risks of children with special needs for language promotion. The degree of test quality of the 2-level process for identifying special needs for language promotion was determined. This cross-sectional analysis explored findings of n=80,781 children in the new examination before primary school enrollment of the data-set of Baden-Wuerttemberg (children with school enrollment 2011). 56,352 children (69.8%) were speaking German, 24,429 children (30.2%) had other family languages. 20,461 children (25.3%) had special needs for language promotion in the kindergarten. A logistic regression model to determine main risks of special needs for language promotion was developed. Main effects were other native languages (OR 5.1 [4.8; 5.2]), problems in subitising (OR 2.8 [2.7; 3.0]) and language development lags in the questionnaire of the nursery school teachers (OR 3.5 [3.3; 3.7]). Protective effects were an elevated graduation of the mother (OR 0.7 [0.7; 0.7]) or the father (OR 0.8 [0.7; 0.8]). Risk scores of the effects were defined. The corresponding predictive probability to different levels of risk scores was calculated. The true positive rate of the screening of language skills (HASE/KVS) in regard to special needs for language promotion was 0.95, the true negative rate was 0.72 and the -positive predictive value was 0.53. The school physician's findings of special needs for language promotion acted as gold standard. With the additional test (SETK 3-5) the positive predictive value improved to 0.9, if at least one of the subtests of the SETK 3-5 was not passed. The risk score-level corresponded with the pretest-probability and the consecutive positive predictive value of the screening of language skills. This study showed an adequate degree of test quality of the 2-level process in the new examination before primary school enrollment in Baden-Wuerttemberg (screening of language skills and additional test, if the screening is not passed). In addition children with special needs for language promotion had associated risks. Risk scores, that have been defined, offer an information tool to the school physicians concerning the positive predictive value of the screening of language skills without additional testing. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Shared Savings Contracting for Reducing Energy Costs of Defense Facilities.

DTIC Science & Technology

1983-01-01

also needs additional -4 operation and maintenance help, especially if new equipment is involved. New equipment with sophisticated control technology...process may take time to develop and may be " difficult to integrate with existing financial control practices. For example, the regulations and...will seek a change order on the contract. The potential for such changes, if not controlled , seriously undermines the value of these contracts. DoD

In-Service Training for Instructors Designed to Build the Necessary Skills Needed to Plan, Develop, and Implement Competency-Based Vocational Education. Final Report (July 1, 1980-June 30, 1981).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Epler, Doris M.

This project extended two previous projects which were designed to assist teachers in building the necessary skills to plan, develop, and implement competency-based vocational education (CBVE). In addition to released time for instructors, the project provided the funds necessary to form an articulation team effort among Pennsylvania's Reading…

"The Exact Opposite of What They Need." Administrator Reflections on Sexual Misconduct, the Limitations of the Student Conduct Response, and the Possibilities of Restorative Justice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Williamsen, Kaaren Marie

2017-01-01

In 2011 the U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights released additional guidance to colleges and universities on how they should handle campus sexual harassment and assault. Since that time institutions of higher education have been under significant pressure to improve their processes. This qualitative study adds to this…

Parenting Outcomes of Single Active Duty Postpartum Women

DTIC Science & Technology

1998-04-15

Single active duty mothers face many of the same stressors as civilian single parents, including role strain, child care issues, and lack of...discretionary time. Child care is a difficult issue for single parents who need care that is flexible, convenient, and available at a reasonable cost...Deployments, work related travel, shift work, and relocations pose additional and unique problems for child care arrangements for military (Wahl & Randall

Army Reserve Components Research Roadmap Volume 2: Research Agenda

DTIC Science & Technology

1997-09-01

over a 150-mile radius. This obviously makes training above the company level difficult for any time other than annual training (AT). In addition...at a higher level of decision- making , fluidity in the assignments of force structures to units creates wide spread change which affects whole units...can increasingly make TADSS and other enhancements practical solutions to persistent training needs. It should also be noted that the questions

Automating the Exchange of Military Personnel Data Among Selected Army Organizations. Volume II. Appendices,

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-06-30

manpower needs as to quantity, quality and timing; all the internal functions of the personnel service are tapped to help meet these ends. Manpower...Program ACOS - Automated Computation of Service ACQ - Acquisition ACSAC - Assistant Chief of Staff for Automation and Comunications ACT - Automated...ARSTAF - Army Staff ARSTAFF - Army Staff ARTEP - Army Training and Evaluation Program ASI - Additional Skill Identifier ASVAB - Armed Services

Western United States Dams Challenges Faced, Options, and Opportunities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Raff, D.

2017-12-01

Water management in the Western United States relies significantly upon a fleet of small to very large engineered dams to store water during times of runoff and distribute that water during times of need. Much of this infrastructure is Federally owned and/or operated, and was designed and funded during the first half of the twentieth century through a complex set of repayment contracts for Federally authorized purposes addressing water supply, recreation, and hydropower, and other water management objectives. With environmental laws, namely the Endangered Species Act, and other environmental concerns taking a more active role in water resources in the mid to latter half of the twentieth century, this infrastructure is being stressed even greater than anticipated to provide authorized purposes. Additionally, weather and climate norms being experienced are certainly near the edges, if not outside, of anticipated variability in the climate and hydrology scenarios for which the infrastructure was designed. And, finally, these dams, economically designed for a lifespan of 50 - 100 years, are experiencing maintenance challenges from routine to significant. This presentation will focus on identifying some of the history and challenges facing the water infrastructure in the Western United States. Additionally, some perspectives on future paths to meet the needs of western irrigation and hydropower production will be provided.

Family-friendliness in Medical Studies in Baden-Württemberg. Results of a state-wide study.

PubMed

Niehues, Johanna; Prospero, Katrin; Fegert, Jörg M; Liebhardt, Hubert

2012-01-01

This paper describes the results of the study on "Family-friendliness of the Medical Studies in Baden-Württemberg" carried out in 2009-2011 by the working group "Family, Time policy and E-Learning" of the University Hospital of Ulm, supported by the Ministry of Science, Research and the Arts of Baden-Württemberg. This state-wide survey of the studying conditions and personal circumstances of medical students with children at the five medical schools in Baden-Württemberg aims to describe existing and necessary factors of family-friendliness. A total of 238 students with children participated in the quantitative online survey conducted during the summer semester 2010 which was based on topics from previous qualitative interviews with student parents.The data shows that even though founding a family while at university is usually planned, student parents are faced with significant compatibility issues, demonstrating the need for additional measures to individualise course organisation and to make the curriculum more flexible. At the same time, the need to significantly increase information and advisory services alongside the establishment of additional support services for student parents is discernable. The study contributes to the debate on the family-friendliness of universities and university hospitals and adds practice-oriented approaches to solutions.

A comparison between different finite elements for elastic and aero-elastic analyses.

PubMed

Mahran, Mohamed; ELsabbagh, Adel; Negm, Hani

2017-11-01

In the present paper, a comparison between five different shell finite elements, including the Linear Triangular Element, Linear Quadrilateral Element, Linear Quadrilateral Element based on deformation modes, 8-node Quadrilateral Element, and 9-Node Quadrilateral Element was presented. The shape functions and the element equations related to each element were presented through a detailed mathematical formulation. Additionally, the Jacobian matrix for the second order derivatives was simplified and used to derive each element's strain-displacement matrix in bending. The elements were compared using carefully selected elastic and aero-elastic bench mark problems, regarding the number of elements needed to reach convergence, the resulting accuracy, and the needed computation time. The best suitable element for elastic free vibration analysis was found to be the Linear Quadrilateral Element with deformation-based shape functions, whereas the most suitable element for stress analysis was the 8-Node Quadrilateral Element, and the most suitable element for aero-elastic analysis was the 9-Node Quadrilateral Element. Although the linear triangular element was the last choice for modal and stress analyses, it establishes more accurate results in aero-elastic analyses, however, with much longer computation time. Additionally, the nine-node quadrilateral element was found to be the best choice for laminated composite plates analysis.

Motivation, treatment engagement and psychosocial outcomes in outpatients with severe mental illness: a test of Self-Determination Theory.

PubMed

Jochems, Eline C; Duivenvoorden, Hugo J; van Dam, Arno; van der Feltz-Cornelis, Christina M; Mulder, Cornelis L

2017-09-01

Currently, it is unclear whether Self-Determination Theory (SDT) applies to the mental health care of patients with severe mental illness (SMI). Therefore, the current study tested the process model of SDT in a sample of outpatients with SMI. Participants were 294 adult outpatients with a primary diagnosis of a psychotic disorder or a personality disorder and their clinicians (n = 57). Structural equation modelling was used to test the hypothesized relationships between autonomy support, perceived competence, types of motivation, treatment engagement, psychosocial functioning and quality of life at two time points and across the two diagnostic groups. The expected relations among the SDT variables were found, but additional direct paths between perceived competence and clinical outcomes were needed to obtain good model fit. The obtained process model was found to be stable across time and different diagnostic patient groups, and was able to explain 18% to 36% of variance in treatment engagement, psychosocial functioning and quality of life. It is concluded that SDT can be a useful basis for interventions in the mental health care for outpatients with SMI. Additional experimental research is needed to confirm the causality of the relations between the SDT constructs and their ability to influence treatment outcomes. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Promoting cultural understanding through pediatric clinical dyads: an education research project.

PubMed

McDermott-Levy, Ruth; Cantrell, Mary Ann; Reynolds, Kathryn

2014-11-01

This project explored the experiences of six undergraduate nursing students, three American nursing students and three nursing students from the Sultan of Oman, who participated in a faculty initiated education research project as part of their pediatric clinical practicum. Students were placed in dyads, with one American-born student and one Omani student in each dyad. Omani students also were paired with American nurse preceptors. A transcript-based content analysis was used to analyze data generated from qualitative focus group student interviews and student journals. The analysis generated three themes that described how myths were dispelled, cultural barriers were broken down and knowledge gained from another cultural perspective. The nurse preceptors were surveyed at the conclusion of the program. The survey findings suggest that preceptors gained a different cultural perspective of nursing care and they were better informed of the Omani students' learning needs. There was, however, an additional investment of preceptor time in meeting the learning needs of international students. Additional faculty time was also required for preparation and time during clinical conferencing to address differences in nursing practice between U.S. and Oman while meeting course learning objectives. Overall, the educational program provided evidence of enhancing American and Omani student cultural competence and Omani student adaptation to the United States. Coupling a domestic student with an international student to form dyads from the beginning of international students' experience could be a significant enhancement to both groups of students' learning experience. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Hybrid ARIMAX quantile regression method for forecasting short term electricity consumption in east java

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prastuti, M.; Suhartono; Salehah, NA

2018-04-01

The need for energy supply, especially for electricity in Indonesia has been increasing in the last past years. Furthermore, the high electricity usage by people at different times leads to the occurrence of heteroscedasticity issue. Estimate the electricity supply that could fulfilled the community’s need is very important, but the heteroscedasticity issue often made electricity forecasting hard to be done. An accurate forecast of electricity consumptions is one of the key challenges for energy provider to make better resources and service planning and also take control actions in order to balance the electricity supply and demand for community. In this paper, hybrid ARIMAX Quantile Regression (ARIMAX-QR) approach was proposed to predict the short-term electricity consumption in East Java. This method will also be compared to time series regression using RMSE, MAPE, and MdAPE criteria. The data used in this research was the electricity consumption per half-an-hour data during the period of September 2015 to April 2016. The results show that the proposed approach can be a competitive alternative to forecast short-term electricity in East Java. ARIMAX-QR using lag values and dummy variables as predictors yield more accurate prediction in both in-sample and out-sample data. Moreover, both time series regression and ARIMAX-QR methods with addition of lag values as predictor could capture accurately the patterns in the data. Hence, it produces better predictions compared to the models that not use additional lag variables.

Addressing tuberculosis patients' medical and socio-economic needs: a comprehensive programmatic approach.

PubMed

Contreras, Carmen C; Millones, Ana K; Santa Cruz, Janeth; Aguilar, Margot; Clendenes, Martin; Toranzo, Miguel; Llaro, Karim; Lecca, Leonid; Becerra, Mercedes C; Yuen, Courtney M

2017-04-01

For a cohort of patients with tuberculosis in Carabayllo, Peru, we describe the prevalence of medical comorbidities and socio-economic needs, the efforts required by a comprehensive support programme ('TB Cero') to address them and the success of this programme in linking patients to care. Patients diagnosed with tuberculosis in Carabayllo underwent evaluations for HIV, diabetes, mental health and unmet basic needs. For patients initiating treatment during 14 September, 2015-15 May, 2016, we abstracted data from evaluation forms and a support request system. We calculated the prevalence of medical comorbidities and the need for socio-economic support at the time of tuberculosis diagnosis, as well as the proportion of patients successfully linked to care or support. Of 192 patients, 83 (43%) had at least one medical comorbidity other than tuberculosis. These included eight (4%) patients with HIV, 12 (6%) with diabetes and 62 (32%) deemed at risk for a mental health condition. Of patients who required follow-up for a comorbidity, 100% initiated antiretroviral therapy, 71% attended endocrinology consultations and 66% attended psychology consultations. Of 126 (65%) patients who completed the socio-economic evaluation, 58 (46%) reported already receiving food baskets from the municipality, and 79 (63%) were given additional support, most commonly food vouchers and assistance in accessing health care. Carabayllo tuberculosis patients face many challenges in addition to tuberculosis. A collaborative, comprehensive treatment support programme can achieve high rates of linkage to care for these needs. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

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

PubMed Central

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

2007-01-01

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

Report of the HDA building Task Force.

PubMed

Scheerer, Ernest W

2006-01-01

The Building Task Force, after researching the many options, recommended to the Board of Trustees that, at this time, it is in the best interest of the association and its members to keep the building. In addition to the reasons outlined in the preceding paragraphs, the conclusions drawn by the Task Force can be summarized as follows: 1) This is not the time to make a change as both land and construction costs are high; 2) There is little inventory at this time that would provide a significant improvement over the present building; 3) There is no urgent need to act now; and 4) Cost-effective changes can be made to make the building more valuable to the association.

A simple technique of laparoscopic port closure allowing wound extension.

PubMed

Christey, G R; Poole, G

2002-04-01

Reliable and safe access to the abdominal cavity and efficient removal of the resected gallbladder are essential to laparoscopic cholecystectomy. The unpredictable size of the cholecystectomy specimen can sometimes lead to frustration at the time of removal. A simple technique has been developed that allows for tissue extraction and easy fascial closure regardless of the size of the specimen. This is achieved by using a four bite "U-shaped" purse string at the time of Hasson insertion, with cephalad advancement of the proximal two bites. This allows for variable wound extension and secure closure, without the need for additional sutures.

Multiple Fault Isolation in Redundant Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pattipati, Krishna R.; Patterson-Hine, Ann; Iverson, David

1997-01-01

Fault diagnosis in large-scale systems that are products of modern technology present formidable challenges to manufacturers and users. This is due to large number of failure sources in such systems and the need to quickly isolate and rectify failures with minimal down time. In addition, for fault-tolerant systems and systems with infrequent opportunity for maintenance (e.g., Hubble telescope, space station), the assumption of at most a single fault in the system is unrealistic. In this project, we have developed novel block and sequential diagnostic strategies to isolate multiple faults in the shortest possible time without making the unrealistic single fault assumption.

Multiple Fault Isolation in Redundant Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pattipati, Krishna R.

1997-01-01

Fault diagnosis in large-scale systems that are products of modem technology present formidable challenges to manufacturers and users. This is due to large number of failure sources in such systems and the need to quickly isolate and rectify failures with minimal down time. In addition, for fault-tolerant systems and systems with infrequent opportunity for maintenance (e.g., Hubble telescope, space station), the assumption of at most a single fault in the system is unrealistic. In this project, we have developed novel block and sequential diagnostic strategies to isolate multiple faults in the shortest possible time without making the unrealistic single fault assumption.

LCTS on ALPHASAT and Sentinel 1a: in orbit status of the LEO to geo data relay system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zech, H.; Heine, F.; Troendle, D.; Pimentel, P. M.; Panzlaff, K.; Motzigemba, M.; Meyer, R.; Philipp-May, S.

2017-11-01

The performance of sensors for Earth Observation Missions is constantly improving. This drives the need for a reliable, high-speed data transfer capability from a Low Earth Orbit (LEO) spacecraft (S/C) to ground. In addition, for the transfer of time-critical data to ground, a low latency between data generation in orbit and data reception at the respective mission control center is of high importance. Laser communication between Satellites for high data transmission in combination with a GEO data relay system for reducing the latency time addresses these requirements.

Great Basin NP and USGS cooperate on a geologic mapping program

USGS Publications Warehouse

Brown, Janet L.; Davila, Vidal

1993-01-01

The GRBA draft General Management Plan proposes development in several locations in Kious Spring and Lehman Caves 1:24,000 topographic quadrangles, and these proposed developments need geologic evaluation before construction. Brown will act as project manager to coordinate the IA with time frames, budget constraints, and the timely preparation of required maps, reports, and GIS data sets. In addition to having been an interpretive Ranger-Naturalist in two National Parks, Brown has published USGS interpretive geologic maps and USGS bulletins. Her research includes sedimentologic, stratigraphic, and structural analyses of Laramide intermontane basins in the Westem Interior.

An Inductorless Self-Controlled Rectifier for Piezoelectric Energy Harvesting

PubMed Central

Lu, Shaohua; Boussaid, Farid

2015-01-01

This paper presents a high-efficiency inductorless self-controlled rectifier for piezoelectric energy harvesting. High efficiency is achieved by discharging the piezoelectric device (PD) capacitance each time the current produced by the PD changes polarity. This is achieved automatically without the use of delay lines, thereby making the proposed circuit compatible with any type of PD. In addition, the proposed rectifier alleviates the need for an inductor, making it suitable for on-chip integration. Reported experimental results show that the proposed rectifier can harvest up to 3.9 times more energy than a full wave bridge rectifier. PMID:26610492

An Inductorless Self-Controlled Rectifier for Piezoelectric Energy Harvesting.

PubMed

Lu, Shaohua; Boussaid, Farid

2015-11-19

This paper presents a high-efficiency inductorless self-controlled rectifier for piezoelectric energy harvesting. High efficiency is achieved by discharging the piezoelectric device (PD) capacitance each time the current produced by the PD changes polarity. This is achieved automatically without the use of delay lines, thereby making the proposed circuit compatible with any type of PD. In addition, the proposed rectifier alleviates the need for an inductor, making it suitable for on-chip integration. Reported experimental results show that the proposed rectifier can harvest up to 3.9 times more energy than a full wave bridge rectifier.

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

Zhou, Quanlin; Oldenburg, Curtis M.; Spangler, Lee H.

Analytical solutions with infinite exponential series are available to calculate the rate of diffusive transfer between low-permeability blocks and high-permeability zones in the subsurface. Truncation of these series is often employed by neglecting the early-time regime. Here in this paper, we present unified-form approximate solutions in which the early-time and the late-time solutions are continuous at a switchover time. The early-time solutions are based on three-term polynomial functions in terms of square root of dimensionless time, with the first coefficient dependent only on the dimensionless area-to-volume ratio. The last two coefficients are either determined analytically for isotropic blocks (e.g., spheresmore » and slabs) or obtained by fitting the exact solutions, and they solely depend on the aspect ratios for rectangular columns and parallelepipeds. For the late-time solutions, only the leading exponential term is needed for isotropic blocks, while a few additional exponential terms are needed for highly anisotropic rectangular blocks. The optimal switchover time is between 0.157 and 0.229, with highest relative approximation error less than 0.2%. The solutions are used to demonstrate the storage of dissolved CO 2 in fractured reservoirs with low-permeability matrix blocks of single and multiple shapes and sizes. These approximate solutions are building blocks for development of analytical and numerical tools for hydraulic, solute, and thermal diffusion processes in low-permeability matrix blocks.« less

The Economics of Big Area Addtiive Manufacturing

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

Post, Brian; Lloyd, Peter D; Lindahl, John

Case studies on the economics of Additive Manufacturing (AM) suggest that processing time is the dominant cost in manufacturing. Most additive processes have similar performance metrics: small part sizes, low production rates and expensive feedstocks. Big Area Additive Manufacturing is based on transitioning polymer extrusion technology from a wire to a pellet feedstock. Utilizing pellets significantly increases deposition speed and lowers material cost by utilizing low cost injection molding feedstock. The use of carbon fiber reinforced polymers eliminates the need for a heated chamber, significantly reducing machine power requirements and size constraints. We hypothesize that the increase in productivity coupledmore » with decrease in feedstock and energy costs will enable AM to become more competitive with conventional manufacturing processes for many applications. As a test case, we compare the cost of using traditional fused deposition modeling (FDM) with BAAM for additively manufacturing composite tooling.« less

Migrant farmworker mothers talk about the meaning of food.

PubMed

Kilanowski, Jill F

2010-01-01

To describe the meaning of food in the family life of migrant farmworker mothers; specifically to describe their understanding of the relationship of dietary intake to health, the environmental contributors to their families' dietary intake, and the use of foods in the commemoration of family occasions. The PRECEDE-PROCEED self-management model guided the qualitative research study, which used short, guided interviews conducted at Midwest migrant camps. A sample of 43 Mexican mothers answered three interview questions, the answers to which were transcribed verbatim, read, sorted, and arranged into categories and then themes. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the data. The themes identified from the interviews were a) meal cost, b) lack of preparation time, c) distance to store locations, d) the importance of traditional ethnic foods, and e) limited knowledge of healthy food choices. Pediatric nurses should remember that before they dispense nutritional anticipatory guidance, situational and cultural assessments are needed. Because vulnerable populations such as migrant farmworkers have limited resources to follow nurses' teachings, nurses need to become knowledgeable about what is available in the community to support these families. In addition, facility appointment times may need to be expanded to accommodate their long work hours, and modes of transportation need to be evaluated. Recommendations for anticipatory guidance, prescriptions, treatments, and over-the-counter items need to consider cost and ease in purchase, and cultural acceptability.

Polarized 3He Spin Filters for Slow Neutron Physics

PubMed Central

Gentile, T. R.; Chen, W. C.; Jones, G. L.; Babcock, E.; Walker, T. G.

2005-01-01

Polarized 3He spin filters are needed for a variety of experiments with slow neutrons. Their demonstrated utility for highly accurate determination of neutron polarization are critical to the next generation of betadecay correlation coefficient measurements. In addition, they are broadband devices that can polarize large area and high divergence neutron beams with little gamma-ray background, and allow for an additional spin-flip for systematic tests. These attributes are relevant to all neutron sources, but are particularly well-matched to time of flight analysis at spallation sources. There are several issues in the practical use of 3He spin filters for slow neutron physics. Besides the essential goal of maximizing the 3He polarization, we also seek to decrease the constraints on cell lifetimes and magnetic field homogeneity. In addition, cells with highly uniform gas thickness are required to produce the spatially uniform neutron polarization needed for beta-decay correlation coefficient experiments. We are currently employing spin-exchange (SE) and metastability-exchange (ME) optical pumping to polarize 3He, but will focus on SE. We will discuss the recent demonstration of 75 % 3He polarization, temperature-dependent relaxation mechanism of unknown origin, cell development, spectrally narrowed lasers, and hybrid spin-exchange optical pumping. PMID:27308140

Polarized (3) He Spin Filters for Slow Neutron Physics.

PubMed

Gentile, T R; Chen, W C; Jones, G L; Babcock, E; Walker, T G

2005-01-01

Polarized (3)He spin filters are needed for a variety of experiments with slow neutrons. Their demonstrated utility for highly accurate determination of neutron polarization are critical to the next generation of betadecay correlation coefficient measurements. In addition, they are broadband devices that can polarize large area and high divergence neutron beams with little gamma-ray background, and allow for an additional spin-flip for systematic tests. These attributes are relevant to all neutron sources, but are particularly well-matched to time of flight analysis at spallation sources. There are several issues in the practical use of (3)He spin filters for slow neutron physics. Besides the essential goal of maximizing the (3)He polarization, we also seek to decrease the constraints on cell lifetimes and magnetic field homogeneity. In addition, cells with highly uniform gas thickness are required to produce the spatially uniform neutron polarization needed for beta-decay correlation coefficient experiments. We are currently employing spin-exchange (SE) and metastability-exchange (ME) optical pumping to polarize (3)He, but will focus on SE. We will discuss the recent demonstration of 75 % (3)He polarization, temperature-dependent relaxation mechanism of unknown origin, cell development, spectrally narrowed lasers, and hybrid spin-exchange optical pumping.

Dual RAAS blockade is desirable in kidney disease: con.

PubMed

Bakris, George L

2010-09-01

Dual renin-angiotensin aldosterone (RAAS) blockade is associated with higher risk of hyperkalemia and has not been shown, in any outcome trial of validated renal end points, that is, doubling of creatinine, time to dialysis, or death, to be superior over other approaches. It shows promise in advanced proteinuric nephropathy for additional proteinuria reduction. Whether this additional proteinuria reduction translates into meaningful outcomes of chronic kidney disease (CKD) is unknown, as proteinuria change is not a validated surrogate end point. Until we know the answer to this question, only those with very high levels of proteinuria should receive combination RAAS blocking therapy, and they need to be carefully monitored. Such individuals should be evaluated for risk of hyperkalemia and should consider use of a non-dihydropyridine calcium antagonist added to the single RAAS agent as an alternative for proteinuria reduction. This provides a safe and effective option for those patients with advanced nephropathic disease who need additional proteinuria reduction. In all cases other than advanced proteinuric nephropathy, there is no evidence of any positive CKD outcome with dual RAAS blockade. Thus, dual RAAS blockade cannot be recommended for all CKD patients.

Process for producing ethanol from syngas

DOEpatents

Krause, Theodore R; Rathke, Jerome W; Chen, Michael J

2013-05-14

The invention provides a method for producing ethanol, the method comprising establishing an atmosphere containing methanol forming catalyst and ethanol forming catalyst; injecting syngas into the atmosphere at a temperature and for a time sufficient to produce methanol; and contacting the produced methanol with additional syngas at a temperature and for a time sufficient to produce ethanol. The invention also provides an integrated system for producing methanol and ethanol from syngas, the system comprising an atmosphere isolated from the ambient environment; a first catalyst to produce methanol from syngas wherein the first catalyst resides in the atmosphere; a second catalyst to product ethanol from methanol and syngas, wherein the second catalyst resides in the atmosphere; a conduit for introducing syngas to the atmosphere; and a device for removing ethanol from the atmosphere. The exothermicity of the method and system obviates the need for input of additional heat from outside the atmosphere.

Is There Evidence to Support a Forefoot Strike Pattern in Barefoot Runners? A Review

PubMed Central

Lorenz, Daniel S.; Pontillo, Marisa

2012-01-01

Context: Barefoot running is a trend among running enthusiasts that is the subject of much controversy. At this time, benefits appear to be more speculative and anecdotal than evidence based. Additionally, the risk of injuries is not well established. Evidence acquisition: A PubMed search was undertaken for articles published in English from 1980 to 2011. Additional references were accrued from reference lists of research articles. Results: While minimal data exist that definitively support barefoot running, there are data lending support to the argument that runners should use a forefoot strike pattern in lieu of a heel strike pattern to reduce ground reaction forces, ground contact time, and step length. Conclusions: Whether there is a positive or negative effect on injury has yet to be determined. Unquestionably, more research is needed before definitive conclusions can be drawn. PMID:24179586

Youth transitioning out of foster care: an evaluation of a Supplemental Security Income policy change.

PubMed

King, Laura; Rukh-Kamaa, Aneer

2013-01-01

Youths with disabilities face numerous challenges when they transition to adulthood. Those who are aging out of foster care face the additional challenge of losing their foster care benefits, although some will be eligible for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments after foster care ceases. However, the time needed to process SSI applications exposes those youths to a potential gap in the receipt of benefits as they move between foster care and SSI. We evaluate the effects of a 2010 Social Security Administration policy change that allows such youths to apply for SSI payments 60 days earlier than the previous policy allowed. The change provides additional time for processing claims before the applicant ages out of the foster care system. We examine administrative records on SSI applications from before and after the policy change to determine if the change has decreased the gap between benefits for the target population.

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.

Feasibility of the Dutch ICF Activity Inventory: a pilot study

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background Demographic ageing will lead to increasing pressure on visual rehabilitation services, which need to be efficiently organised in the near future. The Dutch ICF Activity Inventory (D-AI) was developed to assess the rehabilitation needs of visually impaired persons. This pilot study tests the feasibility of the D-AI using a computer-assisted telephone interview. Methods In addition to the regular intake, the first version of the D-AI was assessed in 20 patients. Subsequently, patients and intake assessors were asked to fill in an evaluation form. Based on these evaluations, a new version of the D-AI was developed. Results Mean administration time of the D-AI was 88.8 (± 41.0) minutes. Overall, patients and assessors were positive about the D-AI assessment. However, professionals and 60% of the patients found the administration time to be too long. All included items were considered relevant and only minor adjustments were recommended. Conclusion The systematic character of the revised D-AI will prevent topics from being overlooked and indicate which needs have the highest priority from a patient-centred perspective. Moreover, ongoing assessment of the D-AI will enhance evaluation of the rehabilitation process. To decrease administration time, in the revised D-AI only the top priority goals will be fully assessed. Using the D-AI, a rehabilitation plan based on individual needs can be developed for each patient. Moreover, it enables better evaluation of the effects of rehabilitation. A larger validation study is planned. PMID:21110871

Fresh fruit: microstructure, texture, and quality

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wood, Delilah F.; Imam, Syed H.; Orts, William J.; Glenn, Gregory M.

2009-05-01

Fresh-cut produce has a huge following in today's supermarkets. The trend follows the need to decrease preparation time as well as the desire to follow the current health guidelines for consumption of more whole "heart-healthy" foods. Additionally, consumers are able to enjoy a variety of fresh produce regardless of the local season because produce is now shipped world-wide. However, most fruits decompose rapidly once their natural packaging has been disrupted by cutting. In addition, some intact fruits have limited shelf-life which, in turn, limits shipping and storage. Therefore, a basic understanding of how produce microstructure relates to texture and how microstructure changes as quality deteriorates is needed to ensure the best quality in the both the fresh-cut and the fresh produce markets. Similarities between different types of produce include desiccation intolerance which produces wrinkling of the outer layers, cracking of the cuticle and increased susceptibility to pathogen invasion. Specific examples of fresh produce and their corresponding ripening and storage issues, and degradation are shown in scanning electron micrographs.

The bacteremia of dental origin and its implications in the appearance of bacterial endocarditis

PubMed Central

Mang-de la Rosa, María R.; Castellanos-Cosano, Lizett; Romero-Perez, María J.

2014-01-01

Numerous systemic diseases may affect the oral cavity and vice versa,in particular severe diseases that involve the heart valve. In these cases, additional measures or a modification to our dental treatment need to be taken. We are aware of various diseases that can cause the emergence of bacterial endocarditis (BE), such as; rheumatic fever, valve lesions due to intravenous drug use, Kawasaki disease and valve surgery, among others. Due to its severity when it is not taken into account in dental treatment, we intend to show the evolution of the antimicrobial prophylaxis towards this condition. Furthermore, we intend to publish the current guidelines of institutions and societies which increasingly encourage rational antimicrobial use. In addition, we intend to examine the evidence of the possible origins of this disease during dental treatment and at the same time describe the necessary considerations that need to be taken during dental treatment. Key words:Endocarditis, antibiotic profilaxis, dental treatment. PMID:24121925

Aerocapture Systems Analysis for a Titan Mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lockwood, Mary K.; Queen, Eric M.; Way, David W.; Powell, Richard W.; Edquist, Karl; Starr, Brett W.; Hollis, Brian R.; Zoby, E. Vincent; Hrinda, Glenn A.; Bailey, Robert W.

2006-01-01

Performance projections for aerocapture show a vehicle mass savings of between 40 and 80%, dependent on destination, for an aerocapture vehicle compared to an all-propulsive chemical vehicle. In addition aerocapture is applicable to multiple planetary exploration destinations of interest to NASA. The 2001 NASA In-Space Propulsion Program (ISP) technology prioritization effort identified aerocapture as one of the top three propulsion technologies for solar system exploration missions. An additional finding was that aerocapture needed a better system definition and that supporting technology gaps needed to be identified. Consequently, the ISP program sponsored an aerocapture systems analysis effort that was completed in 2002. The focus of the effort was on aerocapture at Titan with a rigid aeroshell system. Titan was selected as the initial destination for the study due to potential interest in a follow-on mission to Cassini/Huygens. Aerocapture is feasible, and the performance is adequate, for the Titan mission and it can deliver 2.4 times more mass to Titan than an all-propulsive system for the same launch vehicle.

Qualitative systematic review of barriers and facilitators to self-management of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: views of patients and healthcare professionals.

PubMed

Russell, Siân; Ogunbayo, Oladapo J; Newham, James J; Heslop-Marshall, Karen; Netts, Paul; Hanratty, Barbara; Beyer, Fiona; Kaner, Eileen

2018-01-17

Self-management interventions for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) can improve quality of life, reduce hospital admissions, and improve symptoms. However, many factors impede engagement for patients and practitioners. Qualitative research, with its focus on subjective experience, can provide invaluable insights into such factors. Therefore, a systematic review and synthesis of qualitative evidence on COPD self-management from the perspective of patients, carers, and practitioners was conducted. Following a systematic search and screening, 31 studies were appraised and data extracted for analysis. This review found that patients can adapt to COPD; however, learning to self-manage is often a protracted process. Emotional needs are considerable; frustration, depression, and anxiety are common. In addition, patients can face an assortment of losses and limitations on their lifestyle and social interaction. Over time, COPD can consume their existence, reducing motivation. Support from family can prove vital, yet tinged with ambivalence and burden. Practitioners may not have sufficient time, resources, or appropriate skills or confidence to provide effective self-management support, particularly in regard to patients' psychosocial needs. This can compound patients' capability to engage in self-management. For COPD self-management to be effective, patients' psychosocial needs must be prioritised alongside medication and exacerbation management. In addition, patients' personal beliefs regarding COPD and its management should be reviewed periodically to avoid problematic behaviours and enhance positive adaptions to the disease. Patients with COPD are not a homogenous group and no one intervention will prove effective for all. Finally, practitioners require greater education, training, and support to successfully assist patients.

Alamar blue reagent interacts with cell-culture media giving different fluorescence over time: potential for false positives.

PubMed

Munshi, Soumyabrata; Twining, Robert C; Dahl, Russell

2014-01-01

The cell viability assay by alamar blue is based on the principle of reduction of the non-fluorescent reagent (resazurin) to a fluorescent compound (resarufin) by the intracellular reducing environment of living cells over time. In the present study, we have for the first time shown that even in the absence of cells, there occurs significant interaction between alamar blue and cell-culture media causing an increase in fluorescence. We have used Opti-MEM, DMEM and 1:1 DMEM:Opti-MEM as three different media and determined the changes in their relative fluorescence units (RFUs) over time after the addition of 10% (v/v) alamar blue using two-way repeated measures analysis of variance (RM-ANOVA) followed by Tukey's post-hoc test. Our results show that upon the addition of alamar blue, there occurs a significant increase in RFUs in all the three media over time along with a significantly higher RFU for the Opti-MEM overall (p<0.05). We also show that the time-dependent change in RFU of 1:1 DMEM:Opti-MEM was more gradual compared to that of the other two media. These findings indicate that the reagent can itself interact with the media causing significantly different fluorescence over time in a manner independent from the effect of intracellular reducing environment of living cells on alamar blue. In addition our results indicate that fluorescence varies as a function of incubation time with the reagent. These findings signify the need for routine subtraction of the background fluorescence of media-only with alamar blue reagent during measurement of cell viability by this method in order to determine an accurate measurement of cell viability. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Why are they late? Timing abilities and executive control among students with learning disabilities.

PubMed

Grinblat, Nufar; Rosenblum, Sara

2016-12-01

While a deficient ability to perform daily tasks on time has been reported among students with learning disabilities (LD), the underlying mechanism behind their 'being late' is still unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the organization in time, time estimation abilities, actual performance time pertaining to specific daily activities, as well as the executive functions of students with LD in comparison to those of controls, and to assess the relationships between these domains among each group. The participants were 27 students with LD, aged 20-30, and 32 gender and age-matched controls who completed the Time Organization and Participation Scale (TOPS) and the Behavioral Rating Inventory of Executive Function-Adult version (BRIEF-A). In addition, their ability to estimate the time needed to complete the task of preparing a cup of coffee as well as their actual performance time were evaluated. The results indicated that in comparison to controls, students with LD showed significantly inferior organization in time (TOPS) and executive function abilities (BRIEF-A). Furthermore, their time estimation abilities were significantly inferior and they required significantly more time to prepare a cup of coffee. Regression analysis identified the variables that predicted organization in time and task performance time among each group. The significance of the results for both theoretical and clinical implications are discussed. What this paper adds? This study examines the underlying mechanism of the phenomena of being late among students with LD. Following a recent call for using ecologically valid assessments, the functional daily ability of students with LD to prepare a cup of coffee and to organize time were investigated. Furthermore, their time estimation and executive control abilities were examined as a possible underlying mechanism for their lateness. Although previous studies have indicated executive control deficits among students with LD, to our knowledge, this is the first analysis of the relationships between their executive control and time estimation deficits and their influence upon their daily function and organization in time abilities. Our findings demonstrate that students with LD need more time in order to execute simple daily activities, such as preparing a cup of coffee. Deficient working memory, retrospective time estimation ability and inhibition predicted their performance time and organization in time abilities. Therefore, this paper sheds light on the mechanism behind daily performance in time among students with LD and emphasizes the need for future development of focused intervention programs to meet their unique needs. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Defense Forensics: Additional Planning and Oversight Needed to Establish an Enduring Expeditionary Forensic Capability

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-06-01

forensic pathology, forensic anthropology, and forensic toxicology . 13DOD’s forensic directive defines DOD components as the Office of the...DEFENSE FORENSICS Additional Planning and Oversight Needed to Establish an Enduring Expeditionary Forensic ...COVERED 00-00-2013 to 00-00-2013 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE Defense Forensics : Additional Planning and Oversight Needed to Establish an Enduring

A decision-making tool to determine economic feasibility and break-even prices for artisan cheese operations.

PubMed

Durham, Catherine A; Bouma, Andrea; Meunier-Goddik, Lisbeth

2015-12-01

Artisan cheese makers lack access to valid economic data to help them evaluate business opportunities and make important business decisions such as determining cheese pricing structure. The objective of this study was to utilize an economic model to evaluate the net present value (NPV), internal rate of return, and payback period for artisan cheese production at different annual production volumes. The model was also used to determine the minimum retail price necessary to ensure positive NPV for 5 different cheese types produced at 4 different production volumes. Milk type, cheese yield, and aging time all affected variable costs. However, aged cheeses required additional investment for aging space (which needs to be larger for longer aging times), as did lower yield cheeses (by requiring larger-volume equipment for pasteurization and milk handling). As the volume of milk required increased, switching from vat pasteurization to high-temperature, short-time pasteurization was necessary for low-yield cheeses before being required for high-yield cheeses, which causes an additional increase in investment costs. Because of these differences, high-moisture, fresh cow milk cheeses can be sold for about half the price of hard, aged goat milk cheeses at the largest production volume or for about two-thirds the price at the lowest production volume examined. For example, for the given model assumptions, at an annual production of 13,608kg of cheese (30,000 lb), a fresh cow milk mozzarella should be sold at a minimum retail price of $27.29/kg ($12.38/lb), whereas a goat milk Gouda needs a minimum retail price of $49.54/kg ($22.47/lb). Artisan cheese makers should carefully evaluate annual production volumes. Although larger production volumes decrease average fixed cost and improve production efficiency, production can reach volumes where it becomes necessary to sell through distributors. Because distributors might pay as little as 35% of retail price, the retail price needs to be higher to compensate. An artisan cheese company that has not achieved the recognition needed to achieve a premium price may not find distribution through distributors profitable. Copyright © 2015 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Care in subsequent pregnancies following stillbirth: an international survey of parents.

PubMed

Wojcieszek, A M; Boyle, F M; Belizán, J M; Cassidy, J; Cassidy, P; Erwich, Jjhm; Farrales, L; Gross, M M; Heazell, Aep; Leisher, S H; Mills, T; Murphy, M; Pettersson, K; Ravaldi, C; Ruidiaz, J; Siassakos, D; Silver, R M; Storey, C; Vannacci, A; Middleton, P; Ellwood, D; Flenady, V

2018-01-01

To assess the frequency of additional care, and parents' perceptions of quality, respectful care, in pregnancies subsequent to stillbirth. Multi-language web-based survey. International. A total of 2716 parents, from 40 high- and middle-income countries. Data were obtained from a broader survey of parents' experiences following stillbirth. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and stratified by geographic region. Subgroup analyses explored variation in additional care by gestational age at index stillbirth. Frequency of additional care, and perceptions of quality, respectful care. The majority (66%) of parents conceived their subsequent pregnancy within 1 year of stillbirth. Additional antenatal care visits and ultrasound scans were provided for 67% and 70% of all parents, respectively, although there was wide variation across geographic regions. Care addressing psychosocial needs was less frequently provided, such as additional visits to a bereavement counsellor (10%) and access to named care provider's phone number (27%). Compared with parents whose stillbirth occurred at ≤ 29 weeks of gestation, parents whose stillbirth occurred at ≥ 30 weeks of gestation were more likely to receive various forms of additional care, particularly the option for early delivery after 37 weeks. Around half (47-63%) of all parents felt that elements of quality, respectful care were consistently applied, such as spending enough time with parents and involving parents in decision-making. Greater attention is required to providing thoughtful, empathic and collaborative care in all pregnancies following stillbirth. Specific education and training for health professionals is needed. More support for providing quality care in pregnancies after stillbirth is needed. Study rationale and design More than two million babies are stillborn every year. Most parents will conceive again soon after having a stillborn baby. These parents are more likely to have another stillborn baby in the next pregnancy than parents who have not had a stillborn baby before. The next pregnancy after stillbirth is often an extremely anxious time for parents, as they worry about whether their baby will survive. In this study we asked 2716 parents from 40 countries about the care they received during their first pregnancy after stillbirth. Parents were recruited mainly through the International Stillbirth Alliance and completed on online survey that was available in six languages. Findings Parents often had extra antenatal visits and extra ultrasound scans in the next pregnancy, but they rarely had extra emotional support. Also, many parents felt their care providers did not always listen to them and spend enough time with them, involve them in decisions, and take their concerns seriously. Parents were more likely to receive various forms of extra care in the next pregnancy if their baby had died later in pregnancy compared to earlier in pregnancy. Limitations In this study we only have information from parents who were able and willing to complete an online survey. Most of the parents were involved in charity and support groups and most parents lived in developed countries. We do not know how well the findings relate to other parents. Finally, our study does not include parents who may have tried for another pregnancy but were not able to conceive. Potential impact This study can help to improve care through the development of best practice guidelines for pregnancies following stillbirth. The results suggest that parents need better emotional support in these pregnancies, and more opportunities to participate actively in decisions about care. Extra support should be available no matter how far along in pregnancy the previous stillborn baby died. © 2016 Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists.

Investigation of the Evolution of Crystal Size and Shape during Temperature Cycling and in the Presence of a Polymeric Additive Using Combined Process Analytical Technologies

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

Crystal size and shape can be manipulated to enhance the qualities of the final product. In this work the steady-state shape and size of succinic acid crystals, with and without a polymeric additive (Pluronic P123) at 350 mL, scale is reported. The effect of the amplitude of cycles as well as the heating/cooling rates is described, and convergent cycling (direct nucleation control) is compared to static cycling. The results show that the shape of succinic acid crystals changes from plate- to diamond-like after multiple cycling steps, and that the time required for this morphology change to occur is strongly related to the type of cycling. Addition of the polymer is shown to affect both the final shape of the crystals and the time needed to reach size and shape steady-state conditions. It is shown how this phenomenon can be used to improve the design of the crystallization step in order to achieve more efficient downstream operations and, in general, to help optimize the whole manufacturing process. PMID:28867966

A Study on Improving Logistics in a Production Enterprise in the Automotive Domain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Muntean, A.; Inţă, M.; Stroilă, I. A.

2016-11-01

In order to remain on the market and to overcome competition, companies need to develop and implement a strategy of continuous improvement. This is based on customer satisfaction needs, management based on realities and respect for people. In order to meet market requirements global road Faurecia Company uses a system called "Faurecia Excellence System", a system that promotes continuous improvement. FES system controls all activities of Faurecia, from research and development to sales including production and company functions and implements all 114 main procedures. This paper examines the current activity and introduce the new methods to improve manufacturing processes. These new methods are based on some fundamental concepts, namely: a high level of stocks blocks resources and can mask other problems decreasing visibility and communication; product quality is essential and the goods must be produced only when needed using Kanban principle. Additional expenditure with purchased raw materials regarding storage until they are needed, identification and packaging for storage, inventory costs were reduced using a JIT based principle in purchasing.Thus, the paper proposes reorganizing production by reducing the level of stocks using JIT principle and production time. The application made in software Arena refers to simulating the fabrication process to reduce throughput time.

The association between perceived unmet medical need and mental health among the Republic of Korea Armed Forces.

PubMed

Kim, Tae Kyung; Lee, S G; Han, K-T; Choi, Y; Lee, S Y; Park, E-C

2017-06-01

We investigated the effect of unmet medical need on the mental health of Republic of Korea (ROK) Armed Forces personnel, as most of the service members work in remote areas and often experience such unmet needs. This study used secondary data from the 2014 Military Health Survey (MHS), conducted by the ROK School of Military Medicine and designed to collect military health determinants. Descriptive statistics showed the general characteristics of the study populations by variable. We specifically compared the population after stratifying participants by suicide ideation. An analysis of variance was also carried out to compare Kessler Psychological Distress Scale 10 Scores. Additionally, dependent spouses and children of both active-duty service members and retirees are included among those entitled to Military Health System healthcare. Among the 4967 military personnel, 681 (13.7%) individuals reported an experience of unmet medical need within the past 12 months and gave reasons of 'no time (5.15%)', 'long office wait (2.6%)', 'no money (0.22%)', 'long distance from base (1.19%)', 'illness but not very serious (1.65%)', 'mistrust in doctors (1.95%)' and 'pressure due to performance appraisal (0.95%)'. Regression analysis revealed that unmet medical need was significantly associated with negative mental health (β=1.753, p<0.0001) and increased suicide ideation (OR=2.649, 95% CI 1.84 to 3.82). Also, soldiers reporting unmet medical need due to 'no money', 'no time' or 'pressure due to performance appraisal' were significantly more likely to experience similar negative mental health effects. Our study indicates that unmet medical need is significantly associated with soldiers' mental health decline and suicide ideation, highlighting the importance of providing military personnel with timely, affordable and sufficient medical care. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

The Role of Fresh Water in Fish Processing in Antiquity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sánchez López, Elena H.

2018-04-01

Water has been traditionally highlighted (together with fish and salt) as one of the essential elements in fish processing. Indeed, the need for large quantities of fresh water for the production of salted fish and fish sauces in Roman times is commonly asserted. This paper analyses water-related structures within Roman halieutic installations, arguing that their common presence in the best known fish processing installations in the Western Roman world should be taken as evidence of the use of fresh water during the production processes, even if its role in the activities carried out in those installations is not clear. In addition, the text proposes some first estimates on the amount of water that could be needed by those fish processing complexes for their functioning, concluding that water needs to be taken into account when reconstructing fish-salting recipes.

Effective Usability Engineering in Healthcare: A Vision of Usable and Safer Healthcare IT.

PubMed

Kushniruk, Andre; Senathirajah, Yalini; Borycki, Elizabeth

2017-01-01

Persistent problems with healthcare IT that is unusable and unsafe have been reported worldwide. In this paper we present our vision for deploying usability engineering in healthcare in a more substantive way in order to improve the current situation. The argument will be made that stronger and more substantial efforts need to be made to bring multiple usability engineering methods to bear on points in both system design and deployment (and not just as a one-time effort restricted to software product development). In addition, improved processes for ensuring the usability of commercial vendor-based systems being implemented in healthcare organizations need to be addressed. A discussion will also be provided on challenges and barriers that will need to be overcome to ensure that the heatlhcare IT that is released is both usable and safe.

Production scheduling with discrete and renewable additional resources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kalinowski, K.; Grabowik, C.; Paprocka, I.; Kempa, W.

2015-11-01

In this paper an approach to planning of additional resources when scheduling operations are discussed. The considered resources are assumed to be discrete and renewable. In most research in scheduling domain, the basic and often the only type of regarded resources is a workstation. It can be understood as a machine, a device or even as a separated space on the shop floor. In many cases, during the detailed scheduling of operations the need of using more than one resource, required for its implementation, can be indicated. Resource requirements for an operation may relate to different resources or resources of the same type. Additional resources are most often referred to these human resources, tools or equipment, for which the limited availability in the manufacturing system may have an influence on the execution dates of some operations. In the paper the concept of the division into basic and additional resources and their planning method was shown. A situation in which sets of basic and additional resources are not separable - the same additional resource may be a basic resource for another operation is also considered. Scheduling of operations, including greater amount of resources can cause many difficulties, depending on whether the resource is involved in the entire time of operation, only in the selected part(s) of operation (e.g. as auxiliary staff at setup time) or cyclic - e.g. when an operator supports more than one machine, or supervises the execution of several operations. For this reason the dates and work times of resources participation in the operation can be different. Presented issues are crucial when modelling of production scheduling environment and designing of structures for the purpose of scheduling software development.

Re-analysis of Alaskan benchmark glacier mass-balance data using the index method

USGS Publications Warehouse

Van Beusekom, Ashely E.; O'Nell, Shad R.; March, Rod S.; Sass, Louis C.; Cox, Leif H.

2010-01-01

At Gulkana and Wolverine Glaciers, designated the Alaskan benchmark glaciers, we re-analyzed and re-computed the mass balance time series from 1966 to 2009 to accomplish our goal of making more robust time series. Each glacier's data record was analyzed with the same methods. For surface processes, we estimated missing information with an improved degree-day model. Degree-day models predict ablation from the sum of daily mean temperatures and an empirical degree-day factor. We modernized the traditional degree-day model and derived new degree-day factors in an effort to match the balance time series more closely. We estimated missing yearly-site data with a new balance gradient method. These efforts showed that an additional step needed to be taken at Wolverine Glacier to adjust for non-representative index sites. As with the previously calculated mass balances, the re-analyzed balances showed a continuing trend of mass loss. We noted that the time series, and thus our estimate of the cumulative mass loss over the period of record, was very sensitive to the data input, and suggest the need to add data-collection sites and modernize our weather stations.

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

Eto, Joe; Eto, Joe; Lesieutre, Bernard

The increased need to manage California?s electricity grid in real time is a result of the ongoing transition from a system operated by vertically-integrated utilities serving native loads to one operated by an independent system operator supporting competitive energy markets. During this transition period, the traditional approach to reliability management -- construction of new transmission lines -- has not been pursued due to unresolved issues related to the financing and recovery of transmission project costs. In the absence of investments in new transmission infrastructure, the best strategy for managing reliability is to equip system operators with better real-time information aboutmore » actual operating margins so that they can better understand and manage the risk of operating closer to the edge. A companion strategy is to address known deficiencies in offline modeling tools that are needed to ground the use of improved real-time tools. This project: (1) developed and conducted first-ever demonstrations of two prototype real-time software tools for voltage security assessment and phasor monitoring; and (2) prepared a scoping study on improving load and generator response models. Additional funding through two separate subsequent work authorizations has already been provided to build upon the work initiated in this project.« less

Magnetization Switching of a Co /Pt Multilayered Perpendicular Nanomagnet Assisted by a Microwave Field with Time-Varying Frequency

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Suto, Hirofumi; Kanao, Taro; Nagasawa, Tazumi; Mizushima, Koichi; Sato, Rie

2018-05-01

Microwave-assisted magnetization switching (MAS) is attracting attention as a method for reversing nanomagnets with a high magnetic anisotropy by using a small-amplitude magnetic field. We experimentally study MAS of a perpendicularly magnetized nanomagnet by applying a microwave magnetic field with a time-varying frequency. Because the microwave field frequency can follow the nonlinear decrease of the resonance frequency, larger magnetization excitation than that in a constant-frequency microwave field is induced, which enhances the MAS effect. The switching field decreases almost linearly as the start value of the time-varying microwave field frequency increases, and it becomes smaller than the minimum switching field in a constant-frequency microwave field. To obtain this enhancement of the MAS effect, the end value of the time-varying microwave field frequency needs to be almost the same as or lower than the critical frequency for MAS in a constant-frequency microwave field. In addition, the frequency change typically needs to take 1 ns or longer to make the rate of change slow enough for the magnetization to follow the frequency change. This switching behavior is qualitatively explained by the theory based on the macrospin model.

Moving toward more perfect unions: daily and long-term consequences of approach and avoidance goals in romantic relationships.

PubMed

Impett, Emily A; Gordon, Amie M; Kogan, Aleksandr; Oveis, Christopher; Gable, Shelly L; Keltner, Dacher

2010-12-01

In 2 daily experience studies and a laboratory study, the authors test predictions from approach-avoidance motivational theory to understand how dating couples can maintain feelings of relationship satisfaction in their daily lives and over the course of time. Approach goals were associated with increased relationship satisfaction on a daily basis and over time, particularly when both partners were high in approach goals. Avoidance goals were associated with decreases in relationship satisfaction over time, and people were particularly dissatisfied when they were involved with a partner with high avoidance goals. People high in approach goals and their partners were rated as relatively more satisfied and responsive to a partner's needs by outside observers in the lab, whereas people with high avoidance goals and their partners were rated as less satisfied and responsive. Positive emotions mediated the link between approach goals and daily satisfaction in both studies, and responsiveness to the partner's needs was an additional behavioral mechanism in Study 2. Implications of these findings for approach-avoidance motivational theory and for the maintenance of satisfying relationships over time are discussed. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved.

Time-to-digital converter card for multichannel time-resolved single-photon counting applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tamborini, Davide; Portaluppi, Davide; Tisa, Simone; Tosi, Alberto

2015-03-01

We present a high performance Time-to-Digital Converter (TDC) card that provides 10 ps timing resolution and 20 ps (rms) timing precision with a programmable full-scale-range from 160 ns to 10 μs. Differential Non-Linearity (DNL) is better than 1.3% LSB (rms) and Integral Non-Linearity (INL) is 5 ps rms. Thanks to the low power consumption (400 mW) and the compact size (78 mm x 28 mm x 10 mm), this card is the building block for developing compact multichannel time-resolved instrumentation for Time-Correlated Single-Photon Counting (TCSPC). The TDC-card outputs the time measurement results together with the rates of START and STOP signals and the number of valid TDC conversions. These additional information are needed by many TCSPC-based applications, such as: Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging (FLIM), Time-of-Flight (TOF) ranging measurements, time-resolved Positron Emission Tomography (PET), single-molecule spectroscopy, Fluorescence Correlation Spectroscopy (FCS), Diffuse Optical Tomography (DOT), Optical Time-Domain Reflectometry (OTDR), quantum optics, etc.

Cost-Effectiveness of Bevacizumab and Ranibizumab for Newly Diagnosed Neovascular Macular Degeneration (An American Ophthalmological Society Thesis)

PubMed Central

Stein, Joshua D.; Newman-Casey, Paula Anne; Mrinalini, Tavag; Lee, Paul P.; Hutton, David W.

2013-01-01

Purpose: To determine the most cost-effective treatment for patients with newly diagnosed neovascular macular degeneration: monthly or as-needed bevacizumab injections, or monthly or as-needed ranibizumab injections. Methods: Using a Markov model with a 20-year time horizon, we compared the incremental cost-effectiveness of treating a hypothetical cohort of 80-year-old patients with newly diagnosed neovascular macular degeneration using monthly bevacizumab, as-needed bevacizumab, monthly ranibizumab, or as-needed ranibizumab. Data came from the Comparison of Age-Related Macular Degeneration Treatment Trial (CATT), the Medicare Fee Schedules, and the medical literature. Results: Compared with as-needed bevacizumab, the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of monthly bevacizumab is $242,357 per quality-adjusted life year (QALY). Monthly ranibizumab gains an additional 0.02 QALYs vs monthly bevacizumab at an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of more than $10 million per QALY. As-needed ranibizumab was dominated by monthly bevacizumab. In sensitivity analyses assuming a willingness to pay of $100,000 per QALY, the annual risk of serious vascular events would have to be at least 2.5 times higher with bevacizumab than that observed in the CATT trial for as-needed ranibizumab to have an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of <$100,000 per QALY. In another sensitivity analysis, even if every patient receiving bevacizumab experienced declining vision by one category (eg, from 20/25–20/40 to 20/50–20/80) after 2 years but all patients receiving ranibizumab retained their vision level, as-needed ranibizumab would have an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of $97,340 per QALY. Conclusion: Even after considering the potential for differences in risks of serious adverse events and therapeutic effectiveness, bevacizumab confers considerably greater value than ranibizumab for the treatment of neovascular macular degeneration. PMID:24167325

Cost-effectiveness of bevacizumab and ranibizumab for newly diagnosed neovascular macular degeneration (an American Ophthalmological Society thesis).

PubMed

Stein, Joshua D; Newman-Casey, Paula Anne; Mrinalini, Tavag; Lee, Paul P; Hutton, David W

2013-09-01

To determine the most cost-effective treatment for patients with newly diagnosed neovascular macular degeneration: monthly or as-needed bevacizumab injections, or monthly or as-needed ranibizumab injections. Using a Markov model with a 20-year time horizon, we compared the incremental cost-effectiveness of treating a hypothetical cohort of 80-year-old patients with newly diagnosed neovascular macular degeneration using monthly bevacizumab, as-needed bevacizumab, monthly ranibizumab, or as-needed ranibizumab. Data came from the Comparison of Age-Related Macular Degeneration Treatment Trial (CATT), the Medicare Fee Schedules, and the medical literature. Compared with as-needed bevacizumab, the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of monthly bevacizumab is $242,357 per quality-adjusted life year (QALY). Monthly ranibizumab gains an additional 0.02 QALYs vs monthly bevacizumab at an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of more than $10 million per QALY. As-needed ranibizumab was dominated by monthly bevacizumab. In sensitivity analyses assuming a willingness to pay of $100,000 per QALY, the annual risk of serious vascular events would have to be at least 2.5 times higher with bevacizumab than that observed in the CATT trial for as-needed ranibizumab to have an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of <$100,000 per QALY. In another sensitivity analysis, even if every patient receiving bevacizumab experienced declining vision by one category (eg, from 20/25-20/40 to 20/50-20/80) after 2 years but all patients receiving ranibizumab retained their vision level, as-needed ranibizumab would have an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of $97,340 per QALY. Even after considering the potential for differences in risks of serious adverse events and therapeutic effectiveness, bevacizumab confers considerably greater value than ranibizumab for the treatment of neovascular macular degeneration.

A comparative analysis of massed vs. distributed practice on basic math fact fluency growth rates.

PubMed

Schutte, Greg M; Duhon, Gary J; Solomon, Benjamin G; Poncy, Brian C; Moore, Kathryn; Story, Bailey

2015-04-01

To best remediate academic deficiencies, educators need to not only identify empirically validated interventions but also be able to apply instructional modifications that result in more efficient student learning. The current study compared the effect of massed and distributed practice with an explicit timing intervention to evaluate the extent to which these modifications lead to increased math fact fluency on basic addition problems. Forty-eight third-grade students were placed into one of three groups with each of the groups completing four 1-min math explicit timing procedures each day across 19 days. Group one completed all four 1-min timings consecutively; group two completed two back-to-back 1-min timings in the morning and two back-to-back 1-min timings in the afternoon, and group three completed one, 1-min independent timing four times distributed across the day. Growth curve modeling was used to examine the progress throughout the course of the study. Results suggested that students in the distributed practice conditions, both four times per day and two times per day, showed significantly higher fluency growth rates than those practicing only once per day in a massed format. These results indicate that combining distributed practice with explicit timing procedures is a useful modification that enhances student learning without the addition of extra instructional time when targeting math fact fluency. Copyright © 2015 Society for the Study of School Psychology. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Improvements to surrogate data methods for nonstationary time series.

PubMed

Lucio, J H; Valdés, R; Rodríguez, L R

2012-05-01

The method of surrogate data has been extensively applied to hypothesis testing of system linearity, when only one realization of the system, a time series, is known. Normally, surrogate data should preserve the linear stochastic structure and the amplitude distribution of the original series. Classical surrogate data methods (such as random permutation, amplitude adjusted Fourier transform, or iterative amplitude adjusted Fourier transform) are successful at preserving one or both of these features in stationary cases. However, they always produce stationary surrogates, hence existing nonstationarity could be interpreted as dynamic nonlinearity. Certain modifications have been proposed that additionally preserve some nonstationarity, at the expense of reproducing a great deal of nonlinearity. However, even those methods generally fail to preserve the trend (i.e., global nonstationarity in the mean) of the original series. This is the case of time series with unit roots in their autoregressive structure. Additionally, those methods, based on Fourier transform, either need first and last values in the original series to match, or they need to select a piece of the original series with matching ends. These conditions are often inapplicable and the resulting surrogates are adversely affected by the well-known artefact problem. In this study, we propose a simple technique that, applied within existing Fourier-transform-based methods, generates surrogate data that jointly preserve the aforementioned characteristics of the original series, including (even strong) trends. Moreover, our technique avoids the negative effects of end mismatch. Several artificial and real, stationary and nonstationary, linear and nonlinear time series are examined, in order to demonstrate the advantages of the methods. Corresponding surrogate data are produced with the classical and with the proposed methods, and the results are compared.

Quasi-elastic light scattering: Signal storage, correlation, and spectrum analysis under control of an 8-bit microprocessor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Glatter, Otto; Fuchs, Heribert; Jorde, Christian; Eigner, Wolf-Dieter

1987-03-01

The microprocessor of an 8-bit PC system is used as a central control unit for the acquisition and evaluation of data from quasi-elastic light scattering experiments. Data are sampled with a width of 8 bits under control of the CPU. This limits the minimum sample time to 20 μs. Shorter sample times would need a direct memory access channel. The 8-bit CPU can address a 64-kbyte RAM without additional paging. Up to 49 000 sample points can be measured without interruption. After storage, a correlation function or a power spectrum can be calculated from such a primary data set. Furthermore access is provided to the primary data for stability control, statistical tests, and for comparison of different evaluation methods for the same experiment. A detailed analysis of the signal (histogram) and of the effect of overflows is possible and shows that the number of pulses but not the number of overflows determines the error in the result. The correlation function can be computed with reasonable accuracy from data with a mean pulse rate greater than one, the power spectrum needs a three times higher pulse rate for convergence. The statistical accuracy of the results from 49 000 sample points is of the order of a few percent. Additional averages are necessary to improve their quality. The hardware extensions for the PC system are inexpensive. The main disadvantage of the present system is the high minimum sampling time of 20 μs and the fact that the correlogram or the power spectrum cannot be computed on-line as it can be done with hardware correlators or spectrum analyzers. These shortcomings and the storage size restrictions can be removed with a faster 16/32-bit CPU.

Experiences of intimate partner violence and related injuries among women in Yokohama, Japan.

PubMed

Yoshihama, Mieko; Horrocks, Julie; Kamano, Saori

2007-02-01

We estimated rates of intimate partner violence and related injuries in a sample of 1371 women aged 18 to 49 years in Yokohama, Japan. By the age of 30 years, 14.3% of women who had ever had a partner had experienced violence from that partner, and 3.3% had suffered injuries related to such violence. By the time women had reached the age of 49 years, these percentages were 19% and 4%, respectively. In addition to the need for increased prevention efforts, our findings indicate the need for an expanded legal definition of intimate partner violence in Japan given that the current definition excludes premarital violence.

Novel technique for tracking manpower and work packages: a useful tool for the team and management

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gill, R.; Gracia, G.; Lupton, R. H.; O'Mullane, W.

2014-08-01

In these times of austerity it is becoming more and more important to justify the need for manpower to management. Additionally, with the fast pace of today's projects the need for tools that facilitate teams to not only plan, but also track their work, are essential. The practice of planning work packages and the associated manpower has been about for a while but little is done to really cross-check that planning against reality. In this paper these elements are brought together through a number of tools that make up the end to end process of planning, tracking and reporting of work package progress and manpower usage.

Experiences of Intimate Partner Violence and Related Injuries Among Women in Yokohama, Japan

PubMed Central

Yoshihama, Mieko; Horrocks, Julie; Kamano, Saori

2007-01-01

We estimated rates of intimate partner violence and related injuries in a sample of 1371 women aged 18 to 49 years in Yokohama, Japan. By the age of 30 years, 14.3% of women who had ever had a partner had experienced violence from that partner, and 3.3% had suffered injuries related to such violence. By the time women had reached the age of 49 years, these percentages were 19% and 4%, respectively. In addition to the need for increased prevention efforts, our findings indicate the need for an expanded legal definition of intimate partner violence in Japan given that the current definition excludes premarital violence. PMID:17194862

Dreams Do Come True: The Creation and Growth of a Recreational Dance Program for Children and Young Adults with Additional Needs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reinders, Nicole; Fletcher, Paula; Bryden, Pam

2015-01-01

There are many benefits to dance, both for typically developing individuals and for individuals with additional needs. The purpose of this narrative case study was to analyse a dance program for children and young adults with additional needs from the perspective of the program creator and primary dance instructor. Data collection occurred at two…

An e-caring chair for physiological signal measurement and recording.

PubMed

Chang, Hsien-Tsung; Chung, Chyan-Goei; Chen, Ming-Wei

2013-02-01

There is an increasing awareness among the populace of the need for regular health check-up to detect diseases in their early stages and thereby administer treatments in a timely fashion. However, commercially available physiological signal monitoring devices, which may offer clues on the onset of diseases, are time-consuming, far from user friendly and limited in their applications. We design an e-caring chair that combines six modular physiological signal measurement instruments into a single unit, enabling users to simultaneously measure the blood pressure, body temperature, heart rate, height, weight and body fat percentage, and display the results and simple diagnoses in real time. The e-caring chair further allows for easy integration of additional physiological signal measuring devices, speedy measurements and long term monitoring of any trends that may emerge, making it easier for users to be alerted to physiological changes in the body without the need to enlist assistance from medical personnel. In this paper, we describe how this e-caring chair can be placed in several different environments for different purposes. Copyright © 2011 IPEM. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Improved image guidance technique for minimally invasive mitral valve repair using real-time tracked 3D ultrasound

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rankin, Adam; Moore, John; Bainbridge, Daniel; Peters, Terry

2016-03-01

In the past ten years, numerous new surgical and interventional techniques have been developed for treating heart valve disease without the need for cardiopulmonary bypass. Heart valve repair is now being performed in a blood-filled environment, reinforcing the need for accurate and intuitive imaging techniques. Previous work has demonstrated how augmenting ultrasound with virtual representations of specific anatomical landmarks can greatly simplify interventional navigation challenges and increase patient safety. These techniques often complicate interventions by requiring additional steps taken to manually define and initialize virtual models. Furthermore, overlaying virtual elements into real-time image data can also obstruct the view of salient image information. To address these limitations, a system was developed that uses real-time volumetric ultrasound alongside magnetically tracked tools presented in an augmented virtuality environment to provide a streamlined navigation guidance platform. In phantom studies simulating a beating-heart navigation task, procedure duration and tool path metrics have achieved comparable performance to previous work in augmented virtuality techniques, and considerable improvement over standard of care ultrasound guidance.

User's guide for MAGIC-Meteorologic and hydrologic genscn (generate scenarios) input converter

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ortel, Terry W.; Martin, Angel

2010-01-01

Meteorologic and hydrologic data used in watershed modeling studies are collected by various agencies and organizations, and stored in various formats. Data may be in a raw, un-processed format with little or no quality control, or may be checked for validity before being made available. Flood-simulation systems require data in near real-time so that adequate flood warnings can be made. Additionally, forecasted data are needed to operate flood-control structures to potentially mitigate flood damages. Because real-time data are of a provisional nature, missing data may need to be estimated for use in floodsimulation systems. The Meteorologic and Hydrologic GenScn (Generate Scenarios) Input Converter (MAGIC) can be used to convert data from selected formats into the Hydrologic Simulation System-Fortran hourly-observations format for input to a Watershed Data Management database, for use in hydrologic modeling studies. MAGIC also can reformat the data to the Full Equations model time-series format, for use in hydraulic modeling studies. Examples of the application of MAGIC for use in the flood-simulation system for Salt Creek in northeastern Illinois are presented in this report.

The learning curve of laparoendoscopic single-Site (LESS) fundoplication: definable, short, and safe.

PubMed

Ross, Sharona B; Choung, Edward; Teta, Anthony F; Colibao, Lotiffa; Luberice, Kenneth; Paul, Harold; Rosemurgy, Alexander S

2013-01-01

This study of laparoendoscopic single-site (LESS) fundoplication for gastroesophageal reflux disease was undertaken to determine the "learning curve" for implementing LESS fundoplication. One hundred patients, 38% men, with a median age of 61 years and median body mass index of 26 kg/m(2) , underwent LESS fundoplications. The operative times, placement of additional trocars, conversions to "open" operations, and complications were compared among patient quartiles to establish a learning curve. Median data are reported. The median operative times and complications did not differ among 25-patient cohorts. Additional trocars were placed in 27% of patients, 67% of whom were in the first 25-patient cohort. Patients undergoing LESS fundoplication had a dramatic relief in the frequency and severity of all symptoms of reflux across all cohorts equally (P < .05), particularly for heartburn and regurgitation, without causing dysphagia. LESS fundoplication ameliorates symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease without apparent scarring. Notably, few operations required additional trocars after the first 25-patient cohort. Patient selection became more inclusive (eg, more "redo" fundoplications) with increasing experience, whereas operative times and complications remained relatively unchanged. The learning curve of LESS fundoplication is definable, short, and safe. We believe that patients will seek LESS fundoplication because of the efficacy and superior cosmetic outcomes; surgeons will need to meet this demand.

Implementation and Initial Testing of Advanced Processing and Analysis Algorithms for Correlated Neutron Counting

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

Santi, Peter Angelo; Cutler, Theresa Elizabeth; Favalli, Andrea

In order to improve the accuracy and capabilities of neutron multiplicity counting, additional quantifiable information is needed in order to address the assumptions that are present in the point model. Extracting and utilizing higher order moments (Quads and Pents) from the neutron pulse train represents the most direct way of extracting additional information from the measurement data to allow for an improved determination of the physical properties of the item of interest. The extraction of higher order moments from a neutron pulse train required the development of advanced dead time correction algorithms which could correct for dead time effects inmore » all of the measurement moments in a self-consistent manner. In addition, advanced analysis algorithms have been developed to address specific assumptions that are made within the current analysis model, namely that all neutrons are created at a single point within the item of interest, and that all neutrons that are produced within an item are created with the same energy distribution. This report will discuss the current status of implementation and initial testing of the advanced dead time correction and analysis algorithms that have been developed in an attempt to utilize higher order moments to improve the capabilities of correlated neutron measurement techniques.« less

Additive manufacturing for microvascular reconstruction of the mandible in 20 patients.

PubMed

Lethaus, Bernd; Poort, Lucas; Böckmann, Roland; Smeets, Ralf; Tolba, Rene; Kessler, Peter

2012-01-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate the use of model mandibles made preoperatively by additive manufacturing, which were used to prebend reconstruction plates prior to mandibular resection and reconstruction with microvascular bony flaps. Computer Tomography (CT) or Cone Beam Tomography (CBT) scans acquired preoperatively were used to obtain DICOM data sets to produce a model of the mandible using rapid prototyping. This model was used as a template to prebend and then sterilize a 2.3 or 2.7 reconstruction plate, which was used to reconstruct the mandible with a microvascular bony flap. This technique was used in 20 consecutive patients who required mandibular resection and reconstruction because of a tumour or osteoradionecrosis. The prebent plate was used in all patients intraoperatively without the need for any further bending. The average time to bend a plate on a nonsterile model was 0.42 h (range 0.25-0.68 h). This is felt to represent the minimum amount of time saved during the operation. Additive manufacture of the mandible prior to resection and reconstruction with a microvascular flap is a useful technique which reduces the operating time. Copyright © 2011 European Association for Cranio-Maxillo-Facial Surgery. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

virtX - evaluation of a computer-based training system for mobile C-arm systems in trauma and orthopedic surgery.

PubMed

Bott, O J; Teistler, M; Duwenkamp, C; Wagner, M; Marschollek, M; Plischke, M; Raab, B W; Stürmer, K M; Pretschner, D P; Dresing, K

2008-01-01

Operating room personnel (ORP) operating mobile image intensifier systems (C-arms) need training to produce high quality radiographs with a minimum of time and X-ray exposure. Our study aims at evaluating acceptance, usability and learning effect of the CBT system virtX that simulates C-arm based X-ray imaging in the context of surgical case scenarios. Prospective, interventional study conducted during an ORP course with three groups: intervention group 1 (training on a PC using virtX), and 2 (virtX with a C-arm as input device), and a control group (training without virtX) - IV1, IV2 and CG. All participants finished training with the same exercise. Time needed to produce an image of sufficient quality was recorded and analyzed using One-Way-ANOVA and Dunnett post hoc test (alpha = .05). Acceptance and usability of virtX have been evaluated using a questionnaire. CG members (n = 21) needed more time for the exercise than those of IV2 (n = 20): 133 +/- 55 vs. 101 +/- 37 sec. (p = .03). IV1 (n = 12) also performed better than CG (128 +/- 48 sec.), but this was not statistically significant. Seventy-nine participants returned a questionnaire (81% female, age 34 +/- 9 years, professional experience 8.3 +/- 7.6 years; 77% regularly used a C-arm). 83% considered virtX a useful addition to conventional C-arm training. 91% assessed virtual radiography as helpful for understanding C-arm operation. Trainees experienced virtX as substantial enhancement of C-arm training. Training with virtX can reduce the time needed to perform an imaging task.

Bootstrapping a de-identification system for narrative patient records: cost-performance tradeoffs.

PubMed

Hanauer, David; Aberdeen, John; Bayer, Samuel; Wellner, Benjamin; Clark, Cheryl; Zheng, Kai; Hirschman, Lynette

2013-09-01

We describe an experiment to build a de-identification system for clinical records using the open source MITRE Identification Scrubber Toolkit (MIST). We quantify the human annotation effort needed to produce a system that de-identifies at high accuracy. Using two types of clinical records (history and physical notes, and social work notes), we iteratively built statistical de-identification models by annotating 10 notes, training a model, applying the model to another 10 notes, correcting the model's output, and training from the resulting larger set of annotated notes. This was repeated for 20 rounds of 10 notes each, and then an additional 6 rounds of 20 notes each, and a final round of 40 notes. At each stage, we measured precision, recall, and F-score, and compared these to the amount of annotation time needed to complete the round. After the initial 10-note round (33min of annotation time) we achieved an F-score of 0.89. After just over 8h of annotation time (round 21) we achieved an F-score of 0.95. Number of annotation actions needed, as well as time needed, decreased in later rounds as model performance improved. Accuracy on history and physical notes exceeded that of social work notes, suggesting that the wider variety and contexts for protected health information (PHI) in social work notes is more difficult to model. It is possible, with modest effort, to build a functioning de-identification system de novo using the MIST framework. The resulting system achieved performance comparable to other high-performing de-identification systems. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

How HANDy Are Baby Signs? A Commentary on a Systematic Review of the Impact of Gestural Communication on Typically Developing, Hearing Infants under the Age of 36 Months

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Howard, Lorraine E.; Doherty-Sneddon, Gwyneth

2014-01-01

The ethos behind provision of early intervention programmes to infants and young children with additional support needs has been established for some time (e.g. Right-from-the-Start), but targeting the development of typically developing infants has been a relatively recent phenomenon. Baby sign is one of the many intervention techniques…

Promoting Full-Time Attendance among Adults in Community College: Early Impacts from the Performance-Based Scholarship Demonstration in New York

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Richburg-Hayes, Lashawn; Sommo, Colleen; Welbeck, Rashida

2011-01-01

Many adult students struggle to finance their educations, often contending with work and child care expenses in addition to the extra cost of remedial courses. Moreover, there is little need-based grant aid to help. This report presents early findings from an evaluation of a program in New York City targeted to low-income adults (ages 22 to 35)…

Air Mobility and the Development of Attack Aviation During the Vietnam War from 1965-1967

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-06-13

frame covered with thin sheet metal was vulnerable to small arms and heavy machine gun fire. The most vulnerable time was during the low-level...reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources , gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing this collection of...of on- call aircraft necessary for tactical support. The Air Force had additional missions that received higher apportionment based on strategic and

Mobility Performance Algorithms for Small Unmanned Ground Vehicles

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-05-01

obstacles need to be developed; specifically, models and data for wheeled vehicle skid steering, interior building floor and roof surfaces, and stair ...an 80-lb SUGV; PackBot® at 50 lb, and GatorTM at 2500 lb. Additionally, the FCS projects that 40% of the military fleet may eventually be robotic ...sensor input analysis and decision-making time. Fields (2002a) discusses representing interaction of humans and robots in the OneSAF Testbed Baseline

Evaluation of thermal antinociceptive effects after intramuscular administration of hydromorphone hydrochloride to American kestrels (Falco sparverius)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Guzman, David Sanchez-Migallon; Drazenovich, Tracy L.; Olsen, Glenn H.; Willits, Neil H.; Paul-Murphy, Joanne R.

2013-01-01

Conclusions and Clinical Relevance—Hydromorphone at the doses evaluated significantly increased the thermal nociception threshold for American kestrels for 3 to 6 hours. Additional studies with other types of stimulation, formulations, dosages, routes of administration, and testing times are needed to fully evaluate the analgesic and adverse effects of hydromorphone in kestrels and other avian species and the use of hydromorphone in clinical settings.

The Role of an Early Head Start Mental Health Coordinator: Screening for Maternal Depression in a Comprehensive Approach to Mental Health Care

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Canuso, Regina

2007-01-01

Screening for maternal depression was a core component of the P.E.A.C.E., Inc., Early Head Start program's comprehensive approach to supporting the mental health needs of low-income pregnant women and families with infants and toddlers. The addition of a mental health coordinator as a full-time staff member created an opportunity to develop a…

A Visitor Control Policy for Martin Army Hospital,

DTIC Science & Technology

1978-04-05

gathered at York Hospital resulted in the limitation of two visitors per patient at one time. This was not an arbitrary decision by management but...management is required to receive input from the consumer on many management decisions . Even discounting the above, the patient was felt to be a logical...proximity of the parking areas to the primary entrances, no additional staff entrances ,4 are needed, therefore no special locking devices for any auxillary

Improving Community Health While Satisfying a Critical Community Need: A Case Study for Nonprofit Hospitals

PubMed Central

Kephart, Donna K.; Dillon, Judith F.; McCullough, Jody R.; Blatt, Barbara J.; Kraschnewski, Jennifer L.

2015-01-01

Background School-based student health screenings identify issues that may affect physical and intellectual development and are an important way to maintain student health. Nonprofit hospitals can provide a unique resource to school districts by assisting in the timely completion of school-based screenings and meet requirements of the Affordable Care Act. This case study describes the collaboration between an academic medical center and a local school district to conduct school-based health screenings. Community Context Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center and Penn State Hershey PRO Wellness Center collaborated with Lebanon School District to facilitate student health screenings, a need identified in part by a community health needs assessment. Methods From June 2012 through February 2013, district-wide student health screenings were planned and implemented by teams of hospital nursing leadership, school district leadership, and school nurses. In fall 2013, students were screened through standardized procedures for height, weight, scoliosis, vision, and hearing. Outcomes In 2 days, 3,105 students (67% of all students in the district) were screened. Letters explaining screening results were mailed to parents of all students screened. Debriefing meetings and follow-up surveys for the participating nurses provided feedback for future screenings. Interpretation The 2-day collaborative screening event decreased the amount of time spent by school nurses in screening students throughout the year and allowed them more time in their role as school wellness champion. Additionally, parents found out early in the school year whether their child needed physician follow-up. Partnerships between school districts and hospitals to conduct student health screenings are a practical option for increasing outreach while satisfying community needs. PMID:26513441

Normal streamflows and water levels continue—Summary of hydrologic conditions in Georgia, 2014

USGS Publications Warehouse

Knaak, Andrew E.; Ankcorn, Paul D.; Peck, Michael F.

2016-03-31

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) South Atlantic Water Science Center (SAWSC) Georgia office, in cooperation with local, State, and other Federal agencies, maintains a long-term hydrologic monitoring network of more than 350 real-time, continuous-record, streamflow-gaging stations (streamgages). The network includes 14 real-time lake-level monitoring stations, 72 real-time surface-water-quality monitors, and several water-quality sampling programs. Additionally, the SAWSC Georgia office operates more than 204 groundwater monitoring wells, 39 of which are real-time. The wide-ranging coverage of streamflow, reservoir, and groundwater monitoring sites allows for a comprehensive view of hydrologic conditions across the State. One of the many benefits this monitoring network provides is a spatially distributed overview of the hydrologic conditions of creeks, rivers, reservoirs, and aquifers in Georgia.Streamflow and groundwater data are verified throughout the year by USGS hydrographers and made available to water-resource managers, recreationists, and Federal, State, and local agencies. Hydrologic conditions are determined by comparing the statistical analyses of data collected during the current water year to historical data. Changing hydrologic conditions underscore the need for accurate, timely data to allow informed decisions about the management and conservation of Georgia’s water resources for agricultural, recreational, ecological, and water-supply needs and in protecting life and property.

A new costing model in hospital management: time-driven activity-based costing system.

PubMed

Öker, Figen; Özyapıcı, Hasan

2013-01-01

Traditional cost systems cause cost distortions because they cannot meet the requirements of today's businesses. Therefore, a new and more effective cost system is needed. Consequently, time-driven activity-based costing system has emerged. The unit cost of supplying capacity and the time needed to perform an activity are the only 2 factors considered by the system. Furthermore, this system determines unused capacity by considering practical capacity. The purpose of this article is to emphasize the efficiency of the time-driven activity-based costing system and to display how it can be applied in a health care institution. A case study was conducted in a private hospital in Cyprus. Interviews and direct observations were used to collect the data. The case study revealed that the cost of unused capacity is allocated to both open and laparoscopic (closed) surgeries. Thus, by using the time-driven activity-based costing system, managers should eliminate the cost of unused capacity so as to obtain better results. Based on the results of the study, hospital management is better able to understand the costs of different surgeries. In addition, managers can easily notice the cost of unused capacity and decide how many employees to be dismissed or directed to other productive areas.

Time-Resolved Optical Measurements of Fuel-Air Mixedness in Windowless High Speed Research Combustors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nguyen, Quang-Viet

1998-01-01

Fuel distribution measurements in gas turbine combustors are needed from both pollution and fuel-efficiency standpoints. In addition to providing valuable data for performance testing and engine development, measurements of fuel distributions uniquely complement predictive numerical simulations. Although equally important as spatial distribution, the temporal distribution of the fuel is an often overlooked aspect of combustor design and development. This is due partly to the difficulties in applying time-resolved diagnostic techniques to the high-pressure, high-temperature environments inside gas turbine engines. Time-resolved measurements of the fuel-to-air ratio (F/A) can give researchers critical insights into combustor dynamics and acoustics. Beginning in early 1998, a windowless technique that uses fiber-optic, line-of-sight, infrared laser light absorption to measure the time-resolved fluctuations of the F/A (refs. 1 and 2) will be used within the premixer section of a lean-premixed, prevaporized (LPP) combustor in NASA Lewis Research Center's CE-5 facility. The fiber-optic F/A sensor will permit optical access while eliminating the need for film-cooled windows, which perturb the flow. More importantly, the real-time data from the fiber-optic F/A sensor will provide unique information for the active feedback control of combustor dynamics. This will be a prototype for an airborne sensor control system.

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

USGS Publications Warehouse

Duwelius, R.F.

1990-01-01

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

Structural Health Monitoring challenges on the 10-MW offshore wind turbine model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Di Lorenzo, E.; Kosova, G.; Musella, U.; Manzato, S.; Peeters, B.; Marulo, F.; Desmet, W.

2015-07-01

The real-time structural damage detection on large slender structures has one of its main application on offshore Horizontal Axis Wind Turbines (HAWT). The renewable energy market is continuously pushing the wind turbine sizes and performances. This is the reason why nowadays offshore wind turbines concepts are going toward a 10 MW reference wind turbine model. The aim of the work is to perform operational analyses on the 10-MW reference wind turbine finite element model using an aeroelastic code in order to obtain long-time-low- cost simulations. The aeroelastic code allows simulating the damages in several ways: by reducing the edgewise/flapwise blades stiffness, by adding lumped masses or considering a progressive mass addiction (i.e. ice on the blades). The damage detection is then performed by means of Operational Modal Analysis (OMA) techniques. Virtual accelerometers are placed in order to simulate real measurements and to estimate the modal parameters. The feasibility of a robust damage detection on the model has been performed on the HAWT model in parked conditions. The situation is much more complicated in case of operating wind turbines because the time periodicity of the structure need to be taken into account. Several algorithms have been implemented and tested in the simulation environment. They are needed in order to carry on a damage detection simulation campaign and develop a feasible real-time damage detection method. In addition to these algorithms, harmonic removal tools are needed in order to dispose of the harmonics due to the rotation.

Integrating Microscopic Analysis into Existing Quality Assurance Processes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Frühberger, Peter; Stephan, Thomas; Beyerer, Jürgen

When technical goods, like mainboards and other electronic components, are produced, quality assurance (QA) is very important. To achieve this goal, different optical microscopes can be used to analyze a variety of specimen to gain comprehensive information by combining the acquired sensor data. In many industrial processes, cameras are used to examine these technical goods. Those cameras can analyze complete boards at once and offer a high level of accuracy when used for completeness checks. When small defects, e.g. soldered points, need to be examined in detail, those wide area cameras are limited. Microscopes with large magnification need to be used to analyze those critical areas. But microscopes alone cannot fulfill this task within a limited time schedule, because microscopic analysis of complete motherboards of a certain size is time demanding. Microscopes are limited concerning their depth of field and depth of focus, which is why additional components like XY moving tables need to be used to examine the complete surface. Yet today's industrial production quality standards require a 100 % control of the soldered components within a given time schedule. This level of quality, while keeping inspection time low, can only be achieved when combining multiple inspection devices in an optimized manner. This paper presents results and methods of combining industrial cameras with microscopy instrumenting a classificatory based approach intending to keep already deployed QA processes in place but extending them with the purpose of increasing the quality level of the produced technical goods while maintaining high throughput.

Approaches to Dispute Resolution in Additional Support Needs in Scotland

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Riddell, Sheila; Weedon, Elisabet

2009-01-01

The Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2004 aimed, among other things, to increase parents' rights in relation to the education of their children. In addition to the creation of the Additional Supports Needs Tribunals for Scotland, parents were given new rights to challenge local authority decisions through mediation and…

Precision of computer-assisted core decompression drilling of the femoral head.

PubMed

Beckmann, J; Goetz, J; Baethis, H; Kalteis, T; Grifka, J; Perlick, L

2006-08-01

Osteonecrosis of the femoral head is a local destructive disease with progression into devastating stages. Left untreated it mostly leads to severe secondary osteoarthrosis and early endoprosthetic joint replacement. Core decompression by exact drilling into the ischemic areas can be performed in early stages according to Ficat or ARCO. Computer-aided surgery might enhance the precision of the drilling and lower the radiation exposure time of both staff and patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate the precision of the fluoroscopically based VectorVision navigation system in an in vitro model. Thirty sawbones were prepared with a defect filled up with a radiopaque gypsum sphere mimicking the osteonecrosis. Twenty sawbones were drilled by guidance of an intraoperative navigation system VectorVision (BrainLAB, Munich, Germany) and 10 sawbones by fluoroscopic control only. No gypsum sphere was missed. There was a statistically significant difference regarding the three-dimensional deviation (Euclidian norm) as well as maximum deviation in x-, y- or z-direction (maximum norm) to the desired mid-point of the lesion, with a mean of 0.51 and 0.4 mm in the navigated group and 1.1 and 0.88 mm in the control group, respectively. Furthermore, significant difference was found in the number of drilling corrections as well as the radiation time needed: no second drilling or correction of drilling direction was necessary in the navigated group compared to 1.4 in the control group. The radiation time needed was less than 1 s compared to 3.1 s, respectively. The fluoroscopy-based VectorVision navigation system shows a high feasibility of computer-guided drilling with a clear reduction of radiation exposure time and can therefore be integrated into clinical routine. The additional time needed is acceptable regarding the simultaneous reduction of radiation time.

Time series inversion of spectra from ground-based radiometers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Christensen, O. M.; Eriksson, P.

2013-02-01

Retrieving time series of atmospheric constituents from ground-based spectrometers often requires different temporal averaging depending on the altitude region in focus. This can lead to several datasets existing for one instrument which complicates validation and comparisons between instruments. This paper puts forth a possible solution by incorporating the temporal domain into the maximum a posteriori (MAP) retrieval algorithm. The state vector is increased to include measurements spanning a time period, and the temporal correlations between the true atmospheric states are explicitly specified in the a priori uncertainty matrix. This allows the MAP method to effectively select the best temporal smoothing for each altitude, removing the need for several datasets to cover different altitudes. The method is compared to traditional averaging of spectra using a simulated retrieval of water vapour in the mesosphere. The simulations show that the method offers a significant advantage compared to the traditional method, extending the sensitivity an additional 10 km upwards without reducing the temporal resolution at lower altitudes. The method is also tested on the OSO water vapour microwave radiometer confirming the advantages found in the simulation. Additionally, it is shown how the method can interpolate data in time and provide diagnostic values to evaluate the interpolated data.

Optimize Use of Space Research and Technology for Medical Devices

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Minnifield, Nona K.

2012-01-01

systems, and cutting-edge component technologies to conduct a wide range of scientific observations and measurements. These technologies are also considered for practical applications that benefit society in remarkable ways. At NASA Goddard, the technology transfer initiative promotes matching technologies from Earth and space science needs to targeted industry sectors. This requires clear knowledge of industry needs and priorities and social demands. The process entails matching mature technologies where there are known innovation challenges and good opportunities for matching technology needs. This requires creative thinking and takes commitment of time and resources. Additionally, we also look at applications for known hot industry or societal needs. Doing so has given us occasion to host discussions with representatives from industry, academia, government organizations, and societal special interest groups about the application of NASA Goddard technologies for devices used in medical monitoring and detection tools. As a result, partnerships have been established. Innovation transpired when new products were enabled because of NASA Goddard research and technology programs.

Reducing unmet need and unwanted childbearing: evidence from a panel survey in Pakistan.

PubMed

Jain, Anrudh K; Mahmood, Arshad; Sathar, Zeba A; Masood, Irfan

2014-06-01

Pakistan's high unmet need for contraception and low contraceptive prevalence remain a challenge, especially in light of the country's expected contribution to the FP2020 goal of expanding family planning services to an additional 120 million women with unmet need. Analysis of panel data from 14 Pakistani districts suggests that efforts to reduce unmet need should also focus on empowering women who are currently practicing contraception to achieve their own reproductive intentions through continuation of contraceptive use of any method. Providing women with better quality of care and encouraging method switching would bridge the gap that exists when women are between methods and thus would reduce unwanted births. This finding is generalizable to other countries that, like Pakistan, are highly dependent on short-acting modern and traditional methods. The approach of preventing attrition among current contraceptive users would be at least as effective as persuading nonusers to adopt a method for the first time. © 2013 The Population Council, Inc.

Fractional Brownian motion time-changed by gamma and inverse gamma process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kumar, A.; Wyłomańska, A.; Połoczański, R.; Sundar, S.

2017-02-01

Many real time-series exhibit behavior adequate to long range dependent data. Additionally very often these time-series have constant time periods and also have characteristics similar to Gaussian processes although they are not Gaussian. Therefore there is need to consider new classes of systems to model these kinds of empirical behavior. Motivated by this fact in this paper we analyze two processes which exhibit long range dependence property and have additional interesting characteristics which may be observed in real phenomena. Both of them are constructed as the superposition of fractional Brownian motion (FBM) and other process. In the first case the internal process, which plays role of the time, is the gamma process while in the second case the internal process is its inverse. We present in detail their main properties paying main attention to the long range dependence property. Moreover, we show how to simulate these processes and estimate their parameters. We propose to use a novel method based on rescaled modified cumulative distribution function for estimation of parameters of the second considered process. This method is very useful in description of rounded data, like waiting times of subordinated processes delayed by inverse subordinators. By using the Monte Carlo method we show the effectiveness of proposed estimation procedures. Finally, we present the applications of proposed models to real time series.

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.

Chile rural electrification cooperation

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

Flowers, L.

1997-12-01

The author describes a joint program to use renewables for rural electrification projects in Chile. The initial focus was in a limited part of the country, involving wind mapping, pilot project planning, training, and development of methodologies for comparative evaluations of resources. To this point three wind hybrid systems have been installed in one region, as a part of the regional private utility, and three additional projects are being designed. Additional resource assessment and training is ongoing. The author points out the difficulties in working with utilities, the importance of signed documentation, and the need to look at these programsmore » as long term because of the time involved in introducing such new technologies.« less

Complications of Blepharoplasty: Prevention and Management

PubMed Central

Oestreicher, James; Mehta, Sonul

2012-01-01

Blepharoplasty is an operation to modify the contour and configuration of the eyelids in order to restore a more youthful appearance. The surgery involves removing redundant skin, fat, and muscle. In addition, supporting structures such as canthal tendons are tightened. Other conditions such as ptosis, brow ptosis, entropion, ectropion, or eyelid retraction may also need to be corrected at the time a blepharoplasty is performed to ensure the best functional and aesthetic result. Due to the complexity and intricate nature of eyelid anatomy, complications do exist. In addition to a thorough pre operative assessment and meticulous surgical planning, understanding the etiology of complications is key to prevention. Finally, management of complications is just as important as surgical technique. PMID:22655191

Implications and challenges for implementation of the FDA’s final deeming rule for waterpipe tobacco

PubMed Central

Sutfin, Erin L; Soule, Eric K; McKelvey, Karma; Jenson, Desmond

2017-01-01

For the first time, the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDAs) Center for Tobacco Products now has regulatory authority over all tobacco products, including waterpipe tobacco. In the rule expanding its authority to cover all tobacco products, the FDA uses largely a one-size-fits-all approach. However, several aspects of waterpipe tobacco smoking make it unique from other tobacco products, which may require more specific, tailored rules. This paper describes the distinct features of waterpipe tobacco products and accessories, and identifies unique challenges to the current regulation posed by this form of tobacco use. Additionally, we highlight the need for further research-generated evidence to support additional rulemaking. PMID:28667092

A NASTRAN/TREETOPS solution to a flexible, multi-body dynamics and controls problem on a UNIX workstation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Benavente, Javier E.; Luce, Norris R.

1989-01-01

Demands for nonlinear time history simulations of large, flexible multibody dynamic systems has created a need for efficient interfaces between finite-element modeling programs and time-history simulations. One such interface, TREEFLX, an interface between NASTRAN and TREETOPS, a nonlinear dynamics and controls time history simulation for multibody structures, is presented and demonstrated via example using the proposed Space Station Mobile Remote Manipulator System (MRMS). The ability to run all three programs (NASTRAN, TREEFLX and TREETOPS), in addition to other programs used for controller design and model reduction (such as DMATLAB and TREESEL, both described), under a UNIX Workstation environment demonstrates the flexibility engineers now have in designing, developing and testing control systems for dynamically complex systems.

Does the Sun Have a Full-Time Chromosphere?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kalkofen, Wolfgang; Ulmschneider, Peter; Avrett, Eugene H.

1999-08-01

The successful modeling of the dynamics of H2v bright points in the nonmagnetic chromosphere by Carlsson & Stein gave as a by-product a part-time chromosphere lacking the persistent outward temperature increase of time-average empirical models, which is needed to explain observations of UV emission lines and continua. We discuss the failure of the dynamical model to account for most of the observed chromospheric emission, arguing that their model uses only about 1% of the acoustic energy supplied to the medium. Chromospheric heating requires an additional source of energy in the form of acoustic waves of short period (P<2 minutes), which form shocks and produce the persistent outward temperature increase that can account for the UV emission lines and continua.

Semi-Infinite Geology Modeling Algorithm (SIGMA): a Modular Approach to 3D Gravity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chang, J. C.; Crain, K.

2015-12-01

Conventional 3D gravity computations can take up to days, weeks, and even months, depending on the size and resolution of the data being modeled. Additional modeling runs, due to technical malfunctions or additional data modifications, only compound computation times even further. We propose a new modeling algorithm that utilizes vertical line elements to approximate mass, and non-gridded (point) gravity observations. This algorithm is (1) magnitudes faster than conventional methods, (2) accurate to less than 0.1% error, and (3) modular. The modularity of this methodology means that researchers can modify their geology/terrain or gravity data, and only the modified component needs to be re-run. Additionally, land-, sea-, and air-based platforms can be modeled at their observation point, without having to filter data into a synthesized grid.

Cadmium recovery by coupling double microbial fuel cells.

PubMed

Choi, Chansoo; Hu, Naixu; Lim, Bongsu

2014-10-01

Cr(VI)-MFC of the double microbial fuel cell (d-MFC) arrangement could successfully complement the insufficient voltage and power needed to recover cadmium metal from Cd(II)-MFC, which operated as a redox-flow battery. It was also possible to drain electrical energy from the d-MFC by an additional passage. The highest maximum utilization power density (22.5Wm(-2)) of Cr(VI)-MFC, with the cathode optimized with sulfate buffer, was 11.3times higher than the highest power density directly supplied to Cd(II)-MFC (2.0Wm(-2)). Cr(VI)-MFC could generate 3times higher power with the additional passage than without it; and the current density for the former was 4.2times higher than the latter at the same maximum power point (38.0Am(-2) vs. 9.0Am(-2)). This boosting phenomenon could be explained by the Le Chatelier's principle, which addresses the rate of electron-hole pair formation that can be accelerated by quickly removing electrons generated by microorganisms. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Examination of microbial fuel cell start-up times with domestic wastewater and additional amendments.

PubMed

Liu, Guangli; Yates, Matthew D; Cheng, Shaoan; Call, Douglas F; Sun, Dan; Logan, Bruce E

2011-08-01

Rapid startup of microbial fuel cells (MFCs) and other bioreactors is desirable when treating wastewaters. The startup time with unamended wastewater (118 h) was similar to that obtained by adding acetate or fumarate (110-115 h), and less than that with glucose (181 h) or Fe(III) (353 h). Initial current production took longer when phosphate buffer was added, with startup times increasing with concentration from 149 h (25 mM) to 251 h (50 mM) and 526 h (100 mM). Microbial communities that developed in the reactors contained Betaproteobacteria, Acetoanaerobium noterae, and Chlorobium sp. Anode biomass densities ranged from 200 to 600 μg/cm(2) for all amendments except Fe(Ш) (1650 μg/cm(2)). Wastewater produced 91 mW/m(2), with the other MFCs producing 50 mW/m(2) (fumarate) to 103mW/m(2) (Fe(III)) when amendments were removed. These experiments show that wastewater alone is sufficient to acclimate the reactor without the need for additional chemical amendments. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Quantifying The Food And Drug Administration's rulemaking delays highlights the need for transparency.

PubMed

Hwang, Thomas J; Avorn, Jerry; Carpenter, Daniel; Kesselheim, Aaron S

2014-02-01

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) frequently uses its rulemaking process to establish or modify the way it regulates drugs, medical devices, and other medical products. The federal agency's rulemaking is controversial because of its perceived complexity, lack of transparency, and lengthy duration. To shed light on the FDA's rulemaking process, we examined the evolution of significant rules that the agency published during 2000-12 for drugs, devices, and other medical products. We found that the rules' median time to finalization was 7.3 years, with the pre-rule phase and postreview deliberation within the FDA accounting for the majority of that time. Rules that involved mandatory cost-benefit analyses were associated with an additional delay of approximately two years. We also found that longer review times were significantly associated with a reduction in the stringency of final rules, compared to the originally proposed versions. We recommend improving FDA's rulemaking by allocating additional resources to increase efficiency and by embarking on initiatives to promote transparency by the FDA and other parts of the executive branch.

Enhanced Precision Time Synchronization for Wireless Sensor Networks

PubMed Central

Cho, Hyuntae; Kim, Jongdeok; Baek, Yunju

2011-01-01

Time synchronization in wireless sensor networks (WSNs) is a fundamental issue for the coordination of distributed entities and events. Nondeterministic latency, which may decrease the accuracy and precision of time synchronization can occur at any point in the network layers. Specially, random back-off by channel contention leads to a large uncertainty. In order to reduce the large nondeterministic uncertainty from channel contention, we propose an enhanced precision time synchronization protocol in this paper. The proposed method reduces the traffic needed for the synchronization procedure by selectively forwarding the packet. Furthermore, the time difference between sensor nodes increases as time advances because of the use of a clock source with a cheap crystal oscillator. In addition, we provide a means to maintain accurate time by adopting hardware-assisted time stamp and drift correction. Experiments are conducted to evaluate the performance of the proposed method, for which sensor nodes are designed and implemented. According to the evaluation results, the performance of the proposed method is better than that of a traditional time synchronization protocol. PMID:22164035

Enhanced precision time synchronization for wireless sensor networks.

PubMed

Cho, Hyuntae; Kim, Jongdeok; Baek, Yunju

2011-01-01

Time synchronization in wireless sensor networks (WSNs) is a fundamental issue for the coordination of distributed entities and events. Nondeterministic latency, which may decrease the accuracy and precision of time synchronization can occur at any point in the network layers. Specially, random back-off by channel contention leads to a large uncertainty. In order to reduce the large nondeterministic uncertainty from channel contention, we propose an enhanced precision time synchronization protocol in this paper. The proposed method reduces the traffic needed for the synchronization procedure by selectively forwarding the packet. Furthermore, the time difference between sensor nodes increases as time advances because of the use of a clock source with a cheap crystal oscillator. In addition, we provide a means to maintain accurate time by adopting hardware-assisted time stamp and drift correction. Experiments are conducted to evaluate the performance of the proposed method, for which sensor nodes are designed and implemented. According to the evaluation results, the performance of the proposed method is better than that of a traditional time synchronization protocol.

Community partnership to promote home fire safety in children with special needs.

PubMed

Lehna, Carlee; Janes, Erika G; Rengers, Sharon; Graviss, Jackie; Scrivener, Drane; Knabel, Tom; Carver, Elizabeth; Myers, John

2014-09-01

Parents of children with special needs are vigilant as their child may have difficulty independently escaping a burning home. The purpose of this study was to evaluate if providing home fire safety information via a digital video disc (DVD) increases families' knowledge, behavior and ability regarding home fire safety. A school based classroom intervention (using a home fire safety DVD) was provided to parents (n=40) of children with and without special needs to improve home fire safety knowledge, behavior and ability. In addition, parents seen at the Kentucky Commission for Children with Special Health Care Needs clinics (n=47) received the same intervention in cohorts of 1-2 children. For both groups, knowledge, and behavior were measured before and after intervention. Repeated measures ANOVA were used to test for differences between groups and over time. Significance was set at p<0.05. No difference in scores between pre- and post-test scores existed between groups (with special needs vs. without special needs, or classroom vs. individualized instruction). However, some differences were noted for some individual survey questions during post-hoc comparisons. Having a smoke alarm in the home (90% vs. 95%, p=0.029) and having a smoke alarm outside of where everyone sleeps (75% vs. 95%, p=0.005) increased over time and was retained. Having a fire escape plan increased at post intervention (58% vs. 79%, p=0.033), but returned to pre levels at follow-up (58%). Perceived knowledge (7.7 vs. 9.3, p<0.001) and ability (8.7 vs. 9.1, p=0.069) increased over time. Parents of children with special needs had a significant increase in knowledge and behavior over those parents of children without special needs. They also perceived having a high fire safety ability. Many of the post-test questions/behaviors (e.g., capable of exiting home during a fire, etc.) were reported at 100%. The intervention was well received, but may not necessarily be needed. Focus for home fire safety may need to look at younger children and smaller families. Parents of special needs children may have had frequent interaction with health care professionals. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd and ISBI. All rights reserved.

The influence of day care centres designed for people with dementia on family caregivers - a qualitative study.

PubMed

Tretteteig, Signe; Vatne, Solfrid; Rokstad, Anne Marie Mork

2017-01-05

Dementia is one of the most challenging age-related illnesses for family caregivers, whose care-related burden is well known. Research indicates that day care centres (DCCs) can reduce the caregiver burden and help family caregivers to cope with demands; however, the current body of knowledge is still tentative and inconsistent, and more research is recommended. The aim of this study is to provide an extended understanding of the situation of family caregivers and to examine to what extent DCCs can meet their need for support and respite. This study has a qualitative descriptive design using in-depth interviews with 17 family caregivers of people with dementia attending DCCs. The data analysis was undertaken using systematic text condensation. Caregivers experience a complex role, with added responsibilities, new tasks, and emotional and relational challenges that are expressed through distressing emotions and demands for interaction. Additionally, the caregiving role leads to positive experiences, such as acceptance and adaptation, support and help, and positive changes in the relationship. Day care relieves family caregivers by meeting the person with dementia's needs for social community, nutrition, physical activity, and structure and variety in everyday life. Using a DCC led to a higher quality of time spent together and easier cooperation, but it also produced some hard feelings and challenging situations. DCCs gave the caregivers a feeling of freedom and increased the time available to be spent on their own needs, to be social and to work or do practical tasks undisturbed. DCCs for people with dementia can give family caregivers support and relief and have a positive impact on the relationship between the family caregiver and the person with dementia. A more individualized program, in addition to flexible opening hours, would make DCCs even more effective as a respite service, positively influencing the family caregiver's motivation and ability to care and postponing the need for nursing home placement.

Sterilization: A Review and Update.

PubMed

Moss, Chailee; Isley, Michelle M

2015-12-01

Sterilization is a frequently used method of contraception. Female sterilization is performed 3 times more frequently than male sterilization, and it can be performed immediately postpartum or as an interval procedure. Methods include mechanical occlusion, coagulation, or tubal excision. Female sterilization can be performed using an abdominal approach, or via laparoscopy or hysteroscopy. When an abdominal approach or laparoscopy is used, sterilization occurs immediately. When hysteroscopy is used, tubal occlusion occurs over time, and additional testing is needed to confirm tubal occlusion. Comprehensive counseling about sterilization should include discussion about male sterilization (vasectomy) and long-acting reversible contraceptive methods. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Lysophosphatidic acid enhances collagen deposition and matrix thickening in engineered tissue.

PubMed

Chabaud, Stéphane; Marcoux, Thomas-Louis; Deschênes-Rompré, Marie-Pier; Rousseau, Alexandre; Morissette, Amélie; Bouhout, Sara; Bernard, Geneviève; Bolduc, Stéphane

2015-11-01

The time needed to produce engineered tissue is critical. A self-assembly approach provided excellent results regarding biological functions and cell differentiation because it closely respected the microenvironment of cells. Nevertheless, the technique was time consuming for producing tissue equivalents with enough extracellular matrix to allow manipulations. Unlike L-arginine supplementation that only increased accumulation of collagen in cell culture supernatant in our model, addition of lysophosphatidic acid, a natural bioactive lipid, did not modify the amount of accumulated collagen in the cell culture supernatant; however, it enhanced the matrix deposition rate without inducing fibroblast hyperproliferation and tissue fibrosis. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Has the Earth's sixth mass extinction already arrived?

PubMed

Barnosky, Anthony D; Matzke, Nicholas; Tomiya, Susumu; Wogan, Guinevere O U; Swartz, Brian; Quental, Tiago B; Marshall, Charles; McGuire, Jenny L; Lindsey, Emily L; Maguire, Kaitlin C; Mersey, Ben; Ferrer, Elizabeth A

2011-03-03

Palaeontologists characterize mass extinctions as times when the Earth loses more than three-quarters of its species in a geologically short interval, as has happened only five times in the past 540 million years or so. Biologists now suggest that a sixth mass extinction may be under way, given the known species losses over the past few centuries and millennia. Here we review how differences between fossil and modern data and the addition of recently available palaeontological information influence our understanding of the current extinction crisis. Our results confirm that current extinction rates are higher than would be expected from the fossil record, highlighting the need for effective conservation measures.

Suicidal and online: how do online behaviors inform us of this high-risk population?

PubMed

Harris, Keith M; McLean, John P; Sheffield, Jeanie

2014-01-01

To assist suicide prevention we need a better understanding of how suicidal individuals act in their environment, and the online world offers an ideal opportunity to examine daily behaviors. This anonymous survey (N = 1,016) provides first-of-its-kind empirical evidence demonstrating suicide-risk people (n = 290) are unique in their online behaviors. Suicidal users reported more time online, greater likelihood of developing online personal relationships, and greater use of online forums. In addition, suicide-risk women reported more time browsing/surfing and social networking. The authors conclude that suicide prevention efforts should respond to suicide-risk users' greater demands for online interpersonal communications.

Supporting temporal queries on clinical relational databases: the S-WATCH-QL language.

PubMed Central

Combi, C.; Missora, L.; Pinciroli, F.

1996-01-01

Due to the ubiquitous and special nature of time, specially in clinical datábases there's the need of particular temporal data and operators. In this paper we describe S-WATCH-QL (Structured Watch Query Language), a temporal extension of SQL, the widespread query language based on the relational model. S-WATCH-QL extends the well-known SQL by the addition of: a) temporal data types that allow the storage of information with different levels of granularity; b) historical relations that can store together both instantaneous valid times and intervals; c) some temporal clauses, functions and predicates allowing to define complex temporal queries. PMID:8947722

Silicon amendment to rice plants impairs sucking behaviors and population growth in the phloem feeder Nilaparvata lugens (Hemiptera: Delphacidae).

PubMed

Yang, Lang; Han, Yongqiang; Li, Pei; Wen, Lizhang; Hou, Maolin

2017-04-24

The brown planthopper (BPH), Nilaparvata lugens (Stål), is a migratory and destructive sucking insect pest of rice. Silicon (Si) amendment to plants can confer enhanced resistance to herbivores and is emerging as a novel approach for pest management. In the present study, we tested the effects of Si addition at 0.16 (low) and 0.32 (high) g Si/kg soil on sucking behaviors and population growth in BPH. Si amendment increased Si content in rice stems and extended non-probing event and phloem puncture followed by sustained phloem ingestion over that in the no-Si-addition control. High Si addition rate prolonged the stylet pathway and the time needed to reach the first phloem puncture, shortened durations of phloem puncture and phloem ingestion, and decreased the proportion of individuals that produced sustained phloem ingestion. BPH female feeding on and preference for plants with the high Si addition rate were also reduced. As a result, Si application significantly decreased BPH population growth rates while increased population doubling time. These results indicate that Si amendment, especially at the high rate, confers enhanced rice plant resistance to BPH through impairment of BPH feeding. Our results highlight the potential of Si amendment as an alternative for BPH management.

Facility provision in elementary schools: Correlates with physical education, recess, and obesity

PubMed Central

Fernandes, Meenakshi; Sturm, Roland

2009-01-01

Objectives The objectives were to: (1) document correlations among facility provision (availability and adequacy) in elementary schools, child sociodemographic factors, and school characteristics nationwide; and (2) investigate whether facility provision is associated with physical education (PE) time, recess time, and obesity trajectory. Methods The analytic sample included 8935 fifth graders from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Survey Kindergarten Cohort. School teachers and administrators were surveyed about facility provision, PE, and recess time in April 2004. Multivariate linear and logistic regressions that accounted for the nesting of children within schools were used. Results Children from disadvantaged backgrounds were more likely to attend a school with worse gymnasium and playground provision. Gymnasium availability was associated with an additional 8.3 min overall and at least an additional 25 min of PE per week for schools in humid climate zones. These figures represent 10.8 and 32.5%, respectively, of the average time spent in PE. No significant findings were obtained for gymnasium and playground adequacy in relation to PE and recess time, and facility provision in relation to obesity trajectory. Conclusions Poor facility provision is a potential barrier for school physical activity programs and facility provision is lower in schools that most need them: urban, high minority, and high enrollment schools. PMID:19850074

How Long Do Satellites Need to Overlap? Evaluation of Climate Data Stability from Overlapping Satellite Records

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Weatherhead, Elizabeth C.; Harder, Jerald; Araujo-Pradere, Eduardo A.; Bodeker, Greg; English, Jason M.; Flynn, Lawrence E.; Frith, Stacey M.; Lazo, Jeffrey K.; Pilewskie, Peter; Weber, Mark;

How long do satellites need to overlap? Evaluation of climate data stability from overlapping satellite records

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weatherhead, Elizabeth C.; Harder, Jerald; Araujo-Pradere, Eduardo A.; Bodeker, Greg; English, Jason M.; Flynn, Lawrence E.; Frith, Stacey M.; Lazo, Jeffrey K.; Pilewskie, Peter; Weber, Mark; Woods, Thomas N.

2017-12-01

Sensors on satellites provide unprecedented understanding of the Earth's climate system by measuring incoming solar radiation, as well as both passive and active observations of the entire Earth with outstanding spatial and temporal coverage. A common challenge with satellite observations is to quantify their ability to provide well-calibrated, long-term, stable records of the parameters they measure. Ground-based intercomparisons offer some insight, while reference observations and internal calibrations give further assistance for understanding long-term stability. A valuable tool for evaluating and developing long-term records from satellites is the examination of data from overlapping satellite missions. This paper addresses how the length of overlap affects the ability to identify an offset or a drift in the overlap of data between two sensors. Ozone and temperature data sets are used as examples showing that overlap data can differ by latitude and can change over time. New results are presented for the general case of sensor overlap by using Solar Radiation and Climate Experiment (SORCE) Spectral Irradiance Monitor (SIM) and Solar Stellar Irradiance Comparison Experiment (SOLSTICE) solar irradiance data as an example. To achieve a 1 % uncertainty in estimating the offset for these two instruments' measurement of the Mg II core (280 nm) requires approximately 5 months of overlap. For relative drift to be identified within 0.1 % yr-1 uncertainty (0.00008 W m-2 nm-1 yr-1), the overlap for these two satellites would need to be 2.5 years. Additional overlap of satellite measurements is needed if, as is the case for solar monitoring, unexpected jumps occur adding uncertainty to both offsets and drifts; the additional length of time needed to account for a single jump in the overlap data may be as large as 50 % of the original overlap period in order to achieve the same desired confidence in the stability of the merged data set. Results presented here are directly applicable to satellite Earth observations. Approaches for Earth observations offer additional challenges due to the complexity of the observations, but Earth observations may also benefit from ancillary observations taken from ground-based and in situ sources. Difficult choices need to be made when monitoring approaches are considered; we outline some attempts at optimizing networks based on economic principles. The careful evaluation of monitoring overlap is important to the appropriate application of observational resources and to the usefulness of current and future observations.

Impediments to drug development.

PubMed

Robson, Martin C

2003-01-01

There is a continual need for new products for wound care, as well as a desire by scientists and clinicians to translate information into wound healing improvements for patients. Pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies devote immense resources to fulfilling these needs and desires. However, there are many impediments to drug development that are poorly understood by caregivers, patients, and the public at large. Among these impediments are the tremendous costs involved, the short patent protection time, and regulatory issues. In addition, there is a marked attrition of potential drugs as they progress through the various stages of development. When the costs, time, regulatory issues, and attrition impediments are overcome, the problems with reimbursement become an impediment. This is especially true in the elderly population in which most chronic wound healing problems occur. Finally, academic societies such as the Wound Healing Society and its members pose an impediment to drug development. There is a need to interact with various governmental agencies and industry to facilitate translating science to patient care. This has not been done with a strong, uniform voice. These are but a few of the impediments that prevent scientific advances from resulting in new products available at the bedside to improve the quality of life of our patients.

A novel multiplex poliovirus binding inhibition assay applicable for large serosurveillance and vaccine studies, without the use of live poliovirus.

PubMed

Schepp, Rutger M; Berbers, Guy A M; Ferreira, José A; Reimerink, Johan H; van der Klis, Fiona R

2017-03-01

Large-scale serosurveillance or vaccine studies for poliovirus using the "gold standard" WHO neutralisation test (NT) are very laborious and time consuming. With the polio eradication at hand and with the removal of live attenuated Sabin strains from the oral poliovirus vaccine (OPV), starting with type 2 (as of April 2016), laboratories will need to conform to much more stringent laboratory biosafety regulations when handling live poliovirus strains. In this study, a poliovirus binding inhibition multiplex immunoassay (polio MIA) using inactivated poliovirus vaccine (IPV-Salk) was developed for simultaneous quantification of serum antibodies directed to all three poliovirus types. Our assay shows a good correlation with the NT and an excellent correlation with the ELISA-based binding inhibition assay (POBI). The assay is highly type-specific and reproducible. Additionally, serum sample throughput increases about fivefold relative to NT and POBI and the amount of serum needed is reduced by more than 90%. In conclusion, the polio MIA can be used as a safe and high throughput application, especially for large-scale surveillance and vaccine studies, reducing laboratory time and serum amounts needed. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Where will the wood come from? Plantation forests and the role of biotechnology.

PubMed

Fenning, Trevor M; Gershenzon, Jonathan

2002-07-01

Wood is almost as important to humanity as food, and the natural forests from which most of it is harvested from are of enormous environmental value. However, these slow-growing forests are unable to meet current demand, resulting in the loss and degradation of forest. Plantation forests have the potential to supply the bulk of humanity's wood needs on a long-term basis, and so reduce to acceptable limits the harvest pressures on natural forests. However, if they are to be successful, plantation forests must have a far higher yield of timber than their natural counterparts, on much shorter rotation times. To achieve this in reasonable time, biotechnology must be applied to the tree-improvement process, for which large increases in public and private capital investment are needed. However, additional obstacles exist in the form of opposition to plantations, some forest ecocertification schemes, and concerns about aspects of forest biotechnology, especially genetic engineering. It is the intention of this article to explain, in detail, why plantation forests are needed to sustainably meet the world's demand for wood, why they are not being developed fast enough, and why the application of biotechnology to tree improvement is essential to speeding up this process.

Duplex Real-Time PCR Assay Distinguishes Aedes aegypti From Ae. albopictus (Diptera: Culicidae) Using DNA From Sonicated First-Instar Larvae.

PubMed

Kothera, Linda; Byrd, Brian; Savage, Harry M

2017-11-07

Aedes aegypti (L.) and Ae. albopictus (Skuse) are important arbovirus vectors in the United States, and the recent emergence of Zika virus disease as a public health concern in the Americas has reinforced a need for tools to rapidly distinguish between these species in collections made by vector control agencies. We developed a duplex real-time PCR assay that detects both species and does not cross-amplify in any of the other seven Aedes species tested. The lower limit of detection for our assay is equivalent to ∼0.03 of a first-instar larva in a 60-µl sample (0.016 ng of DNA per real-time PCR reaction). The assay was sensitive and specific in mixtures of both species that reflected up to a 2,000-fold difference in DNA concentration. In addition, we developed a simple protocol to extract DNA from sonicated first-instar larvae, and used that DNA to test the assay. Because it uses real-time PCR, the assay saves time by not requiring a separate visualization step. This assay can reduce the time needed for vector control agencies to make species identifications, and thus inform decisions about surveillance and control. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America 2017 This work is written by US Government employees and is in the public domain in the US.

Impact of pharmacy automation on patient waiting time: an application of computer simulation.

PubMed

Tan, Woan Shin; Chua, Siang Li; Yong, Keng Woh; Wu, Tuck Seng

2009-06-01

This paper aims to illustrate the use of computer simulation in evaluating the impact of a prototype automated dispensing system on waiting time in an outpatient pharmacy and its potential as a routine tool in pharmacy management. A discrete event simulation model was developed to investigate the impact of a prototype automated dispensing system on operational efficiency and service standards in an outpatient pharmacy. The simulation results suggest that automating the prescription-filing function using a prototype that picks and packs at 20 seconds per item will not assist the pharmacy in achieving the waiting time target of 30 minutes for all patients. Regardless of the state of automation, to meet the waiting time target, 2 additional pharmacists are needed to overcome the process bottleneck at the point of medication dispense. However, if the automated dispensing is the preferred option, the speed of the system needs to be twice as fast as the current configuration to facilitate the reduction of the 95th percentile patient waiting time to below 30 minutes. The faster processing speed will concomitantly allow the pharmacy to reduce the number of pharmacy technicians from 11 to 8. Simulation was found to be a useful and low cost method that allows an otherwise expensive and resource intensive evaluation of new work processes and technology to be completed within a short time.

Approximate solutions for diffusive fracture-matrix transfer: Application to storage of dissolved CO 2 in fractured rocks

DOE PAGES

Zhou, Quanlin; Oldenburg, Curtis M.; Spangler, Lee H.; ...

2017-01-05

Analytical solutions with infinite exponential series are available to calculate the rate of diffusive transfer between low-permeability blocks and high-permeability zones in the subsurface. Truncation of these series is often employed by neglecting the early-time regime. Here in this paper, we present unified-form approximate solutions in which the early-time and the late-time solutions are continuous at a switchover time. The early-time solutions are based on three-term polynomial functions in terms of square root of dimensionless time, with the first coefficient dependent only on the dimensionless area-to-volume ratio. The last two coefficients are either determined analytically for isotropic blocks (e.g., spheresmore » and slabs) or obtained by fitting the exact solutions, and they solely depend on the aspect ratios for rectangular columns and parallelepipeds. For the late-time solutions, only the leading exponential term is needed for isotropic blocks, while a few additional exponential terms are needed for highly anisotropic rectangular blocks. The optimal switchover time is between 0.157 and 0.229, with highest relative approximation error less than 0.2%. The solutions are used to demonstrate the storage of dissolved CO 2 in fractured reservoirs with low-permeability matrix blocks of single and multiple shapes and sizes. These approximate solutions are building blocks for development of analytical and numerical tools for hydraulic, solute, and thermal diffusion processes in low-permeability matrix blocks.« less

Delinquent Medical Service Accounts at Naval Medical Center Portsmouth Need Additional Management Oversight

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-03-04

H 4 , 2 0 1 5 Delinquent Medical Service Accounts at Naval Medical Center Portsmouth Need Additional Management Oversight Report No. DODIG-2015...04 MAR 2015 2. REPORT TYPE 3. DATES COVERED 00-00-2015 to 00-00-2015 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE Delinquent Medical Service Accounts at Naval...i Results in Brief Delinquent Medical Service Accounts at Naval Medical Center Portsmouth Need Additional Management Oversight Visit us at

Strength training for the warfighter.

PubMed

Kraemer, William J; Szivak, Tunde K

2012-07-01

Optimizing strength training for the warfighter is challenged by past training philosophies that no longer serve the modern warfighter facing the "anaerobic battlefield." Training approaches for integration of strength with other needed physical capabilities have been shown to require a periodization model that has the flexibility for changes and is able to adapt to ever-changing circumstances affecting the quality of workouts. Additionally, sequencing of workouts to limit over-reaching and development of overtraining syndromes that end in loss of duty time and injury are paramount to long-term success. Allowing adequate time for rest and recovery and recognizing the negative influences of extreme exercise programs and excessive endurance training will be vital in moving physical training programs into a more modern perspective as used by elite strength-power anaerobic athletes in sports today. Because the warfighter is an elite athlete, it is time that training approaches that are scientifically based are updated within the military to match the functional demands of modern warfare and are given greater credence and value at the command levels. A needs analysis, development of periodized training modules, and individualization of programs are needed to optimize the strength of the modern warfighter. We now have the knowledge, professional coaches and nonprofit organization certifications with continuing education units, and modern training technology to allow this to happen. Ultimately, it only takes command decisions and implementation to make this possible.

Use of continuous glucose monitoring in patients with type 1 diabetes.

PubMed

Ellis, Samuel L; Naik, Ramachandra G; Gemperline, Kate; Garg, Satish K

2008-08-01

The prevalence of type 1 diabetes continues to increase worldwide at a rate higher than previously projected, while the number of patients achieving American Diabetes Association (ADA) glycated hemoglobin (A1c) goals remains suboptimal. There are numerous barriers to patients achieving A1c targets including increased frequency of severe hypoglycemia associated with lowering plasma glucose as measured by lower A1c values. Continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) was first approved for retrospective analysis and now has advanced to the next step in diabetes management with the approval of real-time glucose sensing. Real-time CGM, in short term studies, has been shown to decrease A1c values, improve glucose variability (GV), and minimize the time and number of hypoglycemic events in patients with type 1 diabetes. These products are approved for adjunctive use to self-monitoring of blood glucose (SMBG), but future long-term studies are needed to document their safety, efficacy, ability to replace SMBG as a tool of monitoring, and ultimately utility into closed-loop insulin delivery systems. New algorithms will need to be developed that account for rapid changes in the glucose values, so that accuracy of the sensor data can be maintained. In addition, for better clinical care and usage, algorithms also need to be developed for both patients and the providers to guide them for their ongoing diabetes care.

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

PubMed

Cady, Rhonda G; Finkelstein, Stanley M

2014-07-01

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

The American Board of Thoracic Surgery Congenital Fellowship: Have We Lost Our International Heritage?

PubMed

Starnes, Vaughn A; Sullivan, Maura E

2017-01-01

Since 2005 there have been very few (if any) individuals trained outside of the United States in congenital surgery. Confining congenital training to only programs in the US has with it some unintended consequences. First, we need to recognize that progress is made around the world and not only in the US. Second, we decrease our opportunity to establish international peers, which leads to less opportunity for multi-institutional and multi-national studies and intellectual isolation. Third, we are in a new age of globalization. Advances in technology, E-learning platforms, transportation, Internet, and other means of telecommunication have all expedited our capabilities to transmit knowledge and have created for us a "global village." I believe that it is time for us to reorganize and extend our programs beyond our own borders. To do this, we must think about creating Exchange Programs within our congenital fellowships. International fellowships will expose our trainees to new practice environments and help to open our minds to new ways of thinking. To be successful, our current board requirements will need to reflect these changes. The programs will need oversight, coordination, time and resources. In addition, and most importantly, we must make sure that it is a good learning experience. It will not be enough to "just send fellows abroad"; the programs must be guided by specific goals and objectives that need to be continually monitored and revised as needed. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Cadmium, lead, mercury and arsenic in animal feed and feed materials - trend analysis of monitoring results.

PubMed

Adamse, Paulien; Van der Fels-Klerx, H J Ine; de Jong, Jacob

2017-08-01

This study aimed to obtain insights into the presence of cadmium, lead, mercury and arsenic in feed materials and feed over time for the purpose of guiding national monitoring. Data from the Dutch feed monitoring programme and from representatives of the feed industry during the period 2007-13 were used. Data covered a variety of feed materials and compound feeds in the Netherlands. Trends in the percentage of samples that exceeded the maximum limit (ML) set by the European Commission, and trends in average, median and 90th percentile concentrations of each of these elements were investigated. Based on the results, monitoring should focus on feed material of mineral origin, feed material of marine origin, especially fish meal, seaweed and algae, as well as feed additives belonging to the functional groups of (1) trace elements (notably cupric sulphate, zinc oxide and manganese oxide for arsenic) and (2) binders and anti-caking agents. Mycotoxin binders are a new group of feed additives that also need attention. For complementary feed it is important to make a proper distinction between mineral and non-mineral feed (lower ML). Forage crops in general do not need high priority in monitoring programmes, although for arsenic grass meal still needs attention.

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

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

Loflin, Leonard

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

The National Water Data Exchange (NAWDEX)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Edwards, Melvin D.

1977-01-01

The National Water Data Exchange (NAWDEX) was established in 1976 to assist users of water data to identify, locate, and acquire needed data. NAWDEX is a confederation of water-oriented organizations working together to provide more timely and convenient access to their data. A directory of sources of water data and a nationwide index of available water data are maintained for the storage and dissemination of information on available water data. Assistance services are provided through a nationwide network of Local Assistance Centers. This network consists of 51 Centers located in 45 states and Puerto Rico. The Centers provide convenient access to NAWDEX services as well as making local-area expertise available in the identification and location of needed data. Additional Centers will be added to the network, as needed, to meet demands. NAWDEX is centrally managed by a Program Office located within the U.S. Geological Survey 's Water Resources Division in Reston, Virginia. (Woodard-USGS)

Improved analytical approximation to arbitrary l-state solutions of the Schrödinger equation for the hyperbolical potentials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sánchez López, Elena H.

2018-04-01

Water has been traditionally highlighted (together with fish and salt) as one of the essential elements in fish processing. Indeed, the need for large quantities of fresh water for the production of salted fish and fish sauces in Roman times is commonly asserted. This paper analyses water-related structures within Roman halieutic installations, arguing that their common presence in the best known fish processing installations in the Western Roman world should be taken as evidence of the use of fresh water during the production processes, even if its role in the activities carried out in those installations is not clear. In addition, the text proposes some first estimates on the amount of water that could be needed by those fish processing complexes for their functioning, concluding that water needs to be taken into account when reconstructing fish-salting recipes.

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

PubMed

Jensen, Christine J; Inker, Jennifer

2015-05-01

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

Telephone calls postdischarge from hospital to home: a literature review.

PubMed

Hand, Kristin E; Cunningham, Regina S

2014-02-01

The oncology population is particularly affected by hospital readmissions because hospitalized patients with cancer often have complex needs. The complexity and diversity of care requirements create substantial challenges in planning for appropriate postdischarge support. Implementing postdischarge telephone calls in the population of patients with cancer could offer a low-cost intervention to address the complex needs of patients during the transition from hospital to home. The goal of the current literature review is to provide an understanding about postdischarge telephone calls in patients with cancer. Findings from this review support the notion that discharge phone calls could improve care continuity for patients transitioning from hospital to home. The literature review outlines information related to telephone call content, timing, and structure for healthcare systems that want to use a postdischarge telephone intervention for patients with cancer. However, additional research is needed to develop and test cancer-specific protocols.

Atomic Data for Stellar Astrophysics: from the UV to the IR

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wahlgren, Glenn M.

2011-01-01

The study of stars and stellar evolution relies heavily on the analysis of stellar spectra. The need for atomic line data from the ultraviolet (UV) to the infrared (lR) regions is greater now than ever. In the past twenty years, the time since the launch of the Hubble Space Telescope, great progress has been made in acquiring atomic data for UV transitions. The optical wavelength region, now expanded by progress in detector technology, continues to provide motivation for new atomic data. In addition, investments in new instrumentation for ground-based and space observatories has lead to the availability of high-quality spectra at IR wavelengths, where the need for atomic data is most critical. In this review, examples are provided of the progress made in generating atomic data for stellar studies, with a look to the future for addressing the accuracy and completeness of atomic data for anticipated needs.

Community Health Worker Employer Survey: Perspectives on CHW Workforce Development in the Midwest.

PubMed

Chaidez, Virginia; Palmer-Wackerly, Angela L; Trout, Kate E

2018-05-30

A statewide Community Health Worker Employer Survey was administered to various clinical, community, and faith-based organizations (n = 240) across a range of rural and urban settings in the Midwest. At least 80% of participants agreed or strongly agreed that items characterized as supervisory support were present in their work environment. Thirty-six percent of respondents currently employed CHWs, over half (51%) of survey respondents reported seeing the need to hire/work with more CHWs, and 44% saw the need for CHWs increasing in the future. Regarding CHW support, a majority of respondents indicated networking opportunities (63%), paid time for networking (80%), adequate time for supervision (75%), orientation training (78%), mandatory training (78%), ongoing training (79%), and paid time for training (82%). Open-ended responses to the question "In your organization, what needs could CHWs meet?" resulted in the largest number of respondents reporting mental health issues as a priority, followed by connecting people with services or resources, educating the public on preventive health, family support, and home care/visitations. Our findings suggest that respondents, who largely have supervisory or managerial roles, view workplace environments in Nebraska favorably, despite the fact that nearly two-thirds of respondents typically work well over 40 h per week. In addition, CHWs could help address mental and physical health needs in a variety of community and clinical settings through primary and secondary prevention activities, such as provision of health screenings, health and nutrition education, connecting people to resources and empowering community members through these activities and more.

Role of NF-Kappa B Signaling in X-Box Binding Protein 1 (XBP1)-Mediated Antiestrogen Resistance in Breast Cancer

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-10-01

experiments, a statistically significant data is not yet available. Additional experiments are needed for us to be able to draw   conclu comb Figure...well-defined stress pathways, UPR and autophagy, are involved breast involution regulation. Using published gene expression array datasets from...performed involution time-course experiments using both low-dose drug interventions and an autophagy-related gene 7 (ATG7) deletion mouse model

Treatment of plaque-induced gingivitis, chronic periodontitis, and other clinical conditions.

PubMed

2001-12-01

The inflammatory components of plaque induced gingivitis and chronic periodontitis can be managed effectively for the majority of patients with a plaque control program and non-surgical and/or surgical root debridement coupled with continued periodontal maintenance procedures. Some patients may need additional therapeutic procedures. All of the therapeutic modalities reviewed in this position paper may be utilized by the clinician at various times over the long-term management of the patient's periodontal condition.

Treatment of plaque-induced gingivitis, chronic periodontitis, and other clinical conditions.

PubMed

The inflammatory components of plaque induced gingivitis and chronic periodontitis can be managed effectively for the majority of patients with a plaque control program and nonsurgical and/or surgical root debridement coupled with continued periodontal maintenance procedures. Some patients may need additional therapeutic procedures. All of the therapeutic modalities reviewed in this position paper may be utilized by the clinician at various times over the long-term management of the patient's periodontal condition.

The use of ERTS imagery in reservoir management and operation. [New England

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cooper, S. (Principal Investigator); Bock, P.; Horowitz, J.; Foran, D.

1975-01-01

The author has identified the following significant results. Real time data collection by orbiting satellite relay was found to be both reliable and feasible. ERTS imagery was assessed and it was shown that in most cases better spatial resolution and/or additional spectral bands would be required to satisfy NED's needs. A man-computer interactive system, using cathode ray tube display could solve the problem of an unwieldy mass of data for interpretation.

Non-Contact Circuit for Real-Time Electric and Magnetic Field Measurements

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-10-01

addresses these needs, and additionally has “smart” features that adjust integrated circuits ( ICs ) on the sensor during start-up based upon the...Hall effect sensors, the datasheet information on the MLX91205 gives a dynamic range of 66 to 96 dB for frequencies of 10 Hz and 10 kHz, respectively...Electric Field Sensors. 18 August 2009. 4. Melexis. IMC-Hall Current Sensor, MLX91205 Datasheet . June. 2012 5. Vinci SJ, Hull DM. Electrostatic

Prevalence of probiotic use among inpatients: A descriptive study of 145 U.S. hospitals.

PubMed

Yi, Sarah H; Jernigan, John A; McDonald, L Clifford

2016-05-01

To inform clinical guidance, public health efforts, and research directions, probiotic use in U.S. health care needs to be better understood. This work aimed to assess the prevalence of inpatient probiotic use in a sample of U.S. hospitals. Probiotic use among patients discharged in 2012 was estimated using the MarketScan Hospital Drug Database. In addition, the annual trend in probiotic use (2006-2012) was assessed among a subset of hospitals. Among 145 hospitals with 1,976,167 discharges in 2012, probiotics were used in 51,723 (2.6%) of hospitalizations occurring in 139 (96%) hospitals. Patients receiving probiotics were 9 times more likely to receive antimicrobials (P < .0001) and 21 times more likely to have a Clostridium difficile infection diagnosis (P < .0001). The most common probiotic formulations were Saccharomyces boulardii (32% of patients receiving probiotics), Lactobacillus acidophilus and Lactobacillus bulgaricus (30%), L acidophilus (28%), and Lactobacillus rhamnosus (11%). Probiotic use increased from 1.0% of 1,090,373 discharges in 2006 to 2.9% of 1,006,051 discharges in 2012 (P < .0001). In this sample of U.S. hospitals, a sizable and growing number of inpatients received probiotics as part of their care despite inadequate evidence to support their use in this population. Additional research is needed to guide probiotic use in the hospital setting. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Improved Method of Purifying Carbon Nanotubes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Delzeit, Lance D.

2004-01-01

An improved method of removing the residues of fabrication from carbon nanotubes has been invented. These residues comprise amorphous carbon and metal particles that are produced during the growth process. Prior methods of removing the residues include a variety of processes that involved the use of halogens, oxygen, or air in both thermal and plasma processes. Each of the prior methods entails one or more disadvantages, including non-selectivity (removal or damage of nanotubes in addition to removal of the residues), the need to dispose of toxic wastes, and/or processing times as long as 24 hours or more. In contrast, the process described here does not include the use of toxic chemicals, the generation of toxic wastes, causes little or no damage to the carbon nanotubes, and involves processing times of less than 1 hour. In the improved method, purification is accomplished by flowing water vapor through the reaction chamber at elevated temperatures and ambient pressures. The impurities are converted to gaseous waste products by the selective hydrogenation and hydroxylation by the water in a reaction chamber. This process could be performed either immediately after growth or in a post-growth purification process. The water used needs to be substantially free of oxygen and can be obtained by a repeated freeze-pump-thaw process. The presence of oxygen will non-selectively attach the carbon nanotubes in addition to the amorphous carbon.

ESC Working Group on Valvular Heart Disease position paper--heart valve clinics: organization, structure, and experiences.

PubMed

Lancellotti, Patrizio; Rosenhek, Raphael; Pibarot, Philippe; Iung, Bernard; Otto, Catherine M; Tornos, Pilar; Donal, Erwan; Prendergast, Bernard; Magne, Julien; La Canna, Giovanni; Piérard, Luc A; Maurer, Gerald

2013-06-01

With an increasing prevalence of patients with valvular heart disease (VHD), a dedicated management approach is needed. The challenges encountered are manifold and include appropriate diagnosis and quantification of valve lesion, organization of adequate follow-up, and making the right management decisions, in particular with regard to the timing and choice of interventions. Data from the Euro Heart Survey have shown a substantial discrepancy between guidelines and clinical practice in the field of VHD and many patients are denied surgery despite having clear indications. The concept of heart valve clinics (HVCs) is increasingly recognized as the way to proceed. At the same time, very few centres have developed such expertise, indicating that specific recommendations for the initial development and subsequent operating requirements of an HVC are needed. The aim of this position paper is to provide insights into the rationale, organization, structure, and expertise needed to establish and operate an HVC. Although the main goal is to improve the clinical management of patients with VHD, the impact of HVCs on education is of particular importance: larger patient volumes foster the required expertise among more senior physicians but are also fundamental for training new cardiologists, medical students, and nurses. Additional benefits arise from research opportunities resulting from such an organized structure and the delivery of standardized care protocols. The growing volume of patients with VHD, their changing characteristics, and the growing technological opportunities of refined diagnosis and treatment in addition to the potential dismal prognosis if overlooked mandate specialized evaluation and care by dedicated physicians working in a specialized environment that is called the HVC.

Whooping crane recovery plan

USGS Publications Warehouse

Olsen, David L.; Blankenship, David R.; Irby, Harold D.; Erickson, Ray C.; Lock, Ross; Drewien, Roderick C.; Smith, Lawrence S.; Derrickson, Scott R.

1980-01-01

This plan has been prepared under the authority of the Endangered Species Act of 1973 and subsequent amendments. The Plan is designed to provide decision makers with an orderly set of events which, if carried out to a successful completion, will result in changing the status of the species from the endangered to the threatened level. It must be recognized that this Plan has been prepared 40 years after attempts to preserve the species began. As such, it covers events that have taken place, that are taking place, and that need to take place. The Plan, therefore, not only compiles in one place all whooping crane management and research efforts which are underway, but also proposes additional efforts needed for the recovery of the whooping crane. The Plan also establishes funding evels, time schedules, and priorities for each management and research effort.The Plan is organized into three parts. the first part includes an account of the whooping crane's history, biology, present status, and the factors believed to have resulted in its endangered status. Also included in this part is a synopsis of research and management activities that have taken place through 1978.The second part is a step-down pan wherein all existing and needed research and management efforts are organized into an orderly set of events. The prime objective is to move the whooping crane to non-endangered status. Minimum requirements for the attainment of this objective are the increase of the historical Wood Buffalo-Aransas population to at least 40 nesting pairs and the establishment of at least two additional, separate, and self-sustaining populations consisting of at least 20 nesting pairs each.the third part identifies the responsibility, time schedule, and cost for each element of the step-down plan.

Experiences of registered nurses who supervise international nursing students in the clinical and classroom setting: an integrative literature review.

PubMed

Newton, Louise; Pront, Leeanne; Giles, Tracey M

2016-06-01

To examine the literature reporting the experiences and perceptions of registered nurses who supervise international nursing students in the clinical and classroom setting. Nursing education relies on clinical experts to supervise students during classroom and clinical education, and the quality of that supervision has a significant impact on student development and learning. Global migration and internationalisation of nursing education have led to increasing numbers of registered nurses supervising international nursing students. However, a paucity of relevant literature limits our understanding of these experiences. An integrative literature review. Comprehensive database searches of CINAHL, Informit, PubMed, Journals@Ovid, Findit@flinders and Medline were undertaken. Screening of 179 articles resulted in 10 included for review. Appraisal and analysis using Whittemore and Knafl's (Journal of Advanced Nursing, 52, 2005, 546) five stage integrative review recommendations was undertaken. This review highlighted some unique challenges for registered nurses supervising international nursing students. Identified issues were, a heightened sense of responsibility, additional pastoral care challenges, considerable time investments, communication challenges and cultural differences between teaching and learning styles. It is possible that these unique challenges could be minimised by implementing role preparation programmes specific to international nursing student supervision. Further research is needed to provide an in-depth exploration of current levels of preparation and support to make recommendations for future practice, education and policy development. An awareness of the specific cultural learning needs of international nursing students is an important first step to the provision of culturally competent supervision for this cohort of students. There is an urgent need for education and role preparation for all registered nurses supervising international nursing students, along with adequate recognition of the additional time required to effectively supervise these students. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Ketamine versus alfentanil combined with propofol for sedation in colonoscopy procedures: a randomized prospective study.

PubMed

Türk, Hacer Şebnem; Aydoğmuş, Meltem; Ünsal, Oya; Işıl, Canan Tülay; Citgez, Bülent; Oba, Sibel; Açık, Mehmet Eren

2014-12-01

Different drug combinations are used for sedation in colonoscopy procedures. A ketamine-propofol (ketofol) mixture provides effective sedation and has minimal adverse effects. Alfentanil also provides anesthesia for short surgical procedures by incremental injection as an adjunct. However, no study has investigated the use of ketofol compared with an opioid-propofol combination in colonoscopic procedures. A total of 70 patients, ASA physical status I-II, scheduled to undergo elective colonoscopy, were enrolled in this prospective randomized study and allocated to two groups. After premedication, sedation induction was performed with 0.5 mg/kg ketamine +1 mg/kg propofol in Group KP, and 10 mg/kg alfentanil +1 mg/kg propofol in Group AP. Propofol was added when required. Demographic data, colonoscopy duration, recovery time, discharge time, mean arterial pressure (MAP), heart rate (HR), peripheral oxygen saturation, Ramsey Sedation Scale values, colonoscopy patients' satisfaction scores, and complications were recorded. The need for additional propofol doses was significantly higher in Group AP than in Group KP. MAP at minute 1 and 5, Ramsey Sedation Scale at minute 5, and discharge time were significantly higher in Group KP than in Group AP. Additional propofol doses and total propofol dose were significantly lower in Group KP than in Group AP. Ketofol provided better hemodynamic stability and quality of sedation compared with alfentanil-propofol combination in elective colonoscopy, and required fewer additional propofol; however, it prolonged discharge time. Both combinations can safely be used in colonoscopy sedation.

Micromachined silicon acoustic delay line with improved structural stability and acoustic directivity for real-time photoacoustic tomography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cho, Young; Kumar, Akhil; Xu, Song; Zou, Jun

2017-03-01

Recent studies have shown that micromachined silicon acoustic delay lines can provide a promising solution to achieve real-time photoacoustic tomography without the need for complex transducer arrays and data acquisition electronics. However, as its length increases to provide longer delay time, the delay line becomes more vulnerable to structural instability due to reduced mechanical stiffness. In addition, the small cross-section area of the delay line results in a large acoustic acceptance angle and therefore poor directivity. To address these two issues, this paper reports the design, fabrication, and testing of a new silicon acoustic delay line enhanced with 3D printed polymer micro linker structures. First, mechanical deformation of the silicon acoustic delay line (with and without linker structures) under gravity was simulated by using finite element method. Second, the acoustic crosstalk and acoustic attenuation caused by the polymer micro linker structures were evaluated with both numerical simulation and ultrasound transmission testing. The result shows that the use of the polymer micro linker structures significantly improves the structural stability of the silicon acoustic delay lines without creating additional acoustic attenuation and crosstalk. In addition, a new tapered design for the input terminal of the delay line was also investigate to improve its acoustic directivity by reducing the acoustic acceptance angle. These two improvements are expected to provide an effective solution to eliminate current limitations on the achievable acoustic delay time and out-of-plane imaging resolution of micromachined silicon acoustic delay line arrays.

Modeling Real-Time Applications with Reusable Design Patterns

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rekhis, Saoussen; Bouassida, Nadia; Bouaziz, Rafik

Real-Time (RT) applications, which manipulate important volumes of data, need to be managed with RT databases that deal with time-constrained data and time-constrained transactions. In spite of their numerous advantages, RT databases development remains a complex task, since developers must study many design issues related to the RT domain. In this paper, we tackle this problem by proposing RT design patterns that allow the modeling of structural and behavioral aspects of RT databases. We show how RT design patterns can provide design assistance through architecture reuse of reoccurring design problems. In addition, we present an UML profile that represents patterns and facilitates further their reuse. This profile proposes, on one hand, UML extensions allowing to model the variability of patterns in the RT context and, on another hand, extensions inspired from the MARTE (Modeling and Analysis of Real-Time Embedded systems) profile.

Trends in Worker Hearing Loss by Industry Sector, 1981–2010

PubMed Central

Masterson, Elizabeth A.; Deddens, James A.; Themann, Christa L.; Bertke, Stephen; Calvert, Geoffrey M.

2015-01-01

Background The purpose of this study was to estimate the incidence and prevalence of hearing loss for noise-exposed U.S. workers by industry sector and 5-year time period, covering 30 years. Methods Audiograms for 1.8 million workers from 1981–2010 were examined. Incidence and prevalence were estimated by industry sector and time period. The adjusted risk of incident hearing loss within each time period and industry sector as compared with a reference time period was also estimated. Results The adjusted risk for incident hearing loss decreased over time when all industry sectors were combined. However, the risk remained high for workers in Healthcare and Social Assistance, and the prevalence was consistently high for Mining and Construction workers. Conclusions While progress has been made in reducing the risk of incident hearing loss within most industry sectors, additional efforts are needed within Mining, Construction and Healthcare and Social Assistance. PMID:25690583

Expanding NASA's Land, Atmosphere Near Real-Time Capability for EOS (LANCE)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Davies, Diane; Michael, Karen; Masuoka, Ed; Ye, Gang; Schmaltz, Jeffrey; Harrison, Sherry; Ziskin, Daniel; Durbin, Phil B; Protack, Steve; Rinsland, Pamela Livingstone;

Expanding NASA's Land, Atmosphere Near real-time Capability for EOS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Davies, D.; Michael, K.; Masuoka, E.; Ye, G.; Schmaltz, J. E.; Harrison, S.; Ziskin, D.; Durbin, P. B.; Protack, S.; Rinsland, P. L.; Slayback, D. A.; Policelli, F. S.; Olsina, O.; Fu, G.; Ederer, G. A.; Ding, F.; Braun, J.; Gumley, L.; Prins, E. M.; Davidson, C. C.; Wong, M. M.

2017-12-01

NASA's Land, Atmosphere Near real-time Capability for EOS (LANCE) is a virtual system that provides near real-time EOS data and imagery to meet the needs of scientists and application users interested in monitoring a wide variety of natural and man-made phenomena in near real-time. Over the last year: near real-time products and imagery from MOPITT, MISR, OMPS and VIIRS (Land and Atmosphere) have been added; the Fire Information for Resource Management System (FIRMS) has been updated and LANCE has begun the process of integrating the Global NRT flood product. In addition, following the AMSU-A2 instrument anomaly in September 2016, AIRS-only products have replaced the NRT level 2 AIRS+AMSU products. This presentation provides a brief overview of LANCE, describes the new products that are recently available and contains a preview of what to expect in LANCE over the coming year. For more information visit: https://earthdata.nasa.gov/lance

Trends in worker hearing loss by industry sector, 1981-2010.

PubMed

Masterson, Elizabeth A; Deddens, James A; Themann, Christa L; Bertke, Stephen; Calvert, Geoffrey M

2015-04-01

The purpose of this study was to estimate the incidence and prevalence of hearing loss for noise-exposed U.S. workers by industry sector and 5-year time period, covering 30 years. Audiograms for 1.8 million workers from 1981-2010 were examined. Incidence and prevalence were estimated by industry sector and time period. The adjusted risk of incident hearing loss within each time period and industry sector as compared with a reference time period was also estimated. The adjusted risk for incident hearing loss decreased over time when all industry sectors were combined. However, the risk remained high for workers in Healthcare and Social Assistance, and the prevalence was consistently high for Mining and Construction workers. While progress has been made in reducing the risk of incident hearing loss within most industry sectors, additional efforts are needed within Mining, Construction and Healthcare and Social Assistance. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Real-time recognition of feedback error-related potentials during a time-estimation task.

PubMed

Lopez-Larraz, Eduardo; Iturrate, Iñaki; Montesano, Luis; Minguez, Javier

2010-01-01

Feedback error-related potentials are a promising brain process in the field of rehabilitation since they are related to human learning. Due to the fact that many therapeutic strategies rely on the presentation of feedback stimuli, potentials generated by these stimuli could be used to ameliorate the patient's progress. In this paper we propose a method that can identify, in real-time, feedback evoked potentials in a time-estimation task. We have tested our system with five participants in two different days with a separation of three weeks between them, achieving a mean single-trial detection performance of 71.62% for real-time recognition, and 78.08% in offline classification. Additionally, an analysis of the stability of the signal between the two days is performed, suggesting that the feedback responses are stable enough to be used without the needing of training again the user.

Robust Flood Monitoring Using Sentinel-1 SAR Time Series

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

DeVries, B.; Huang, C.; Armston, J.; Huang, W.

2017-12-01

The 2017 hurricane season in North and Central America has resulted in unprecedented levels of flooding that have affected millions of people and continue to impact communities across the region. The extent of casualties and damage to property incurred by these floods underscores the need for reliable systems to track flood location, timing and duration to aid response and recovery efforts. While a diverse range of data sources provide vital information on flood status in near real-time, only spaceborne Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) sensors can ensure wall-to-wall coverage over large areas, mostly independently of weather conditions or site accessibility. The European Space Agency's Sentinel-1 constellation represents the only SAR mission currently providing open access and systematic global coverage, allowing for a consistent stream of observations over flood-prone regions. Importantly, both the data and pre-processing software are freely available, enabling the development of improved methods, tools and data products to monitor floods in near real-time. We tracked flood onset and progression in Southeastern Texas, Southern Florida, and Puerto Rico using a novel approach based on temporal backscatter anomalies derived from times series of Sentinel-1 observations and historic baselines defined for each of the three sites. This approach was shown to provide a more objective measure of flood occurrence than the simple backscatter thresholds often employed in operational flood monitoring systems. Additionally, the use of temporal anomaly measures allowed us to partially overcome biases introduced by varying sensor view angles and image acquisition modes, allowing increased temporal resolution in areas where additional targeted observations are available. Our results demonstrate the distinct advantages offered by data from operational SAR missions such as Sentinel-1 and NASA's planned NISAR mission, and call attention to the continuing need for SAR Earth Observation missions that provide systematic repeat observations to facilitate continuous monitoring of flood-affected regions.

Design ATE systems for complex assemblies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Napier, R. S.; Flammer, G. H.; Moser, S. A.

1983-06-01

The use of ATE systems in radio specification testing can reduce the test time by approximately 90 to 95 percent. What is more, the test station does not require a highly trained operator. Since the system controller has full power over all the measurements, human errors are not introduced into the readings. The controller is immune to any need to increase output by allowing marginal units to pass through the system. In addition, the software compensates for predictable, repeatable system errors, for example, cabling losses, which are an inherent part of the test setup. With no variation in test procedures from unit to unit, there is a constant repeatability factor. Preparing the software, however, usually entails considerable expense. It is pointed out that many of the problems associated with ATE system software can be avoided with the use of a software-intensive, or computer-intensive, system organization. Its goal is to minimize the user's need for software development, thereby saving time and money.

Scientific writing: strategies and tools for students and advisors.

PubMed

Singh, Vikash; Mayer, Philipp

2014-01-01

Scientific writing is a demanding task and many students need more time than expected to finish their research articles. To speed up the process, we highlight some tools, strategies as well as writing guides. We recommend starting early in the research process with writing and to prepare research articles, not after but in parallel to the lab or field work. We suggest considering scientific writing as a team enterprise, which needs proper organization and regular feedback. In addition, it is helpful to select potential target journals early and to consider not only scope and reputation, but also decision times and rejection rates. Before submission, instructions to authors and writing guides should be considered, and drafts should be extensively revised. Later in the process editor's and reviewer's comments should be followed. Our tips and tools help students and advisors to structure the writing and publishing process, thereby stimulating them to develop their own strategies to success. Copyright © 2014 The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

EVA Skills Training

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Parazynski, Scott

2012-01-01

Dr. Parazynski and a colleague from Extravehicular Activity (EVA), Robotics, & Crew Systems Operations (DX) worked closely to build the EVA Skills Training Program, and for the first time, defined the gold standards of EVA performance, allowing crewmembers to increase their performance significantly. As part of the program, individuals had the opportunity to learn at their own rate, taking additional water time as required, to achieve that level of performance. This focus on training to one's strengths and weaknesses to bolster them enabled the Crew Office and DX to field a much larger group of spacewalkers for the daunting "wall of EVA" required for the building and maintenance of the ISS. Parazynski also stressed the need for designers to understand the capabilities and the limitations of a human in a spacesuit, as well as opportunities to improve future generations of space. He shared lessons learned (how the Crew Office engaged in these endeavors) and illustrated the need to work as a team to develop these complex systems.

Supportability Technologies for Future Exploration Missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Watson, Kevin; Thompson, Karen

2007-01-01

Future long-duration human exploration missions will be challenged by resupply limitations and mass and volume constraints. Consequently, it will be essential that the logistics footprint required to support these missions be minimized and that capabilities be provided to make them highly autonomous from a logistics perspective. Strategies to achieve these objectives include broad implementation of commonality and standardization at all hardware levels and across all systems, repair of failed hardware at the lowest possible hardware level, and manufacture of structural and mechanical replacement components as needed. Repair at the lowest hardware levels will require the availability of compact, portable systems for diagnosis of failures in electronic systems and verification of system functionality following repair. Rework systems will be required that enable the removal and replacement of microelectronic components with minimal human intervention to minimize skill requirements and training demand for crews. Materials used in the assembly of electronic systems (e.g. solders, fluxes, conformal coatings) must be compatible with the available repair methods and the spacecraft environment. Manufacturing of replacement parts for structural and mechanical applications will require additive manufacturing systems that can generate near-net-shape parts from the range of engineering alloys employed in the spacecraft structure and in the parts utilized in other surface systems. These additive manufacturing processes will need to be supported by real-time non-destructive evaluation during layer-additive processing for on-the-fly quality control. This will provide capabilities for quality control and may serve as an input for closed-loop process control. Additionally, non-destructive methods should be available for material property determination. These nondestructive evaluation processes should be incorporated with the additive manufacturing process - providing an in-process capability to ensure that material deposited during layer-additive processing meets required material property criteria.

Case for real-time systems development - Quo vadis?

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Erb, Dona M.

1991-01-01

The paper focuses on the distinctive issues of computer-aided software engineering (CASE) products for the development of real-time systems. CASE technologies and associated standardization efforts are evolving from sets of conflicting interests. The majority of case products are intended for use in the development of management information systems. CASE products to support the development of large, complex real-time systems must provide additional capabilities. Generic concerns include the quality of the implementation of the required method for the phase of the system's development and whether the vendor is stable and committed to evolving the products in parallel with nonproprietary standards. The CASE market is undergoing considerable consolidation. The paper describes the major forces, cooperating entities, and remaining uncertainties that need to be weighed in near-term CASE procurements to limit risk of loss of investment in project time, trianing, and money.

Can a void mimic the Λ in ΛCDM?

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

Sundell, Peter; Vilja, Iiro; Mörtsell, Edvard, E-mail: pgsund@utu.fi, E-mail: edvard@fysik.su.se, E-mail: iiro.vilja@utu.fi

2015-08-01

We investigate Lemaítre-Tolman-Bondi (LTB) models, whose early time evolution and bang time are homogeneous and the distance-redshift relation and local Hubble parameter are inherited from the ΛCDM model. We show that the obtained LTB models and the ΛCDM model predict different relative local expansion rates and that the Hubble functions of the models diverge increasingly with redshift. The LTB models show tension between low redshift baryon acoustic oscillation and supernova observations and including Lyman-α forest or cosmic microwave background observations only accentuates the better fit of the ΛCDM model compared to the LTB model. The result indicates that additional degreesmore » of freedom are needed to explain the observations, for example by renouncing spherical symmetry, homogeneous bang time, negligible effects of pressure, or the early time homogeneity assumption.« less

Time Synchronization and Distribution Mechanisms for Space Networks

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Woo, Simon S.; Gao, Jay L.; Clare, Loren P.; Mills, David L.

2011-01-01

This work discusses research on the problems of synchronizing and distributing time information between spacecraft based on the Network Time Protocol (NTP), where NTP is a standard time synchronization protocol widely used in the terrestrial network. The Proximity-1 Space Link Interleaved Time Synchronization (PITS) Protocol was designed and developed for synchronizing spacecraft that are in proximity where proximity is less than 100,000 km distant. A particular application is synchronization between a Mars orbiter and rover. Lunar scenarios as well as outer-planet deep space mother-ship-probe missions may also apply. Spacecraft with more accurate time information functions as a time-server, and the other spacecraft functions as a time-client. PITS can be easily integrated and adaptable to the CCSDS Proximity-1 Space Link Protocol with minor modifications. In particular, PITS can take advantage of the timestamping strategy that underlying link layer functionality provides for accurate time offset calculation. The PITS algorithm achieves time synchronization with eight consecutive space network time packet exchanges between two spacecraft. PITS can detect and avoid possible errors from receiving duplicate and out-of-order packets by comparing with the current state variables and timestamps. Further, PITS is able to detect error events and autonomously recover from unexpected events that can possibly occur during the time synchronization and distribution process. This capability achieves an additional level of protocol protection on top of CRC or Error Correction Codes. PITS is a lightweight and efficient protocol, eliminating the needs for explicit frame sequence number and long buffer storage. The PITS protocol is capable of providing time synchronization and distribution services for a more general domain where multiple entities need to achieve time synchronization using a single point-to-point link.

Defense Additive Manufacturing: DOD Needs to Systematically Track Department-wide 3D Printing Efforts

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-10-01

Clip Additively Manufactured • The Navy installed a 3D printer aboard the USS Essex to demonstrate the ability to additively develop and produce...desired result and vision to have the capability on the fleet. These officials stated that the Navy plans to install 3D printers on two additional...DEFENSE ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING DOD Needs to Systematically Track Department-wide 3D Printing Efforts Report to

The role of a low Earth orbiter in intercontinental time synchronization via GPS satellites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wu, S. C.; Ondrasik, V. J.

1985-01-01

Time synchronization between two sites using differential GPS has been investigated by a number of researchers. When the two sites are widely separated, the common view period of any GPS satellite becomes shorter; low elevation observations are inevitable. This increase the corrupting effects of the atmospheric delay and, at the same time, narrows the window for such time synchronization. This difficulty can be alleviated by synchronization. This difficulty can be alleviated by using a transit site located midway between the two main sites. The main sites can now look at different GPS satellites which are also in view at the transit site. However, a ground transit site may not always be conveniently available, especially across the Pacific Ocean; also, the inclusion of a ground transit site introduce additional errors due to its location error and local atmospheric delay. An alternative is to use a low Earth orbiter (LEO) as the transit site. A LEO is superior to a ground transit site in three ways: (1) It covers a large part of the Earth in a short period of time and, hence, a single LEO provides worldwide transit services; (2) it is above the troposphere and thus its inclusion does not introduce additional tropospheric delay error; and (3) it provides strong dynamics needed to improve GPS satellite positions which are of importance to ultraprecise time synchronization.

Simultaneous CCD Photometry of Two Eclipsing Binary Stars in Pegasus - Part2: BX Peg

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alton, K. B.

2013-05-01

BX Peg is an overcontact W UMa binary system (P = 0.280416 d) which has been rather well studied, but not fully understood due to complex changes in eclipse timings and light curve variations attributed to star spots. Photometric data collected in three bandpasses (B, V, and Ic) produced nineteen new times of minimum for BX Peg. These were used to update the linear ephemeris and further analyze potential changes in orbital periodicity by examining long-term changes in eclipse timings. In addition, synthetic fitting of light curves by Roche modeling was accomplished with the assistance of three different programs, two of which employ the Wilson-Devinney code. Different spotted solutions were necessary to achieve the best Roche model fits for BX Peg light curves collected in 2008 and 2011. Overall, the long-;term decrease (9.66 × 10-3 sec y-1) in orbital period defined by the parabolic fit of eclipse timing data could arise from mass transfer or angular momentum loss. The remaining residuals from observed minus predicted eclipse timings for BX Peg exhibit complex but non-random behavior. These may be related to magnetic activity cycles and/or the presence of an unseen mass influencing the times of minimum, however, additional minima need to be collected over a much longer timescale to resolve the nature of these complex changes.

Meeting national response time targets for priority 1 incidents in an urban emergency medical services system in South Africa: More ambulances won't help.

PubMed

Stein, Christopher; Wallis, Lee; Adetunji, Olufemi

2015-09-19

Response time is viewed as a key performance indicator in most emergency medical services (EMS) systems. To determine the effect of increased emergency vehicle numbers on response time performance for priority 1 incidents in an urban EMS system in Cape Town, South Africa, using discrete-event computer simulation. A simulation model was created, based on input data from part of the EMS operations. Two different versions of the model were used, one with primary response vehicles and ambulances and one with only ambulances. In both cases the models were run in seven different scenarios. The first scenario used the actual number of emergency vehicles in the real system, and in each subsequent scenario vehicle numbers were increased by adding the baseline number to the cumulative total. The model using only ambulances had shorter response times and a greater number of responses meeting national response time targets than models using primary response vehicles and ambulances. In both cases an improvement in response times and the number of responses meeting national response time targets was observed with the first incremental addition of vehicles. After this the improvements rapidly diminished and eventually became negligible with each successive increase in vehicle numbers. The national response time target for urban areas was never met, even with a seven-fold increase in vehicle numbers. The addition of emergency vehicles to an urban EMS system improves response times in priority 1 incidents, but alone is not capable of the magnitude of response time improvement needed to meet the national response time targets.

Cycle time and cost reduction in large-size optics production

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hallock, Bob; Shorey, Aric; Courtney, Tom

2005-09-01

Optical fabrication process steps have remained largely unchanged for decades. Raw glass blanks have been rough-machined, generated to near net shape, loose abrasive or fine bound diamond ground and then polished. This set of processes is sequential and each subsequent operation removes the damage and micro cracking induced by the prior operational step. One of the long-lead aspects of this process has been the glass polishing. Primarily, this has been driven by the need to remove relatively large volumes of glass material compared to the polishing removal rate to ensure complete damage removal. The secondary time driver has been poor convergence to final figure and the corresponding polish-metrology cycles. The overall cycle time and resultant cost due to labor, equipment utilization and shop efficiency is increased, often significantly, when the optical prescription is aspheric. In addition to the long polishing cycle times, the duration of the polishing time is often very difficult to predict given that current polishing processes are not deterministic processes. This paper will describe a novel approach to large optics finishing, relying on several innovative technologies to be presented and illustrated through a variety of examples. The cycle time reductions enabled by this approach promises to result in significant cost and lead-time reductions for large size optics. In addition, corresponding increases in throughput will provide for less capital expenditure per square meter of optic produced. This process, comparative cycles time estimates and preliminary results will be discussed.

Modeling the Impact of School-based Universal Depression Screening on Additional Service Capacity Needs: A System Dynamics Approach

PubMed Central

Lyon, Aaron R.; Maras, Melissa A.; Pate, Christina M.; Igusa, Takeru; Stoep, Ann Vander

2016-01-01

Although it is widely known that the occurrence of depression increases over the course of adolescence, symptoms of mood disorders frequently go undetected. While schools are viable settings for conducting universal screening to systematically identify students in need of services for common health conditions, particularly those that adversely affect school performance, few school districts routinely screen their students for depression. Among the most commonly referenced barriers are concerns that the number of students identified may exceed schools’ service delivery capacities, but few studies have evaluated this concern systematically. System dynamics (SD) modeling may prove a useful approach for answering questions of this sort. The goal of the current paper is therefore to demonstrate how SD modeling can be applied to inform implementation decisions in communities. In our demonstration, we used SD modeling to estimate the additional service demand generated by universal depression screening in a typical high school. We then simulated the effects of implementing “compensatory approaches” designed to address anticipated increases in service need through (1) the allocation of additional staff time and (2) improvements in the effectiveness of mental health interventions. Results support the ability of screening to facilitate more rapid entry into services and suggest that improving the effectiveness of mental health services for students with depression via the implementation of an evidence-based treatment protocol may have a limited impact on overall recovery rates and service availability. In our example, the SD approach proved useful in informing systems’ decision-making about the adoption of a new school mental health service. PMID:25601192

Inhaled versus systemic corticosteroids for acute asthma in children. A systematic review.

PubMed

Beckhaus, Andrea A; Riutort, Maria C; Castro-Rodriguez, Jose A

2014-04-01

To compare the effects of inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) against systemic corticosteroids (SC) in children consulting in emergency department (ED) or equivalent for asthma exacerbation. Electronic search in MEDLINE, CENTRAL, CINAHL, and LILACS databases and other sources. Study selection criteria: children 2-18 years of age, consulting in ED or equivalent for asthma exacerbation, comparison between ICS and SC, randomized controlled trials. hospital admission rate, unscheduled visits for asthma symptoms, need of additional course of SC. improvement of lung function, length of stay in ED, clinical scores, and adverse effects. Eight studies met inclusion criteria (N = 797), published between 1995 and 2006. All used prednisolone as SC and budesonide, fluticasone, dexamethasone, and flunisolide were administered as ICS. No significant difference between ICS versus SC was found in terms of hospital admission (RR: 1.02; 95% CI: 0.41-2.57), unscheduled visits for asthma symptoms (RR: 9.55; 95% CI: 0.53-170.52) nor for need of additional course of SC (RR: 1.45; 95% CI: 0.28-7.62). The change in % of predicted FEV1 at fourth hour was significantly higher for SC group, but there was no significant difference between both groups after this time. There was insufficient data to perform meta-analysis of length of stay during first consult in ED and of symptom scores. Vomiting was similar among both groups. There is no evidence of a difference between ICS and SC in terms of hospital admission rates, unscheduled visits for asthma symptoms and need of additional course of SC in children consulting for asthma exacerbations. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Metabolism studies of diclofenac and clofibric acid in activated sludge bioreactors using liquid chromatography with quadrupole - time-of-flight mass spectrometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kosjek, Tina; Heath, Ester; Pérez, Sandra; Petrović, Mira; Barceló, Damia

2009-06-01

SummaryTwo environmentally relevant pharmaceuticals, the non-steroidal antiinflammatory drug, diclofenac and the pharmacologically active metabolite of several serum triglyceride-lowering pharmaceuticals, clofibric acid, were subjected to microbiological transformation in activated sludge bioreactors, and the production of breakdown products was studied. For separation, detection and identification of diclofenac's metabolites a UPLC-(+)ESI-QqToF-MS was employed, which enabled the detection of seven transformation products of diclofenac, all including the diagnostic fragment ion at m/z 214. The chemical structure of one metabolite was proposed, which was produced by dehydratation and lactame formation. Further investigations revealed additional two metabolites, which were isomeric structures with an elemental composition C 13H 10NCl 2; however, their chemical structures were not completely resolved. In addition, another biodegradation product showed an abundant fragment ion at m/z 295, the elemental composition of which was confirmed with a high degree of certainty as C 14H 11NO 2Cl 2. The biodegradation of clofibric acid revealed one metabolite in the (-)ESI-QqToF chromatogram, 4-chlorophenol, which is known to exhibit a higher toxicity than the parent compound. This study confirms that further research is needed on the formation of stable metabolites both during wastewater treatment and in the environment. It also highlights the need for parallel toxicity testing. In addition, this study suggests that more needs to be known about the environmental fate of pharmaceuticals so that we are able to provide a comprehensive risk assessment.

ATR NSUF Instrumentation Enhancement Efforts

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

Joy L. Rempe; Mitchell K. Meyer; Darrell L. Knudson

A key component of the Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) National Scientific User Facility (NSUF) effort is to expand instrumentation available to users conducting irradiation tests in this unique facility. In particular, development of sensors capable of providing real-time measurements of key irradiation parameters is emphasized because of their potential to increase data fidelity and reduce posttest examination costs. This paper describes the strategy for identifying new instrumentation needed for ATR irradiations and the program underway to develop and evaluate new sensors to address these needs. Accomplishments from this program are illustrated by describing new sensors now available to users ofmore » the ATR NSUF. In addition, progress is reported on current research efforts to provide improved in-pile instrumentation to users.« less

Adaptive control based on retrospective cost optimization

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

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

2012-01-01

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

Herpes zoster meningitis with multidermatomal rash in an immunocompetent patient.

PubMed

Goyal, Hemant; Thakkar, Nirav; Bagheri, Farshad; Srivastava, Sneha

2013-11-01

A case of herpetic rash in an immunocompetent patient is described, which was present in multiple dermatomes at the same time. First, patient was thought to have immunodeficiency, but further workup turned out to be negative for it. Patient also had pleocytic lymphocytosis in cerebrospinal fluid, which was suggestive of viral meningitis. Later, the patient responded well to the acyclovir therapy and was discharged home without any sequel. This case illustrates the need for emergency physicians to be extra vigilant for involvement of other dermatomes in case a patient presents with herpetic rash in 1 dermatome because patients with multidermatomal/disseminated herpetic rash need to be started on airborne isolation in addition to contact precautions to prevent the transmission of disease in health care settings.

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

PubMed

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

2018-03-01

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

Human milk inactivates pathogens individually, additively, and synergistically.

PubMed

Isaacs, Charles E

2005-05-01

Breast-feeding can reduce the incidence and the severity of gastrointestinal and respiratory infections in the suckling neonate by providing additional protective factors to the infant's mucosal surfaces. Human milk provides protection against a broad array of infectious agents through redundancy. Protective factors in milk can target multiple early steps in pathogen replication and target each step with more than one antimicrobial compound. The antimicrobial activity in human milk results from protective factors working not only individually but also additively and synergistically. Lipid-dependent antimicrobial activity in milk results from the additive activity of all antimicrobial lipids and not necessarily the concentration of one particular lipid. Antimicrobial milk lipids and peptides can work synergistically to decrease both the concentrations of individual compounds required for protection and, as importantly, greatly reduce the time needed for pathogen inactivation. The more rapidly pathogens are inactivated the less likely they are to establish an infection. The total antimicrobial protection provided by human milk appears to be far more than can be elucidated by examining protective factors individually.

Message sidedness in advertising: the moderating roles of need for cognition and time pressure in persuasion.

PubMed

Kao, Danny Tengti

2011-08-01

Persuasion has been extensively researched for decades. Much of this research has focused on different message tactics and their effects on persuasion (e.g., Chang & Chou, 2008; Lafferty, 1999). This research aims to assess whether the persuasion of a specific type of message is influenced by need for cognition (NFC) and time pressure. The 336 undergraduates participated in a 2 (message sidedness: one-sided/two-sided) × 3 (time pressure: low/moderate/high) between-subjects design. Results indicate that two-sided messages tend to elicit more favorable ad attitudes than one-sided messages. As compared with low-NFC individuals, high-NFC individuals are likely to express more favorable ad attitudes, brand attitudes and purchase intention. Moderate time pressure tends to lead to more favorable ad attitudes than low time pressure and high time pressure. In addition, moderate time pressure is likely to elicit more favorable brand attitudes and purchase intentions than high time pressure, but does not elicit more favorable brand attitudes and purchase intentions than low time pressure. Furthermore, when high-NFC individuals are under low or moderate time pressure, two-sided messages are more persuasive than one-sided messages; however, message sidedness does not differentially affect the persuasion when high-NFC individuals are pressed for time. In contrast, one-sided messages are more persuasive than two-sided messages when low-NFC individuals are under low or high time pressure, and two-sided messages are more persuasive than one-sided messages when low-NFC individuals are under moderate time pressure. © 2011 The Author. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology © 2011 The Scandinavian Psychological Associations.

Speaking fundamental frequency and phonation time during work and leisure time in vocally healthy preschool teachers measured with a voice accumulator.

PubMed

Szabo Portela, Annika; Hammarberg, Britta; Södersten, Maria

2013-01-01

More knowledge is needed about preschool teachers' voice use to identify voice behaviours related to work demands that increase the risk for vocal dysfunction. The purpose of this study was to: (1) determine if speaking fundamental frequency (F0) and phonation time differ between work and leisure time and (2) describe variation in F0 and phonation time across the workday in preschool teachers with healthy voices. A portable voice accumulator was used to collect data on F0 and phonation time. Twelve vocally healthy female preschool teachers participated in recordings during both work and leisure time for 2 successive days. Their mean age was 35 years (range 21-53 years). Mean F0 was high during the working day (266 Hz) and decreased significantly after work (p < 0.0001). F0 was high also during leisure time (246 Hz) as compared to reference F0 values for Swedish females based on laboratory recordings. Phonation time at work varied widely among the participants, with an average of 12.0%, and decreased significantly to 5.5% during leisure time (p < 0.0001). Most participants had few opportunities for voice rest during work. Swedish preschool teachers use high levels of F0 and phonation time during work compared to leisure time indicating high vocal load caused by work. To clarify the role of daily voice use in the causation of vocal dysfunction in this profession, recordings over several days are needed. In addition to F0 and phonation time, recordings of voice sound pressure level and background noise level seem important. © 2013 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Real-Time and Near Real-Time Data for Space Weather Applications and Services

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Singer, H. J.; Balch, C. C.; Biesecker, D. A.; Matsuo, T.; Onsager, T. G.

2015-12-01

Space weather can be defined as conditions in the vicinity of Earth and in the interplanetary environment that are caused primarily by solar processes and influenced by conditions on Earth and its atmosphere. Examples of space weather are the conditions that result from geomagnetic storms, solar particle events, and bursts of intense solar flare radiation. These conditions can have impacts on modern-day technologies such as GPS or electric power grids and on human activities such as astronauts living on the International Space Station or explorers traveling to the moon or Mars. While the ultimate space weather goal is accurate prediction of future space weather conditions, for many applications and services, we rely on real-time and near-real time observations and model results for the specification of current conditions. In this presentation, we will describe the space weather system and the need for real-time and near-real time data that drive the system, characterize conditions in the space environment, and are used by models for assimilation and validation. Currently available data will be assessed and a vision for future needs will be given. The challenges for establishing real-time data requirements, as well as acquiring, processing, and disseminating the data will be described, including national and international collaborations. In addition to describing how the data are used for official government products, we will also give examples of how these data are used by both the public and private sector for new applications that serve the public.

Effects of a Creative Expression Intervention on Emotions, Communication, and Quality of Life in Persons with Dementia

PubMed Central

Phillips, Lorraine J.; Reid-Arndt, Stephanie A.; Pak, Youngju

2010-01-01

Background Effective nonpharmacological interventions are needed to treat neuropsychiatric symptoms and improve quality of life for the 5.3 million Americans affected by dementia. Objective To test the effect of a storytelling program, TimeSlips, on communication, neuropsychiatric symptoms, and quality of life in long-term care residents with dementia. Method A quasi-experimental, two-group, repeated measures design was used to compare persons with dementia who were assigned to the twice-weekly, 6-week TimeSlips intervention (n = 28) or usual care (n = 28) group at baseline and postintervention at Weeks 7 and 10. Outcome measures included the Cornell Scale for Depression in Dementia, Neuropsychiatric Inventory-Nursing Home Version, Functional Assessment of Communication Skills, Quality of Life–AD, and Observed Emotion Rating Scale (this last measure was collected also at Weeks 3 and 6 during TimeSlips for the treatment group and during mealtime for the control group). Results Compared to the control group, the treatment group exhibited significantly higher pleasure at Week 3 (p < .001), Week 6 (p < .001), and Week 7 (p < .05). Small to moderate treatment effects were found for Week 7 Social Communication (d = .49) and Basic Needs Communication (d = .43). A larger effect was found for pleasure at Week 7 (d = .58). Discussion As expected given the engaging nature of the TimeSlips creative story-telling intervention, analyses revealed increased positive affect during and at 1-week post-intervention. In addition, perhaps associated with the intervention’s reliance on positive social interactions and verbal communication, participants evidenced improved communication skills. However, more frequent dosing and booster sessions of TimeSlips may be needed to show significant differences between treatment and control groups on long-term effects and other outcomes. PMID:21048483

A Near Real-time Decision Support System Improving Forest Management in the Tropics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tabor, K.; Musinsky, J.; Ledezma, J.; Rasolohery, A.; Mendoza, E.; Kistler, H.; Steininger, M.; Morton, D. C.; Melton, F. S.; Manwell, J.; Koenig, K.

2013-12-01

Conservation International (CI) has a decade of experience developing near real-time fire and deforestation monitoring and forecasting systems that channel monitoring information from satellite observations directly to national and sub-national government agencies, Non-Government Organizations (NGOs), and local communities. These systems are used to strengthen forest surveillance and monitoring, fire management and prevention, protected areas management and sustainable land use planning. With support from a NASA Wildland Fires grant, in September 2013 CI will launch a brand new near real-time alert system (FIRECAST) to better meet the outstanding needs and challenges users face in addressing ecosystem degradation from wildland fire and illegal forest activities. Outreach efforts and user feedback have indicated the need for seasonal fire forecasts for effective land use planning, faster alert delivery to enhance response to illegal forest activities, and expanded forest monitoring capabilities that enable proactive responses and that strengthen forest conservation and sustainable development actions. The new FIRECAST system addresses these challenges by integrating the current fire alert and deforestation systems and adding improved ecological forecasting of fire risk; expanding data exchange capabilities with mobile technologies; and delivering a deforestation alert product that can inform policies related to land use management and Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation (REDD+). In addition to demonstrating the capabilities of this new real-time alert system, we also highlight how coordination with host-country institutions enhances the system's capacity to address the implementation needs of REDD+ forest carbon projects, improve tropical forest management, strengthen environmental law enforcement, and facilitate the uptake of near real-time satellite monitoring data into business practices of these national/sub-national institutions.

Bridging the Gap - Networking Educators using Real-Time Seismic Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ortiz, A. M.; Renwald, M. D.; Baldwin, T. K.; Hall, M. K.

2004-12-01

After nearly a decade, the seismology community has made critical advances in identifying what is effective and what is needed for success in incorporating real-time seismic data in the classroom. Today's K-16 classroom teachers have many options and opportunities for incorporating short- and long-term inquiry activities for monitoring earthquakes and analyzing seismic data in their daily instruction. Through the SpiNet program, we are providing web-based tools that support educators working with real-time seismic data (http://www.scieds.com/spinet/). Our site includes a Recent Seismicity section, which allows users to share seismic data in real-time, and provides near real-time information about global seismicity. Our Activities section provides data and lessons to assist educators who wish to integrate seismology into their classroom. The Research section, currently under development, will allow educators to share general information about how they teach seismology in their classroom through a discussion board and by posting lesson plans. In addition, we are developing a user-friendly tool for students to post results of their research projects. Designing a website which targets a range of users requires a working knowledge of both user needs and website programming and design. User needs include providing a logical navigational structure and accounting for differences in browser functionality, internet access, and users' abilities. Using website development tools, such as PHP, MySQL, RDF feeds, and specialized geoscience applications, we are automating site maintenance; incorporating databases for information storage and retrieval; and providing accessibility for users with a range of skills and physical limitations. By incorporating these features, we have built a dynamic interface for a broad range of users interested in educational seismology.

Effects of a creative expression intervention on emotions, communication, and quality of life in persons with dementia.

PubMed

Phillips, Lorraine J; Reid-Arndt, Stephanie A; Pak, Youngju

2010-01-01

Effective nonpharmacological interventions are needed to treat neuropsychiatric symptoms and to improve quality of life for the 5.3 million Americans affected by dementia. The purpose of this study was to test the effect of a storytelling program, TimeSlips, on communication, neuropsychiatric symptoms, and quality of life in long-term care residents with dementia. A quasi-experimental, two-group, repeated measures design was used to compare persons with dementia who were assigned to the twice-weekly, 6-week TimeSlips intervention group (n = 28) or usual care group (n = 28) at baseline and postintervention at Weeks 7 and 10. Outcome measures included the Cornell Scale for Depression in Dementia, the Neuropsychiatric Inventory-Nursing Home Version, the Functional Assessment of Communication Skills, the Quality of Life-Alzheimer's Disease, and the Observed Emotion Rating Scale (this last measure was collected also at Weeks 3 and 6 during TimeSlips for the treatment group and during mealtime for the control group). Compared with the control group, the treatment group exhibited significantly higher pleasure at Week 3 (p < .001), Week 6 (p < .001), and Week 7 (p < .05). Small to moderate treatment effects were found for Week 7 social communication (d = .49) and basic needs communication (d = .43). A larger effect was found for pleasure at Week 7 (d = .58). As expected, given the engaging nature of the TimeSlips creative storytelling intervention, analyses revealed increased positive affect during and at 1 week postintervention. In addition, perhaps associated with the intervention's reliance on positive social interactions and verbal communication, participants evidenced improved communication skills. However, more frequent dosing and booster sessions of TimeSlips may be needed to show significant differences between treatment and control groups on long-term effects and other outcomes.

Single photon detection and timing in the Lunar Laser Ranging Experiment.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Poultney, S. K.

1972-01-01

The goals of the Lunar Laser Ranging Experiment lead to the need for the measurement of a 2.5 sec time interval to an accuracy of a nanosecond or better. The systems analysis which included practical retroreflector arrays, available laser systems, and large telescopes led to the necessity of single photon detection. Operation under all background illumination conditions required auxiliary range gates and extremely narrow spectral and spatial filters in addition to the effective gate provided by the time resolution. Nanosecond timing precision at relatively high detection efficiency was obtained using the RCA C31000F photomultiplier and Ortec 270 constant fraction of pulse-height timing discriminator. The timing accuracy over the 2.5 sec interval was obtained using a digital interval with analog vernier ends. Both precision and accuracy are currently checked internally using a triggerable, nanosecond light pulser. Future measurements using sub-nanosecond laser pulses will be limited by the time resolution of single photon detectors.

Marginal regression approach for additive hazards models with clustered current status data.

PubMed

Su, Pei-Fang; Chi, Yunchan

2014-01-15

Current status data arise naturally from tumorigenicity experiments, epidemiology studies, biomedicine, econometrics and demographic and sociology studies. Moreover, clustered current status data may occur with animals from the same litter in tumorigenicity experiments or with subjects from the same family in epidemiology studies. Because the only information extracted from current status data is whether the survival times are before or after the monitoring or censoring times, the nonparametric maximum likelihood estimator of survival function converges at a rate of n(1/3) to a complicated limiting distribution. Hence, semiparametric regression models such as the additive hazards model have been extended for independent current status data to derive the test statistics, whose distributions converge at a rate of n(1/2) , for testing the regression parameters. However, a straightforward application of these statistical methods to clustered current status data is not appropriate because intracluster correlation needs to be taken into account. Therefore, this paper proposes two estimating functions for estimating the parameters in the additive hazards model for clustered current status data. The comparative results from simulation studies are presented, and the application of the proposed estimating functions to one real data set is illustrated. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Vision-related research priorities and how to finance them.

PubMed

McCarty, Catherine A

2012-01-01

A number of organizations have employed a consultative process with the vision community to engage relevant parties in identifying needs and opportunities for vision research. The National Eye Institute in the US and the European Commission are currently undergoing consultation to develop priorities for vision research. Once these priorities have been established, the challenge will be to identify the resources to advance these research agendas. Success rates for Federal funding for research have decreased recently in the USA, UK, and Australia. Researchers should consider various potential funding sources for their research. The universal consideration for funding is that the reason for funding should align with the mission of the funding organization. In addition to Federal research organizations that fund investigator-initiated research, other potential funding sources include nongovernmental organizations, for-profit companies, individual philanthropy, and service organizations. In addition to aligning with organizational funding priorities, researchers need to consider turn-around time and total funds available including whether an organization will cover institutional indirect costs. Websites are useful tools to find information about organizations that fund research, including grant deadlines. Collaboration is encouraged.

Response surface methodology to optimise Accelerated Solvent Extraction of steviol glycosides from Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni leaves.

PubMed

Jentzer, Jean-Baptiste; Alignan, Marion; Vaca-Garcia, Carlos; Rigal, Luc; Vilarem, Gérard

2015-01-01

Following the approval of steviol glycosides as a food additive in Europe in December 2011, large-scale stevia cultivation will have to be developed within the EU. Thus there is a need to increase the efficiency of stevia evaluation through germplasm enhancement and agronomic improvement programs. To address the need for faster and reproducible sample throughput, conditions for automated extraction of dried stevia leaves using Accelerated Solvent Extraction were optimised. A response surface methodology was used to investigate the influence of three factors: extraction temperature, static time and cycle number on the stevioside and rebaudioside A extraction yields. The model showed that all the factors had an individual influence on the yield. Optimum extraction conditions were set at 100 °C, 4 min and 1 cycle, which yielded 91.8% ± 3.4% of total extractable steviol glycosides analysed. An additional optimisation was achieved by reducing the grind size of the leaves giving a final yield of 100.8% ± 3.3%. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Vision-related research priorities and how to finance them

PubMed Central

McCarty, Catherine A

2012-01-01

A number of organizations have employed a consultative process with the vision community to engage relevant parties in identifying needs and opportunities for vision research. The National Eye Institute in the US and the European Commission are currently undergoing consultation to develop priorities for vision research. Once these priorities have been established, the challenge will be to identify the resources to advance these research agendas. Success rates for Federal funding for research have decreased recently in the USA, UK, and Australia. Researchers should consider various potential funding sources for their research. The universal consideration for funding is that the reason for funding should align with the mission of the funding organization. In addition to Federal research organizations that fund investigator-initiated research, other potential funding sources include nongovernmental organizations, for-profit companies, individual philanthropy, and service organizations. In addition to aligning with organizational funding priorities, researchers need to consider turn-around time and total funds available including whether an organization will cover institutional indirect costs. Websites are useful tools to find information about organizations that fund research, including grant deadlines. Collaboration is encouraged. PMID:22944760

Electrochemical control of iodine disinfectant for space transportation system and space station potable water

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Geer, Richard D.

1989-01-01

An electrochemical microbial check valve method (EC-MCV) for controlling the iodine disinfectant in potable water (PW) for NASA's space operations was proposed. The factors affecting the design and performance of the unit were analyzed. This showed that it would be feasible to construct a recyclable unit in a small volume that will operate in either an iodine removal or addition mode. The EC-MCV should remove active iodine species rapidly from PW, but the rapid delivery rates at end-use may make complete removal of excess I(-) difficult under some conditions. Its performace change with AgI buildup needs to be investigated, as this controls the time for recycling the unit. The EC-MCV has advantages over the passive microbial check valve (MCV) method currently in use, as it would allow precise control of the I2 level and would not introduce excess I(-) to the water. The presence of oxygen in the EC-MCV needs to be investigated as it could affect the efficiency of I2 addition and excess I(-) removal.

Factor structure and validation of the Attentional Control Scale.

PubMed

Judah, Matt R; Grant, DeMond M; Mills, Adam C; Lechner, William V

2014-04-01

The Attentional Control Scale (ACS; Derryberry & Reed, 2002) has been used to assess executive control over attention in numerous studies, but no published data have examined the factor structure of the English version. The current studies addressed this need and tested the predictive and convergent validity of the ACS subscales. In Study 1, exploratory factor analysis yielded a two-factor model with Focusing and Shifting subscales. In Study 2, confirmatory factor analysis supported this model and suggested superior fit compared to the factor structure of the Icelandic version (Ólafsson et al., 2011). Study 3 examined correlations between the ACS subscales and measures of working memory, anxiety, and cognitive control. Study 4 examined correlations between the subscales and reaction times on a mixed-antisaccade task, revealing positive correlations for antisaccade performance and prosaccade latency with Focusing scores and between switch trial performance and Shifting scores. Additionally, the findings partially supported unique relationships between Focusing and trait anxiety and between Shifting and depression that have been noted in recent research. Although the results generally support the validity of the ACS, additional research using performance-based tasks is needed.

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

PubMed

Ginossar, Tamar

2016-03-09

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

Delinquent Medical Service Accounts at Brooke Army Medical Center Need Additional Management Oversight

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-08-13

No. DODIG-2014-101 A U G U S T 1 3 , 2 0 1 4 Delinquent Medical Service Accounts at Brooke Army Medical Center Need Additional Management...13 AUG 2014 2. REPORT TYPE 3. DATES COVERED 00-00-2014 to 00-00-2014 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE Delinquent Medical Service Accounts at Brooke Army...Results in Brief Delinquent Medical Service Accounts at Brooke Army Medical Center Need Additional Management Oversight Visit us at www.dodig.mil

Adding smoking to the Fardal model of cost-effectiveness for the life-time treatment of periodontal diseases.

PubMed

Fardal, Øystein; Grytten, Jostein; Martin, John; Ellingsen, Stig; Fardal, Patrick; Heasman, Peter; Linden, Gerard J

2018-05-16

Little is known about the financial costs that smoking adds to the life-time treatment of periodontal disease. The total life-time cost of periodontal treatment was modelled using data from private periodontal practice. The costs of initial and supportive therapy, re-treatment and tooth replacements (with bridgework or implants) were identified using average dental charges from the American Dental Association survey. Smoking costs at $6 and $10 for 20 cigarettes were compared to the costs of life-time periodontal treatment for stable and unstable compliant patients. Smoking added 8.8% to the financial cost of the life-time cost of periodontal therapy in stable maintenance patients, 40.1% in patients who needed one extra maintenance visit and 71.4% in patients who needed two extra maintenance visits per year in addition to added re-treatment. The cost of smoking far exceeded the cost of periodontal treatment; For patients who smoked 10 to 40 cigarettes per day at the cost of $6 or $10 a pack, the cost of smoking exceeded the cost of life-time periodontal treatment by between 2.7 and 17.9 times. Smoking 40 cigarettes at $10 a packet for 3.4 years would pay for the entire life-time cost of periodontal treatment. Smoking adds considerable extra financial costs to the life-time treatment of periodontal diseases. The cost of smoking itself exceeds the cost of periodontal therapy. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. © 2018 American Academy of Periodontology.

Just-in-time connectivity for large spiking networks.

PubMed

Lytton, William W; Omurtag, Ahmet; Neymotin, Samuel A; Hines, Michael L

2008-11-01

The scale of large neuronal network simulations is memory limited due to the need to store connectivity information: connectivity storage grows as the square of neuron number up to anatomically relevant limits. Using the NEURON simulator as a discrete-event simulator (no integration), we explored the consequences of avoiding the space costs of connectivity through regenerating connectivity parameters when needed: just in time after a presynaptic cell fires. We explored various strategies for automated generation of one or more of the basic static connectivity parameters: delays, postsynaptic cell identities, and weights, as well as run-time connectivity state: the event queue. Comparison of the JitCon implementation to NEURON's standard NetCon connectivity method showed substantial space savings, with associated run-time penalty. Although JitCon saved space by eliminating connectivity parameters, larger simulations were still memory limited due to growth of the synaptic event queue. We therefore designed a JitEvent algorithm that added items to the queue only when required: instead of alerting multiple postsynaptic cells, a spiking presynaptic cell posted a callback event at the shortest synaptic delay time. At the time of the callback, this same presynaptic cell directly notified the first postsynaptic cell and generated another self-callback for the next delay time. The JitEvent implementation yielded substantial additional time and space savings. We conclude that just-in-time strategies are necessary for very large network simulations but that a variety of alternative strategies should be considered whose optimality will depend on the characteristics of the simulation to be run.

Just in time connectivity for large spiking networks

PubMed Central

Lytton, William W.; Omurtag, Ahmet; Neymotin, Samuel A; Hines, Michael L

2008-01-01

The scale of large neuronal network simulations is memory-limited due to the need to store connectivity information: connectivity storage grows as the square of neuron number up to anatomically-relevant limits. Using the NEURON simulator as a discrete-event simulator (no integration), we explored the consequences of avoiding the space costs of connectivity through regenerating connectivity parameters when needed – just-in-time after a presynaptic cell fires. We explored various strategies for automated generation of one or more of the basic static connectivity parameters: delays, postsynaptic cell identities and weights, as well as run-time connectivity state: the event queue. Comparison of the JitCon implementation to NEURON’s standard NetCon connectivity method showed substantial space savings, with associated run-time penalty. Although JitCon saved space by eliminating connectivity parameters, larger simulations were still memory-limited due to growth of the synaptic event queue. We therefore designed a JitEvent algorithm that only added items to the queue when required: instead of alerting multiple postsynaptic cells, a spiking presynaptic cell posted a callback event at the shortest synaptic delay time. At the time of the callback, this same presynaptic cell directly notified the first postsynaptic cell and generated another self-callback for the next delay time. The JitEvent implementation yielded substantial additional time and space savings. We conclude that just-in-time strategies are necessary for very large network simulations but that a variety of alternative strategies should be considered whose optimality will depend on the characteristics of the simulation to be run. PMID:18533821

Capacity planning for maternal-fetal medicine using discrete event simulation.

PubMed

Ferraro, Nicole M; Reamer, Courtney B; Reynolds, Thomas A; Howell, Lori J; Moldenhauer, Julie S; Day, Theodore Eugene

2015-07-01

Maternal-fetal medicine is a rapidly growing field requiring collaboration from many subspecialties. We provide an evidence-based estimate of capacity needs for our clinic, as well as demonstrate how simulation can aid in capacity planning in similar environments. A Discrete Event Simulation of the Center for Fetal Diagnosis and Treatment and Special Delivery Unit at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia was designed and validated. This model was then used to determine the time until demand overwhelms inpatient bed availability under increasing capacity. No significant deviation was found between historical inpatient censuses and simulated censuses for the validation phase (p = 0.889). Prospectively increasing capacity was found to delay time to balk (the inability of the center to provide bed space for a patient in need of admission). With current capacity, the model predicts mean time to balk of 276 days. Adding three beds delays mean time to first balk to 762 days; an additional six beds to 1,335 days. Providing sufficient access is a patient safety issue, and good planning is crucial for targeting infrastructure investments appropriately. Computer-simulated analysis can provide an evidence base for both medical and administrative decision making in a complex clinical environment. Thieme Medical Publishers 333 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001, USA.

Disseminating Evidence-Based Physical Education Practices in Rural Schools: The San Luis Valley Physical Education Academy.

PubMed

Belansky, Elaine S; Cutforth, Nick; Kern, Ben; Scarbro, Sharon

2016-09-01

To address childhood obesity, strategies are needed to maximize physical activity during the school day. The San Luis Valley Physical Education Academy was a public health intervention designed to increase the quality of physical education and quantity of moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) during physical education class. Elementary school physical education teachers from 17 schools participated in the intervention. They received SPARK curriculum and equipment, workshops, and site coordinator support for 2 years. A pre/post/post within physical education teacher design was used to measure intervention effectiveness. System for Observing Fitness Instruction Time (SOFIT) and a physical education teacher survey were collected 3 times. MVPA increased from 51.1% to 67.3% over the 2-year intervention resulting in approximately 14.6 additional hours of physical activity over a school year and 4662 kcal or 1.33 lbs. of weight gain prevention. More time was spent on skill drills and less time on classroom management and free play. The San Luis Valley Physical Education Academy succeeded in increasing rural, low-income students' physical activity. The multicomponent intervention contributed to the program's success. However, cost-effective approaches are needed to disseminate and implement evidencebased practices aimed at increasing students' physical activity during the school day.

A Novel Method for Rapid Hybridization of DNA to a Solid Support

PubMed Central

Pettersson, Erik; Ahmadian, Afshin; Ståhl, Patrik L.

2013-01-01

Here we present a novel approach entitled Magnetic Forced Hybridization (MFH) that provides the means for efficient and direct hybridization of target nucleic acids to complementary probes immobilized on a glass surface in less than 15 seconds at ambient temperature. In addition, detection is carried out instantly since the beads become visible on the surface. The concept of MFH was tested for quality control of array manufacturing, and was combined with a multiplex competitive hybridization (MUCH) approach for typing of Human Papilloma Virus (HPV). Magnetic Forced Hybridization of bead-DNA constructs to a surface achieves a significant reduction in diagnostic testing time. In addition, readout of results by visual inspection of the unassisted eye eliminates the need for additional expensive instrumentation. The method uses the same set of beads throughout the whole process of manipulating and washing DNA constructs prior to detection, as in the actual detection step itself. PMID:23950946

Additives enhancing enzymatic hydrolysis of lignocellulosic biomass.

PubMed

Rocha-Martín, Javier; Martinez-Bernal, Claudio; Pérez-Cobas, Yolanda; Reyes-Sosa, Francisco Manuel; García, Bruno Díez

2017-11-01

Linked to the development of cellulolytic enzyme cocktails from Myceliophthora thermophila, we studied the effect of different additives on the enzymatic hydrolysis yield. The hydrolysis of pretreated corn stover (PCS), sugar cane straw (PSCS) and microcrystalline cellulose (Avicel) was performed under industrial conditions using high solid loadings, limited mixing, and low enzyme dosages. The addition of polyethylene glycol (PEG4000) allowed to increase the glucose yields by 10%, 7.5%, and 32%, respectively in the three materials. PEG4000 did not have significant effect on the stability of the main individual enzymes but increased beta-glucosidase and endoglucanase activity by 20% and 60% respectively. Moreover, the presence of PEG4000 accelerated cellulase-catalyzed hydrolysis reducing up to 25% the liquefaction time. However, a preliminary economical assessment concludes that even with these improvements, a lower contribution of PEG4000 to the 2G bioethanol production costs would be needed to reach commercial feasibility. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Selective laser melting porous metallic implants with immobilized silver nanoparticles kill and prevent biofilm formation by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

PubMed

van Hengel, Ingmar A J; Riool, Martijn; Fratila-Apachitei, Lidy E; Witte-Bouma, Janneke; Farrell, Eric; Zadpoor, Amir A; Zaat, Sebastian A J; Apachitei, Iulian

2017-09-01

Implant-associated infection and limited longevity are two major challenges that orthopedic devices need to simultaneously address. Additively manufactured porous implants have recently shown tremendous promise in improving bone regeneration and osseointegration, but, as any conventional implant, are threatened by infection. In this study, we therefore used rational design and additive manufacturing in the form of selective laser melting (SLM) to fabricate porous titanium implants with interconnected pores, resulting in a 3.75 times larger surface area than corresponding solid implants. The SLM implants were biofunctionalized by embedding silver nanoparticles in an oxide surface layer grown using plasma electrolytic oxidation (PEO) in Ca/P-based electrolytes. The PEO layer of the SLM implants released silver ions for at least 28 days. X-ray diffraction analysis detected hydroxyapatite on the SLM PEO implants but not on the corresponding solid implants. In vitro and ex vivo assays showed strong antimicrobial activity of these novel SLM PEO silver-releasing implants, without any signs of cytotoxicity. The rationally designed SLM porous implants outperformed solid implants with similar dimensions undergoing the same biofunctionalization treatment. This included four times larger amount of released silver ions, two times larger zone of inhibition, and one additional order of magnitude of reduction in numbers of CFU in an ex vivo mouse infection model. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effect of Nisin's Controlled Release on Microbial Growth as Modeled for Micrococcus luteus.

PubMed

Balasubramanian, Aishwarya; Lee, Dong Sun; Chikindas, Michael L; Yam, Kit L

2011-06-01

The need for safe food products has motivated food scientists and industry to find novel technologies for antimicrobial delivery for improving food safety and quality. Controlled release packaging is a novel technology that uses the package to deliver antimicrobials in a controlled manner and sustain antimicrobial stress on the targeted microorganism over the required shelf life. This work studied the effect of controlled release of nisin to inhibit growth of Micrococcus luteus (a model microorganism) using a computerized syringe pump system to mimic the release of nisin from packaging films which was characterized by an initially fast rate and a slower rate as time progressed. The results show that controlled release of nisin was strikingly more effective than instantly added ("formulated") nisin. While instant addition experiments achieved microbial inhibition only at the beginning, controlled release experiments achieved complete microbial inhibition for a longer time, even when as little as 15% of the amount of nisin was used as compared to instant addition.

Chip calorimetry for evaluation of biofilm treatment with biocides, antibiotics, and biological agents.

PubMed

Morais, Frida Mariana; Buchholz, Friederike; Maskow, Thomas

2014-01-01

Any growth or bioconversion in biofilms is accompanied by the release of heat. The heat (in J) is tightly related to the stoichiometry of the respective process via law of Hess, and the heat production rate (in W or J/s) is additionally related to the process kinetics. This heat and the heat production rate can nowadays be measured by modern calorimetry with extremely high sensitivity. Flow-through calorimetry allows the measurement of bioprocesses in biofilms in real time, without the need of invasive sample preparation and disturbing of biofilm processes. Furthermore, it can be applied for long-term measurements and is even applicable to turbid media. Chip or miniaturized calorimeters have the additional advantages of extremely short thermal equilibration times and the requirement of very small amounts of media and chemicals. The precision of flow-through chip calorimeters (about 3 mW/L) allows the detection of early stages of biofilm development (about 10(5) bacteria cm(-2)).

Reduced cost alternatives to premise wiring using ATM and microcellular technologies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gejji, Raghvendra R.

1993-01-01

The cost of premises wiring keeps increasing due to personnel moves, new equipment, capacity upgrades etc. It would be desirable to have a wireless interface from the workstations to the fixed network, so as to minimize the wiring changes needed. New technologies such as microcellular personal communication systems are promising to bring down the cost of wireless communication. Another promising technology is Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), which could dramatically increase the bandwidth available for wireless connections. In addition, Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) technology is emerging as a technique for integrated management of voice, data, and video traffic on a single network. The focus of this investigation will be to assess the future utility of these new technologies for reducing the premise wiring cost at KSC. One of the issues to be studied is the cost comparison of 'old' versus 'new,' especially as time and technology progress. An additional issue for closer study is a feasible time-line for progress in technological capability.

Insights and implications for health departments from the evaluation of New York City's regulations on nutrition, physical activity, and screen time in child care centers.

PubMed

Nonas, Cathy; Silver, Lynn D; Kettel Khan, Laura

2014-10-16

In 2006, the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, seeking to address the epidemic of childhood obesity, issued new regulations on beverages, physical activity, and screen time in group child care centers. An evaluation was conducted to identify characteristics of New York City child care centers that have implemented these regulations and to examine how varying degrees of implementation affected children's behaviors. This article discusses results of this evaluation and how findings can be useful for other public health agencies. Knowing the characteristics of centers that are more likely to comply can help other jurisdictions identify centers that may need additional support and training. Results indicated that compliance may improve when rules established by governing agencies, national standards, and local regulatory bodies are complementary or additive. Therefore, the establishment of clear standards for obesity prevention for child care providers can be a significant public health achievement.

Additional Support Needs Reforms and Social Justice in Scotland

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Riddell, Sheila; Stead, Joan; Weedon, Elisabet; Wright, Kevin

2010-01-01

New additional support-needs legislation in Scotland sought to recognise the way in which poverty, as well as individual impairment, contribute to the creation of children's difficulties in learning. As well as identifying a wider range of needs, the legislation sought to provide parents, irrespective of social background, with more powerful means…

Teachers' Perceptions of Students' Additional Support Needs: In the Eye of the Beholder?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bruggink, Marjon; Goei, Sui L.; Koot, Hans M.

2016-01-01

Nowadays, teachers are regarded as key players in the process of identifying and catering to students' additional support needs within mainstream primary classrooms. However, teachers' professional judgements regarding students with special needs have been found to be contextually influenced (e.g. by school context, student population, level of…

DOD Health Care. Additional Efforts Needed To Verify Physicians' Qualifications. Report to Congressional Requesters.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

General Accounting Office, Washington, DC. Div. of Human Resources.

The Department of Defense's (DOD) efforts to assure that its physicians are qualified to perform their assigned duties are discussed. Five sections include: introduction; additional actions needed to help assure that military physicians have proper qualifications; hospital credentialing and privileging systems needed to comply with DOD…

15 CFR 270.204 - Provision of additional resources and services needed by a Team.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... services needed by a Team. 270.204 Section 270.204 Commerce and Foreign Trade Regulations Relating to... CONSTRUCTION SAFETY TEAMS NATIONAL CONSTRUCTION SAFETY TEAMS Investigations § 270.204 Provision of additional resources and services needed by a Team. The Director will determine the appropriate resources that a Team...

15 CFR 270.204 - Provision of additional resources and services needed by a Team.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... services needed by a Team. 270.204 Section 270.204 Commerce and Foreign Trade Regulations Relating to... CONSTRUCTION SAFETY TEAMS NATIONAL CONSTRUCTION SAFETY TEAMS Investigations § 270.204 Provision of additional resources and services needed by a Team. The Director will determine the appropriate resources that a Team...

15 CFR 270.204 - Provision of additional resources and services needed by a Team.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... services needed by a Team. 270.204 Section 270.204 Commerce and Foreign Trade Regulations Relating to... CONSTRUCTION SAFETY TEAMS NATIONAL CONSTRUCTION SAFETY TEAMS Investigations § 270.204 Provision of additional resources and services needed by a Team. The Director will determine the appropriate resources that a Team...

15 CFR 270.204 - Provision of additional resources and services needed by a Team.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... services needed by a Team. 270.204 Section 270.204 Commerce and Foreign Trade Regulations Relating to... CONSTRUCTION SAFETY TEAMS NATIONAL CONSTRUCTION SAFETY TEAMS Investigations § 270.204 Provision of additional resources and services needed by a Team. The Director will determine the appropriate resources that a Team...

15 CFR 270.204 - Provision of additional resources and services needed by a Team.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... services needed by a Team. 270.204 Section 270.204 Commerce and Foreign Trade Regulations Relating to... CONSTRUCTION SAFETY TEAMS NATIONAL CONSTRUCTION SAFETY TEAMS Investigations § 270.204 Provision of additional resources and services needed by a Team. The Director will determine the appropriate resources that a Team...

Strengthen forensic entomology in court--the need for data exploration and the validation of a generalised additive mixed model.

PubMed

Baqué, Michèle; Amendt, Jens

2013-01-01

Developmental data of juvenile blow flies (Diptera: Calliphoridae) are typically used to calculate the age of immature stages found on or around a corpse and thus to estimate a minimum post-mortem interval (PMI(min)). However, many of those data sets don't take into account that immature blow flies grow in a non-linear fashion. Linear models do not supply a sufficient reliability on age estimates and may even lead to an erroneous determination of the PMI(min). According to the Daubert standard and the need for improvements in forensic science, new statistic tools like smoothing methods and mixed models allow the modelling of non-linear relationships and expand the field of statistical analyses. The present study introduces into the background and application of these statistical techniques by analysing a model which describes the development of the forensically important blow fly Calliphora vicina at different temperatures. The comparison of three statistical methods (linear regression, generalised additive modelling and generalised additive mixed modelling) clearly demonstrates that only the latter provided regression parameters that reflect the data adequately. We focus explicitly on both the exploration of the data--to assure their quality and to show the importance of checking it carefully prior to conducting the statistical tests--and the validation of the resulting models. Hence, we present a common method for evaluating and testing forensic entomological data sets by using for the first time generalised additive mixed models.

Prospective Evaluation of Operating Room Inefficiency.

PubMed

Madni, Tarik D; Imran, Jonathan B; Clark, Audra T; Cunningham, Holly B; Taveras, Luis; Arnoldo, Brett D; Phelan, Herb A; Wolf, Steven E

2018-04-06

Previously, we identified that 60% of our facility's total operative time is nonoperative. We performed a review of our operating room to determine where inefficiencies exist in nonoperative time. Live video of operations performed in a burn operating room from 6/23/17 to 8/16/17 were prospectively reviewed. Preparation (end of induction to procedure start) and turnover (patient out of room to next patient in room) were divided into the following activities: 1) Preparation: remove dressing, position patient, clean patient, drape patient, and 2) Turnover: clean operating room, scrub tray set-up, anesthesia set-up. Ideal preparation time was calculated as the sum of time needed to perform preparation activities consecutively. Ideal turnover time was calculated as the sum of time needed to clean the operating room and to set up either the scrub tray or anesthesia (the larger of the two times as these can be done in parallel). We reviewed 101 consecutive operations. An average of 2.4±0.8 cases/day were performed. Ideal preparation and turnover time were 16.6 and 30.1 minutes, a 38.3% and 32.5% reduction compared to actual times. Attending surgeon presence in the operating room within 10 minutes of a patient's arrival was found to significantly decrease time to incision by 33% (52.7±14.3 minutes down to 35.7±20.4, p<0.0001). A reduction in preparation and turnover time could save $1.02 million and generate $1.76 million in additional revenue annually. Reducing preparation and turnover to ideal times could increase caseload to 4/day, leading to millions of dollars of savings annually.