Sample records for background information document

  1. Directrices para la Creacion del Centro Nacional de Informacion y Documentacion (Guidelines for the Creation of a National Information and Documentation Center).

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Menda Behrens, Eduardo

    This document discusses background information and guidelines for the creation of a national information and documentation center for the dissemination of scientific and technological information. The study first reports on information services in several other countries and the need for an information center in Venezuela; included are…

  2. Mexico: Centro de Documentacion e Informacion Educativa. Seminario de Documentacion e Informacion Pedagogica en America Latina (The Mexican Center for Educational Documentation and Information. Working Paper for the Seminar on Educational Documentation and Information in Latin America).

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Secretaria de Educacion Publica, Mexico City (Mexico). Centro de Documentacion e Informacion Educativa.

    This document describes the Center for Documentation and Educational Information in Mexico City. Background information on similar services in Mexico is provided and a detailed description of the Center is presented, covering organization, objectives, administration, users, activities, services, and publications. (VM)

  3. Adaptive removal of background and white space from document images using seam categorization

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fillion, Claude; Fan, Zhigang; Monga, Vishal

    2011-03-01

    Document images are obtained regularly by rasterization of document content and as scans of printed documents. Resizing via background and white space removal is often desired for better consumption of these images, whether on displays or in print. While white space and background are easy to identify in images, existing methods such as naïve removal and content aware resizing (seam carving) each have limitations that can lead to undesirable artifacts, such as uneven spacing between lines of text or poor arrangement of content. An adaptive method based on image content is hence needed. In this paper we propose an adaptive method to intelligently remove white space and background content from document images. Document images are different from pictorial images in structure. They typically contain objects (text letters, pictures and graphics) separated by uniform background, which include both white paper space and other uniform color background. Pixels in uniform background regions are excellent candidates for deletion if resizing is required, as they introduce less change in document content and style, compared with deletion of object pixels. We propose a background deletion method that exploits both local and global context. The method aims to retain the document structural information and image quality.

  4. Letter from House Minority Leader Gerald R. Ford to President Richard M. Nixon. Teaching with Documents.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Potter, Lee Ann; Schamel, Wynell

    2001-01-01

    Provides historical background on how President Richard Nixon selected someone as vice president after Spiro T. Agnew resigned due to criminal charges. Provides background information on his choice, Gerald Ford, and discusses the process of how Ford officially became vice president. Includes a document from the Nixon Presidential Materials…

  5. Solid waste information and tracking system server conversion project management plan

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

    MAY, D.L.

    1999-04-12

    The Project Management Plan governing the conversion of Solid Waste Information and Tracking System (SWITS) to a client-server architecture. The Solid Waste Information and Tracking System Project Management Plan (PMP) describes the background, planning and management of the SWITS conversion. Requirements and specification documentation needed for the SWITS conversion will be released as supporting documents.

  6. Periodic Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 Collides with Jupiter. Background Material for Science Teachers.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jet Propulsion Lab., Pasadena, CA.

    In July of 1994, fragments of Comet Shoemaker-Levy collided with Jupiter. This document has been provided to better inform students of the work that will be done by scientists and others involved in the study of this event. This document offers some background material on Jupiter, comets, what has and possibly will happen, and how scientists…

  7. Exploring the Unknown: Selected Documents in the History of the US Civil Space Program. Volume 1; Organizing for Exploration

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Logsdon, John M. (Editor); Lear, Linda J. (Editor); Warren-Findley, Jannelle (Editor); Williamson, Ray A. (Editor); Day, Dwayne A. (Editor)

    1995-01-01

    A selection of key documents in the history of the U.S. civil space program is presented. This volume deals with organizational developments of the space program. More than 200 documents are printed. Each is introduced by a headnote providing context, bibliographical information, and background information necessary to understanding the document. These are organized into four major sections, each beginning with an introductory essay that keys the documents to major events in the history of the space program.

  8. 78 FR 23545 - Proposed Extension of Approval of Information Collection; Comment Request: Third Party Conformity...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-04-19

    ... evaluate whether third party conformity assessment bodies meet the requirements to test for compliance to... background documents or comments received, go to http://www.regulations.gov . FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT...: A. Background The Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (CPSIA) requires third party...

  9. Adolescent Health. Volume II: Background and the Effectiveness of Selected Prevention and Treatment Services [and] Indexes to Volumes I, II, and III.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

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

    This document, the second of three volumes in the U.S. Congress Office of Technology Assessment's "Adolescent Health" series, provides background information on aspects of adolescents' lives and examines the effectiveness of prevention and treatment interventions. Chapter 1, an introduction to this two-part document, provides a summary of the…

  10. Synthetic fiber production facilities: Background information for proposed standards

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Goodwin, D. R.

    1982-10-01

    Standards of performance to control emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOC) from new, modified, and reconstructed synthetic fiber production facilities are being proposed under section III of the Clean Air Act. This document contains information on the background and authority, regulatory alternatives considered, and environmental and economic impacts of the regulatory alternatives.

  11. 77 FR 60683 - Proposed Extension of Approval of Information Collection; Comment Request-Safety Standard for...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-10-04

    .... Docket: For access to the docket to read background documents or comments received, go to http://www...: [email protected] . SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: A. Background In 1979, the Commission issued the Safety... based on a test of each product or upon a reasonable testing program. Section 14(b) of the CPSA...

  12. Basis and Purpose Document for the proposed NESHAP for Pharmaceuticals Production

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    The Basis and Purpose Document provides background information on, and the rationale for, decisions made by EPA related to the proposed standards for the reduction of hazardous air pollutants (HAP) emitted through the manufacture of pharmaceutical products

  13. Using Readability Tests to Improve the Accuracy of Evaluation Documents Intended for Low-Literate Participants

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kouame, Julien B.

    2010-01-01

    Background: Readability tests are indicators that measure how easy a document can be read and understood. Simple, but very often ignored, readability statistics cannot only provide information about the level of difficulty of the readability of particular documents but also can increase an evaluator's credibility. Purpose: The purpose of this…

  14. iSMART: Ontology-based Semantic Query of CDA Documents

    PubMed Central

    Liu, Shengping; Ni, Yuan; Mei, Jing; Li, Hanyu; Xie, Guotong; Hu, Gang; Liu, Haifeng; Hou, Xueqiao; Pan, Yue

    2009-01-01

    The Health Level 7 Clinical Document Architecture (CDA) is widely accepted as the format for electronic clinical document. With the rich ontological references in CDA documents, the ontology-based semantic query could be performed to retrieve CDA documents. In this paper, we present iSMART (interactive Semantic MedicAl Record reTrieval), a prototype system designed for ontology-based semantic query of CDA documents. The clinical information in CDA documents will be extracted into RDF triples by a declarative XML to RDF transformer. An ontology reasoner is developed to infer additional information by combining the background knowledge from SNOMED CT ontology. Then an RDF query engine is leveraged to enable the semantic queries. This system has been evaluated using the real clinical documents collected from a large hospital in southern China. PMID:20351883

  15. Computer program documentation user information for the RSO-tape print program (RSOPRNT)

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Gibbs, P. M. (Principal Investigator)

    1980-01-01

    A user's guide for the RSOPRNT, a TRASYS Master Restart Output Tape (RSO) reader is presented. Background information and sample runstreams, as well as, references, input requirements and options, are included.

  16. 77 FR 3933 - Approval and Promulgation of Air Quality Implementation Plans; Oklahoma; Infrastructure...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-01-26

    ... public inspection in the Region 6 Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Review Room between the hours of 8:30... document wherever ``we,'' ``us,'' or ``our'' is used, we mean the EPA. I. Background II. Final Action III. Statutory and Executive Order Reviews I. Background The background for today's action is discussed in detail...

  17. China: Background Notes Series.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Reams, Joanne Reppert

    Concise background information on the People's Republic of China is provided. The publication begins with a profile of the country, outlining the people, geography, economy, and membership in international organizations. The bulk of the document then discusses in more detail China's people, geography, history, government, education, economy, and…

  18. Tank waste remediation system functions and requirements document

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

    Carpenter, K.E

    1996-10-03

    This is the Tank Waste Remediation System (TWRS) Functions and Requirements Document derived from the TWRS Technical Baseline. The document consists of several text sections that provide the purpose, scope, background information, and an explanation of how this document assists the application of Systems Engineering to the TWRS. The primary functions identified in the TWRS Functions and Requirements Document are identified in Figure 4.1 (Section 4.0) Currently, this document is part of the overall effort to develop the TWRS Functional Requirements Baseline, and contains the functions and requirements needed to properly define the top three TWRS function levels. TWRS Technicalmore » Baseline information (RDD-100 database) included in the appendices of the attached document contain the TWRS functions, requirements, and architecture necessary to define the TWRS Functional Requirements Baseline. Document organization and user directions are provided in the introductory text. This document will continue to be modified during the TWRS life-cycle.« less

  19. Educational Voucher Demonstration Archive: Project-Level Documentation.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Leinwand (C.M.) Associates, Inc., Newton, MA.

    This report describes the Educational Voucher Demonstration, serves as a guide for its documentation, and offers an extensive bibliography. Part 1 gives background information and summarizes the implementation of the Alum Rock Demonstration based on a transitional voucher model and involving six public schools, each offering at least two distinct…

  20. New Law Relating to Family and Medical Leave (1987 Wisconsin Act 287). Information Memorandum 88-13.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rose, Laura

    This document describes the 1987 Wisconsin Act 287 which concern providing family leave and medical leave to employees. The background of the law is described in the first part of the document. The second part of the document describes the family and medical leave act. These topics are covered: (1) basic provisions of family and medical leave,…

  1. Update on Law-Related Education, 1997.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Update on Law-Related, 1997

    1997-01-01

    This document consists of 3 volumes of a serial devoted to law-related education (LRE) offering background information on a wide range of legal issues and teaching strategies for LRE. The title themes for the three volumes include "International Law,""Crime and Freedom," and "Civil Law". Background articles are…

  2. 32 CFR 701.40 - Background.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... OFFICIAL RECORDS AVAILABILITY OF DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY RECORDS AND PUBLICATION OF DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY DOCUMENTS AFFECTING THE PUBLIC FOIA Fees § 701.40 Background. (a) The DON follows the uniform fee schedule... Freedom of Information Act Fee Schedule and Guidelines. (b) Fees reflect direct costs for search; review...

  3. 2014 Proposed Revision to 2008 Ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) Supporting Documents

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    Find information on the 2014 proposed ozone NAAQS revision, and find tools for background ozone, maps of nonattainment areas, an overview of the proposal, and information on designations, monitoring and permitting requirements

  4. Municipal Solid Waste Landfills: New Source Performance Standards (NSPS), Emission Guidelines (EG) and Compliance Times

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    learn about the NSPS for municipal solid waste landfills by reading the rule summary, rule history, code of federal regulations text, fact sheets, background information documents, related rules and compliance information.

  5. 78 FR 17747 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Request for Comments for a New Information Collection

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-03-22

    ... background documents or comments received go to the Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations... enhance the public's knowledge on addressing right-of-way challenges on transportation projects and on...

  6. Establishing the Information System: An Operational Handbook. MOREL Regional Information System for Educators.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kromer, Charles; Doyle, James

    This document is one of a series describing the background, functions, and utilization of the Regional Information System (RIS), developed by the Michigan-Ohio Regional Educational Laboratory (MOREL). RIS, which was developed to improve the accessibility of information for the educational practitioner, is described in this handbook. The handbook…

  7. Information Resources; A Searcher's Manual. MOREL Regional Information System for Educators.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Grimes, George; Doyle, James

    This document is one of a series describing the background, functions, and utilization of the Regional Information System (RIS) developed by the Michigan-Ohio Regional Educational Laboratory (MOREL). The purpose of this manual is to detail a procedure for performing a productive search of information resources which can satisfy the informational…

  8. Adult Literacy Information and Evaluation System (ALIES): Background, Status and Future Directions.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cook, Jacqueline; And Others

    This document describes the Adult Literacy Information and Evaluation System (ALIES), which is the management information system for New York City's citywide adult education program expansion effort begun in 1984. Chapter 1 describes the organization's creation in order to provide timely and reliable information to funders about the effects of the…

  9. Sandia National Laboratories/New Mexico Environmental Baseline update--Revision 1.0

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

    NONE

    1996-07-01

    This report provides a baseline update to provide the background information necessary for personnel to prepare clear and consise NEPA documentation. The environment of the Sandia National Laboratories is described in this document, including the ecology, meteorology, climatology, seismology, emissions, cultural resources and land use, visual resources, noise pollution, transportation, and socioeconomics.

  10. Mathematics Technical Report: Exercise Volume. National Assessment of Educational Progress. Report No. 04-MA-20.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Education Commission of the States, Denver, CO. National Assessment of Educational Progress.

    Included in Chapter 1 of this report are background information on the 1972-73 mathematics assessment; details of the computational formulas used in reporting results; and explanations of the technical documentation, exercise presentation, documentation pages, scoring guides, and data tables for released and unreleased exercises. The remainder of…

  11. Concern about Lost Talent: Support Document

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sikora, Joanna; Saha, Lawrence J.

    2011-01-01

    This document was produced by the authors based on their research for the report "Lost talent? The occupational ambitions and attainments of young Australians", and is an added resource for further information. The purpose of this supplement is to provide greater detail about the background of research into the topic of human talent in…

  12. Clustering document fragments using background color and texture information

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chanda, Sukalpa; Franke, Katrin; Pal, Umapada

    2012-01-01

    Forensic analysis of questioned documents sometimes can be extensively data intensive. A forensic expert might need to analyze a heap of document fragments and in such cases to ensure reliability he/she should focus only on relevant evidences hidden in those document fragments. Relevant document retrieval needs finding of similar document fragments. One notion of obtaining such similar documents could be by using document fragment's physical characteristics like color, texture, etc. In this article we propose an automatic scheme to retrieve similar document fragments based on visual appearance of document paper and texture. Multispectral color characteristics using biologically inspired color differentiation techniques are implemented here. This is done by projecting document color characteristics to Lab color space. Gabor filter-based texture analysis is used to identify document texture. It is desired that document fragments from same source will have similar color and texture. For clustering similar document fragments of our test dataset we use a Self Organizing Map (SOM) of dimension 5×5, where the document color and texture information are used as features. We obtained an encouraging accuracy of 97.17% from 1063 test images.

  13. Environmental Information Document: L-reactor reactivation

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

    Mackey, H.E. Jr.

    1982-04-01

    Purpose of this Environmental Information Document is to provide background for assessing environmental impacts associated with the renovation, restartup, and operation of L Reactor at the Savannah River Plant (SRP). SRP is a major US Department of Energy installation for the production of nuclear materials for national defense. The purpose of the restart of L Reactor is to increase the production of nuclear weapons materials, such as plutonium and tritium, to meet projected needs in the nuclear weapons program.

  14. Communication pitfalls of traditional history and physical write-up documentation

    PubMed Central

    Brown, Jeffrey L

    2017-01-01

    Background An unofficial standardized “write-up” outline is commonly used for documenting history and physical examinations, giving oral presentations, and teaching clinical skills. Despite general acceptance, there is an apparent discrepancy between the way clinical encounters are conducted and how they are documented. Methods Fifteen medical school websites were randomly selected from search-engine generated lists. One example of a history and physical write-up from each of six sites, one teaching outline from each of nine additional sites, and recommendations for documentation made in two commonly used textbooks were compared for similarities and differences. Results Except for minor variations in documenting background information, all sampled materials utilized the same standardized format. When the examiners’ early perceptions of the patients’ degree of illness or level of distress were described, they were categorized as “general appearance” within the physical findings. Contrary to clinical practice, none of the examples or recommendations documented these early perceptions before chief concerns and history were presented. Discussion An examiner’s initial perceptions of a patient’s affect, degree of illness, and level of distress can influence the content of the history, triage decisions, and prioritization of likely diagnoses. When chief concerns and history are shared without benefit of this information, erroneous assumptions and miscommunications can result. Conclusion This survey confirms common use of a standardized outline for documenting, communicating, and teaching history-taking and physical examination protocol. The present outline shares early observations out of clinical sequence and may provide inadequate context for accurate interpretation of chief concerns and history. Corrective actions include modifying the documentation sequence to conform to clinical practice and teaching contextual methodology for sharing patient information. PMID:28096709

  15. Clinician preferences for verbal communication compared to EHR documentation in the ICU

    PubMed Central

    Collins, S.A.; Bakken, S.; Vawdrey, D.K.; Coiera, E.; Currie, L

    2011-01-01

    Background Effective communication is essential to safe and efficient patient care. Additionally, many health information technology (HIT) developments, innovations, and standards aim to implement processes to improve data quality and integrity of electronic health records (EHR) for the purpose of clinical information exchange and communication. Objective We aimed to understand the current patterns and perceptions of communication of common goals in the ICU using the distributed cognition and clinical communication space theoretical frameworks. Methods We conducted a focus group and 5 interviews with ICU clinicians and observed 59.5 hours of interdisciplinary ICU morning rounds. Results Clinicians used an EHR system, which included electronic documentation and computerized provider order entry (CPOE), and paper artifacts for documentation; yet, preferred the verbal communication space as a method of information exchange because they perceived that the documentation was often not updated or efficient for information retrieval. These perceptions that the EHR is a “shift behind” may lead to a further reliance on verbal information exchange, which is a valuable clinical communication activity, yet, is subject to information loss. Conclusions Electronic documentation tools that, in real time, capture information that is currently verbally communicated may increase the effectiveness of communication. PMID:23616870

  16. Petroleum Refineries (Catalytic Cracking, Catalytic Reforming and Sulfur Recovery Units): National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP)

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    learn more about the NESHAP for catalytic cracking and reforming units, as well as sulfur recovery units in petroleum refineries by reading the rule history, rule summary, background information documents, and compliance information

  17. Building Information Modelling for Cultural Heritage: A review

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Logothetis, S.; Delinasiou, A.; Stylianidis, E.

    2015-08-01

    We discuss the evolution and state-of-the-art of the use of Building Information Modelling (BIM) in the field of culture heritage documentation. BIM is a hot theme involving different characteristics including principles, technology, even privacy rights for the cultural heritage objects. Modern documentation needs identified the potential of BIM in the recent years. Many architects, archaeologists, conservationists, engineers regard BIM as a disruptive force, changing the way professionals can document and manage a cultural heritage structure. The latest years, there are many developments in the BIM field while the developed technology and methods challenged the cultural heritage community in the documentation framework. In this review article, following a brief historic background for the BIM, we review the recent developments focusing in the cultural heritage documentation perspective.

  18. Solid waste information and tracking system client-server conversion project management plan

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

    May, D.L.

    1998-04-15

    This Project Management Plan is the lead planning document governing the proposed conversion of the Solid Waste Information and Tracking System (SWITS) to a client-server architecture. This plan presents the content specified by American National Standards Institute (ANSI)/Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) standards for software development, with additional information categories deemed to be necessary to describe the conversion fully. This plan is a living document that will be reviewed on a periodic basis and revised when necessary to reflect changes in baseline design concepts and schedules. This PMP describes the background, planning and management of the SWITS conversion.more » It does not constitute a statement of product requirements. Requirements and specification documentation needed for the SWITS conversion will be released as supporting documents.« less

  19. So What's It to Me? Sexual Assault Information for Guys: Activity Guide.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Stringer, Gayle M.; Rants-Rodriguez, Deanna

    This document is a group leader activity guide to accompany a sexual assault prevention program focusing on information for male teenagers. Background information, large group activities, comments for small group leaders, extension activities, activity sheets, and transparency masters are included for 15 group activities. These topics are covered…

  20. Peace Corps Water/Sanitation Case Studies and Analyses. Appropriate Technologies for Development. Case Study CS-4.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Talbert, Diana E., Comp.

    This document provides an overview of Peace Corps water and sanitation activities, five case studies (Thailand, Yemen, Paraguay, Sierra Leone, and Togo), programming guidelines, and training information. Each case study includes: (1) background information on the country's geography, population, and economics; (2) information on the country's…

  1. RE: Request for Correction, Technical Support Document, Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reporting from the Petroleum and Natural Gas Industry

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    The Industrial Energy Consumers of America (IECA) joins the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in its request for correction of information developed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in a background technical support document titled Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reporting from the Petroleum and Natural Gas Industry

  2. Background Information Document for Updating AP42 Section 2.4 for Estimating Emissions from Municipal Solid Waste Landfills

    EPA Science Inventory

    This revised draft document was prepared for U.S. EPA's Office of Research and Development, and describes the data analysis undertaken to update the Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) Landfill section of AP-42. This 2008 update includes the addition of data from 62 landfill gas emission...

  3. Presenter's Guide to Perspectives (Law-Related Education). Draft.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pratt, Robert B.

    This document is the presenter's guide to SO 008 871. The document is the result of three and one-half years of effort to improve social studies in the secondary schools in Iowa. Perspectives, part one of the two-part series, presents information and background to aid in the reform, innovation, and evaluation of social studies programs. This…

  4. Making Prevention Work.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (DHHS/PHS), Rockville, MD. Center for Substance Abuse Prevention.

    This booklet provides data and information to show that substance abuse prevention is working and encourages all sectors of society to become involved. Twenty percent of the document features background information about what's working to prevent substance abuse, lists of risk and protective factors, data that show the relationship between…

  5. Opportunities to Improve Air Quality through Transportation Pricing Programs

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    This document is intended to give state and local air quality and transportation planners,elected government officials, and other interested parties background information on transportation pricing programs.

  6. A need to simplify informed consent documents in cancer clinical trials. A position paper of the ARCAD Group

    PubMed Central

    Bleiberg, H.; Decoster, G.; de Gramont, A.; Rougier, P.; Sobrero, A.; Benson, A.; Chibaudel, B.; Douillard, J. Y.; Eng, C.; Fuchs, C.; Fujii, M.; Labianca, R.; Larsen, A. K.; Mitchell, E.; Schmoll, H. J.; Sprumont, D.; Zalcberg, J.

    2017-01-01

    Background In respect of the principle of autonomy and the right of self-determination, obtaining an informed consent of potential participants before their inclusion in a study is a fundamental ethical obligation. The variations in national laws, regulations, and cultures contribute to complex informed consent documents for patients participating in clinical trials. Currently, only few ethics committees seem willing to address the complexity and the length of these documents and to request investigators and sponsors to revise them in a way to make them understandable for potential participants. The purpose of this work is to focus on the written information in the informed consent documentation for drug development clinical trials and suggests (i) to distinguish between necessary and not essential information, (ii) to define the optimal format allowing the best legibility of those documents. Methods The Aide et Recherche en Cancérologie Digestive (ARCAD) Group, an international scientific committee involving oncologists from all over the world, addressed these issues and developed and uniformly accepted a simplified informed consent documentation for future clinical research. Results A simplified form of informed consent with the leading part of 1200–1800 words containing all of the key information necessary to meet ethical and regulatory requirements and ‘relevant supportive information appendix’ of 2000–3000 words is provided. Conclusions This position paper, on the basis of the ARCAD Group experts discussions, proposes our informed consent model and the rationale for its content. PMID:28453700

  7. Information Services; A Survey of the History and Present Status of the Field. MOREL Regional Information System for Educators.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Grimes, George

    This document is one of a series describing the background, functions, and utilization of the Regional Information System (RIS) developed by the Michigan-Ohio Regional Educational Laboratory (MOREL). The continuing history of the field of librarianship and information services is reviewed in this report. The first part covers ancient times to the…

  8. Enhancing Information Awareness Through Directed Qualification of Semantic Relevancy Scoring Operations

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2014-06-01

    analytics to evaluate document relevancy and order query results. 4 Background • Information environment complexity • Relevancy solutions for big data ...027 Primary Topic: Data , Information and Knowledge Alternatives: Organizational Concepts and Approaches; Experimentation, Metrics, and Analysis...instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. Send

  9. Towards an Understanding: Rural Education in Manitoba.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    WESTARC Group, Inc., Brandon (Manitoba).

    This document provides current and historical information about rural education in Manitoba, Canada. The report's eight sections and the information they provide are as follows: (1) "Background" emphasizes the importance of education to rural residents, and describes the trend toward education for all ages; (2) "Early Education in…

  10. An Academic Library's Experience with Fee-Based Services.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hornbeck, Julia W.

    1983-01-01

    Profile of fee-based information services offered by the Information Exchange Center of Georgia Institute of Technology notes history and background, document delivery to commercial clients and on-campus faculty, online and manual literature searching, staff, cost analysis, fee schedule, operating methods, client relations, marketing, and current…

  11. A coherent graph-based semantic clustering and summarization approach for biomedical literature and a new summarization evaluation method

    PubMed Central

    Yoo, Illhoi; Hu, Xiaohua; Song, Il-Yeol

    2007-01-01

    Background A huge amount of biomedical textual information has been produced and collected in MEDLINE for decades. In order to easily utilize biomedical information in the free text, document clustering and text summarization together are used as a solution for text information overload problem. In this paper, we introduce a coherent graph-based semantic clustering and summarization approach for biomedical literature. Results Our extensive experimental results show the approach shows 45% cluster quality improvement and 72% clustering reliability improvement, in terms of misclassification index, over Bisecting K-means as a leading document clustering approach. In addition, our approach provides concise but rich text summary in key concepts and sentences. Conclusion Our coherent biomedical literature clustering and summarization approach that takes advantage of ontology-enriched graphical representations significantly improves the quality of document clusters and understandability of documents through summaries. PMID:18047705

  12. Analysis of Informed Consent Document Utilization in a Minimal-Risk Genetic Study

    PubMed Central

    Desch, Karl; Li, Jun; Kim, Scott; Laventhal, Naomi; Metzger, Kristen; Siemieniak, David; Ginsburg, David

    2012-01-01

    Background The signed informed consent document certifies that the process of informed consent has taken place and provides research participants with comprehensive information about their role in the study. Despite efforts to optimize the informed consent document, only limited data are available about the actual use of consent documents by participants in biomedical research. Objective To examine the use of online consent documents in a minimal-risk genetic study. Design Prospective sibling cohort enrolled as part of a genetic study of hematologic and common human traits. Setting University of Michigan Campus, Ann Arbor, Michigan. Participants Volunteer sample of healthy persons with 1 or more eligible siblings aged 14 to 35 years. Enrollment was through targeted e-mail to student lists. A total of 1209 persons completed the study. Measurements Time taken by participants to review a 2833-word online consent document before indicating consent and identification of a masked hyperlink near the end of the document. Results The minimum predicted reading time was 566 seconds. The median time to consent was 53 seconds. A total of 23% of participants consented within 10 seconds, and 93% of participants consented in less than the minimum predicted reading time. A total of 2.5% of participants identified the masked hyperlink. Limitation The online consent process was not observed directly by study investigators, and some participants may have viewed the consent document more than once. Conclusion Few research participants thoroughly read the consent document before agreeing to participate in this genetic study. These data suggest that current informed consent documents, particularly for low-risk studies, may no longer serve the intended purpose of protecting human participants, and the role of these documents should be reassessed. Primary Funding Source National Institutes of Health. PMID:21893624

  13. Thai Hospitals' Adoption of Information Technology: A Theory Development and Nationwide Survey

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Theera-Ampornpunt, Nawanan

    2011-01-01

    Background: With documented benefits and recent public policies, health information technology (IT) has received increasing attention in recent years. However, knowledge about Thailand's state of hospital IT adoption is lacking. The literature also identifies organizational management practices that are important to health IT implementation, but…

  14. 76 FR 20366 - Changes to the Public Housing Assessment System (PHAS): Management Operations Scoring Notice

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-04-12

    ... Housing Assessment System (PHAS): Management Operations Scoring Notice AGENCY: Office of the Assistant... Management Operations interim scoring notice. The document inadvertently omitted a word with respect to the... INFORMATION: I. Background The proposed management operations scoring information was published on August 21...

  15. 27 CFR 555.33 - Background checks and clearances (effective May 24, 2003).

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... (see § 555.26). In making such determination, the Director may take into account a letter or document... appropriate identifying information of responsible persons and employees who will be authorized by the... for the determination; provides information on how the disability may be relieved; and explains how...

  16. Aspects of School Television in Europe. A Documentation.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Meyer, Manfred, Ed.

    This book is intended to provide background information for people interested in school television; for producers and editors of educational broadcasts worldwide; and newcomers, information seekers, and researchers in the field of educational broadcasting. Material in the book is presented in seven "chapters" or sections: Chapter 1--a…

  17. For the Dignity of Humanity. 2nd Annual Commemoration of Black History.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (DOC), Rockville, MD.

    This booklet contains selected background materials, biographical information, anecdotes, and statements documenting contributions made by blacks to American history. Objectives are to call attention to information about blacks which has been systematically excluded from United States history books and to help people understand the life, heritage,…

  18. Choosing a Microcomputer: A Success Story.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mason, Robert M.

    1983-01-01

    Documentation of author's personal experience in the purchasing of a microcomputer discusses background learning, the purchase decision, needs assessment, computer literacy, general information on microcomputers, the situation assessment, and the final check. (EJS)

  19. Responsible innovation in human germline gene editing: Background document to the recommendations of ESHG and ESHRE.

    PubMed

    De Wert, Guido; Heindryckx, Björn; Pennings, Guido; Clarke, Angus; Eichenlaub-Ritter, Ursula; van El, Carla G; Forzano, Francesca; Goddijn, Mariëtte; Howard, Heidi C; Radojkovic, Dragica; Rial-Sebbag, Emmanuelle; Dondorp, Wybo; Tarlatzis, Basil C; Cornel, Martina C

    2018-04-01

    Technological developments in gene editing raise high expectations for clinical applications, including editing of the germline. The European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE) and the European Society of Human Genetics (ESHG) together developed a Background document and Recommendations to inform and stimulate ongoing societal debates. This document provides the background to the Recommendations. Germline gene editing is currently not allowed in many countries. This makes clinical applications in these countries impossible now, even if germline gene editing would become safe and effective. What were the arguments behind this legislation, and are they still convincing? If a technique could help to avoid serious genetic disorders, in a safe and effective way, would this be a reason to reconsider earlier standpoints? This Background document summarizes the scientific developments and expectations regarding germline gene editing, legal regulations at the European level, and ethics for three different settings (basic research, preclinical research and clinical applications). In ethical terms, we argue that the deontological objections (e.g., gene editing goes against nature) do not seem convincing while consequentialist objections (e.g., safety for the children thus conceived and following generations) require research, not all of which is allowed in the current legal situation in European countries. Development of this Background document and Recommendations reflects the responsibility to help society understand and debate the full range of possible implications of the new technologies, and to contribute to regulations that are adapted to the dynamics of the field while taking account of ethical considerations and societal concerns.

  20. Background Investigations and Clearances

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    You may need to complete certain security forms and report for identity proofing and fingerprinting before you can begin work at EPA. The following document contain specific instructions and information to help guide you through the process:

  1. ACOG Committee Opinion No. 306. Informed refusal.

    PubMed

    2004-12-01

    Informed refusal is a fundamental component of the informed consent process. Informed consent laws have evolved to the "materiality or patient viewpoint" standard. A physician must disclose to the patient the risks, benefits, and alternatives that a reasonable person in the patient's position would want to know to make an informed decision. Throughout this process, the patient's autonomy, level of health literacy, and cultural background should be respected. The subsequent election by the patient to forgo an intervention that has been recommended by the physician constitutes informed refusal. Documentation of the informed refusal process is essential. It should include a notation that the need for the intervention, as well as risks, benefits, and alternatives to the intervention, and possible consequences of refusal, have been explained. The patient's reason for refusal also should be documented.

  2. Background Information for Think Tank on Planning, Governance and System Building Early Care and Education--NYC

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Boressoff, Todd

    2008-01-01

    This document provides some background on early childhood planning and system building around the country. Since mid-December, the author has been studying these efforts for Child Care, Inc. (CCI) interviewing national experts and reading widely. This outline provides insights and lesson learned from those inquiries. The goal at this meeting will…

  3. Use of a simplified consent form to facilitate patient understanding of informed consent for laparoscopic cholecystectomy

    PubMed Central

    Borello, Alessandro; Passera, Roberto; Surace, Alessandra; Marola, Silvia; Buccelli, Claudio; Niola, Massimo; Di Lorenzo, Pierpaolo; Amato, Maurizio; Di Domenico, Lorenza; Solej, Mario; Martino, Valter

    2016-01-01

    Abstract Background Surgical informed consent forms can be complicated for patients to read and understand. We created a consent form with key information presented in bulleted texts and diagrams combined in a graphical format to facilitate the understanding of information during the verbal consent discussion. Methods This prospective, randomized study involved 70 adult patients awaiting cholecystectomy for gallstones. Consent was obtained after standard verbal explanation using either a graphically formatted (study group, n=33) or a standard text document (control group, n=37). Comprehension was evaluated with a 9-item multiple-choice questionnaire administered before surgery and factors affecting comprehension were analyzed. Results Comparison of questionnaire scores showed no effect of age, sex, time between consent and surgery, or document format on understanding of informed consent. Educational level was the only predictor of comprehension. Conclusions Simplified surgical consent documents meet the goals of health literacy and informed consent. Educational level appears to be a strong predictor of understanding. PMID:28352847

  4. SPIRES (Stanford Physics Information REtrieval System) 1969-70 Annual Report to the National Science Foundation (Office of Science Information Service).

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Parker, Edwin B.

    The third annual report (covering the 18-month period from January 1969 to June 1970) of the Stanford Physics Information REtrieval System (SPIRES) project, which is developing an augmented bibliographic retrieval capability, is presented in this document. A first section describes the background of the project and its association with Project…

  5. Patent Documents as a Resource for Studies and Education in Geophysics - An Approach.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wollny, K. G.

    2016-12-01

    Patents are a highly neglected source of information in geophysics, although they supply a wealth of technical and historically relevant data and might be an important asset for researchers and students. The technical drawings and descriptions in patent documents provide insight into the personal work of a researcher or a scientific group and give detailed technical background information, show interdisciplinary solutions for similar problems, help to learn about inventions too advanced for their time but maybe useful now, and to explore the historical background and timelines of inventions and their inventors. It will be shown how to get access to patent documents and how to use them for research and education purposes. Exemplary inventions by well-known geoscientists or scientists in related fields will be presented to illustrate the usefulness of patent documents. The data pool used is the International Patent Classification (IPC) class G01V that the United Nations' World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) has set up mainly for inventions with key aspects in geophysics. This class contains approximately 235,000 patent documents (July 2016) for methods, apparatuses or scientific instruments developed during scientific projects or by geophysical companies. The patent documents can be accessed via patent databases. The most important patent databases are for free, search functionality is self-explanatory and the amount of information to be extracted is enormous. For example, more than 90 million multilingual patent documents are currently available online (July 2016) in DEPATIS database of the German Patent and Trade Mark Office or ESPACENET of the European Patent Office. To summarize, patent documents are a highly useful tool for educational and research purposes to strengthen students' and scientists' knowledge in a practically orientated geophysical field and to widen the horizon to adjacent technical areas. Last but not least, they also provide insight into historical aspects of geophysics and the persons working in that area.

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

    Pattison, Morgan

    A 2017 update to the Solid-State Lighting R&D Plan that is divided into two documents. The first document describes a list of suggested SSL priority research topics and the second document provides context and background, including information drawn from technical, market, and economic studies. Widely referenced by industry and government both here and abroad, these documents reflect SSL stakeholder inputs on key R&D topics that will improve efficacy, reduce cost, remove barriers to adoption, and add value for LED and OLED lighting solutions over the next three to five years, and discuss those applications that drive and prioritize the specificmore » R&D.« less

  7. Long-term warranties on highway projects.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2008-09-01

    This report documents the state of the art and practice of warranty contracting in the United States. Background information, key elements, benefits and concerns, and lesson learned in other states regarding warranty contracting are presented in the ...

  8. Astronautic structures manual

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1977-01-01

    Three-volume reference work serves as catalog of analysis techniques for elastic and inelastic stress ranges and as source on background and development of methods. Information is condensation of published journal articles, industry and university publications, textbooks, and government documents.

  9. 75 FR 73106 - Draft Guidance for Industry and Food and Drug Administration Staff; Establishing the Performance...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-11-29

    ... document describes FDA's recommendations concerning 510(k) submissions for various types of in vitro.... SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: I. Background This draft guidance includes recommendations concerning 510(k...

  10. Clay Ceramics Manufacturing: National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP)

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    Learn about the NESHAP regulation for clay ceramic manufacturing by reading the rule summary, rule history, code of federal regulations, and the additional resources like fact sheets and background information documents

  11. Metrics for Good Measure. Level III. Instructor's Guide.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cooper, Gloria S.; And Others

    This guide and the accompanying student workbook (separate document) comprise the Adult Basic Education Level III (grades 7, 8, and 9) package on the metric system. An introductory section provides background information on adult basic daily living skills, a discussion of the design and use of the student workbook, and information on what the…

  12. Metrics for Good Measure. Level II. Instructor's Guide.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cooper, Gloria S.; And Others

    This guide and the accompanying student workbook (separate document) comprise the Adult Basic Education Level II (grades 4, 5, and 6) package on the metric system. An introductory section provides background information on adult basic daily living skills, a discussion of the design and use of the student workbook, and information on what the…

  13. NOAA History - NOAA Then and Now

    Science.gov Websites

    NOAA History Banner gold bar divider home - takes you to index page about the site contacts noaa formed agency. The documents in this section include information on the history of the formation of NOAA . agency history noaa seal NOAA Historical background information on NOAA as an agency of the Department of

  14. Policies and Practices in the Bibliographic Control of United States Government Publications.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Crowers, Clifford P., Ed.

    1974-01-01

    In an attempt to clarify the indexing and announcing controls for government documents, this issue of the Drexel Library Quarterly presents background information on several of the information controlling and access agencies, describes their operations, and points out their inherent problems and weaknesses. The agencies covered are the Government…

  15. An Information System for the Council of Educational Facility Planners International Membership Information Network. Volume 1: Background Report and Implementation Models. Volume 2: Appendices.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hruday, Connie; And Others

    This document is designed to assist the Council of Educational Facility Planners International (CEFP/I) in planning for the establishment of an information system for its members and other stakeholders who need information on educational facilities. The report focuses on the major activities to be accomplished and the issues to be considered when…

  16. The Federal Role in Bringing Education into the National Information Infrastructure

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Cradler, John

    1995-01-01

    One of the most important issues facing Congress is to work with business, education, and the states to enable the nation's shools to better prepare students for a technological work force and to ensure that education has a place on the National Information Infrastructure (NII). This document provides background and important information for national leaders concerned about education, the information infrastructure, and related issues for the Federal government.

  17. 2015 Revision to 2008 Ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) Related Documents

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    Find tools for background ozone, maps of nonattainment areas, an overview of the proposal, and information on designations, monitoring and permitting requirements and a presentation on the 2015 ozone NAAQS revision.

  18. Surrogate Safety Assessment Model (SSAM)--software user manual

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2008-05-01

    This document presents guidelines for the installation and use of the Surrogate Safety Assessment Model (SSAM) software. For more information regarding the SSAM application, including discussion of theoretical background and the results of a series o...

  19. Ten years of the International Patient Decision Aid Standards Collaboration: evolution of the core dimensions for assessing the quality of patient decision aids

    PubMed Central

    2013-01-01

    In 2003, the International Patient Decision Aid Standards (IPDAS) Collaboration was established to enhance the quality and effectiveness of patient decision aids by establishing an evidence-informed framework for improving their content, development, implementation, and evaluation. Over this 10 year period, the Collaboration has established: a) the background document on 12 core dimensions to inform the original modified Delphi process to establish the IPDAS checklist (74 items); b) the valid and reliable IPDAS instrument (47 items); and c) the IPDAS qualifying (6 items), certifying (6 items + 4 items for screening), and quality criteria (28 items). The objective of this paper is to describe the evolution of the IPDAS Collaboration and discuss the standardized process used to update the background documents on the theoretical rationales, evidence and emerging issues underlying the 12 core dimensions for assessing the quality of patient decision aids. PMID:24624947

  20. Technical Users Background Document | ECHO | US EPA

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    ECHO, Enforcement and Compliance History Online, provides compliance and enforcement information for approximately 800,000 EPA-regulated facilities nationwide. ECHO includes permit, inspection, violation, enforcement action, and penalty information about facilities regulated under the Clean Air Act (CAA) Stationary Source Program, Clean Water Act (CWA) National Pollutant Elimination Discharge System (NPDES), and/or Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). Information also is provided on surrounding demographics when available.

  1. Towards a better understanding of the nomenclature used in information-packaging efforts to support evidence-informed policymaking in low- and middle-income countries

    PubMed Central

    2014-01-01

    Background The growing recognition of the importance of concisely communicating research evidence and other policy-relevant information to policymakers has underpinned the development of several information-packaging efforts over the past decade. This has led to a wide variability in the types of documents produced, which is at best confusing and at worst discouraging for those they intend to reach. This paper has two main objectives: to develop a better understanding of the range of documents and document names used by the organizations preparing them; and to assess whether there are any consistencies in the characteristics of sampled documents across the names employed to label (in the title) or describe (in the document or website) them. Methods We undertook a documentary analysis of web-published document series that are prepared by a variety of organizations with the primary intention of providing information to health systems policymakers and stakeholders, and addressing questions related to health policy and health systems with a focus on low- and middle-income countries. No time limit was set. Results In total, 109 individual documents from 24 series produced by 16 different organizations were included. The name ‘policy brief/briefing’ was the most frequently used (39%) to label or describe a document, and was used in all eight broad content areas that we identified, even though they did not have obviously common traits among them. In terms of document characteristics, most documents (90%) used skimmable formats that are easy to read, with understandable, jargon-free, language (80%). Availability of information on the methods (47%) or the quality of the presented evidence (27%) was less common. One-third (32%) chose the topic based on an explicit process to assess the demand for information from policy makers and even fewer (19%) engaged with policymakers to discuss the content of these documents such as through merit review. Conclusions This study highlights the need for organizations embarking on future information-packaging efforts to be more thoughtful when deciding how to name these documents and the need for greater transparency in describing their content, purpose and intended audience. PMID:24889015

  2. Information transfer satellite concept study. Volume 3: Appendices

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bergin, P.; Kincade, C.; Kurpiewski, D.; Leinhaupel, F.; Millican, F.; Onstad, R.

    1971-01-01

    Briefly reviewed are the various documents which supply background information for the information transfer satellite study. The sixteen papers reviewed are evaluated in terms of: (1) the category of service or demand being treated; (2) the extent to which information transfer predictions are quantified; (3) the degree to which the data supplied is adequate for the purposes of system synthesis; (4) some assessment as to the overall utility of the data presented in the paper.

  3. Supplier Assessment System (SAS)

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Dietrich, Kristen

    2016-01-01

    Background: Sponsored by NASA Headquarters; Charter - provide information to assist the quality assurance community in evaluating and determining supplier risk; Comprehensive on-line repository of supplier information; Available to approved civil service personnel from all NASA Centers, other U.S. Government Agencies, Prime Contractors, and NASA direct support contractors; User access to specific data types or documents is controlled as needed.

  4. Kellogg Library and Archive Retrieval System (KLARS) Document Capture Manual. Draft Version.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hugo, Jane

    This manual is designed to supply background information for Kellogg Library and Archive Retrieval System (KLARS) processors and others who might work with the system, outline detailed policies and procedures for processors who prepare and enter data into the adult education database on KLARS, and inform general readers about the system. KLARS is…

  5. Black Perspectives on FE Provision. A Summary Document. Further Education Unit.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Further Education Unit, London (England).

    This summary report provides information on two surveys of views of the local black communities and Further Education (FE) teachers regarding FE provision. Part I offers background. Part II highlights these common themes: (1) the context is one of a black population exposed to acute economic and social disadvantage; (2) a serious information gap…

  6. Guidelines for Measuring Coastal Acidification

    EPA Science Inventory

    The purpose of this presentation is to provide EPA colleagues in region 1 with background information related to, and a description of, the recently published document entitled "Guidelines for Measuring Changes in seawater pH and associated carbonate chemistry in coastal env...

  7. Federal Strategies for Inducing Technological Innovation in the Auto Industry

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1978-03-01

    The present document is intended to provide background information on the innovation process and the spectrum of alternative Federal strate??ies for achieving National automotive goals in the areas of safety, fuel economy and emissions. A narrative...

  8. Brick and Structural Clay Products: National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP)

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    Learn about the NESHAP regulation for brick and structural clay products by reading the rule summary, rule history, code of federal regulations, and the additional resources like fact sheets and background information documents

  9. USDA-EPA Collaborative Ammonia Research

    EPA Science Inventory

    In 2014, a work group was formed between USDA and EPA to facilitate information exchange on ammonia emissions from agriculture, air quality impacts and emission mitigation options and to identify opportunities for collaboration. This document provides background on the work grou...

  10. The Printing and Publishing Industry: National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP)

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    Learn about the NESHAP for the printing and publishing industry by reading the rule summary and history. You can also find the additional resources like fact sheets, background information documents and related rules

  11. Solid Waste Information and Tracking System Client Server Conversion Project Management Plan

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

    GLASSCOCK, J.A.

    2000-02-10

    The Project Management Plan governing the conversion of SWITS to a client-server architecture. The PMP describes the background, planning and management of the SWITS conversion. Requirements and specification documentation needed for the SWITS conversion

  12. Solid-State Lighting 2017 Suggested Research Topics

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

    None, None

    2017-09-29

    A 2017 update to the Solid-State Lighting R&D Plan that is divided into two documents. The first document describes a list of suggested SSL priority research topics and the second document provides context and background, including information drawn from technical, market, and economic studies. Widely referenced by industry and government both here and abroad, these documents reflect SSL stakeholder inputs on key R&D topics that will improve efficacy, reduce cost, remove barriers to adoption, and add value for LED and OLED lighting solutions over the next three to five years, and discuss those applications that drive and prioritize the specificmore » R&D.« less

  13. Solid-State Lighting 2017 Suggested Research Topics

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

    None, None

    A 2017 update to the Solid-State Lighting R&D Plan that is divided into two documents. The first document describes a list of suggested SSL priority research topics and the second document provides context and background, including information drawn from technical, market, and economic studies. Widely referenced by industry and government both here and abroad, these documents reflect SSL stakeholder inputs on key R&D topics that will improve efficacy, reduce cost, remove barriers to adoption, and add value for LED and OLED lighting solutions over the next three to five years, and discuss those applications that drive and prioritize the specificmore » R&D.« less

  14. Library Service Now in New York State: A Background Paper Prepared for the Governor's Commission on Libraries. Some People Say...

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Prentice, Ann E.; Connor, Jean L.

    Prepared as a background paper for the Governor's Conference on Libraries in June 1978, this document presents a summary of what is known (or not known) about the library 'picture' in New York State. This picture is sketched in an overview, and then specific areas are colored in. Information on each type of library--school, public, academic,…

  15. A Bird Strike Handbook for Base-Level Managers

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1984-09-01

    Background Literature Review . . . . . . . . . . 7 Statistical History. . • . 7 . . . . • . . • Bird Behavior. ... . .. . . .. . . 9 Literature...compiled all relevant information through an extensive literature search, review of base-level documents, and personal interviews. The final product...34. .•" ’ft,, ft. . 𔃾 ft ’ft V. V. 11. Background Literature Review Chapter 4 of this thesis will be a handbook for use by the base-level managers. In essence

  16. General Information about Crisis Nursery Care, ARCH Factsheet Number 1 [and] General Information about Respite Care, ARCH Factsheet Number 2.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    North Carolina State Dept. of Human Resources, Raleigh. Div. of Mental Health, Mental Retardation and Substance Abuse Services.

    This document consists of a combination of two separately published fact sheets, one on crisis nursery care for children at risk of abuse or neglect and one on respite care for families of children with disabilities or chronic illness. The fact sheet on crisis nursery care presents background information on the federal role in developing crisis…

  17. Human Factors in the Design and Evaluation of Air Traffic Control Systems

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1995-04-01

    This document presents human factors issues that should be considered in the design and evaluation of air traffic : control (ATC) systems and subsystems. It provides background material on the capabilities and limitations of humans as : information p...

  18. Documentation in Education.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Burke, Arvid J.; Burke, Mary A.

    After a summary of background knowledge useful in searching for information, the authors cover extensively the sources available to the researcher interested in locating educational data or conducting a search of bibliographic materials. They list reference books, dictionaries, almanacs, yearbooks, subject matter summaries; and sources for…

  19. Vietnam War Resisters in Canada, 1965-1977. "Draft Dodgers" or Refugees from Militarism?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bennett, Paul W.

    1989-01-01

    Provides background information and primary source documents to teach about the issues surrounding Canada's admission of U.S. Vietnam War resisters from 1965 to 1977. Includes primary sources which may serve as points of discussion. (LS)

  20. Illinois Manufacturing Technology Curriculum.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cliffe, Roger; And Others

    This manufacturing technology curriculum involves students in learning problem-solving, communication, team building, quality control, safety, math, science, and technical skills. The document begins with a section on implementation, which gives background information on the purposes and development of the curriculum, explains its rationale,…

  1. International exploration of Mars. A special bibliography

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1991-01-01

    This bibliography lists 173 reports, articles, and other documents introduced into the NASA Scientific and Technical Information Database on the exploration of Mars. Historical references are cited for background. The bibliography was created for the 1991 session of the International Space University.

  2. Brownfields Recover Your Resources - Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle Construction and Demolition Materials at Land Revitalization Projects

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    This document provides background information on how the sustainable reuse of brownfield properties includes efforts to reduce the environmental impact by reusing and recycling materials generated during building construction, demolition, or renovation.

  3. Proposed Site Treatment Plan (PSTP). Volumes 1 and 2 and Reference Document

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

    Helmich, E.; Noller, D.K.; Wierzbicki, K.S.

    1994-12-22

    The Compliance Plan Volume provides overall schedules with target dates for achieving compliance with the land disposal restrictions (LDR) and contains procedures to establish milestones to be enforced under the Order. Information regarding the technical evaluation of treatment options for SRS mixed wastes is contained in the Background Volume and is provided for informational purposes only.

  4. Aviation Structural Mechanic S 3 & 2. NAVTRA-10308-C. Rate Training Manual.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bureau of Naval Personnel, Washington, DC.

    This document is one of a series of rate training manuals designed to provide enlisted personnel of the Navy or Naval Reserve with the background information that will be useful in preparing for advancement in Aviation Structural Mechanics S (AMS) rating and to present necessary information for the proper performance of duties in that rating. The…

  5. Bulgarians: Costumes.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kolar, Walter W.

    This booklet presents background information and descriptions of Bulgarian national costumes. The document is part of an ethnic heritage unit intended for use by elementary and secondary social studies classroom teachers as they develop and implement cultural awareness educational programs on Bulgaria. Costumes from 11 Bulgarian regions are…

  6. Fatal and serious injury traffic crash trends in Michigan : 1995-1999

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2001-01-01

    This is the latest report in a series documenting five-year trends in Michigan traffic crashes. This report provides background information necessary for the Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning to set and evaluate traffic safety goals and to p...

  7. Review & Peer Review of “Parameters for Properly Designed and Operated Flares” Documents

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    This page contains two 2012 memoranda on the review of EPA's parameters for properly designed and operated flares. One details the process of peer review, and the other provides background information and specific charge questions to the panel.

  8. Development of Advisory Levels for Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBS) Cleanup

    EPA Science Inventory

    The document presents background information used in developing advisory levels of PCBs in soil estimated to be permissible in protecting public health. The results of exposure assessment and health effects studies are combined to arrive at the permissible levels of PCBs. Health ...

  9. Surplus Highly Enriched Uranium Disposition Program plan

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

    NONE

    1996-10-01

    The purpose of this document is to provide upper level guidance for the program that will downblend surplus highly enriched uranium for use as commercial nuclear reactor fuel or low-level radioactive waste. The intent of this document is to outline the overall mission and program objectives. The document is also intended to provide a general basis for integration of disposition efforts among all applicable sites. This plan provides background information, establishes the scope of disposition activities, provides an approach to the mission and objectives, identifies programmatic assumptions, defines major roles, provides summary level schedules and milestones, and addresses budget requirements.

  10. Mars Sample Handling Protocol Workshop Series

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Rummel, John D. (Editor); Race, Margaret S. (Editor); Acevedo, Sara (Technical Monitor)

    2000-01-01

    This document is the report resulting from the first workshop of the series on development of the criteria for a Mars sample handling protocol. Workshop 1 was held in Bethesda, Maryland on March 20-22, 2000. This report serves to document the proceedings of Workshop 1; it summarizes relevant background information, provides an overview of the deliberations to date, and helps frame issues that will need further attention or resolution in upcoming workshops. Specific recommendations are not part of this report.

  11. Ethics Review Committee approval and informed consent: an analysis of biomedical publications originating from Sri Lanka

    PubMed Central

    Sumathipala, Athula; Siribaddana, Sisira; Hewege, Suwin; Lekamwattage, Manura; Athukorale, Manjula; Siriwardhana, Chesmal; Murray, Joanna; Prince, Martin

    2008-01-01

    Background International guidelines on research have focused on protecting research participants. Ethical Research Committee (ERC) approval and informed consent are the cornerstones. Externally sponsored research requires approval through ethical review in both the host and the sponsoring country. This study aimed to determine to what extent ERC approval and informed consent procedures are documented in locally and internationally published human subject research carried out in Sri Lanka. Methods We obtained ERC approval in Sri Lanka and the United Kingdom. Theses from 1985 to 2005 available at the Postgraduate Institute of Medicine (PGIM) library affiliated to the University of Colombo were scrutinised using checklists agreed in consultation with senior research collaborators. A Medline search was carried out with MeSH major and minor heading 'Sri Lanka' as the search term for international publications originating in Sri Lanka during 1999 to 2004. All research publications from CMJ during 1999 to 2005 were also scrutinized. Results Of 291 theses, 34% documented ERC approvals and 61% documented obtaining consent. From the international journal survey, 250 publications originated from Sri Lanka of which only 79 full text original research publications could be accessed electronically. Of these 38% documented ERC approval and 39% documented obtaining consent. In the Ceylon Medical Journal 36% documented ERC approval and 37% documented obtaining consent. Conclusion Only one third of the publications scrutinized recorded ERC approval and procurement of informed consent. However, there is a positive trend in documenting these ethical requirements in local postgraduate research and in the local medical journal. PMID:18267015

  12. GridAPPS-D Conceptual Design v1.0

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

    Melton, Ronald B.; Schneider, Kevin P.; McDermott, Thomas E.

    2017-05-31

    The purpose of this document is to provide a conceptual design of the distribution system application development platform being developed for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Distribution Management System (ADMS) Program by the Grid Modernization Laboratory Consortium project GM0063. The platform will be referred to as GridAPPS-D. This document provides a high level, conceptual view of the platform and provides related background and contextual information. This document is intended to both educate readers about the technical work of the project and to serve as a point of reference for the project team. The document will be updated as themore » project progresses.« less

  13. Solid-State Lighting 2017 Suggested Research Topics Supplement: Technology and Market Context

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

    None, None

    A 2017 update to the Solid-State Lighting R&D Plan that is divided into two documents. The first document describes a list of suggested SSL priority research topics and the second document provides context and background, including information drawn from technical, market, and economic studies. Widely referenced by industry and government both here and abroad, these documents reflect SSL stakeholder inputs on key R&D topics that will improve efficacy, reduce cost, remove barriers to adoption, and add value for LED and OLED lighting solutions over the next three to five years, and discuss those applications that drive and prioritize the specificmore » R&D.« less

  14. Weather Requirements and Procedures for Step 1: High Altitude Long Endurance (HALE) Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) Flight Operations in the National Air Space (NAS)

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    2007-01-01

    This cover sheet is for version 2 of the weather requirements document along with Appendix A. The purpose of the requirements document was to identify and to list the weather functional requirements needed to achieve the Access 5 vision of "operating High Altitude, Long Endurance (HALE) Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) routinely, safely, and reliably in the National Airspace System (NAS) for Step 1." A discussion of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) references and related policies, procedures, and standards is provided as basis for the recommendations supported within this document. Additional procedures and reference documentation related to weather functional requirements is also provided for background. The functional requirements and related information are to be proposed to the FAA and various standards organizations for consideration and approval. The appendix was designed to show that sources of flight weather information are readily available to UAS pilots conducting missions in the NAS. All weather information for this presentation was obtained from the public internet.

  15. From Cleanup to Stewardship. A companion report to Accelerating Cleanup: Paths to Closure and background information to support the scoping process required for the 1998 PEIS Settlement Study

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

    None, None

    1999-10-01

    Long-term stewardship is expected to be needed at more than 100 DOE sites after DOE's Environmental Management program completes disposal, stabilization, and restoration operations to address waste and contamination resulting from nuclear research and nuclear weapons production conducted over the past 50 years. From Cleanup to stewardship provides background information on the Department of Energy (DOE) long-term stewardship obligations and activities. This document begins to examine the transition from cleanup to long-term stewardship, and it fulfills the Secretary's commitment to the President in the 1999 Performance Agreement to provide a companion report to the Department's Accelerating Cleanup: Paths to Closuremore » report. It also provides background information to support the scoping process required for a study on long-term stewardship required by a 1998 Settlement Agreement.« less

  16. Oak Ridge Environmental Information System (OREIS) functional system design document

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

    Birchfield, T.E.; Brown, M.O.; Coleman, P.R.

    1994-03-01

    The OREIS Functional System Design document provides a detailed functional description of the Oak Ridge Environmental Information System (OREIS). It expands the system requirements defined in the OREIS Phase 1-System Definition Document (ES/ER/TM-34). Documentation of OREIS development is based on the Automated Data Processing System Development Methodology, a Martin Marietta Energy Systems, Inc., procedure written to assist in developing scientific and technical computer systems. This document focuses on the development of the functional design of the user interface, which includes the integration of commercial applications software. The data model and data dictionary are summarized briefly; however, the Data Management Planmore » for OREIS (ES/ER/TM-39), a companion document to the Functional System Design document, provides the complete data dictionary and detailed descriptions of the requirements for the data base structure. The OREIS system will provide the following functions, which are executed from a Menu Manager: (1) preferences, (2) view manager, (3) macro manager, (4) data analysis (assisted analysis and unassisted analysis), and (5) spatial analysis/map generation (assisted ARC/INFO and unassisted ARC/INFO). Additional functionality includes interprocess communications, which handle background operations of OREIS.« less

  17. Ideas: NCTM Standards-Based Instruction, Grades K-4.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hynes, Michael C., Ed.

    This document is a collection of activity-based mathematics lessons for grades K-4 from the "Ideas" department in "Arithmetic Teacher: Mathematics Education through the Middle Grades." Each lesson includes background information, objectives, directions, extensions, and student worksheets. A matrix is included which correlates…

  18. Psychological Approaches to Problems of Children and Adolescents.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Grimes, Jeff, Ed.

    This document, intended as a resource for school psychologists, contains articles addressing a variety of psychological and behavioral problems of children and adolescents. Each chapter includes the following content: background information concerning the specific topic, approaches for assessing the behavior of concern, intervention possibilities,…

  19. NOx SOx Secondary NAAQS: Integrated Review Plan - CASAC Advisory

    EPA Science Inventory

    The NOx SOx Secondary NAAQS Integrated Review Plan is the first document generated as part of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) review process. The Plan presents background information, the schedule for the review, the process to be used in conducting the review,...

  20. Clean, Safe Water. For How Long?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Zenke, Pam

    The document presents research and project-oriented activities at the secondary school level for studying Illinois' streams, water pollution, and methods for controlling pollution. Social, economic, and political issues are examined as part of the planning for pollution prevention. Following six teaching objectives, background information traces…

  1. Ideas: NCTM Standards-Based Instruction, Grades 5-8.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hynes, Michael C., Ed.

    This document is a collection of activity-based mathematics lessons for grades 5-8 from the "Ideas" department in "Arithmetic Teacher: Mathematics Education through the Middle Grades." Each lesson includes background information, objectives, directions, extensions, and student worksheets. A matrix is included which correlates…

  2. Reporting of feasibility factors in publications on integrated treatment programs for women with substance abuse issues and their children: a systematic review and analysis

    PubMed Central

    2012-01-01

    Background Implementation of evidence-based practices in real-world settings is a complex process impacted by many factors, including intervention, dissemination, service provider, and organizational characteristics. Efforts to improve knowledge translation have resulted in greater attention to these factors. Researcher attention to the applicability of findings to applied settings also has increased. Much less attention, however, has been paid to intervention feasibility, an issue important to applied settings. Methods In a systematic review of 121documents regarding integrated treatment programs for women with substance abuse issues and their children, we examined the presence of feasibility-related information. Specifically, we analysed study descriptions for information regarding feasibility factors in six domains (intervention, practitioner, client, service delivery, organizational, and service system). Results On average, fewer than half of the 25 feasibility details assessed were included in the documents. Most documents included some information describing the participating clients, the services offered as part of the intervention, the location of services, and the expected length of stay or number of sessions. Only approximately half of the documents included specific information about the treatment model. Few documents indicated whether the intervention was manualized or whether the intervention was preceded by a standardized screening or assessment process. Very few provided information about the core intervention features versus the features open to local adaptation, or the staff experience or training required to deliver the intervention. Conclusions As has been found in reviews of intervention studies in other fields, our findings revealed that most documents provide some client and intervention information, but few documents provided sufficient information to fully evaluate feasibility. We consider possible explanations for the paucity of feasibility information and provide suggestions for better reporting to promote diffusion of evidence-based practices. PMID:23217025

  3. Functional requirements document for NASA/MSFC Earth Science and Applications Division: Data and information system (ESAD-DIS). Interoperability, 1992

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Stephens, J. Briscoe; Grider, Gary W.

    1992-01-01

    These Earth Science and Applications Division-Data and Information System (ESAD-DIS) interoperability requirements are designed to quantify the Earth Science and Application Division's hardware and software requirements in terms of communications between personal and visualization workstation, and mainframe computers. The electronic mail requirements and local area network (LAN) requirements are addressed. These interoperability requirements are top-level requirements framed around defining the existing ESAD-DIS interoperability and projecting known near-term requirements for both operational support and for management planning. Detailed requirements will be submitted on a case-by-case basis. This document is also intended as an overview of ESAD-DIs interoperability for new-comers and management not familiar with these activities. It is intended as background documentation to support requests for resources and support requirements.

  4. Subway Environmental Design Handbook, Volume II, Subway Environment Simulation Computer Program, Version 4, Part 1, User's Manual

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1975-10-01

    This document forms part of the Subway Environmental Design Handbook. It contains the background information and instructions to enable an engineer to perform an analysis of a subway system by using the Subway Environment Simulation (SES) computer pr...

  5. Issue Papers To Consumer Protection in Postsecondary Education.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    1974

    This document is intended to present background information on the basic consumer protection issues in postsecondary education. Topics discussed are: (1) recruitment practices of postsecondary schools; (2) the role of a state agency in consumer protection; (3) consumer rights, responsibilities and redress of consumer protection; (4) advertising…

  6. Sexually Transmitted Diseases: A Selective, Annotated Bibliography.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Inc., New York, NY. Education Dept.

    This document contains a reference sheet and an annotated bibliography concerned with sexually transmitted diseases (STD). The reference sheet provides a brief, accurate overview of STDs which includes both statistical and background information. The bibliography contains 83 entries, listed alphabetically, that deal with STDs. Books and articles…

  7. Collection Development Policy.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dole, Wanda V.; And Others

    This document is an overall policy statement for library collection development for the State University of New York at Stony Brook. Part 1 comprises the library mission statement and a list of ongoing objectives. The second part provides some background information about the university environment and campus libraries. It also gives instructions…

  8. Factsheet for the California No-Discharge Zone Prohibiting Vessel Sewage in all California Marine Waters

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    The factsheet was produced by EPA Region 9 for California No Discharge Zone final rule. It includes background information, as well as a frequently asked questions (FAQs) section. The document also includes a map of California no discharge zones.

  9. A Randomized Controlled Trial of Short and Standard-Length Consent Forms for a Genetic Cohort Study: Is Longer Better?

    PubMed Central

    Matsui, Kenji; Lie, Reidar K.; Turin, Tanvir C.; Kita, Yoshikuni

    2012-01-01

    Background Although the amount of detail in informed consent documents has increased over time and the documents have therefore become very long, there is little research on whether longer informed consent documents actually result in (1) better informed research subjects or (2) higher consent rates. We therefore conducted an add-on randomized controlled trial to the Takashima Study, a prospective Japanese population-based genetic cohort study, to test the hypothesis that a shorter informed consent form would satisfy both of the above goals. Methods Standard (10 459 words, 11 pages) and short (3602 words, 5 pages) consent forms in Japanese were developed and distributed using cluster-randomization to 293 potential cohort subjects living in 9 medico-social units and 288 subjects in 8 medico-social units, respectively. Results Few differences were found between the 2 groups with regard to outcome measures, including participants’ self-perceived understanding, recall of information, concerns, voluntariness, trust, satisfaction, sense of duty, and consent rates. Conclusions A short informed consent form was no less valid than a standard form with regard to fulfilling ethical requirements and securing the scientific validity of research. PMID:22447213

  10. Promoting evidence informed policy making in Nigeria: a review of the maternal, newborn and child health policy development process

    PubMed Central

    Uneke, Chigozie Jesse; Sombie, Issiaka; Keita, Namoudou; Lokossou, Virgil; Johnson, Ermel; Ongolo-Zogo, Pierre; Uro-Chukwu, Henry Chukwuemeka

    2017-01-01

    Background: There is increasing recognition worldwide that health policymaking process should be informed by best available evidence. The purpose of this study was to review the policy documents on maternal, newborn and child health (MNCH) in Nigeria to assess the extent evidence informed policymaking mechanism was employed in the policy formulation process. Methods: A comprehensive literature search of websites of the Federal Ministry of Health(FMOH) Nigeria and other related ministries and agencies for relevant health policy documents related to MNCH from year 2000 to 2015 was undertaken. The following terms were used interchangeably for the literature search: maternal, child, newborn, health, policy, strategy,framework, guidelines, Nigeria. Results: Of the 108 policy documents found, 19 (17.6%) of them fulfilled the study inclusion criteria. The policy documents focused on the major aspects of maternal health improvements in Nigeria such as reproductive health, anti-malaria treatment, development of adolescent and young people health, mid wives service scheme, prevention of mother to child transmission of HIV and family planning. All the policy documents indicated that a consultative process of collection of input involving multiple stakeholders was employed, but there was no rigorous scientific process of assessing, adapting, synthesizing and application of scientific evidence reported in the policy development process. Conclusion: It is recommended that future health policy development process on MNCH should follow evidence informed policy making process and clearly document the process of incorporating evidence in the policy development. PMID:29085794

  11. K-12 education sector desk reference. Final report

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

    NONE

    1998-01-01

    K-12 schools are a major energy customer. To help utility managers better analyze their business relationships with this important market segment, this reference provides background information, statistics, and other useful information. This is a reference. It is a compilation of figures, charts, and tables taken from many existing sources representing some of the best information available about K-12 schools. Analysts reviews over 2,500 pages of government and private sector documents (listed in Appendix A) to select the 100 pages included here. They made every effort to select documents likely to be useful to utility planning staff and program managers. Wherevermore » possible, specific state data have been included to help utility staff compute impacts within a service territory. Both a phone number and e-mail address have been included wherever available for each document listed in Appendix A. The report includes data on the following: energy use; federal mandates; deferred maintenance; indoor air quality; and technology in education. 21 figs., 49 tabs.« less

  12. Fifty Years of Social Security: Past Achievements and Future Challenges. An Information Paper Prepared for Use by the Special Committee on Aging. United States Senate, Ninety-Ninth Congress, First Session.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Congress of the U.S., Washington, DC. Senate Special Committee on Aging.

    This document contains six essays examining the history and impact of the social security program on America's economic and social development. "Social Security: The Cornerstone of American Social Welfare Policy," by Malcolm H. Morrison, presents brief background information on the system and discusses the basic principles of social…

  13. Year 2000 Computing Challenge: Education Taking Needed Actions but Work Remains. Testimony before the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, Committee on Education and the Workforce, House of Representatives.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Willemssen, Joel C.

    This document provides testimony on the U.S. Department of Education's efforts to ensure that its computer systems supporting critical student financial aid activities will be able to process information reliably through the turn of the century. After providing some background information, the statement recaps prior findings and the actions that…

  14. 78 FR 72851 - Proposed Priority-Promise Zones

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-12-04

    ... Federal Register. Free Internet access to the official edition of the Federal Register and the Code of... Relay Service (FRS), toll free, at 1- 800-877-8339. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Background: The Promise..., which is available free at the site. You may also access documents of the Department published in the...

  15. An Assessment of Intellectual Disability Among Aboriginal Australians

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Glasson, E. J.; Sullivan, S. G.; Hussain, R.; Bittles, A. H.

    2005-01-01

    Background: The health and well-being of Indigenous people is a significant global problem, and Aboriginal Australians suffer from a considerably higher burden of disease and lower life expectancy than the non-Indigenous population. Intellectual disability (ID) can further compromise health, but there is little information that documents the…

  16. Current Recruitment Practices in Community Colleges and Other Post Secondary Institutions.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rinck, Lorna Lee

    Research documents, conference presentations, and journal articles are used in a five-part review of recruitment strategies currently being employed at junior colleges. The first section provides background information on the development of the community college movement. The second section focuses on changing student objectives and their…

  17. 77 FR 2708 - Performance of Registration Functions by National Futures Association With Respect To Swap...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-01-19

    ... standards established by the Commodity Exchange Act (CEA) and the Commission's regulations issued thereunder...: January 19, 2012. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Barbara S. Gold, Associate Director, Christopher W... Background In a separate document published elsewhere in today's Federal Register, the Commission is issuing...

  18. Current information technology needs of small to medium sized apparel manufacturers and contractors

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

    Wipple, C.; Vosti, E.

    1997-11-01

    This report documents recent efforts of the American Textile Partnership (AMTEX) Demand Activated Manufacturing Architecture (DAMA) Project to address needs that are characterized of small to medium sized apparel manufactures and contractors. Background on the AMTEX/DAMA project and objectives for this specific efforts are discussed.

  19. Documenting the Past and the Present: Madrid, New Mexico.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gentry, Thomas

    2002-01-01

    Discusses a project in which students visit the town of Madrid, New Mexico, to create a photographic record of Madrid, accompanied by stories. Explains that a video documentary was created about this experience. Includes background information on the village of Madrid to be shared with students. (CMK)

  20. Siblings versus Parents and Friends: Longitudinal Linkages to Adolescent Externalizing Problems

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Defoe, Ivy N.; Keijsers, Loes; Hawk, Skyler T.; Branje, Susan; Dubas, Judith Semon; Buist, Kirsten; Frijns, Tom; van Aken, Marcel A. G.; Koot, Hans M.; van Lier, Pol A. C.; Meeus, Wim

    2013-01-01

    Background: It is well documented that friends' externalizing problems and negative parent-child interactions predict externalizing problems in adolescence, but relatively little is known about the role of siblings. This four-wave, multi-informant study investigated linkages of siblings' externalizing problems and sibling-adolescent negative…

  1. African-German Cooperation in Educational Research and Planning.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sachsenmeier, Peter

    The report presents background information and proceedings from a conference held in Bonn, Germany, in September 1977 to encourage exchange of ideas between African and German educators and government officials. Specifically, the conference served to document the increasing interest of German educators to interact with educators from the third…

  2. Sulfur Dioxide (SO2) Primary NAAQS Review: Integrated Review Plan - Advisory with CASAC

    EPA Science Inventory

    The SO2 Integrated Review Plan is the first document generated as part of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) review process. The Plan presents background information, the schedule for the review, the process to be used in conducting the review, and the key policy-...

  3. Council of Europe Information Bulletin 1/1975.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Council of Europe, Strasbourg (France). Documentation Center for Education in Europe.

    This bulletin provides transcripts of lectures, reports of discussion groups, and background documents from the Educational Research Symposium on the Evaluation of School Reform Pilot Projects held at Rheinhardswaldschule in October, 1974. The symposium was organized by German authorities under the auspices of the Council of Europe and was…

  4. New and Emerging Occupations Project. Final Report.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Southeast Community Coll., Lincoln, NE.

    This document reports a project to define, identify, and describe new and emerging occupations in Nebraska and disseminate that information to vocational education program and curriculum planners. Chapter 1 describes the background, problem, and purpose of the project. Chapter 2 sets forth the objectives and discusses procedures for developing a…

  5. National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) for Lime Manufacturing Background Information Document (BID): Public Comments and Responses

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    On December 20, 2002, the EPA proposed national emission standards for HAP emissions from lime manufacturing plants located at major source facilities (67 FR 78046). Summaries of the comments, and the EPA's responses, are presented in this BID.

  6. Win, Lose, and Drawing Conclusions: Bellows, Boxing, and Progressivism.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Adams, Peter A.

    1992-01-01

    Presents a lesson plan in which George Bellows's painting "Both Members of this Club" is analyzed as a historical document illustrating the Progressive movement. Suggests that the lesson can introduce students to a different form of historical communication. Includes background information and procedures for approaching the lesson.…

  7. Chemistry 20-30: Background, Exemplars and Resources.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hackman, Desiree; And Others

    This document is designed to provide practical information for teaching the Chemistry 20-30 Program of Studies. The first section provides an overview of Chemistry 20, explaining the program philosophy and the relationships among science, technology, and society. The use of concept connections and teaching a course around major science themes is…

  8. The Mexican-Americans of the South Bend-Mishawaka Area.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fotia, Elizabeth R.; Calvin, Richmond

    Developed as part of an ethnic heritage studies program, this historical narrative of Mexican Americans in South Bend, Indiana, is intended to increase cultural awareness of minority groups. The document opens with historical background information beginning in 1877 during the presidency of Porfirio Diaz of Mexico. The narrative follows migration…

  9. Balloons and Science Kit.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Balloon Council, Washington, DC.

    This document provides background information on balloons including: (1) the history of balloons; (2) balloon manufacturing; (3) biodegradability; (4) the fate of latex balloons; and (5) the effect of balloons on the rainforest and sea mammals. Also included as part of this instructional kit are four fun experiments that allow students to…

  10. IRIS Toxicological Review of Dichloromethane (Methylene ...

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    EPA has finalized the Toxicological Review of Dichloromethane (Methylene Chloride): In support of the Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS). Now final, this assessment may be used by EPA’s program and regional offices to inform decisions to protect human health. This document presents background information and justification for the Intergrated Risk Information System (IRIS) Summary of the hazard and dose-response assessment of dichloromethane. IRIS Summaries may include oral reference dose (RfD) and inhalation reference concentration (RfC) values for chronic and other exposure durations, and a carcinogencity assessment. Internet/NCEA web site

  11. Document segmentation for high-quality printing

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ancin, Hakan

    1997-04-01

    A technique to segment dark texts on light background of mixed mode color documents is presented. This process does not perceptually change graphics and photo regions. Color documents are scanned and printed from various media which usually do not have clean background. This is especially the case for the printouts generated from thin magazine samples, these printouts usually include text and figures form the back of the page, which is called bleeding. Removal of bleeding artifacts improves the perceptual quality of the printed document and reduces the color ink usage. By detecting the light background of the document, these artifacts are removed from background regions. Also detection of dark text regions enables the halftoning algorithms to use true black ink for the black text pixels instead of composite black. The processed document contains sharp black text on white background, resulting improved perceptual quality and better ink utilization. The described method is memory efficient and requires a small number of scan lines of high resolution color documents during processing.

  12. 77 FR 12202 - Public Inspection of Material Relating to Tax-Exempt Organizations

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-02-29

    ...This document contains final regulations pertaining to the public inspection of material relating to tax-exempt organizations and final regulations pertaining to the public inspection of written determinations and background file documents. These regulations are necessary to clarify rules relating to information and materials made available by the IRS for public inspection under the Internal Revenue Code (Code). The final regulations affect certain organizations exempt from Federal income tax, organizations that were exempt but are no longer exempt from Federal income tax, and organizations that were denied tax-exempt status.

  13. KC-135 and Other Microgravity Simulations

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    2005-01-01

    This document represents a summary of medical and scientific evaluations conducted aboard the KC-135 from June 23, 2004 to June 27, 2005. Included is a general overview of KC-135 activities manifested and coordinated by the Human Adaptation and Countermeasures Office. A collection of brief reports that describe tests conducted aboard the KC-135 follows the overview. Principal investigators and test engineers contributed significantly to the content of the report describing their particular experiment or hardware evaluation. This document concludes with an appendix that provides background information concerning the KC-135 and the Reduced-Gravity Program.

  14. 77 FR 3751 - Extension of Deadlines; Upward Bound Program (Regular Upward Bound (UB))

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-01-25

    ... the document published in the Federal Register. Free Internet access to the official edition of the... Federal Relay Service (FRS), toll free, at 1-(800) 877-8339. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Background On..., you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is available free at this site. You may also access...

  15. The Holocaust: A North Carolina Teacher's Resource.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    North Carolina State Council on the Holocaust, Raleigh.

    A guide for teaching about the Holocaust, this document is divided into three main parts: overviews, lesson plans, and student handouts. Seven overviews provide short summaries of a topic related to the Holocaust. Intended to supplement the information in textbooks and provide a background for teaching the lessons that follow, the topics include a…

  16. Discussion of Policies for Achieving Continuous Improvement in Community Colleges. Commission on Innovation Policy Discussion Paper Number 1.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    BW Associates, Berkeley, CA.

    Intended to provide background information and preliminary options for the California Community Colleges' Commission on Innovation, this document describes the principles of Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) and describes policy options for implementation in the state's community colleges. Following introductory materials, the paper recommends…

  17. Work-Based Learning: A Resource Guide for Change.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hudson River Center for Program Development, Glenmont, NY.

    This document is intended to provide New York schools, business/industry representatives, and others with resources to develop or further refine work-based learning (WBL) strategies or components. Section 1 presents background information on the following topics: (1) the scope of WBL; (2) foundations for the development of WBL; (3) categories of…

  18. VISIONS2 Learning for Life Initiative. Workplace Literacy Implementation Model.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Walsh, Chris L.; Ferguson, Susan E.; Taylor, Mary Lou

    This document presents a model for implementing workplace literacy education that focuses on giving front-line workers or first-line workers basic skills instruction and an appreciation for lifelong learning. The introduction presents background information on the model, which was developed during a partnership between a technical college and an…

  19. Brownfields to School Sites: How Can the State Facilitate Cleanup To Build Essential Schools?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    California State Legislature, Sacramento. Select Committee on Environmental Justice.

    This document presents background information and testimony concerning the cleanup of potentially contaminated vacant or underutilized property for use as future school sites in low-income and minority communities. Various proposals are offered that would allow the state, where necessary, to facilitate the cleanup of these "brownfields"…

  20. Using the Five Themes of Geography To Teach about Venezuela and Mexico.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sunal, Cynthia Szymanski; Christensen, Lois

    Activities that employ the five themes of geography--location, place, relationships within places, movement, and regions--to teach about Venezuela and Mexico are described in this document. Each theme has objectives, a list of materials, and three types of activities--exploration, invention, and expansion. Background information on Venezuela and…

  1. The Current Situation in Latin American Education. Bulletin, 1963, No. 21. OE-14060

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hauch, Charles C.

    1962-01-01

    The brief description of education in Latin American presented here is based on information available to the Office of Education, much of it in unpublished form, and provides an overview of the general situation of education in Latin America. Document contents include: (1) Introduction: Some Background Factors--historical,…

  2. Teaching about Ethnic Conflict: Global Issues. Ethnic Heritage Series, Volume 2.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lamy, Steven L.

    The document presents background information and activities for use by secondary school social studies teachers as they incorporate material on ethnic conflict into the curriculum. Ethnic conflicts are interpreted as hostilities which are either solely based upon or accentuated by ethnic differences. Examples are violence in Northern Ireland,…

  3. Linking Culture and Environment: What Can the Anasazi Tell Us?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sunal, Cynthia Szymanski; Vinson, Beth McCulloch

    This document presents a series of eight lesson plans (or "learning cycles") for teaching fourth, fifth, and sixth grade students about the Anasazi Indians of the southwestern United States. Each lesson sets forth intended grade level, background information on the key idea and goal, time needed, prerequisite skills and concepts, a…

  4. Career Preparation: A Curriculum in Mental Health and Aging for Service Providers. Final Report.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rich, Thomas A.; And Others

    This document contains a final report of a project which developed a model multidisciplinary graduate curriculum in mental health and aging. The introductory chapter, "Career Preparation: A Curriculum in Mental Health and Aging for Service Providers" (Thomas A. Rich, et al.), includes background information and discussions of the curriculum…

  5. Environmental Education in the Elementary School. A Selection of Articles Reprinted from Science and Children.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Shugrue, Sylvia K., Comp.; Lamberton, Berenice, Comp.

    Included in this document are a selection of articles reprinted from SCIENCE AND CHILDREN. They focus on environmental education in the elementary school, and present a number of environmental perspectives. Those concerning general or background information are: an examination of environmental education: children's attitudes about the environment;…

  6. Exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage in barrel racing horses in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Background: Exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage (EIPH) refers to bleeding from the lungs in association with strenuous exercise. It has been documented in race horses but little information exists on EIPH in barrel racing horses. Hypothesis/Objectives: Our goals were to evaluate the presence of EI...

  7. Federal Programs Supporting Educational Change, Vol. VIII: Implementing and Sustaining Innovations.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Berman, Paul; McLaughlin, Milbrey Wallin

    This report reviews and synthesizes the findings of a four year, two-phase study conducted by the Rand Corporation to examine and evaluate a national sample of educational innovations funded by Federal programs. Section I of this document provides background information and descriptions of the study. Section II discusses Rand's research approach…

  8. 78 FR 19335 - Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-03-29

    ... disapproving the application. The total annual burden imposed by Rule 15a-4 is approximately 8.46 hours, based... of the Exchange Act; (2) to develop a central information resource where members of the public may... the PRA that does not display a valid OMB control number. The public may view background documentation...

  9. 76 FR 6087 - Draft Weapons Safety Assessment on the Use of Enhanced Weapons; Notice of Availability and...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-02-03

    ... holders, and other stakeholders on a draft guidance document entitled ``Weapons Safety Assessment'' (WSA... weapons under the NRC's proposed rule titled ``Enhanced Weapons, Firearms Background Checks, and Security.... You should not include any site-specific security information in your comments. Federal rulemaking Web...

  10. Story Retelling by Bilingual Children with Language Impairments and Typically Developing Controls

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Squires, Katie E.; Lugo-Neris, Mirza J.; Peña, Elizabeth D.; Bedore, Lisa M.; Bohman, Thomas M.; Gillam, Ronald B.

    2014-01-01

    Background: To date there is limited information documenting growth patterns in the narratives of bilingual children with and without primary language impairment (PLI). Aims: This study was designed to determine whether bilingual children with and without PLI present similar gains from kindergarten to first grade in the macro- and microstructure…

  11. Infant and Young Child Feeding: Current Issues.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    World Health Organization, Geneva (Switzerland).

    This document, a result of the October 1979 joint meeting of the World Health Organization and the United Nations Children's Emergency Fund (WHO/UNICEF) on Infant and Young Child Feeding, provides both a report of the themes discussed by the participating working groups, and a compendium of background information relevant to these themes. The five…

  12. Understanding Practitioners' Characteristics and Perspectives Prior to the Dissemination of an Evidence-Based Intervention

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Baumann, Barbara L.; Kolko, David J.; Collins, Kathryn; Herschell, Amy D.

    2006-01-01

    Objectives: To describe the characteristics and repertoires of community practitioners serving families involved in child physical abuse that may inform training and treatment dissemination efforts. The aims are to: (a) describe the background characteristics of these clinicians; (b) document their most common intervention techniques; (c) examine…

  13. 78 FR 5256 - Annual Charges for Use of Government Lands

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-01-25

    .... Information Collection Statement 67 B. Environmental Analysis 68 C. Regulatory Flexibility Act 69 D. Document.... Background 2. Section 10(e)(1) of the Federal Power Act (FPA) requires the hydropower licensees occupying... Amendment to Section 11.21 of the Regulations Under the Federal Power Act, 56 FPC 3860, at 3863 (1976). \\4...

  14. Tales and Visions of the Korean War: A Guide to Internet Resources.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Redstone, Victoria

    2000-01-01

    Provides an annotated list of Internet resources featuring lesson plans, background information, and documents pertaining to the Korean War. Highlights topics such as, but not limited to, the division of North and South Korea, a U.S. civilian massacre during the war, and a North Korean's memoir. (CMK)

  15. Safety in Trade and Industrial and Technical Education.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Thomas, John C.

    Intended to serve as a resource guide to assist trade, industrial, and technical teachers in maintaining an effective and efficient safety program, the document does not contain information concerning the many specific operations of the various trades. The materials serve as a background for teachers as they develop their own units of instruction…

  16. Home Economics. Iowa Developed Energy Activity Sampler, 6-12. Revised.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Iowa State Dept. of Education, Des Moines. Div. of Instructional Services.

    The revised Iowa Developed Energy Activity Sampler (IDEAS) was compiled using the original IDEAS program and the Energy Conservation Activity Packets (ECAPS). This document was developed to provide home economics teachers with background information on energy, and activities that can be used/adapted with a minimum of preparation time. The…

  17. Using Niche-Market Magazines to Teach Audience

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tichenor, Stuart

    2006-01-01

    In technical writing classes, audience is one of the most important concepts. Technical writing is typically written to a specific audience for a specific purpose. In addition, as audiences change, so must the way a document is written. An audience's lack of knowledge in a technical area, for example, would require more background information or…

  18. Translated and annotated version of the 2015-2020 National Mental Health Work Plan of the People's Republic of China

    PubMed Central

    XIONG, Wei; PHILLIPS, Michael R.

    2016-01-01

    The following document is a translation of the 2015-2020 National Mental Health Work Plan of the People's Republic of China which was issued by the General Office of China's State Council on June 4, 2015. The original Chinese version of the document is available at the official government website: http://www.gov.cn/gongbao/content/2015/content_2883226.htm The translators have added annotations at the end of the document that provide background information to help contextualize content that may be unclear to readers unfamiliar with China and explain their decisions when translating terms that can have multiple interpretations. PMID:27688639

  19. KC-135 and Other Microgravity Simulations

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Skinner, Noel C.

    1999-01-01

    This document represents a summary of medical and scientific evaluations conducted aboard the KC-135 from June 20, 1998 to June 20, 1999. Included is a general overview of KC-135 activities manifested and coordinated by the Life Sciences Research Laboratories. A collection of brief reports that describes tests conducted aboard the KC-135 follows the overview. Principal investigators and test engineers contributed significantly to the content of the report describing their particular experiment or hardware evaluation. Although this document follows general guidelines, each report format may vary to accommodate differences in experiment design and procedures. This document concludes with an appendix that provides background information concerning the KC-135 and the Reduced-Gravity Program.

  20. C-9 and Other Microgravity Simulations

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Hecht, Sharon (Editor); Reeves, Jacqueline M. (Editor); Spector, Elisabeth (Editor)

    2009-01-01

    This document represents a summary of medical and scientific evaluations conducted aboard the C-9 and other NASA-sponsored aircraft from June 2008 to June 2009. Included is a general overview of investigations manifested and coordinated by the Human Adaptation and Counter-measures Division. A collection of brief reports that describe tests conducted aboard the NASA-sponsored aircraft follows the overview. Principal investigators and test engineers contributed significantly to the content of the report, describing their particular experiment or hardware evaluation. Although this document follows general guidelines, each report format may vary to accommodate differences in experiment design and procedures. This document concludes with an appendix that provides background information concerning the Reduced Gravity Program. Acknowledgments

  1. C-9 and Other Microgravity Simulations

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Schlegel, Todd; Skinner, Noel

    2007-01-01

    This document represents a summary of medical and scientific evaluations conducted aboard the C-9 or other NASA-sponsored aircraft from June 30, 2006, to June 30, 2007. Included is a general overview of investigations manifested and coordinated by the Human Adaptation and Countermeasures Office. A collection of brief reports that describe tests conducted aboard the NASA-sponsored aircraft follows the overview. Principal investigators and test engineers contributed significantly to the content of the report, describing their particular experiment or hardware evaluation. Although this document follows general guidelines, each report format may vary to accommodate differences in experiment design and procedures. This document concludes with an appendix that provides background information about the Reduced Gravity Program.

  2. KC-135 and Other Microgravity Simulations

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Skinner, Noel C.; Schlegel, Todd T. (Technical Monitor)

    2001-01-01

    This document represents a summary of medical and scientific evaluations conducted aboard the KC-135 from January to June 15, 2001. Included is a general overview of KC-135 activities manifested and coordinated by the Human Adaptation and Countermeasures Office. A collection of brief reports that describes tests conducted aboard the KC-135 follows the overview. Principal investigators and test engineers contributed significantly to the content of the report describing their particular experiment or hardware evaluation. Although this document follows general guidelines, each report format may vary to accommodate differences in experiment design and procedures. This document concludes with an appendix that provides background information concerning the KC-135 and the Reduced-Gravity Program.

  3. C-9 and Other Microgravity Simulations Summary Report

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    2010-01-01

    This document represents a summary of medical and scientific evaluations conducted aboard the C-9 and other NASA-sponsored aircraft from June 2009 to June 2010. Included is a general overview of investigations manifested and coordinated by the Human Adaptation and Countermeasures Division. A collection of brief reports that describe tests conducted aboard the NASA-sponsored aircraft follows the overview. Principal investigators and test engineers contributed significantly to the content of the report, describing their particular experiment or hardware evaluation. Although this document follows general guidelines, each report format may vary to accommodate differences in experiment design and procedures. This document concludes with an appendix that provides background information concerning the Reduced Gravity Program.

  4. Cultural diversity: blind spot in medical curriculum documents, a document analysis

    PubMed Central

    2014-01-01

    Background Cultural diversity among patients presents specific challenges to physicians. Therefore, cultural diversity training is needed in medical education. In cases where strategic curriculum documents form the basis of medical training it is expected that the topic of cultural diversity is included in these documents, especially if these have been recently updated. The aim of this study was to assess the current formal status of cultural diversity training in the Netherlands, which is a multi-ethnic country with recently updated medical curriculum documents. Methods In February and March 2013, a document analysis was performed of strategic curriculum documents for undergraduate and postgraduate medical education in the Netherlands. All text phrases that referred to cultural diversity were extracted from these documents. Subsequently, these phrases were sorted into objectives, training methods or evaluation tools to assess how they contributed to adequate curriculum design. Results Of a total of 52 documents, 33 documents contained phrases with information about cultural diversity training. Cultural diversity aspects were more prominently described in the curriculum documents for undergraduate education than in those for postgraduate education. The most specific information about cultural diversity was found in the blueprint for undergraduate medical education. In the postgraduate curriculum documents, attention to cultural diversity differed among specialties and was mainly superficial. Conclusions Cultural diversity is an underrepresented topic in the Dutch documents that form the basis for actual medical training, although the documents have been updated recently. Attention to the topic is thus unwarranted. This situation does not fit the demand of a multi-ethnic society for doctors with cultural diversity competences. Multi-ethnic countries should be critical on the content of the bases for their medical educational curricula. PMID:25150546

  5. Background for protective action recommendations: accidental radioactive contamination of food and animal feeds. Final report

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

    Shleien, B.; Schmidt, G.D.; Chiacchierini, R.P.

    This report provides background material for the development of FDA's Protective Action Recommendations: Accidental Radioactive Contamination of Food and Animal Feeds. The rationale, dosimetric and agricultural transport models for the Protective Action Guides are presented, along with information on dietary intake. In addition, the document contains a discussion of field methods of analysis of radionuclides deposited on the ground or contained in milk and herbage. Various protective actions are described and evaluated, and a cost-effectiveness analysis for the recommendations performed.

  6. Combining rules, background knowledge and change patterns to maintain semantic annotations.

    PubMed

    Cardoso, Silvio Domingos; Chantal, Reynaud-Delaître; Da Silveira, Marcos; Pruski, Cédric

    2017-01-01

    Knowledge Organization Systems (KOS) play a key role in enriching biomedical information in order to make it machine-understandable and shareable. This is done by annotating medical documents, or more specifically, associating concept labels from KOS with pieces of digital information, e.g., images or texts. However, the dynamic nature of KOS may impact the annotations, thus creating a mismatch between the evolved concept and the associated information. To solve this problem, methods to maintain the quality of the annotations are required. In this paper, we define a framework based on rules, background knowledge and change patterns to drive the annotation adaption process. We evaluate experimentally the proposed approach in realistic cases-studies and demonstrate the overall performance of our approach in different KOS considering the precision, recall, F1-score and AUC value of the system.

  7. Combining rules, background knowledge and change patterns to maintain semantic annotations

    PubMed Central

    Cardoso, Silvio Domingos; Chantal, Reynaud-Delaître; Da Silveira, Marcos; Pruski, Cédric

    2017-01-01

    Knowledge Organization Systems (KOS) play a key role in enriching biomedical information in order to make it machine-understandable and shareable. This is done by annotating medical documents, or more specifically, associating concept labels from KOS with pieces of digital information, e.g., images or texts. However, the dynamic nature of KOS may impact the annotations, thus creating a mismatch between the evolved concept and the associated information. To solve this problem, methods to maintain the quality of the annotations are required. In this paper, we define a framework based on rules, background knowledge and change patterns to drive the annotation adaption process. We evaluate experimentally the proposed approach in realistic cases-studies and demonstrate the overall performance of our approach in different KOS considering the precision, recall, F1-score and AUC value of the system. PMID:29854115

  8. Closing the Personalized Medicine Information Gap: HER2 Test Documentation Practice

    PubMed Central

    Ferrusi, Ilia L.; Earle, Craig C.; Trudeau, Maureen; Leighl, Natasha B.; Pullenayegum, Eleanor; Khong, Hoa; Hoch, Jeffrey S.; Marshall, Deborah A.

    2013-01-01

    Background Uncertainty about human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER2) testing practice in Canada continues to hinder efforts to improve personalized medicine. Pathologists routinely perform HER2 assessment for all tumors > 1 cm, and pathology is reported centrally to the provincial cancer registry. Objectives To understand patterns of HER2 test documentation for early-stage breast cancer (BC) patients in Ontario’s centralized pathology reporting system. Study Design Retrospective cohort study of central HER2 test documentation in early-stage BC patients diagnosed in 2006–2007. Methods Cohort and staging information was derived from cancer registry and admissions data. Linkage across administrative databases provided data on surgical and radiologic treatment, sociodemographic factors, diagnosis setting, and comorbidities. Pathology reports from the provincial cancer registry were reviewed for HER2 testing, hormone receptor, and grade. Unadjusted and adjusted odds ratios were calculated to determine factors related to HER2 documentation. Results A HER2 test was documented for 66% of 13,396 patients. HER2 documentation was associated with stage, hormone receptor, and tumor grade documentation. Higher stage and grade at diagnosis were also associated with HER2 documentation. All models suggested variable regional documentation patterns. Documentation did not differ by sociodemographic factors, presence of comorbidities, or surgical procedure. Conclusions Despite a universal testing policy, the rate of centralized HER2 test documentation was lower than expected and related to disease severity. Differences in regional reporting likely reflect ascertainment bias inherent to centralized pathology reporting rather than testing access. Improved HER2 reporting is encouraged for cancer registration, quality-of-care measurement, and program evaluation. PMID:23379747

  9. Introduction of Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendation into Nursing Practice: A Prospective Study.

    PubMed

    Achrekar, Meera S; Murthy, Vedang; Kanan, Sadhana; Shetty, Rani; Nair, Mini; Khattry, Navin

    2016-01-01

    The aim of the study was to introduce and evaluate the compliance to documentation of situation, background, assessment, recommendation (SBAR) form. Twenty nurses involved in active bedside care were selected by simple random sampling. Use of SBAR was illustrated thru self-instructional module (SIM). Content validity and reliability were established. The situation, background, assessment, recommendation (SBAR) form was disseminated for use in a clinical setting during shift handover. A retrospective audit was undertaken at 1 st week (A1) and 16 th week (A2), post introduction of SIM. Nurse's opinion about the SBAR form was also captured. Majority of nurses were females (65%) in the age group 21-30 years (80%). There was a significant association ( P = 0.019) between overall audit scores and graduate nurses. Significant improvement ( P = 0.043) seen in overall scores between A1 (mean: 23.20) and A2 (mean: 24.26) and also in "Situation" domain ( P = 0.045) as compared to other domains. There was only a marginal improvement in documentation related to patient's allergies and relevant past history (7%) while identifying comorbidities decreased by 40%. Only 70% of nurses had documented plan of care. Most (76%) of nurses expressed that SBAR form was useful, but 24% nurses felt SBAR documentation was time-consuming. The assessment was easy (53%) to document while recommendation was the difficult (53%) part. SBAR technique has helped nurses to have a focused and easy communication during transition of care during handover. Importance and relevance of capturing information need to be reinforced. An audit to look for reduced number of incidents related to communication failures is essential for long-term evaluation of patient outcomes. Use of standardized SBAR in nursing practice for bedside shift handover will improve communication between nurses and thus ensure patient safety.

  10. A method to characterise site, urban and regional ambient background radiation.

    PubMed

    Passmore, C; Kirr, M

    2011-03-01

    Control dosemeters are routinely provided to customers to monitor the background radiation so that it can be subtracted from the gross response of the dosemeter to arrive at the occupational dose. Landauer, the largest dosimetry processor in the world with subsidiaries in Australia, Brazil, China, France, Japan, Mexico and the UK, has clients in approximately 130 countries. The Glenwood facility processes over 1.1 million controls per year. This network of clients around the world provides a unique ability to monitor the world's ambient background radiation. Control data can be mined to provide useful historical information regarding ambient background rates and provide a historical baseline for geographical areas. Historical baseline can be used to provide site or region-specific background subtraction values, document the variation in ambient background radiation around a client's site or provide a baseline for measuring the efficiency of clean-up efforts in urban areas after a dirty bomb detonation.

  11. Requirement of scientific documentation for the development of Naturopathy.

    PubMed

    Rastogi, Rajiv

    2006-01-01

    Past few decades have witnessed explosion of knowledge in almost every field. This has resulted not only in the advancement of the subjects in particular but also have influenced the growth of various allied subjects. The present paper explains about the advancement of science through efforts made in specific areas and also through discoveries in different allied fields having an indirect influence upon the subject in proper. In Naturopathy this seems that though nothing particular is added to the basic thoughts or fundamental principles of the subject yet the entire treatment understanding is revolutionised under the influence of scientific discoveries of past few decades. Advent of information technology has further added to the boom of knowledge and many times this seems impossible to utilize these informations for the good of human being because these are not logically arranged in our minds. In the above background, the author tries to define documentation stating that we have today ocean of information and knowledge about various things- living or dead, plants, animals or human beings; the geographical conditions or changing weather and environment. What required to be done is to extract the relevant knowledge and information required to enrich the subject. The author compares documentation with churning of milk to extract butter. Documentation, in fact, is churning of ocean of information to extract the specific, most appropriate, relevant and defined information and knowledge related to the particular subject . The paper besides discussing the definition of documentation, highlights the areas of Naturopathy requiring an urgent necessity to make proper documentations. Paper also discusses the present status of Naturopathy in India, proposes short-term and long-term goals to be achieved and plans the strategies for achieving them. The most important aspect of the paper is due understanding of the limitations of Naturopathy but a constant effort to improve the same with the growth made in various discipline of science so far.

  12. Flemish Primary Teachers' Use of School Performance Feedback and the Relationship with School Characteristics

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Vanhoof, Jan; Verhaeghe, Goedele; Van Petegem, Peter; Valcke, Martin

    2012-01-01

    Background: Schools are increasingly confronted with the challenges that information about school performance brings with it. It is common for schools' use of performance feedback to be limited. Equally, however, there are documented cases in which school performance feedback is meaningfully used. Purpose: This study looks at how Flemish primary…

  13. Update on Law-Related Education, 1977-1992.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Update on Law-Related Education, 1992

    1992-01-01

    This document consists of the first 16 volumes (47 issues) of a serial devoted to law-related education (LRE) that offers background information on a wide range of legal issues as well as teaching strategies for LRE. Issues of the magazine focus on the law as it affects schools and young people, with articles on school discipline, juvenile…

  14. Students Exiting School, 1993-94. Programs for Exceptional Students Data Report, Series 97-12.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Florida State Dept. of Education, Tallahassee. Div. of Public Schools.

    This document presents narrative data, tables, and graphs on exceptional education students who exited school in Florida during the 1993-94 school year. The first section provides background information and describes the types of exit data collected from school districts and agency programs. Definitions of terms are also provided. The next three…

  15. Study Service: A Tool of Innovation in Higher Education. Papers on Higher Education, No. 6.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Monal, Isabel; And Others

    Case studies of study service activities (activities that adapt higher education more closely to the community) are examined. The document describes 21 such studies, one from each of 21 countries, undertaken by college students in the community. Background information is included on the origin, conditions, and need for study service in higher…

  16. Towards More Flexibility in Training: A Review of Some Experiences in Rationalizing the Provision of Vocational Qualifications. Employment and Training Papers.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tchaban, A., Ed.

    This document presents five papers, each describing different experiences in the introduction, promotion and implementation of innovative adult training approaches aimed at achieving more flexibility in skill development. An introduction (Anatoli Tchaban) presents background information and a synthesis of the studies covering definitions, concepts…

  17. The Biggest Plates on Earth. Submarine Ring of Fire--Grades 5-6. Plate Tectonics.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (DOC), Rockville, MD.

    This activity is designed to teach how tectonic plates move, what some consequences of this motion are, and how magnetic anomalies document the motion at spreading centers do. The activity provides learning objectives, a list of needed materials, key vocabulary words, background information, day-to-day procedures, internet connections, career…

  18. Self-Assessment and Development Planning for Adult and Community Learning Providers.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kenway, Mike; Reisenberger, Anna

    This document is designed to help adult and community learning (ACL) services across the United Kingdom complete the annual self-assessment reports (SARs). The guide begins with background information on the purposes of self-assessment, the new context of ACL and the elements and format of the new SARs. The remaining four sections examine the…

  19. Cutting the Cost of New Community College Facilities: Streamlining the Facilities Approval Process. Commission on Innovation Policy Discussion Paper Number 3.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    BW Associates, Berkeley, CA.

    Intended to provide background information and preliminary options for the California Community Colleges' Commission on Innovation, this document proposes that approval processes for new facilities be simplified and that restrictions on the lease or purchase of off-campus facilities be eased. Following introductory materials detailing the…

  20. Briefs for Parents in Ready-To-Copy Form: English and Spanish. 1993 Compilation.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Howley, Craig; Cahape, Pat

    This document contains English and Spanish versions of six one-page reports for parents. Each brief provides background, suggestions, and sources of further information on educational and child-rearing topics of common interest to parents. Titles are: "The Best and Worst of Times: Support Groups Help" ("Los tiempos mejores y peores: Los grupos…

  1. Law: The Language of Liberty. Supplemental Materials for Alabama Social Studies Teachers. Grade 11.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Alabama Administrative Office of Courts, Montgomery.

    Student activities, teacher background information, and lesson ideas for teaching about law in social studies classrooms are presented. The first section provides students with a worksheet for determining the dates and historical significance of 15 great events (or documents) in U.S. history. A teacher resource list matches each event to pages in…

  2. Operational Group Sandy technical progress report

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    ,

    2013-01-01

    This report documents results from the March 2013 deployment of the OGS. It includes background information on Hurricane Sandy and the federal response; the OGS methodology; scenarios for Hurricane Sandy’s impact on coastal communities and urban ecosystems; potential interventions to improve regional resilience to future major storms; a discussion of scenario results; and lessons learned about the OGS process.

  3. Employers Talk about Building a School-to-Work System: Voices from the Field.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wills, Joan L., Ed.

    This document contains background information on the school-to-work (STW) movement and 20 essays written by employers and intermediaries involved in STW program planning and implementation. Four points are highlighted: (1) it takes time to assemble an STW system; (2) the number of students participating in structured work-based learning remains…

  4. 75 FR 38168 - Hazardous Materials: International Regulations for the Safe Transport of Radioactive Material (TS...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-07-01

    ... (IAEA) ``Regulations for the Safe Transport of Radioactive Material'' (TS-R-1), which is scheduled for... comments on the draft document to the IAEA. We are requesting input from the public to assist in developing....gov . SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: I. Background The IAEA works with its Member States and multiple...

  5. Foundations for Excellence in the Chemical Process Industries. Voluntary Industry Standards for Chemical Process Industries Technical Workers.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hofstader, Robert; Chapman, Kenneth

    This document discusses the Voluntary Industry Standards for Chemical Process Industries Technical Workers Project and issues of relevance to the education and employment of chemical laboratory technicians (CLTs) and process technicians (PTs). Section 1 consists of the following background information: overview of the chemical process industries,…

  6. Scientific and Technical Information Policy of the Federal Republic of Germany

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tamura, Koji

    The gist and the background of “Specialized Information Program 1985-1988”, which was decided by the Federal government of Germany in June 1985, were outlined in comparison with the interim report of the fiscal year 1986. In the previous program “I & D” from 1974 to 1977, the establishment of GID (Association for Information and Documentation) and the consolidation of Specialized Information Centers (FIZ) were main object. However, in the new program, the role sharing between government and private enterprises was emphasized with a view to stimulate information demand in the circumstance of cooperation and competition of the world market.

  7. Analysis of British American Tobacco's questionable use of privilege and protected document claims at the Guildford Depository

    PubMed Central

    LeGresley, Eric; Lee, Kelley

    2017-01-01

    Background Tobacco companies have a documented history of attempting to hide information from public scrutiny, including inappropriate privilege claims. The 1998 Minnesota Consent Judgement created two depositories to provide public access to discovered documents. Users raised concerns about the access conditions and ongoing integrity of the Guildford Depository collection operated until 2015 by British American Tobacco (BAT). Methods A metadata search of the Legacy Tobacco Documents Library identified inconsistent privilege claims, and duplicates of documents withheld by BAT from public visitors. A review of the validity of claims, for documents obtained through these searches, was conducted against recognised legal definitions of privilege. Findings BAT has asserted inappropriate privilege claims over 49% of the documents reviewed (n=63). The quantity of such claims and consistency of the stated rationale for the privilege claims suggest a concerted effort rather than human error. Conclusions There was insufficient attention given to the operation of the Guildford Depository by the original plaintiffs, including to the subsequent use of privilege claims. Appropriate access to these documents, commensurate with the terms of legal settlements creating the collection, was critical given their public interest value for enhancing understanding of industry strategies and activities, informing of policy interventions, and for holding the industry to account. Future legal settlements should prevent defendants from subsequently withholding disclosed documents, aside from those legitimately privileged, from public view. Control of publicly disclosed documents should not be placed back into the hands of defendant tobacco companies. Plaintiffs also need to invest adequate resources into policing claims of legal privilege. PMID:27354678

  8. Standard Health Level Seven for Odontological Digital Imaging

    PubMed Central

    Abril-Gonzalez, Mauricio; Portilla, Fernando A.

    2017-01-01

    Abstract Background: A guide for the implementation of dental digital imaging reports was developed and validated through the International Standard of Health Informatics–Health Level Seven (HL7), achieving interoperability with an electronic system that keeps dental records. Introduction: Digital imaging benefits patients, who can view previous close-ups of dental examinations; providers, because of greater efficiency in managing information; and insurers, because of improved accessibility, patient monitoring, and more efficient cost management. Finally, imaging is beneficial for the dentist who can be more agile in the diagnosis and treatment of patients using this tool. Materials and Methods: The guide was developed under the parameters of an HL7 standard. It was necessary to create a group of dentists and three experts in information and communication technologies from different institutions. Discussion: Diagnostic images scanned with conventional radiology or from a radiovisiograph can be converted to Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) format, while also retaining patient information. The guide shows how the information of the health record of the patient and the information of the dental image could be standardized in a Clinical Dental Record document using international informatics standard like HL7-V3-CDA document (dental document Level 2). Since it is an informatics standardized document, it could be sent, stored, or displayed using different devices—personal computers or mobile devices—independent of the platform used. Conclusions: Interoperability using dental images and dental record systems reduces adverse events, increases security for the patient, and makes more efficient use of resources. This article makes a contribution to the field of telemedicine in dental informatics. In addition to that, the results could be a reference for projects of electronic medical records when the dental documents are part of them. PMID:27248059

  9. Medical Record Documentation Among Interns: A Prospective Quality Improvement Study.

    PubMed

    Owen, Jm; Conway, R; Silke, B; O'Riordan, D

    2015-06-01

    Comprehensive record keeping is a key aspect of medical practice. The National Hospitals Office (NHO) and Irish Medical Council (IMC) have published guidelines in this area. A prospective audit of 100 patients assessed by interns was performed to quantify adherence with these guidelines followed by an educational session and email reminders. Adherence was reassessed in an incidental manner. Compliance was recorded in a number of areas including the reason for review and documentation of a plan both 98 (98%). However less than half of interns recorded the patient's name, background history or their impression of the case. Only 31(31%) noted the patient's MRN and only 1(1%) the information they gave to the patient. Significant improvements following the intervention were found, however significant deficits remained in a number of areas including the noting of an impression of the case 62(62%) and information given to patients 18(18%). Suboptimal documentation can be improved through education and clinical auditing.

  10. Surface properties of ocean fronts

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Wolff, P. M.; Hubert, W. E.

    1976-01-01

    Background information on oceanic fronts is presented and the results of several models which were developed to study the dynamics of oceanic fronts and their effects on various surface properties are described. The details of the four numerical models used in these studies are given in separate appendices which contain all of the physical equations, program documentation and running instructions for the models.

  11. Learning about Oceanography. Superific Science Book VII. A Good Apple Science Activity Book for Grades 5-8+.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Conway, Lorraine

    Based upon the recognition that the sea has great potential as a future source of energy, minerals, and water, this document was developed to provide students with learning experiences in oceanography. It contains background information about ocean tides, waves, chemistry, depths, and plant and animal life. The book provides the teacher with…

  12. A climate adaptation strategy for conservation and management of yellowcedar in Alaska

    Treesearch

    Paul E. Hennon; Carol M. McKenzie; David D' Amore; Dustin T. Wittwer; Robin L. Mulvey; Melinda S. Lamb; Frances E. Biles; Rich C. Cronn

    2016-01-01

    A conservation and management strategy for yellow-cedar in Alaska is presented in the context of climate change. This document has four sections. Section 1 covers the ecology and silvics of yellow-cedar, as well as other background information. Section 2 outlines knowledge on the extensive mortality to yellow-cedar, including the role of climate. Section 3 describes...

  13. Gunner's Mate M 1&C. Rate Training Manual.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bureau of Naval Personnel, Washington, DC.

    This document is one of a series of manuals designed to provide enlisted men with background information that will be useful in preparing for advancement in rating and necessary in the proper performance of their duties. The manual serves as an aid for enlisted men who are preparing for advancement to Gunner's Mate Missles 1 and C and covers the…

  14. Education and Rural Development in the 31 Least Developed Countries. Reports Studies...S.97.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Zuberi, Habib

    The report contains information based on the country presentation papers submitted by the 31 countries for the 1981 United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries (LDCs). It is intended as a background document for the Unesco meeting of experts from the LDCs on "needs and priorities in regard to education" to be held at…

  15. Computers in Schools. A Strategic Planning Symposium (Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, January 29-31, 1986).

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Romaniuk, Gene, Ed.

    This report of a symposium for educators in the province of Alberta provides background information on the symposium, a set of six major recommendations made by the participants, reports from the working groups to which participants were assigned; and the text of 12 papers presented at the meeting. The nine chapters of the report document the…

  16. Water Quality-8th Grade Earth Science, or "Lets Get Relevant."

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rezabek, Edward

    This document describes some experiences in a science/technology/society (STS) program for an eighth grade science course at a small rural school in Iowa. The background information about the school and the general goal of the STS program are outlined. The curriculum structure of the program related to water as a reusable resource is presented.…

  17. Patient-Reported Outcome (PRO) Assessment in Clinical Trials: A Systematic Review of Guidance for Trial Protocol Writers

    PubMed Central

    Calvert, Melanie; Kyte, Derek; Duffy, Helen; Gheorghe, Adrian; Mercieca-Bebber, Rebecca; Ives, Jonathan; Draper, Heather; Brundage, Michael; Blazeby, Jane; King, Madeleine

    2014-01-01

    Background Evidence suggests there are inconsistencies in patient-reported outcome (PRO) assessment and reporting in clinical trials, which may limit the use of these data to inform patient care. For trials with a PRO endpoint, routine inclusion of key PRO information in the protocol may help improve trial conduct and the reporting and appraisal of PRO results; however, it is currently unclear exactly what PRO-specific information should be included. The aim of this review was to summarize the current PRO-specific guidance for clinical trial protocol developers. Methods and Findings We searched the MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINHAL and Cochrane Library databases (inception to February 2013) for PRO-specific guidance regarding trial protocol development. Further guidance documents were identified via Google, Google scholar, requests to members of the UK Clinical Research Collaboration registered clinical trials units and international experts. Two independent investigators undertook title/abstract screening, full text review and data extraction, with a third involved in the event of disagreement. 21,175 citations were screened and 54 met the inclusion criteria. Guidance documents were difficult to access: electronic database searches identified just 8 documents, with the remaining 46 sourced elsewhere (5 from citation tracking, 27 from hand searching, 7 from the grey literature review and 7 from experts). 162 unique PRO-specific protocol recommendations were extracted from included documents. A further 10 PRO recommendations were identified relating to supporting trial documentation. Only 5/162 (3%) recommendations appeared in ≥50% of guidance documents reviewed, indicating a lack of consistency. Conclusions PRO-specific protocol guidelines were difficult to access, lacked consistency and may be challenging to implement in practice. There is a need to develop easily accessible consensus-driven PRO protocol guidance. Guidance should be aimed at ensuring key PRO information is routinely included in appropriate trial protocols, in order to facilitate rigorous collection/reporting of PRO data, to effectively inform patient care. PMID:25333995

  18. Effectiveness guidance document (EGD) for Chinese medicine trials: a consensus document

    PubMed Central

    2014-01-01

    Background There is a need for more Comparative Effectiveness Research (CER) on Chinese medicine (CM) to inform clinical and policy decision-making. This document aims to provide consensus advice for the design of CER trials on CM for researchers. It broadly aims to ensure more adequate design and optimal use of resources in generating evidence for CM to inform stakeholder decision-making. Methods The Effectiveness Guidance Document (EGD) development was based on multiple consensus procedures (survey, written Delphi rounds, interactive consensus workshop, international expert review). To balance aspects of internal and external validity, multiple stakeholders, including patients, clinicians, researchers and payers were involved in creating this document. Results Recommendations were developed for “using available data” and “future clinical studies”. The recommendations for future trials focus on randomized trials and cover the following areas: designing CER studies, treatments, expertise and setting, outcomes, study design and statistical analyses, economic evaluation, and publication. Conclusion The present EGD provides the first systematic methodological guidance for future CER trials on CM and can be applied to single or multi-component treatments. While CONSORT statements provide guidelines for reporting studies, EGDs provide recommendations for the design of future studies and can contribute to a more strategic use of limited research resources, as well as greater consistency in trial design. PMID:24885146

  19. Negotiating boundaries: Accessing donor gametes in India

    PubMed Central

    Widge, A.; Cleland, J.

    2011-01-01

    Background: This paper documents how couples and providers access donor materials for conception in the Indian context and perceptions about using them. The objective is to facilitate understanding of critical issues and relevant concerns. Methods: A postal survey was conducted with a sample of 6000 gynaecologists and in-depth interviews were conducted with 39 gynaecologists in four cities. Results: Donor gametes are relatively more acceptable than a few years ago, especially if confidentiality can be maintained, though lack of availability of donor materials is sometimes an impediment to infertility treatment. Donor sperms are usually accessed from in-house or commercial sperm banks, pathology laboratories, IVF centres, professional donors, relatives or friends. There is scepticism about screening procedures of sperm banks. Donor eggs are usually accessed from voluntary donors, friends, relatives, egg sharing programmes, donation from other patients, advertising and commercial donors. There are several concerns regarding informed consent for using donated gametes, using relatives and friends gametes, the unregulated use of gametes and embryos, record keeping and documentation, unethical and corrupt practices and commercialisation. Conclusion: These issues need to be addressed by patients, providers and regulatory authorities by providing information, counselling, ensuring informed consent, addressing exploitation and commercialisation, ensuring monitoring, proper documentation and transparency. PMID:24753849

  20. A study of the medicinal plants used by the Marakwet Community in Kenya

    PubMed Central

    2014-01-01

    Background The medicinal plants used by herbalists in Kenya have not been well documented, despite their widespread use. The threat of complete disappearance of the knowledge on herbal medicine from factors such as deforestation, lack of proper regulation, overexploitation and sociocultural issues warrants an urgent need to document the information. The purpose of the study was to document information on medicinal plants used by herbalists in Marakwet District towards the utilization of indigenous ethnobotanical knowledge for the advancement of biomedical research and development. Methods Semi- structured oral interviews were conducted with 112 practicing herbalists. The types of plants used were identified and the conditions treated recorded. Results Herbal practice is still common in the district, and 111 plants were identified to have medicinal or related uses. Different herbal preparations including fruits and healing vegetables are employed in the treatment of various medical conditions. Veterinary uses and pesticides were also recorded. Conclusion The study provides comprehensive ethnobotanical information about herbal medicine and healing methods among the Marakwet community. The identification of the active ingredients of the plants used by the herbalists may provide some useful leads for the development of new drugs. PMID:24555424

  1. Exploring the Unknown: Selected Documents in the History of the US Civilian Space Program. Volume 3; Using Space

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Logsdon, John M. (Editor); Launius, Roger D. (Editor); Onkst, David H. (Editor); Garber, Stephen J. (Editor)

    1998-01-01

    One of the most important developments of the twentieth century has been the movement of humanity into space with machines and people. The underpinnings of that movement -why it took the shape it did; which individuals and organizations were involved; what factors drove a particular choice of scientific objectives and technologies to be used; and the political, economic, managerial, and international contexts in which the events of the space age unfolded- are all important ingredients of this epoch transition from an earthbound to spacefaring people. This desire to understand the development of spaceflight in the United States sparked this documentary history series. 'Exploring the Unknown' is a multi-volume series containing a selection of key documents in history of the U.S. civil space program. This current volume, Volume III, focusing on the use of space for practical applications, prints 112 key documents on the history of satellite communications, remote sensing of earth, and space as an investment in economic growth, edited for ease of use. Each is introduced by a headnote providing context, bibliographical information, and background information necessary to understanding the document.

  2. SURFACE GEOPHYSICAL EXPLORATION OF B & BX & BY TANK FARMS AT THE HANFORD SITE RESULTS OF BACKGROUND CHARACTERIZATION WITH MAGNETICS AND ELECTROMAGNETICS

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

    MYERS DA

    This report documents the results of preliminary surface geophysical exploration activities performed between October and December 2006 at the B, BX, and BY tank farms (B Complex). The B Complex is located in the 200 East Area of the U. S. Department of Energy's Hanford Site in Washington State. The objective of the preliminary investigation was to collect background characterization information with magnetic gradiometry and electromagnetic induction to understand the spatial distribution of metallic objects that could potentially interfere with the results from high resolution resistivity survey. Results of the background characterization show there are several areas located around themore » site with large metallic subsurface debris or metallic infrastructure.« less

  3. Improving communication of medication changes using a pharmacist-prepared discharge medication management summary.

    PubMed

    Ooi, Choon Ean; Rofe, Olivia; Vienet, Michelle; Elliott, Rohan A

    2017-04-01

    Background Discontinuity of care between hospital and primary care is often due to poor information transfer. Medication information in medical discharge summaries (DS) is often incomplete or incorrect. The effectiveness and feasibility of hospital pharmacists communicating medication information, including changes made in the hospital, is not clearly defined. Objective To explore the impact of a pharmacist-prepared Discharge Medication Management Summary (DMMS) on the accuracy of information about medication changes provided to patients' general practitioners (GPs). Setting Two medical wards at a major metropolitan hospital in Australia. Method An intervention was developed in which ward pharmacists communicated medication change information to GPs using the DMMS. Retrospective audits were conducted at baseline and after implementation of the DMMS to compare the accuracy of information provided by doctors and pharmacists. GPs' satisfaction with the DMMS was assessed through a faxed survey. Main outcome measure Accuracy of medication change information communicated to GPs; GP satisfaction and feasibility of a pharmacist-prepared DMMS. Results At baseline, 263/573 (45.9%) medication changes were documented by doctors in the DS. In the post-intervention audit, more medication changes were documented in the pharmacist-prepared DMMS compared to the doctor-prepared DS (72.8% vs. 31.5%; p < 0.001). Most GPs (73.3%) were satisfied with the information provided and wanted to receive the DMMS in the future. Completing the DMMS took pharmacists an average of 11.7 minutes. Conclusion The accuracy of medication information transferred upon discharge can be improved by expanding the role of hospital pharmacists to include documenting medication changes.

  4. Hokule'a: A Field Trip. A Guide for Upper-Elementary Teachers.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Larson, R. Bruce

    This document is a packet designed to be used in conjunction with a visit to the Hokule'a, a famous voyaging canoe that is usually docked at the Hawaii Maritime Center in Honolulu Harbor. The material focuses on the canoe itself and on the skills needed to sail it. The packet includes background information on the Hokule'a, basic terms,…

  5. 2+2 Electronics Technology. Looking Forward to the Future. A Model Secondary/Post-Secondary 2+2 Program To Prepare Students for Employment.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Judson Independent School District, Converse, TX.

    This document contains all pertinent information and essential background data necessary to implement the 2+2 electronics program at the high school level. An introduction describes development of the electronics technology 2+2 project that was a joint effort among San Antonio College and Judson, Northside, and North East Independent School…

  6. Catalogo General de Universidades, 1970-1971: Federacion de Universidades Privadas de America Central y Panama (General Catalog of Universities, 1970-1971: Federation of Private Universities of Central America and Panama).

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Federacion de Universidades Privadas de America Central y Panama, Guatemala City (Guatemala).

    This document contains the 1970-1971 catalogues of five universities belonging to the Federation of Private Universities of Central America and Panama (FUPAC). The catalogues provide information on university administrators and staff, historical background, admission requirements, degree programs, scholarships, and courses. The catalogues included…

  7. Alcohol and Other Drugs: Realities for You and Your Family. Health Promotion for Adult Literacy Students: An Empowering Approach.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Corrigan, Mary

    This document is a learning module designed to provide adult literacy practitioners in New York and elsewhere with the materials needed to take an empowering approach to helping adult literacy learners deal with the realities of alcohol and other drug issues affecting them and their families. The module includes background material, information on…

  8. Background Perchlorate Source Identification Technical Guidance

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2013-12-01

    Sciences Branch (Code 71752) of the Advanced Systems and Applied Sciences Division (Code 71700), Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center (SSC Pacific), San...Head Advanced Systems & Applied Sciences Division iii EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The objective of this document is to outline the approach, tools, and...Helium HMX Octahydro-1,3,5,7-Tetranitro-1,3,5,7- Tetrazocine IR Installation Restoration IRIS Integrated Risk Information System IR-MS Isotope-Ratio

  9. Ownership of Machine-Readable Bibliographic Data. Canadian Network Papers Number 5 = Propriete des Donnees Bibliographique Lisibles par Machine. Documents sur les Resaux Canadiens Numero 5.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Duchesne, R. M.; And Others

    Because of data ownership questions raised by the interchange and sharing of machine readable bibliographic data, this paper was prepared for the Bibliographic and Communications Network Committee of the National Library Advisory Board. Background information and definitions are followed by a review of the legal aspects relating to property and…

  10. India: A Land of Contrasts. How to Develop Pro-Active Action Student Awareness and Understanding about the Third World in South Asia.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Peters, Richard O.

    This document presents a critical thinking/decision-making model to help students in grades K-12 understand East Indian culture. It is divided into three sections. Section 1 provides background information about India from the 15th century BC to the present. It briefly discusses religion, independence, political organization, social institutions,…

  11. AISS Miro Manual: A Rough Guide

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2006-12-01

    Architechture for Autonomy. This document gives the reader background on “Miro” and the detailed procedure used to install the toolkit and all associated...and address of the organization preparing the document. Organizations for whom the document was prepared, e.g. Centre sponsoring a contractor’s report...to build DRDC’s Architechture for Autonomy. This document gives the reader background on “Miro” and the detailed procedure used to install the toolkit

  12. Five new species of Vibrissina Rondani (Diptera: Tachinidae) from Area de Conservación Guanacaste in Northwestern Costa Rica

    PubMed Central

    Wood, D. Monty; Smith, M. Alex; Dapkey, Tanya; Hallwachs, Winnie; Janzen, Daniel H.

    2017-01-01

    Abstract Background We describe five new species in the genus Vibrissina Rondani from Area de Conservación Guanacaste (ACG). All species were reared from wild-caught sawfly larvae (Hymenoptera: Symphyta: Argidae and Tenthredinidae). We provide a morphological description of each species together with information on life history, molecular data, and photographic documentation. New information Five new species of Vibrissina Rondani: Vibrissina randycurtisi sp. n., V. randyjonesi sp. n., V. robertwellsi sp. n., V. danmartini sp. n., V. hallwachsorum sp. n. PMID:28781564

  13. Assessing reading levels of health information: uses and limitations of flesch formula.

    PubMed

    Jindal, Pranay; MacDermid, Joy C

    2017-01-01

    Written health information is commonly used by health-care professionals (HCPs) to inform and assess patients in clinical practice. With growing self-management of many health conditions and increased information seeking behavior among patients, there is a greater stress on HCPs and researchers to develop and implement readable and understandable health information. Readability formulas such as Flesch Reading Ease (FRE) and Flesch-Kincaid Reading Grade Level (FKRGL) are commonly used by researchers and HCPs to assess if health information is reading grade appropriate for patients. In this article, we critically analyze the role and credibility of Flesch formula in assessing the reading level of written health information. FRE and FKRGL assign a grade level by measuring semantic and syntactic difficulty. They serve as a simple tool that provides some information about the potential literacy difficulty of written health information. However, health information documents often involve complex medical words and may incorporate pictures and tables to improve the legibility. In their assessments, FRE and FKRGL do not take into account (1) document factors (layout, pictures and charts, color, font, spacing, legibility, and grammar), (2) person factors (education level, comprehension, health literacy, motivation, prior knowledge, information needs, anxiety levels), and (3) style of writing (cultural sensitivity, comprehensiveness, and appropriateness), and thus, inadequately assess reading level. New readability measures incorporate pictures and use complex algorithms to assess reading level but are only moderately used in health-care research and not in clinical practice. Future research needs to develop generic and disease-specific readability measures to evaluate comprehension of a written document based on individuals' literacy levels, cultural background, and knowledge of disease.

  14. Ethnobotanical investigations among tribes in Madurai District of Tamil Nadu (India)

    PubMed Central

    Ignacimuthu, S; Ayyanar, M; Sivaraman K, Sankara

    2006-01-01

    Background An ethnobotanical survey was carried out to collect information on the use of medicinal plants in Southern Western Ghats of India (Madurai district, Tamil Nadu). Information presented in this paper was gathered from the paliyar tribes using an integrated approach of botanical collections, group discussions and interviews with questionnaires in the years 1998 – 1999. The informants interviewed were 12 among whom 4 were tribal practitioners. Results A total of 60 ethnomedicinal plant species distributed in 32 families are documented in this study. The medicinal plants used by paliyars are listed with Latin name, family, local name, parts used, mode of preparation and medicinal uses. Generally, fresh part of the plant was used for the preparation of medicine. Conclusion We observed that the documented ethnomedicinal plants were mostly used to cure skin diseases, poison bites, stomachache and nervous disorders. The results of this study showed that these tribal people still depend on medicinal plants in Madurai district forest areas. PMID:16689985

  15. A framework for ecological decision support systems: Building the right systems and building the systems right

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    D'Erchia, Frank; Korschgen, Carl E.; Nyquist, M.; Root, Ralph; Sojda, Richard S.; Stine, Peter

    2001-01-01

    Workshops in the late 1990's launched the commitment of the U.S. Geological Survey's Biological Resources Division (BRD) to develop and implement decision support systems (DSS) applications. One of the primary goals of this framework document is to provide sufficient background and information for Department of the Interior (DOI) bureau stakeholders and other clients to determine the potential for DSS development. Such an understanding can assist them in carrying out effective land planning and management practices. This document provides a definition of DSS and its characteristics and capabilities. It proceeds to describe issues related to meeting resource managers needs, such as the needs for specific applications, customer requirements, information and technology transfer, user support, and institutionalization. Using the decision process as a means to guide DSS development and determine users needs is also discussed. We conclude with information on method to evaluate DSS development efforts and recommended procedures for verification and validation. 

  16. Indian Ocean radiocarbon: Data from the INDIGO 1, 2, and 3 cruises

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

    Sepanski, R.J.

    1991-01-01

    This document presents {sup 14}C activities (expressed in the internationally adopted {Delta}{sup 14}C scale) from water samples taken at various locations and depths in the Indian and Southern oceans through the Indien Gaz Ocean (INDIGO) project. These data were collected as part of the INDIGO 1, INDIGO 2, and INDIGO 3 cruises, which took place during the years 1985, 1986, and 1987, respectively. These data have been used to estimate the penetration of anthropogenic CO{sub 2} in the Indian and Southern oceans. The document also presents supporting data for potential temperature, salinity, density (sigma-theta), {delta}{sup 13}C, and total CO{sub 2}.more » All radiocarbon measurements have been examined statistically for quality of sample counts and stability of counting efficiency and background. In addition, all data have been reviewed by the Carbon Dioxide Information Analysis Center and assessed for gross accuracy and consistency (absence of obvious outliers and other anomalous values). These data are available free of charge as a numeric data package (NDP) from the Carbon Dioxide Information Analysis Center. The NDP consists of this document and a magnetic tape containing machine-readable files. This document provides sample listing of the Indian Ocean radiocarbon data as they appear on the magnetic tape, as well as a complete listing of these data in tabular form. This document also offers retrieval program listings, furnishes information on sampling methods and data selection, defines limitations and restrictions of the data, and provides reprints of pertinent literature. 13 refs., 4 tabs.« less

  17. A study on scientific collaboration and co-authorship patterns in library and information science studies in Iran between 2005 and 2009

    PubMed Central

    Siamaki, Saba; Geraei, Ehsan; Zare- Farashbandi, Firoozeh

    2014-01-01

    Background: Scientific collaboration is among the most important subjects in scientometrics, and many studies have investigated this concept to this day. The goal of the current study is investigation of scientific collaboration and co-authorship patterns of researchers in the field of library and information science in Iran between years 2005 and 2009. Materials and Methods: The current study uses scientometrics method. The statistical population consists of 942 documents published in Iranian library and information science journals between years 2005 and 2009. Collaboration coefficient, collaboration index (CI), and degree of collaboration (DC) were used for data analysis. Findings: The findings showed that among 942 investigated documents, 506 documents (53.70%) was created by one individual researcher and 436 documents (46.30%) were the result of collaboration between two or more researchers. Also, the highest rank of different authorship patterns belonged to National Journal of Librarianship and Information Organization (code H). Conclusion: The average collaboration coefficient for the library and information science researchers in the investigated time frame was 0.23. The closer this coefficient is to 1, the higher is the level of collaboration between authors, and a coefficient near zero shows a tendency to prefer individual articles. The highest collaboration index with an average of 1.92 authors per paper was seen in year 1388. The five year collaboration index in library and information science in Iran was 1.58, and the average degree of collaboration between researchers in the investigated papers was 0.46, which shows that library and information science researchers have a tendency for co-authorship. However, the co-authorship had increased in recent years reaching its highest number in year 1388. The researchers’ collaboration coefficient also shows relative increase between years 1384 and 1388. National Journal of Librarianship and Information Organization has the highest rank among all the investigated journals based on collaboration coefficient, collaboration index (CI), and degree of collaboration (DC). PMID:25250365

  18. Juggling confidentiality and safety: a qualitative study of how general practice clinicians document domestic violence in families with children

    PubMed Central

    Drinkwater, Jessica; Stanley, Nicky; Szilassy, Eszter; Larkins, Cath; Hester, Marianne; Feder, Gene

    2017-01-01

    Background Domestic violence and abuse (DVA) and child safeguarding are interlinked problems, impacting on all family members. Documenting in electronic patient records (EPRs) is an important part of managing these families. Current evidence and guidance, however, treats DVA and child safeguarding separately. This does not reflect the complexity clinicians face when documenting both issues in one family. Aim To explore how and why general practice clinicians document DVA in families with children. Design and setting A qualitative interview study using vignettes with GPs and practice nurses (PNs) in England. Method Semi-structured telephone interviews with 54 clinicians (42 GPs and 12 PNs) were conducted across six sites in England. Data were analysed thematically using a coding frame incorporating concepts from the literature and emerging themes. Results Most clinicians recognised DVA and its impact on child safeguarding, but struggled to work out the best way to document it. They described tensions among the different roles of the EPR: a legal document; providing continuity of care; information sharing to improve safety; and a patient-owned record. This led to strategies to hide information, so that it was only available to other clinicians. Conclusion Managing DVA in families with children is complex and challenging for general practice clinicians. National integrated guidance is urgently needed regarding how clinicians should manage the competing roles of the EPR, while maintaining safety of the whole family, especially in the context of online EPRs and patient access. PMID:28137783

  19. One Billion Illiterates. One Billion Reasons for Action. Report and Extracts from Papers of an International Seminar on Co-operating for Literacy (Berlin, West Germany, October 1983).

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fordham, Paul, Ed.

    This document contains the report and edited papers from an international seminar emphasizing the sharing of ideas and resources to eliminate illiteracy. Chapter I of the seven-chapter report offers background information and seminar objectives. Chapter II provides a world overview, which describes the general development context of literacy. In…

  20. Gaining New Insights - Building on Experience. Selected Papers from the Annual Conference of the North American Association for Environmental Education (24th, Portland, Maine, September 15-20, 1995).

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Slocombe, D. Scott, Ed.

    This document contains selected papers from the 24th annual conference of the North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE). Papers and reports from the NAAEE Sections and other special workshops are presented first, followed by contributed papers, and finally a section providing background information on the NAAEE. Various topics…

  1. Adlai E. Stevenson Speeches from the Seeley G. Mudd Manuscript Library, Princeton University in Milner Library, Illinois State University.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Maher, Michael

    The document introduces and lists tape recordings of Adlai E. Stevenson's speeches from 1952 until his death in 1965. The objective is to supplement the tapes and to aid in their usage by offering background information. The guide is presented in two sections. Section I offers an overview of the political atmosphere in 1952 and 1956 and…

  2. Bayesian Hierarchical Models to Augment the Mediterranean Forecast System

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2006-09-30

    med.bhm.html LONG-TERM GOALS Eighteen months into the project, the long-term goals and objectives remain as stated in the progress report last...in the representation of the background error Report Documentation Page Form ApprovedOMB No. 0704-0188 Public reporting burden for the collection of...Information Operations and Reports , 1215 Jefferson Davis Highway, Suite 1204, Arlington VA 22202-4302. Respondents should be aware that notwithstanding any

  3. Transcript of Interview: Mark K. Craig

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    McCurdy, Howard E.

    1992-01-01

    This document is a transcript of an interview given by Howard E. McCurdy to Mark K. Craig. Craig gives details on his background including information on his family, education, and career path, his reaction to the news that America was planning to put a man on the Moon, why he thinks we should go to Mars, and the political speeches made at the time of early human space exploration planning.

  4. Le milieu social des eleves et leurs chances de succes a l'ecole (The Social Background of Students and Their Chance of Success at School).

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    1971

    This document is an English-language abstract (approximately 1,500 words) of a French report in response to an IBE questionnaire. Studies conducted by the Ministry of Information have revealed that particularly serious educational wastage has been taking place on both the elementary and secondary levels, and the French education system is not well…

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

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hanford, George H.

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

  6. America's Maritime Heritage: From Sail Power to Nuclear Power. Book 1 and Book 2. An Energy Education Activity Book [And] America's Maritime Heritage: A Frequently Forgotten Treasure.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Heitzman, William Ray

    These documents provide background information and a series of problems and activities to familiarize students with important maritime activities in the United States. Book I contains problems involving the movement of freight on inland waterways, questions on energy and the environment, and a chart with questions on United States oil imports.…

  7. Sector Education and Training Authority for Secondary Argiculture (SETASA), Small, Micro and Medium Enterprises (SMME) and Adult Basic Education and Training (ABET) Final Report October 2004

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Academy for Educational Development, 2004

    2004-01-01

    This document reports on a programme of technical assistance for the Sector Education and Training Authority for Secondary Agriculture (SETASA) in 2003/2004. It presents background information which is both essential for understanding the rest of the report, including its attachments, and can be seen as reflecting some of the insights gained…

  8. Robust Adaptive Thresholder For Document Scanning Applications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hsing, To R.

    1982-12-01

    In document scanning applications, thresholding is used to obtain binary data from a scanner. However, due to: (1) a wide range of different color backgrounds; (2) density variations of printed text information; and (3) the shading effect caused by the optical systems, the use of adaptive thresholding to enhance the useful information is highly desired. This paper describes a new robust adaptive thresholder for obtaining valid binary images. It is basically a memory type algorithm which can dynamically update the black and white reference level to optimize a local adaptive threshold function. The results of high image quality from different types of simulate test patterns can be obtained by this algorithm. The software algorithm is described and experiment results are present to describe the procedures. Results also show that the techniques described here can be used for real-time signal processing in the varied applications.

  9. Herd health status and management practices on 16 Irish suckler beef farms

    PubMed Central

    2013-01-01

    Background There have been few studies published internationally which document herd health management practices in suckler beef herds and no published Irish studies. The study objective was to document herd health status and management practices on sixteen Irish suckler beef herds over a two year period (2009–2010). The farms used in the study were part of the Teagasc BETTER farm beef programme. The mean (s.d.) herd size, stocking rate and farm size was 68 cows (27.6), 2.0 LU/ha (0.3) and 64.3 (21.6) adjusted hectares, respectively. Two questionnaires were designed; 1) a farmer questionnaire to collect information on farm background and current herd health control practices and 2) a veterinary questionnaire to collect information on the extent of animal health advice given by veterinarians to their clients and identification of any on-farm herd health issues. Results Dystocia, calf pneumonia, and calf diarrhoea, in that order, were identified as the primary herd health issues in these Irish suckler beef herds. In addition, substantial deficiencies in biosecurity practices were also identified on these farms. Conclusions The findings of this study may serve as the focus for future research in animal health management practices in Irish suckler beef herds. PMID:24195997

  10. The Retina Hotline: eighteen-month results from a telephone hotline for patients with retinal diseases.

    PubMed

    Finger, Robert P; Porz, Gabriele; Fleckenstein, Monika; Charbel Issa, Peter; Lechtenfeld, Werner; Brohlburg, Daniela; Scholl, Hendrik P N; Holz, Frank G

    2010-04-01

    The purpose of this study was to establish and evaluate a nationwide telephone counseling for patients with retinal diseases hotline in Germany against the background of an increasing demand for information and counseling in the field of retina services as a result of current demographic trends. The telephone Retina Hotline was installed, advertised, and run for 1.5 years at the Department of Ophthalmology, University of Bonn, and open to callers from the whole of Germany. The hotline was staffed by ophthalmologists. Calls were handled according to standard flow charts and counsel given adhered to a list of standardized answers as appropriate in the individual case. All calls were documented in an online database, which was subsequently analyzed and used for evaluation. A total of 1,384 calls were documented leading to an average of 7.6 calls per afternoon. The average length of calls was 8.5 minutes. The majority of callers were female patients (63%) who had age-related macular degeneration. Only 17% of callers were relatives. Most callers (59%) were >60 years of age. The majority of questions were related to therapeutic options for dry or neovascular age-related macular degeneration as well as various forms of retinitis pigmentosa (45%). A service such as the Retina Hotline seems necessary and well justified against the background of need for information and support documented. However, on the basis of an adequate computer program and a standard catalog of answers or flow charts, it may not need to be staffed by ophthalmologists, but well-trained nonmedical staff may be sufficient.

  11. Development of electronic medical record charting for hospital-based transfusion and apheresis medicine services: Early adoption perspectives

    PubMed Central

    Levy, Rebecca; Pantanowitz, Liron; Cloutier, Darlene; Provencher, Jean; McGirr, Joan; Stebbins, Jennifer; Cronin, Suzanne; Wherry, Josh; Fenton, Joseph; Donelan, Eileen; Johari, Vandita; Andrzejewski, Chester

    2010-01-01

    Background: Electronic medical records (EMRs) provide universal access to health care information across multidisciplinary lines. In pathology departments, transfusion and apheresis medicine services (TAMS) involved in direct patient care activities produce data and documentation that typically do not enter the EMR. Taking advantage of our institution's initiative for implementation of a paperless medical record, our TAMS division set out to develop an electronic charting (e-charting) strategy within the EMR. Methods: A focus group of our hospital's transfusion committee consisting of transfusion medicine specialists, pathologists, residents, nurses, hemapheresis specialists, and information technologists was constituted and charged with the project. The group met periodically to implement e-charting TAMS workflow and produced electronic documents within the EMR (Cerner Millenium) for various service line functions. Results: The interdisciplinary working group developed and implemented electronic versions of various paper-based clinical documentation used by these services. All electronic notes collectively gather and reside within a unique Transfusion Medicine Folder tab in the EMR, available to staff with access to patient charts. E-charting eliminated illegible handwritten notes, resulted in more consistent clinical documentation among staff, and provided greater realered. However, minor updates and corrections to documents as well as select work re-designs were required for optimal use of e-charting-time review/access of hemotherapy practices. No major impediments to workflow or inefficiencies have been encount by these services. Conclusion: Documentation of pathology subspecialty activities such as TAMS can be successfully incorporated into the EMR. E-charting by staff enhances communication and helps promote standardized documentation of patient care within and across service lines. Well-constructed electronic documents in the EMR may also enhance data mining, quality improvement, and biovigilance monitoring activities. PMID:20805955

  12. UK policy on social networking sites and online health: From informed patient to informed consumer?

    PubMed Central

    Hunt, Daniel; Koteyko, Nelya; Gunter, Barrie

    2015-01-01

    Background Social networking sites offer new opportunities for communication between and amongst health care professionals, patients and members of the public. In doing so, they have the potential to facilitate public access to health care information, peer-support networks, health policy fora and online consultations. Government policies and guidance from professional organisations have begun to address the potential of these technologies in the domain of health care and the responsibilities they entail for their users. Objective Adapting a discourse analytic framework for the analysis of policy documents, this review paper critically examines discussions of social networking sites in recent government and professional policy documents. It focuses particularly on who these organisations claim should use social media, for what purposes, and what the anticipated outcomes of use will be for patients and the organisations themselves. Conclusion Recent policy documents have configured social media as a new means with which to harvest patient feedback on health care encounters and communicate health care service information with which patients and the general public can be ‘empowered’ to make responsible decisions. In orienting to social media as a vehicle for enabling consumer choice, these policies encourage the marketization of health information through a greater role for non-profit and commercial organisations in the eHealth domain. At the same time, current policy largely overlooks the role of social media in mediating ongoing support and self-management for patients with long-term conditions. PMID:29942541

  13. Effectiveness guidance document (EGD) for acupuncture research - a consensus document for conducting trials

    PubMed Central

    2012-01-01

    Background There is a need for more Comparative Effectiveness Research (CER) to strengthen the evidence base for clinical and policy decision-making. Effectiveness Guidance Documents (EGD) are targeted to clinical researchers. The aim of this EGD is to provide specific recommendations for the design of prospective acupuncture studies to support optimal use of resources for generating evidence that will inform stakeholder decision-making. Methods Document development based on multiple systematic consensus procedures (written Delphi rounds, interactive consensus workshop, international expert review). To balance aspects of internal and external validity, multiple stakeholders including patients, clinicians and payers were involved. Results Recommendations focused mainly on randomized studies and were developed for the following areas: overall research strategy, treatment protocol, expertise and setting, outcomes, study design and statistical analyses, economic evaluation, and publication. Conclusion The present EGD, based on an international consensus developed with multiple stakeholder involvement, provides the first systematic methodological guidance for future CER on acupuncture. PMID:22953730

  14. Digital Documentation of Ships in Cultural Heritage: a European Review

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Colson, A.

    2017-08-01

    Ships of different shapes and times are lying in harbours, on land or in museums, all over the world. Our aim with this paper was to review work done on digital documentation of ships in Cultural Heritage based on different initiatives in Europe using Coordinate Measuring Machine (Newport Ship and Doel 1); Total Station Theodolite (Vasa and Mary-Rose) and Laser scanning (LaScanMar and Traditional boats of Ireland). Our results showed that some discrepancy exist between the projects, in terms of techniques and expertise at hand. Furthermore, few guidelines have been in practice but only for Archaeology and Ethnology. However, no standards are existing. Three focuses have emerged: documentation of single ship elements, monitoring of the long-term deformation processes and the documentation of collections of ships. We discussed the diversity of expert's background and the complexity of comparability between projects. In conclusion, guidelines are necessary to enable a common ground for all professions to work together, e.g. in Architecture. This path must be taken now for digital documentation of ships, if not information and knowledge will be lost on the way.

  15. 36 CFR § 1238.14 - What are the microfilming requirements for permanent and unscheduled records?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... processing procedures in ANSI/AIIM MS1 and ANSI/AIIM MS23 (both incorporated by reference, see § 1238.5). (d... reference, see § 1238.5). (2) Background density of images. Agencies must use the background ISO standard... densities for images of documents are as follows: Classification Description of document Background density...

  16. Clinical decision support improves quality of telephone triage documentation - an analysis of triage documentation before and after computerized clinical decision support

    PubMed Central

    2014-01-01

    Background Clinical decision support (CDS) has been shown to be effective in improving medical safety and quality but there is little information on how telephone triage benefits from CDS. The aim of our study was to compare triage documentation quality associated with the use of a clinical decision support tool, ExpertRN©. Methods We examined 50 triage documents before and after a CDS tool was used in nursing triage. To control for the effects of CDS training we had an additional control group of triage documents created by nurses who were trained in the CDS tool, but who did not use it in selected notes. The CDS intervention cohort of triage notes was compared to both the pre-CDS notes and the CDS trained (but not using CDS) cohort. Cohorts were compared using the documentation standards of the American Academy of Ambulatory Care Nursing (AAACN). We also compared triage note content (documentation of associated positive and negative features relating to the symptoms, self-care instructions, and warning signs to watch for), and documentation defects pertinent to triage safety. Results Three of five AAACN documentation standards were significantly improved with CDS. There was a mean of 36.7 symptom features documented in triage notes for the CDS group but only 10.7 symptom features in the pre-CDS cohort (p < 0.0001) and 10.2 for the cohort that was CDS-trained but not using CDS (p < 0.0001). The difference between the mean of 10.2 symptom features documented in the pre-CDS and the mean of 10.7 symptom features documented in the CDS-trained but not using was not statistically significant (p = 0.68). Conclusions CDS significantly improves triage note documentation quality. CDS-aided triage notes had significantly more information about symptoms, warning signs and self-care. The changes in triage documentation appeared to be the result of the CDS alone and not due to any CDS training that came with the CDS intervention. Although this study shows that CDS can improve documentation, further study is needed to determine if it results in improved care. PMID:24645674

  17. Wireless Network Communications Overview for Space Mission Operations

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Fink, Patrick W.

    2009-01-01

    The mission of the On-Board Wireless Working Group (WWG) is to serve as a general CCSDS focus group for intra-vehicle wireless technologies. The WWG investigates and makes recommendations pursuant to standardization of applicable wireless network protocols, ensuring the interoperability of independently developed wireless communication assets. This document presents technical background information concerning uses and applicability of wireless networking technologies for space missions. Agency-relevant driving scenarios, for which wireless network communications will provide a significant return-on-investment benefiting the participating international agencies, are used to focus the scope of the enclosed technical information.

  18. Summer 2014 Pathways Report

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Hand, Zachary

    2014-01-01

    Over the summer I had the exciting opportunity to work for NASA at the Kennedy Space Center as a Mission Assurance Engineering intern. When I was offered a position in mission assurance for the Safety and Mission Assurance directorate's Launch Services Division, I didn't really know what I would be doing, but I knew it would be an excellent opportunity to learn and grow professionally. In this report I will provide some background information on the Launch Services Division, as well as detail my duties and accomplishments during my time as an intern. Additionally, I will relate the significance of my work experience to my current academic work and future career goals. This report contains background information on Mission Assurance Engineering, a description of my duties and accomplishments over the summer of 2014, and relates the significance of my work experience to my school work and future career goals. It is a required document for the Pathways program.

  19. NASA technology transfer network communications and information system: TUNS user survey

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1992-01-01

    Applied Expertise surveyed the users of the deployed Technology Utilization Network System (TUNS) and surveyed prospective new users in order to gather background information for developing the Concept Document of the system that will upgrade and replace TUNS. Survey participants broadly agree that automated mechanisms for acquiring, managing, and disseminating new technology and spinoff benefits information can and should play an important role in meeting NASA technology utilization goals. However, TUNS does not meet this need for most users. The survey describes a number of systematic improvements that will make it easier to use the technology transfer mechanism, and thus expedite the collection and dissemination of technology information. The survey identified 26 suggestions for enhancing the technology transfer system and related processes.

  20. Space Tethers: Design Criteria

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Tomlin, D. D.; Faile, G. C.; Hayashida, K. B.; Frost, C. L.; Wagner, C. Y.; Mitchell, M. L.; Vaughn, J. A.; Galuska, M. J.

    1997-01-01

    This document is prepared to provide a systematic process for the selection of tethers for space applications. Criteria arc provided for determining the strength requirement for tether missions and for mission success from tether severing due to micrometeoroids and orbital debris particle impacts. Background information of materials for use in space tethers is provided, including electricity-conducting tethers. Dynamic considerations for tether selection is also provided. Safety, quality, and reliability considerations are provided for a tether project.

  1. The Vocational Education Act of 1984. Report Together with Additional and Supplemental Views to Accompany S. 2341. Senate, 98th Congress, 2d Session.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Congress of the U.S., Washington, DC. Senate Committee on Labor and Human Resources.

    This document is a report of the U.S. Senate Committee on Labor and Human Resources on the Vocational Education Act of 1984 (S. 2341). The report is organized in nine sections. The first three sections introduce the bill, provide background information on its intent and on the legislation that it was designed to replace (the Vocational Education…

  2. U.S.-China Relations: The China Council of the Asia Society. A Medial Source Guide, Issues for the '80s.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Council on International and Public Affairs, New York, NY.

    Concise, authoritative background information on U.S.-China relations is provided for journalists in this guide, one of a series dealing with topics of interest to the U.S. media. The guide begins with a chronology of U.S.-China relations from 1979 to 1982. The texts of documents on U.S.-China relations are then presented. These include the…

  3. NATO Scientific and Technical Information Service (NSTIS): functional description. Final report

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

    Molholm, K.N.; Blados, W.N.; Bulca, C.

    1987-08-01

    This report provides a functional description of the requirements for a NATO Scientific and Technical Information Service (NSTIS). The user requirements and much of the background information in this report were derived primarily from interviews with more than 60 NATO Headquarters staff members between 2 March and 25 March 1987. In addition, representatives of the Supreme Headquarters Applied Powers Europe (SHAPE) Technical Centre (STC), the Supreme Allied Commander Atlantic (Anti-Submarine Warfare Research) Centre (SACLANTCEN), the NATO Communications and Information Systems Agency (NACISA), The Advisory Group for Aerospace Research and Development (AGARD), the U.S. Defense Technical Information Center (DTIC), and themore » Technical Documentation Center for the Armed Forces in the Netherlands (TDCK), were interviewed, either in person or by telephone.« less

  4. New Method for Knowledge Management Focused on Communication Pattern in Product Development

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Noguchi, Takashi; Shiba, Hajime

    In the field of manufacturing, the importance of utilizing knowledge and know-how has been growing. To meet this background, there is a need for new methods to efficiently accumulate and extract effective knowledge and know-how. To facilitate the extraction of knowledge and know-how needed by engineers, we first defined business process information which includes schedule/progress information, document data, information about communication among parties concerned, and information which corresponds to these three types of information. Based on our definitions, we proposed an IT system (FlexPIM: Flexible and collaborative Process Information Management) to register and accumulate business process information with the least effort. In order to efficiently extract effective information from huge volumes of accumulated business process information, focusing attention on “actions” and communication patterns, we propose a new extraction method using communication patterns. And the validity of this method has been verified for some communication patterns.

  5. How to calculate the annual costs of NGO-implemented programmes to support orphans and vulnerable children: a six-step approach

    PubMed Central

    2011-01-01

    Background Information on the costs of implementing programmes designed to provide support of orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) in sub-Saharan Africa and elsewhere is increasingly being requested by donors for programme evaluation purposes. To date, little information exists to document the costs and structure of costs of OVC programmes as actually implemented "on the ground" by local non-governmental organizations (NGOs). This analysis provides a practical, six-step approach that NGOs can incorporate into routine operations to evaluate their costs of implementing their OVC programmes annually. This approach is applied to the Community-Based Care for Orphans and Vulnerable Children (CBCO) Program implemented by BIDII (a Kenyan NGO) in Eastern Province of Kenya. Methods and results The costing methodology involves the following six steps: accessing and organizing the NGO's annual financial report into logical sub-categories; reorganizing the sub-categories into input cost categories to create a financial cost profile; estimating the annual equivalent payment for programme equipment; documenting donations to the NGO for programme implementation; including a portion of NGO organizational costs not attributed to specific programmes; and including the results of Steps 3-5 into an expanded cost profile. Detailed results are provided for the CBCO programme. Conclusions This paper shows through a concrete example how NGOs implementing OVC programmes (and other public health programmes) can organize themselves for data collection and documentation prospectively during the implementation of their OVC programmes so that costing analyses become routine practice to inform programme implementation rather than a painful and flawed retrospective activity. Such information is required if the costs and outcomes achieved by OVC programmes will ever be clearly documented and compared across OVC programmes and other types of programmes (prevention, treatment, etc.). PMID:22182588

  6. Connection of European particle therapy centers and generation of a common particle database system within the European ULICE-framework

    PubMed Central

    2012-01-01

    Background To establish a common database on particle therapy for the evaluation of clinical studies integrating a large variety of voluminous datasets, different documentation styles, and various information systems, especially in the field of radiation oncology. Methods We developed a web-based documentation system for transnational and multicenter clinical studies in particle therapy. 560 patients have been treated from November 2009 to September 2011. Protons, carbon ions or a combination of both, as well as a combination with photons were applied. To date, 12 studies have been initiated and more are in preparation. Results It is possible to immediately access all patient information and exchange, store, process, and visualize text data, any DICOM images and multimedia data. Accessing the system and submitting clinical data is possible for internal and external users. Integrated into the hospital environment, data is imported both manually and automatically. Security and privacy protection as well as data validation and verification are ensured. Studies can be designed to fit individual needs. Conclusions The described database provides a basis for documentation of large patient groups with specific and specialized questions to be answered. Having recently begun electronic documentation, it has become apparent that the benefits lie in the user-friendly and timely workflow for documentation. The ultimate goal is a simplification of research work, better study analyses quality and eventually, the improvement of treatment concepts by evaluating the effectiveness of particle therapy. PMID:22828013

  7. Processing medical data: a systematic review

    PubMed Central

    2013-01-01

    Background Medical data recording is one of the basic clinical tools. Electronic Health Record (EHR) is important for data processing, communication, efficiency and effectiveness of patients’ information access, confidentiality, ethical and/or legal issues. Clinical record promote and support communication among service providers and hence upscale quality of healthcare. Qualities of records are reflections of the quality of care patients offered. Methods Qualitative analysis was undertaken for this systematic review. We reviewed 40 materials Published from 1999 to 2013. We searched these materials from databases including ovidMEDLINE and ovidEMBASE. Two reviewers independently screened materials on medical data recording, documentation and information processing and communication. Finally, all selected references were summarized, reconciled and compiled as one compatible document. Result Patients were dying and/or getting much suffering as the result of poor quality medical records. Electronic health record minimizes errors, saves unnecessary time, and money wasted on processing medical data. Conclusion Many countries have been complaining for incompleteness, inappropriateness and illegibility of records. Therefore creating awareness on the magnitude of the problem has paramount importance. Hence available correct patient information has lots of potential in reducing errors and support roles. PMID:24107106

  8. Selective document image data compression technique

    DOEpatents

    Fu, C.Y.; Petrich, L.I.

    1998-05-19

    A method of storing information from filled-in form-documents comprises extracting the unique user information in the foreground from the document form information in the background. The contrast of the pixels is enhanced by a gamma correction on an image array, and then the color value of each of pixel is enhanced. The color pixels lying on edges of an image are converted to black and an adjacent pixel is converted to white. The distance between black pixels and other pixels in the array is determined, and a filled-edge array of pixels is created. User information is then converted to a two-color format by creating a first two-color image of the scanned image by converting all pixels darker than a threshold color value to black. All the pixels that are lighter than the threshold color value to white. Then a second two-color image of the filled-edge file is generated by converting all pixels darker than a second threshold value to black and all pixels lighter than the second threshold color value to white. The first two-color image and the second two-color image are then combined and filtered to smooth the edges of the image. The image may be compressed with a unique Huffman coding table for that image. The image file is also decimated to create a decimated-image file which can later be interpolated back to produce a reconstructed image file using a bilinear interpolation kernel. 10 figs.

  9. Selective document image data compression technique

    DOEpatents

    Fu, Chi-Yung; Petrich, Loren I.

    1998-01-01

    A method of storing information from filled-in form-documents comprises extracting the unique user information in the foreground from the document form information in the background. The contrast of the pixels is enhanced by a gamma correction on an image array, and then the color value of each of pixel is enhanced. The color pixels lying on edges of an image are converted to black and an adjacent pixel is converted to white. The distance between black pixels and other pixels in the array is determined, and a filled-edge array of pixels is created. User information is then converted to a two-color format by creating a first two-color image of the scanned image by converting all pixels darker than a threshold color value to black. All the pixels that are lighter than the threshold color value to white. Then a second two-color image of the filled-edge file is generated by converting all pixels darker than a second threshold value to black and all pixels lighter than the second threshold color value to white. The first two-color image and the second two-color image are then combined and filtered to smooth the edges of the image. The image may be compressed with a unique Huffman coding table for that image. The image file is also decimated to create a decimated-image file which can later be interpolated back to produce a reconstructed image file using a bilinear interpolation kernel.--(235 words)

  10. Integrated Intelligent training and job aiding for combustion turbine engines

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Mckeithan, Clifford M., Jr.; Quentin, George H.

    1993-01-01

    This paper describes an ongoing program to augment such an expert system gas turbine startup advisor, known as the EPRI SA VANT System, by including an intelligent training package. It will give a brief background on the SA VANT development and an overview of its evolution into a full-blown Gas Turbine Information System (GTIS) for rapid access of on-line documentation, diagnostics, and training. In particular, the paper will address: (1) the conversion of the knowledge base used by the SA VANT startup advisor so that it can be used for both training and job aiding; and (2) the hypertext-oriented user manuals being incorporated into the system for rapidly accessing on-line documentation at the job site.

  11. Summary of Information and Resources Related to Energy Use in Healthcare Facilities - Version 1

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

    Singer, Brett C.; Coughlin, Jennifer L.; Mathew, Paul A.

    This document presents the results of a review of publicly available information on energy use in health care facilities. The information contained in this document and in the sources cited herein provides the background and context for efforts to reduce energy use and costs in health care. Recognizing the breadth and diversity of relevant information, the author acknowledges that the report is likely not comprehensive. It is intended only to present a broad picture of what is currently known about health care energy use. This review was conducted as part of a 'High Performance Health Care Buildings' research study fundedmore » by the California Energy Commission. The study was motivated by the recognition that health care facilities collectively account for a substantial fraction of total commercial building energy use, due in large part to the very high energy intensity of hospitals and other inpatient care facilities. The goal of the study was to develop a roadmap of research, development and deployment (RD&D) needs for the health care industry. In addition to this information review, the road map development process included interviews with industry experts and a full-day workshop at LBNL in March 2009. This report is described as 'Version 1' with the intent that it will be expanded and updated as part of an ongoing LBNL program in healthcare energy efficiency. The document is being released in this form with the hope that it can assist others in finding and accessing the resources described within.« less

  12. A review of the use of health examination data from the Health Survey for England in government policy development and implementation

    PubMed Central

    2014-01-01

    Background Information is needed at all stages of the policy making process. The Health Survey for England (HSE) is an annual cross-sectional health examination survey of the non-institutionalised general population in England. It was originally set up to inform national policy making and monitoring by the Department of Health. This paper examines how the nurse collected physical and biological measurement data from the HSE have been essential or useful for identification of a health issue amenable to policy intervention; initiation, development or implementation of a strategy; choice and monitoring of targets; or assessment and evaluation of policies. Methods Specific examples of use of HSE data were identified through interviews with senior members of staff at the Department of Health and the Health and Social Care Information Centre. Policy documents mentioned by interviewees were retrieved for review, and reference lists of associated policy documents checked. Systematic searches of Chief Medical Officer Reports, Government ‘Command Papers’, and clinical guidance documents were also undertaken. Results HSE examination data have been used at all stages of the policy making process. Data have been used to identify an issue amenable to policy-intervention (e.g. quantifying prevalence of undiagnosed chronic kidney disease), in strategy development (in models to inform chronic respiratory disease policy), for target setting and monitoring (the 1992 blood pressure target) and in evaluation of health policy (the effect of the smoking ban on second hand smoke exposure). Conclusions A health examination survey is a useful part of a national health information system. PMID:25114791

  13. A Space Data System Standard for Telerobotic Operations

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Mittman, David S.; Martinez, Lindolfo

    2014-01-01

    The Telerobotics Working Group of the Mission Operations and Information Management Services Area of the Consultative Committee for Space Data Systems is drafting a document that will help bound the scope of an eventual international standard for telerobotic operations services. This paper will present the work in progress and provide background for how the international community is beginning to define standards in telerobotic operations that will help ensure the success of complex missions to explore beyond Earth orbit.

  14. Neglected knowledge in geophysics: Patents - how to find them, how to use them and how to apply for them

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wollny, K. G.

    2013-12-01

    Geophysical departments of universities or major geophysical research institutes around the world hardly ever file for a patent, even if pioneering and marketable work is done - this is what research in patent databases shows. Patents for methods, apparatuses or scientific instruments developed during scientific projects are mostly filed by companies, i.e. more than 90% of approximately 185,000 patent documents added by May 2013 to the International Patent Classification (IPC) class G01V, which the United Nations' World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) has set up mainly for inventions with key aspects in geophysics. Even inventions born of cooperations between research institutes or universities and well-known geophysical companies where both act as equal partners almost never make it to the G01V. University departments responsible for intellectual property management explain that geoscientists prefer to publish their results in journals rather than in the form of patent applications even if these departments support them and parallel publication is protected legally. This means geoscientists miss the opportunity to protect their intellectual work and to tap its economic potential. But even if scientists don't want to apply for patents, patent documents constitute a wealth of knowledge that should be used much more frequently in research e.g. to stay on top of developments in one's own scientific field. Most important databases are for free, search functionality is self-explanatory and the amount of information to be extracted is enormous. All in all, about 80 million multilingual patent documents are currently available online e.g. in DEPATIS database from the German Patent and Trade Mark Office (DPMA) or ESPACENET from the European Patent Office (EPO). From a researcher's perspective, they might also be interesting for detailed technical background information, interdisciplinary solutions for similar problems, to learn about inventions too advanced for their time, but maybe useful now, and to explore the historical background and/or timelines of inventions. Patent documents can help to avoid pitfalls and mistakes other experts might already have experienced and documented in describing the state of the art or the inspiration for their invention. It will be shown how to get access to these databases, how to use them to solve scientific problems and how to leverage search results to improve expertise, work experience or facilitate personal patent application. Patent documents resemble journal articles a lot - they contain an abstract, a description regarding the state of the art, the applicant's motivation to overcome a deficit, technical figures and claims to protect the invention. This structure is used globally for all patent documents. Besides the technical facts, they include the name of the inventor, the company applying for the patent, patent validity information and potential 'family members', which cover the same invention but often in other languages than the original patent document. To summarize, patent documents are a highly useful tool to strengthen one's knowledge in a practically orientated geophysical field and to widen the horizon to adjacent technical areas.

  15. Genetic testing in asymptomatic minors Background considerations towards ESHG Recommendations

    PubMed Central

    Borry, Pascal; Evers-Kiebooms, Gerry; Cornel, Martina C; Clarke, Angus; Dierickx, Kris

    2009-01-01

    Although various guidelines and position papers have discussed, in the past, the ethical aspects of genetic testing in asymptomatic minors, the European Society of Human Genetics had not earlier endorsed any set of guidelines exclusively focused on this issue. This paper has served as a background document in preparation of the development of the policy recommendations of the Public and Professional Committee of the European Society of Human Genetics. This background paper first discusses some general considerations with regard to the provision of genetic tests to minors. It discusses the concept of best interests, participation of minors in health-care decisions, parents' responsibilities to share genetic information, the role of clinical genetics and the health-care system in communication within the family. Second, it discusses, respectively, the presymptomatic and predictive genetic testing for adult-onset disorders, childhood-onset disorders and carrier testing. PMID:19277061

  16. Stream habitat analysis using the instream flow incremental methodology

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Bovee, Ken D.; Lamb, Berton L.; Bartholow, John M.; Stalnaker, Clair B.; Taylor, Jonathan; Henriksen, Jim

    1998-01-01

    This document describes the Instream Flow Methodology in its entirety. This also is to serve as a comprehensive introductory textbook on IFIM for training courses as it contains the most complete and comprehensive description of IFIM in existence today. This should also serve as an official guide to IFIM in publication to counteract the misconceptions about the methodology that have pervaded the professional literature since the mid-1980's as this describes IFIM as it is envisioned by its developers. The document is aimed at the decisionmakers of management and allocation of natural resources in providing them an overview; and to those who design and implement studies to inform the decisionmakers. There should be enough background on model concepts, data requirements, calibration techniques, and quality assurance to help the technical user design and implement a cost-effective application of IFIM that will provide policy-relevant information. Some of the chapters deal with basic organization of IFIM, procedural sequence of applying IFIM starting with problem identification, study planning and implementation, and problem resolution.

  17. Biotea: RDFizing PubMed Central in support for the paper as an interface to the Web of Data

    PubMed Central

    2013-01-01

    Background The World Wide Web has become a dissemination platform for scientific and non-scientific publications. However, most of the information remains locked up in discrete documents that are not always interconnected or machine-readable. The connectivity tissue provided by RDF technology has not yet been widely used to support the generation of self-describing, machine-readable documents. Results In this paper, we present our approach to the generation of self-describing machine-readable scholarly documents. We understand the scientific document as an entry point and interface to the Web of Data. We have semantically processed the full-text, open-access subset of PubMed Central. Our RDF model and resulting dataset make extensive use of existing ontologies and semantic enrichment services. We expose our model, services, prototype, and datasets at http://biotea.idiginfo.org/ Conclusions The semantic processing of biomedical literature presented in this paper embeds documents within the Web of Data and facilitates the execution of concept-based queries against the entire digital library. Our approach delivers a flexible and adaptable set of tools for metadata enrichment and semantic processing of biomedical documents. Our model delivers a semantically rich and highly interconnected dataset with self-describing content so that software can make effective use of it. PMID:23734622

  18. Stroke-model-based character extraction from gray-level document images.

    PubMed

    Ye, X; Cheriet, M; Suen, C Y

    2001-01-01

    Global gray-level thresholding techniques such as Otsu's method, and local gray-level thresholding techniques such as edge-based segmentation or the adaptive thresholding method are powerful in extracting character objects from simple or slowly varying backgrounds. However, they are found to be insufficient when the backgrounds include sharply varying contours or fonts in different sizes. A stroke-model is proposed to depict the local features of character objects as double-edges in a predefined size. This model enables us to detect thin connected components selectively, while ignoring relatively large backgrounds that appear complex. Meanwhile, since the stroke width restriction is fully factored in, the proposed technique can be used to extract characters in predefined font sizes. To process large volumes of documents efficiently, a hybrid method is proposed for character extraction from various backgrounds. Using the measurement of class separability to differentiate images with simple backgrounds from those with complex backgrounds, the hybrid method can process documents with different backgrounds by applying the appropriate methods. Experiments on extracting handwriting from a check image, as well as machine-printed characters from scene images demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed model.

  19. Kepler Data Release 25 Notes (Q0-Q17)

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Mullally, Susan E.; Caldwell, Douglas A.; Barclay, Thomas Stewart; Barentsen, Geert; Clarke, Bruce Donald; Bryson, Stephen T.; Burke, Christopher James; Campbell, Jennifer Roseanna; Catanzarite, Joseph H.; Christiansen, Jessie; hide

    2016-01-01

    These Data Release Notes provide information specific to the current reprocessing and re-export of the Q0-Q17 data. The data products included in this data release include target pixel files, light curve files, FFIs,CBVs, ARP, Background, and Collateral files. This release marks the final processing of the Kepler Mission Data. See Tables 1 and 2 for a list of the reprocessed Kepler cadence data. See Table 3 for a list of the available FFIs. The Long Cadence Data, Short Cadence Data, and FFI data are documented in these data release notes. The ancillary files (i.e., cotrending basis vectors, artifact removal pixels, background, and collateral data) are described in the Archive Manual (Thompson et al., 2016).

  20. Assessing written communication during interhospital transfers of emergency general surgery patients

    PubMed Central

    Harl, Felicity N.R.; Saucke, Megan C.; Greenberg, Caprice C.; Ingraham, Angela M.

    2017-01-01

    Background Poor communication causes fragmented care. Studies of transitions of care within a hospital and on discharge suggest significant communication deficits. Communication during transfers between hospitals has not been well studied. We assessed the written communication provided during interhospital transfers of emergency general surgery patients. We hypothesized that patients are transferred with incomplete documentation from referring facilities. Methods We performed a retrospective review of written communication provided during interhospital transfers to our emergency department (ED) from referring EDs for emergency general surgical evaluation between January 1, 2014 and January 1, 2016. Elements of written communication were abstracted from referring facility documents scanned into the medical record using a standardized abstraction protocol. Descriptive statistics summarized the information communicated. Results A total of 129 patients met inclusion criteria. 87.6% (n = 113) of charts contained referring hospital documents. 42.5% (n = 48) were missing history and physicals. Diagnoses were missing in 9.7% (n = 11). Ninety-one computed tomography scans were performed; a mong 70 with reads, final reads were absent for 70.0% (n = 49). 45 ultrasounds and x-rays were performed; among 27 with reads, final reads were missing for 80.0% (n = 36). Reasons for transfer were missing in 18.6% (n = 21). Referring hospital physicians outside the ED were consulted in 32.7% (n = 37); consultants’ notes were absent in 89.2% (n = 33). In 12.4% (n = 14), referring documents arrived after the patient’s ED arrival and were not part of the original documentation provided. Conclusions This study documents that information important to patient care is often missing in the written communication provided during interhospital transfers. This gap affords a foundation for standardizing provider communication during interhospital transfers. PMID:28624064

  1. Inclusion of vulnerable groups in health policies: Regional policies on health priorities in Africa

    PubMed Central

    Eide, Arne Henning; Amin, Mutamad; MacLachlan, Malcom; Mannan, Hasheem

    2013-01-01

    Background If access to equitable health care is to be achieved for all, policy documents must mention and address in some detail different needs of groups vulnerable to not accessing such health care. If these needs are not addressed in the policy documents, there is little chance that they will be addressed at the stage of implementation. Objectives This paper reports on an analysis of 11 African Union (AU) policy documents to ascertain the frequency and the extent of mention of 13 core concepts in relation to 12 vulnerable groups, with a specific focus on people with disabilities. Method The paper applied the EquiFrame analytical framework to the 11 AU policy documents. The 11 documents were analysed in terms of how many times a core concept was mentioned and the extent of information on how the core concept should be addressed at the implementation level. Each core concept mention was further analysed in terms of the vulnerable group in referred to. Results The analysis of regional AU policies highlighted the broad nature of the reference made to vulnerable groups, with a lack of detailed specifications of different needs of different groups. This is confirmed in the highest vulnerable group mention being for ‘universal’. The reading of the documents suggests that vulnerable groups are homogeneous in their needs, which is not the case. There is a lack of recognition of different needs of different vulnerable groups in accessing health care. Conclusion The need for more information and knowledge on the needs of all vulnerable groups is evident. The current lack of mention and of any detail on how to address needs of vulnerable groups will significantly impair the access to equitable health care for all. PMID:28729986

  2. Promoting social responsibility amongst health care users: medical tourists’ perspectives on an information sheet regarding ethical concerns in medical tourism

    PubMed Central

    2013-01-01

    Background Medical tourists, persons that travel across international borders with the intention to access non-emergency medical care, may not be adequately informed of safety and ethical concerns related to the practice of medical tourism. Researchers indicate that the sources of information frequently used by medical tourists during their decision-making process may be biased and/or lack comprehensive information regarding individual safety and treatment outcomes, as well as potential impacts of the medical tourism industry on third parties. This paper explores the feedback from former Canadian medical tourists regarding the use of an information sheet to address this knowledge gap and raise awareness of the safety and ethical concerns related to medical tourism. Results According to feedback provided in interviews with former Canadian medical tourists, the majority of participants responded positively to the information sheet and indicated that this document prompted them to engage in further consideration of these issues. Participants indicated some frustration after reading the information sheet regarding a lack of know-how in terms of learning more about the concerns discussed in the document and changing their decision-making. This frustration was due to participants’ desperation for medical care, a topic which participants frequently discussed regarding ethical concerns related to health care provision. Conclusions The overall perceptions of former medical tourists indicate that an information sheet may promote further consideration of ethical concerns of medical tourism. However, given that these interviews were performed with former medical tourists, it remains unknown whether such a document might impact upon the decision-making of prospective medical tourists. Furthermore, participants indicated a need for an additional tool such as a website for continued discussion about these concerns. As such, along with dissemination of the information sheet, future research implications should include the development of a website for ongoing discussion that could contribute to a raised awareness of these concerns and potentially increase social responsibility in the medical tourism industry. PMID:24314027

  3. The Attempted Dismantling of the Medicare Home Care Benefit. A Report by the Chairman of the Subcommittee on Health and Long-Term Care of the Select Committee on Aging. House of Representatives, Ninety-Ninth Congress, Second Session.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pepper, Claude

    This document presents Congressman Claude Pepper's report on the Medicare Home Care Benefit. Section I traces the history of home health care in the United States. Section II offers statistics and general background information about older Americans and Medicare. The beginning of the Medicare home care benefit and its present operation are…

  4. Education in Asia and Oceania. Regional Conference of Ministers of Education and Those Responsible for Economic Planning in Asia and Oceania (4th, Colombo, Sri Lanka, July 24-August 1, 1978). Bulletin of the Unesco Regional Office for Education in Asia and Oceania, Number 20.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization, Bangkok (Thailand). Regional Office for Education in Asia and Oceania.

    The book presents background information and papers which were prepared for a conference on educational development in Asia and Oceania. The document is presented in three major sections. Section I offers an overview of regional development strategies with emphasis on the relationship of education to economic development. Major regional objectives…

  5. Profile of the wood furniture and fixtures industry. EPA Office of Compliance sector notebook project

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

    NONE

    1995-09-01

    The furniture and fixtures industry encompasses companies that manufacture household, office, store, public building, and restaurant furniture and fixtures. The second section provides background information on the size, geographic distribution, employment, production, sales, and economic condition of the Wood Furniture and Fixtures industry. The type of facilities described within the document are also described in terms of their Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) codes. Additionally, this section contains a list of the largest companies in terms of sales.

  6. Photovoltaic system criteria documents. Volume 3: Environmental issues and evaluation criteria for photovoltaic applications

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Koenig, John C.; Billitti, Joseph W.; Tallon, John M.

    1979-01-01

    The environmental issues and evaluation criteria relating to the suitability of sites proposed for photovoltaic (PV) system deployment are identified. The important issues are defined, briefly discussed and then developed into evaluation criteria. System designers are provided with information on the environmental sensitivity of PV systems in realistic applications, background material which indicates the applicability of the siting issues identified, and evaluation criteria are defined to facilitate the selection of sites that maximize PV system operation.

  7. Two new species of Erythromelana Townsend, 1919 (Diptera: Tachinidae) from Area de Conservación Guanacaste in northwestern Costa Rica

    PubMed Central

    Wood, D. Monty; Smith, M. Alex; Hallwachs, Winnie; Janzen, Daniel; Dapkey, Tanya

    2016-01-01

    Abstract Background We describe two new species in the genus Erythromelana Townsend, 1919 from Area de Conservación Guanacaste (ACG) in northwestern Costa Rica. Both species were reared from wild-caughtcaterpillars of Eois spp. (Lepidoptera: Geometridae). We provide a concise description of each species using morphology, life history, molecular data, and photographic documentation. New information Erythromelana jimmychevezi Fleming & Wood sp. nov. Erythromelana glenriverai Fleming & Wood sp. nov. PMID:27226745

  8. Adaptive color artwork

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Beretta, Giordano

    2007-01-01

    The words in a document are often supported, illustrated, and enriched by visuals. When color is used, some of it is used to define the document's identity and is therefore strictly controlled in the design process. The result of this design process is a "color specification sheet," which must be created for every background color. While in traditional publishing there are only a few backgrounds, in variable data publishing a larger number of backgrounds can be used. We present an algorithm that nudges the colors in a visual to be distinct from a background while preserving the visual's general color character.

  9. Health Information Management System for Elderly Health Sector: A Qualitative Study in Iran

    PubMed Central

    Sadoughi, Farahnaz; Shahi, Mehraban; Ahmadi, Maryam; Davaridolatabadi, Nasrin

    2016-01-01

    Background: There are increasing change and development of information in healthcare systems. Given the increase in aging population, managers are in need of true and timely information when making decision. Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the current status of the health information management system for the elderly health sector in Iran. Materials and Methods: This qualitative study was conducted in two steps. In the first step, required documents for administrative managers were collected using the data gathering form and observed and reviewed by the researcher. In the second step, using an interview guide, the required information was gathered through interviewing experts and faculty members. The convenience, purposeful and snowball sampling methods were applied to select interviewees and the sampling continued until reaching the data saturation point. Finally, notes and interviews were transcribed and content analysis was used to analyze them. Results: The results of the study showed that there was a health information management system for the elderly health sector in Iran. However, in all primary health care centers the documentation of data was done manually; the data flow was not automated; and the analysis and reporting of data are also manually. Eventually, decision makers are provided with delayed information. Conclusions: It is suggested that the steward of health in Iran, the ministry of health, develops an appropriate infrastructure and finally puts a high priority on the implementation of the health information management system for elderly health sector in Iran. PMID:27186383

  10. FNAS lightning detection

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Miller, George P.; Alzmann, Melanie A.

    1993-01-01

    A review of past and future investigations into lightning detection from space was incorporated into a brochure. Following the collection of background information, a meeting was held to discuss the format and contents of the proposed documentation. An initial outline was produced and decided upon. Photographs to be included in the brochure were selected. Quotations with respect to printing the document were requested. In the period between 28 March and June 1993, work continued on compiling the text. Towards the end of this contract, a review of the brochure was undertaken by the technical monitor. Photographs were being revised and additional areas of lightning research were being considered for inclusion into the brochure. Included is a copy of the draft (and photographs) which is still being edited by the technical monitor at the time of this report.

  11. Artificial Intelligence for Controlling Robotic Aircraft

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Krishnakumar, Kalmanje

    2005-01-01

    A document consisting mostly of lecture slides presents overviews of artificial-intelligence-based control methods now under development for application to robotic aircraft [called Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) in the paper] and spacecraft and to the next generation of flight controllers for piloted aircraft. Following brief introductory remarks, the paper presents background information on intelligent control, including basic characteristics defining intelligent systems and intelligent control and the concept of levels of intelligent control. Next, the paper addresses several concepts in intelligent flight control. The document ends with some concluding remarks, including statements to the effect that (1) intelligent control architectures can guarantee stability of inner control loops and (2) for UAVs, intelligent control provides a robust way to accommodate an outer-loop control architecture for planning and/or related purposes.

  12. Review of national research ethics regulations and guidelines in Middle Eastern Arab countries

    PubMed Central

    2012-01-01

    Background Research ethics guidelines are essential for conducting medical research. Recently, numerous attempts have been made to establish national clinical research documents in the countries of the Middle East. This article analyzes these documents. Methods Thirteen Arab countries in the Middle East were explored for available national codes, regulations, and guidelines concerning research ethics, and 10 documents from eight countries were found. We studied these documents, considering the ethical principles stated in the Declaration of Helsinki, the Council for International Organizations of Medical Sciences (CIOMS) guidelines, and the International Conference of Harmonization - Guidelines for Good Clinical Practice (ICH-GCP). Our paper comprises a complete list of protections, such as confidentiality, informed consent, ethics committees, and others. Results This study found different levels and kinds of research ethics regulations and guidelines in the countries examined. Two groups can be distinguished: the countries in the first group have one or more research ethics regulations or guidelines, while the countries in the second group have not yet established any. Most of the documents showed various degrees of deficiencies in regard to ethical protection. The majority of the documents that were examined refer to one or more international documents on biomedical research ethics. Conclusions Recently, a lot of efforts have been made in many countries in the Middle East. However, compared with international documents, most of the research ethics documents in use in this region demonstrate numerous deficiencies. As it relates to these documents, extensive differences could be observed in regard to development, structure, content, and reference to international guidelines. PMID:23234422

  13. Equal Opportunity for Women. Regents Policy Paper and Action Plan for the 1990s.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    New York State Education Dept., Albany.

    This document contains a policy paper and an accompanying background paper that documents the persistence in New York State educational institutions of unequal treatment and unequal achievement between the sexes--inequities that contribute to unequal career opportunities later on. The background paper reviews in detail the progress of New York…

  14. Signature detection and matching for document image retrieval.

    PubMed

    Zhu, Guangyu; Zheng, Yefeng; Doermann, David; Jaeger, Stefan

    2009-11-01

    As one of the most pervasive methods of individual identification and document authentication, signatures present convincing evidence and provide an important form of indexing for effective document image processing and retrieval in a broad range of applications. However, detection and segmentation of free-form objects such as signatures from clustered background is currently an open document analysis problem. In this paper, we focus on two fundamental problems in signature-based document image retrieval. First, we propose a novel multiscale approach to jointly detecting and segmenting signatures from document images. Rather than focusing on local features that typically have large variations, our approach captures the structural saliency using a signature production model and computes the dynamic curvature of 2D contour fragments over multiple scales. This detection framework is general and computationally tractable. Second, we treat the problem of signature retrieval in the unconstrained setting of translation, scale, and rotation invariant nonrigid shape matching. We propose two novel measures of shape dissimilarity based on anisotropic scaling and registration residual error and present a supervised learning framework for combining complementary shape information from different dissimilarity metrics using LDA. We quantitatively study state-of-the-art shape representations, shape matching algorithms, measures of dissimilarity, and the use of multiple instances as query in document image retrieval. We further demonstrate our matching techniques in offline signature verification. Extensive experiments using large real-world collections of English and Arabic machine-printed and handwritten documents demonstrate the excellent performance of our approaches.

  15. Word add-in for ontology recognition: semantic enrichment of scientific literature

    PubMed Central

    2010-01-01

    Background In the current era of scientific research, efficient communication of information is paramount. As such, the nature of scholarly and scientific communication is changing; cyberinfrastructure is now absolutely necessary and new media are allowing information and knowledge to be more interactive and immediate. One approach to making knowledge more accessible is the addition of machine-readable semantic data to scholarly articles. Results The Word add-in presented here will assist authors in this effort by automatically recognizing and highlighting words or phrases that are likely information-rich, allowing authors to associate semantic data with those words or phrases, and to embed that data in the document as XML. The add-in and source code are publicly available at http://www.codeplex.com/UCSDBioLit. Conclusions The Word add-in for ontology term recognition makes it possible for an author to add semantic data to a document as it is being written and it encodes these data using XML tags that are effectively a standard in life sciences literature. Allowing authors to mark-up their own work will help increase the amount and quality of machine-readable literature metadata. PMID:20181245

  16. Seal of transparency heritage in the CISMeF quality-controlled health gateway

    PubMed Central

    Darmoni, SJ; Dahamna, B; Roth-Berghofer, Thomas R

    2004-01-01

    Background It is an absolute necessity to continually assess the quality of health information on the Internet. Quality-controlled subject gateways are Internet services which apply a selected set of targeted measures to support systematic resource discovery. Methods The CISMeF health gateway became a contributor to the MedCIRCLE project to evaluate 270 health information providers. The transparency heritage consists of using the evaluation performed on providers that are referenced in the CISMeF catalogue for evaluating the documents they publish, thus passing on the transparency label from the publishers to their documents. Results Each site rated in CISMeF has a record in the CISMeF database that generates an RDF into HTML file. The search tool Doc'CISMeF displays information originating from every publisher evaluated with a specific MedCIRCLE button, which is linked to the MedCIRCLE central repository. Starting with 270 websites, this trust heritage has led to 6,480 evaluated resources in CISMeF (49.8% of the 13,012 resources included in CISMeF). Conclusion With the MedCIRCLE project and transparency heritage, CISMeF became an explicit third party. PMID:15367332

  17. Information exchange networks for chronic illness care in primary care practices: an observational study

    PubMed Central

    2010-01-01

    Background Information exchange networks for chronic illness care may influence the uptake of innovations in patient care. Valid and feasible methods are needed to document and analyse information exchange networks in healthcare settings. This observational study aimed to examine the usefulness of methods to study information exchange networks in primary care practices, related to chronic heart failure, diabetes and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Methods The study was linked to a quality improvement project in the Netherlands. All health professionals in the practices were asked to complete a short questionnaire that documented their information exchange relations. Feasibility was determined in terms of response rates and reliability in terms of reciprocity of reports of receiving and providing information. For each practice, a number of network characteristics were derived for each of the chronic conditions. Results Ten of the 21 practices in the quality improvement project agreed to participate in this network study. The response rates were high in all but one of the participating practices. For the analysis, we used data from 67 health professionals from eight practices. The agreement between receiving and providing information was, on average, 65.6%. The values for density, centralization, hierarchy, and overlap of the information exchange networks showed substantial variation between the practices as well as between the chronic conditions. The most central individual in the information exchange network could be a nurse or a physician. Conclusions Further research is needed to refine the measure of information networks and to test the impact of network characteristics on the uptake of innovations. PMID:20205758

  18. 36 CFR 1193.33 - Information, documentation, and training.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 36 Parks, Forests, and Public Property 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Information, documentation... Accessibility and Usability § 1193.33 Information, documentation, and training. (a) Manufacturers shall ensure access to information and documentation it provides to its customers. Such information and documentation...

  19. Gaining information about home visits in primary care: methodological issues from a feasibility study

    PubMed Central

    2014-01-01

    Background Home visits are part of general practice work in Germany. Within the context of an expanding elderly population and a decreasing number of general practitioner (GPs), open questions regarding the organisation and adequacy of GPs’ care in immobile patients remain. To answer these questions, we will conduct a representative primary data collection concerning contents and organisation of GPs’ home visits in 2014. Because this study will require considerable efforts for documentation and thus substantial involvement by participating GPs, we conducted a pilot study to see whether such a study design was feasible. Methods We used a mixed methods design with two study arms in a sample of teaching GPs of the University Halle. The quantitative arm evaluates participating GPs and documentation of home visits. The qualitative arm focuses on reasons for non-participation for GPs who declined to take part in the pilot study. Results Our study confirms previously observed reasons for non-response of GPs in the particular setting of home visits including lack of time and/or interest. In contrast to previous findings, monetary incentives were not crucial for GPs participation. Several factors influenced the documentation rate of home visits and resulted in a discrepancy between the numbers of home visits documented versus those actually conducted. The most frequently reported problem was related to obtaining patient consent, especially when patients were unable to provide informed consent due to cognitive deficits. Conclusions The results of our feasibility study provide evidence for improvement of the study design and study instruments to effectively conduct a documentation-intensive study of GPs doing home visits. Improvement of instructions and questionnaire regarding time variables and assessment of the need for home visits will be carried out to increase the reliability of future data. One particularly important methodological issue yet to be resolved is how to increase the representativeness of home visit care by including the homebound patient population that is unable to provide informed consent. PMID:24884460

  20. Supplemental Information for New York State Standardized Interconnection Requirements

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

    Ingram, Michael; Narang, David J.; Mather, Barry A.

    This document is intended to aid in the understanding and application of the New York State Standardized Interconnection Requirements (SIR) and Application Process for New Distributed Generators 5 MW or Less Connected in Parallel with Utility Distribution Systems, and it aims to provide supplemental information and discussion on selected topics relevant to the SIR. This guide focuses on technical issues that have to date resulted in the majority of utility findings within the context of interconnecting photovoltaic (PV) inverters. This guide provides background on the overall issue and related mitigation measures for selected topics, including substation backfeeding, anti-islanding and considerationsmore » for monitoring and controlling distributed energy resources (DER).« less

  1. Clustering More than Two Million Biomedical Publications: Comparing the Accuracies of Nine Text-Based Similarity Approaches

    PubMed Central

    Boyack, Kevin W.; Newman, David; Duhon, Russell J.; Klavans, Richard; Patek, Michael; Biberstine, Joseph R.; Schijvenaars, Bob; Skupin, André; Ma, Nianli; Börner, Katy

    2011-01-01

    Background We investigate the accuracy of different similarity approaches for clustering over two million biomedical documents. Clustering large sets of text documents is important for a variety of information needs and applications such as collection management and navigation, summary and analysis. The few comparisons of clustering results from different similarity approaches have focused on small literature sets and have given conflicting results. Our study was designed to seek a robust answer to the question of which similarity approach would generate the most coherent clusters of a biomedical literature set of over two million documents. Methodology We used a corpus of 2.15 million recent (2004-2008) records from MEDLINE, and generated nine different document-document similarity matrices from information extracted from their bibliographic records, including titles, abstracts and subject headings. The nine approaches were comprised of five different analytical techniques with two data sources. The five analytical techniques are cosine similarity using term frequency-inverse document frequency vectors (tf-idf cosine), latent semantic analysis (LSA), topic modeling, and two Poisson-based language models – BM25 and PMRA (PubMed Related Articles). The two data sources were a) MeSH subject headings, and b) words from titles and abstracts. Each similarity matrix was filtered to keep the top-n highest similarities per document and then clustered using a combination of graph layout and average-link clustering. Cluster results from the nine similarity approaches were compared using (1) within-cluster textual coherence based on the Jensen-Shannon divergence, and (2) two concentration measures based on grant-to-article linkages indexed in MEDLINE. Conclusions PubMed's own related article approach (PMRA) generated the most coherent and most concentrated cluster solution of the nine text-based similarity approaches tested, followed closely by the BM25 approach using titles and abstracts. Approaches using only MeSH subject headings were not competitive with those based on titles and abstracts. PMID:21437291

  2. Information systems on human resources for health: a global review

    PubMed Central

    2012-01-01

    Background Although attainment of the health-related Millennium Development Goals relies on countries having adequate numbers of human resources for health (HRH) and their appropriate distribution, global understanding of the systems used to generate information for monitoring HRH stock and flows, known as human resources information systems (HRIS), is minimal. While HRIS are increasingly recognized as integral to health system performance assessment, baseline information regarding their scope and capability around the world has been limited. We conducted a review of the available literature on HRIS implementation processes in order to draw this baseline. Methods Our systematic search initially retrieved 11 923 articles in four languages published in peer-reviewed and grey literature. Following the selection of those articles which detailed HRIS implementation processes, reviews of their contents were conducted using two-person teams, each assigned to a national system. A data abstraction tool was developed and used to facilitate objective assessment. Results Ninety-five articles with relevant HRIS information were reviewed, mostly from the grey literature, which comprised 84 % of all documents. The articles represented 63 national HRIS and two regionally integrated systems. Whereas a high percentage of countries reported the capability to generate workforce supply and deployment data, few systems were documented as being used for HRH planning and decision-making. Of the systems examined, only 23 % explicitly stated they collect data on workforce attrition. The majority of countries experiencing crisis levels of HRH shortages (56 %) did not report data on health worker qualifications or professional credentialing as part of their HRIS. Conclusion Although HRIS are critical for evidence-based human resource policy and practice, there is a dearth of information about these systems, including their current capabilities. The absence of standardized HRIS profiles (including documented processes for data collection, management, and use) limits understanding of the availability and quality of information that can be used to support effective and efficient HRH strategies and investments at the national, regional, and global levels. PMID:22546089

  3. Ontology-Driven Search and Triage: Design of a Web-Based Visual Interface for MEDLINE

    PubMed Central

    2017-01-01

    Background Diverse users need to search health and medical literature to satisfy open-ended goals such as making evidence-based decisions and updating their knowledge. However, doing so is challenging due to at least two major difficulties: (1) articulating information needs using accurate vocabulary and (2) dealing with large document sets returned from searches. Common search interfaces such as PubMed do not provide adequate support for exploratory search tasks. Objective Our objective was to improve support for exploratory search tasks by combining two strategies in the design of an interactive visual interface by (1) using a formal ontology to help users build domain-specific knowledge and vocabulary and (2) providing multi-stage triaging support to help mitigate the information overload problem. Methods We developed a Web-based tool, Ontology-Driven Visual Search and Triage Interface for MEDLINE (OVERT-MED), to test our design ideas. We implemented a custom searchable index of MEDLINE, which comprises approximately 25 million document citations. We chose a popular biomedical ontology, the Human Phenotype Ontology (HPO), to test our solution to the vocabulary problem. We implemented multistage triaging support in OVERT-MED, with the aid of interactive visualization techniques, to help users deal with large document sets returned from searches. Results Formative evaluation suggests that the design features in OVERT-MED are helpful in addressing the two major difficulties described above. Using a formal ontology seems to help users articulate their information needs with more accurate vocabulary. In addition, multistage triaging combined with interactive visualizations shows promise in mitigating the information overload problem. Conclusions Our strategies appear to be valuable in addressing the two major problems in exploratory search. Although we tested OVERT-MED with a particular ontology and document collection, we anticipate that our strategies can be transferred successfully to other contexts. PMID:28153818

  4. Improved Emergency Egress Lighting System for the ISS

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Eaton, Leslie L.; Barr, Don A.

    2005-01-01

    Emergency lights provide illumination in corridors, stairwells, ramps, escalators, aisles, and exit passageways during power failures. Safety and visibility are critical during a power outage. If emergency lights fail to operate properly, the building occupants can become disoriented. Four documents in a collection discuss different topics relating to a proposed improved emergency egress lighting system (EELS) for the International Space Station (ISS). While the present EELS is designed around rows of green-light-emitting diodes, the proposed system contains strips of electroluminescent tape using different colors for each egress path. The proposed EELS can be powered by the same battery currently used by the present EELS, but would require an inverter because electroluminescent devices require AC. Electroluminescent devices also require significantly less current and, depending on the color, would emit 3 to 8 times the light of the present EELS. In addition, they could operate for up to 75 hours (versus .20 minutes for the present system). The first document contains a one-page summary of the proposal and an evaluation of technical merit. The second document summarizes the motivation for, and the design of, the proposed EELS. The third document addresses relevant aspects of the measurement of spectral sensitivity and the psychophysics of perception of light. The fourth document presents additional background information and technical specifications for the electroluminescent tapes.

  5. Methods for evaluating potential sources of chloride in surface waters and groundwaters of the conterminous United States

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Granato, Gregory E.; DeSimone, Leslie A.; Barbaro, Jeffrey R.; Jeznach, Lillian C.

    2015-09-04

    Scientists, engineers, regulators, and decisionmakers need information about potential sources of chloride, water and solute budgets, and methods for collecting water-quality data to help identify potential sources. This information is needed to evaluate potential sources of chloride in areas where chloride may have adverse ecological effects or may degrade water supplies used for drinking water, agriculture, or industry. Knowledge of potential sources will help decisionmakers identify the best mitigation measures to reduce the total background chloride load, thereby reducing the potential for water-quality exceedances that occur because of superposition on rising background concentrations. Also, knowledge of potential sources may help decisionmakers identify the potential for the presence of contaminants that have toxic, carcinogenic, mutagenic, or endocrine-disrupting effects at concentrations that are lower by orders of magnitude than the chloride concentrations in the source water. This report is a comprehensive synthesis of relevant information, but it is not the result of an exhaustive search for literature on each topic. The potential adverse effects of chloride on infrastructure and the environment are not discussed in this report because these issues have been extensively documented elsewhere.

  6. Ethnopharmacological survey of Samburu district, Kenya

    PubMed Central

    Nanyingi, Mark O; Mbaria, James M; Lanyasunya, Adamson L; Wagate, Cyrus G; Koros, Kipsengeret B; Kaburia, Humphrey F; Munenge, Rahab W; Ogara, William O

    2008-01-01

    Background Ethnobotanical pharmacopoeia is confidently used in disease intervention and there is need for documentation and preservation of traditional medical knowledge to bolster the discovery of novel drugs. The objective of the present study was to document the indigenous medicinal plant utilization, management and their extinction threats in Samburu District, Kenya. Methods Field research was conducted in six divisions of Samburu District in Kenya. We randomly sampled 100 consented interviewees stratified by age, gender, occupation and level of education. We collected plant use data through semi-structured questionnaires; transect walks, oral interviews and focus groups discussions. Voucher specimens of all cited botanic species were collected and deposited at University of Nairobi's botany herbarium. Results Data on plant use from the informants yielded 990 citations on 56 medicinal plant species, which are used to treat 54 different animal and human diseases including; malaria, digestive disorders, respiratory syndromes and ectoparasites. Conclusion The ethnomedicinal use of plant species was documented in the study area for treatment of both human and veterinary diseases. The local population has high ethnobotanical knowledge and has adopted sound management conservation practices. The major threatening factors reported were anthropogenic and natural. Ethnomedical documentation and sustainable plant utilization can support drug discovery efforts in developing countries. PMID:18498665

  7. Role of standard documents in advancing the standardization of microfluidics connectors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tantra, Ratna; van Heeren, Henne; Jarman, John

    2016-04-01

    An emerging trend within the microfluidic community is to standardize common parts in order to facilitate design and production activities. The goal is clear: to enhance interoperability and promote plug-and-play. A recent launch of a pan-European project, Microfluidic (MF) Manufacturing, has identified an item that is in immediate need of standardization: having in place geometrical specifications for MF connectors. In order to accelerate the adoption of such standards, there is a need to consider the pivotal role of standard documents. The purpose of this paper is to provide background information on document standards development. In addition, the future implications related to the MF manufacturing project will be discussed. A strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats analysis has been carried out to identify points of action. The findings show that although there is a need to publish under International Organization for Standardization (ISO), the actual realization of a full ISO standard document is not feasible. The recommendation is to initially publish via an ISO Workshop Agreement. Parallel to such activity, there is a need to encourage stakeholders help kick start a currently dormant working group that supports microfluidics under ISO to help pave the way for future standardization activities in the microfluidics community.

  8. Building capacity for evidence informed decision making in public health: a case study of organizational change

    PubMed Central

    2012-01-01

    Background Core competencies for public health in Canada require proficiency in evidence informed decision making (EIDM). However, decision makers often lack access to information, many workers lack knowledge and skills to conduct systematic literature reviews, and public health settings typically lack infrastructure to support EIDM activities. This research was conducted to explore and describe critical factors and dynamics in the early implementation of one public health unit's strategic initiative to develop capacity to make EIDM standard practice. Methods This qualitative case study was conducted in one public health unit in Ontario, Canada between 2008 and 2010. In-depth information was gathered from two sets of semi-structured interviews and focus groups (n = 27) with 70 members of the health unit, and through a review of 137 documents. Thematic analysis was used to code the key informant and document data. Results The critical factors and dynamics for building EIDM capacity at an organizational level included: clear vision and strong leadership, workforce and skills development, ability to access research (library services), fiscal investments, acquisition and development of technological resources, a knowledge management strategy, effective communication, a receptive organizational culture, and a focus on change management. Conclusion With leadership, planning, commitment and substantial investments, a public health department has made significant progress, within the first two years of a 10-year initiative, towards achieving its goal of becoming an evidence informed decision making organization. PMID:22348688

  9. Innovation in Flight: Research of the NASA Langley Research Center on Revolutionary Advanced Concepts for Aeronautics

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Chambers, Joseph R.

    2005-01-01

    The goal of this publication is to provide an overview of the topic of revolutionary research in aeronautics at Langley, including many examples of research efforts that offer significant potential benefits, but have not yet been applied. The discussion also includes an overview of how innovation and creativity is stimulated within the Center, and a perspective on the future of innovation. The documentation of this topic, especially the scope and experiences of the example research activities covered, is intended to provide background information for future researchers.

  10. Advancing automation and robotics technology for the Space Station and for the US economy, volume 2

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1985-01-01

    In response to Public Law 98-371, dated July 18, 1984, the NASA Advanced Technology Advisory Committee has studied automation and robotics for use in the Space Station. The Technical Report, Volume 2, provides background information on automation and robotics technologies and their potential and documents: the relevant aspects of Space Station design; representative examples of automation and robotics; applications; the state of the technology and advances needed; and considerations for technology transfer to U.S. industry and for space commercialization.

  11. Evaluation of an Internet-Based, Bibliographic Database: Results of the NASA STI Program's ASAP User Test

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Reid, John; Egge, Robert; McAfee, Nancy

    2000-01-01

    This document summarizes the feedback gathered during the user-testing phase in the development of an electronic library application: the Aeronautics and Space Access Pages (ASAP). It first provides some historical background on the NASA Scientific and Technical Information (STI) program and its efforts to enhance the services it offers the aerospace community. Following a brief overview of the ASAP project, it reviews the results of an online user survey, and from the lessons learned therein, outlines direction for future development of the project.

  12. 36 CFR 1194.41 - Information, documentation, and support.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... TRANSPORTATION BARRIERS COMPLIANCE BOARD ELECTRONIC AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY ACCESSIBILITY STANDARDS Information, Documentation, and Support § 1194.41 Information, documentation, and support. (a) Product support... 36 Parks, Forests, and Public Property 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Information, documentation...

  13. Architecture of a consent management suite and integration into IHE-based regional health information networks

    PubMed Central

    2011-01-01

    Background The University Hospital Heidelberg is implementing a Regional Health Information Network (RHIN) in the Rhine-Neckar-Region in order to establish a shared-care environment, which is based on established Health IT standards and in particular Integrating the Healthcare Enterprise (IHE). Similar to all other Electronic Health Record (EHR) and Personal Health Record (PHR) approaches the chosen Personal Electronic Health Record (PEHR) architecture relies on the patient's consent in order to share documents and medical data with other care delivery organizations, with the additional requirement that the German legislation explicitly demands a patients' opt-in and does not allow opt-out solutions. This creates two issues: firstly the current IHE consent profile does not address this approach properly and secondly none of the employed intra- and inter-institutional information systems, like almost all systems on the market, offers consent management solutions at all. Hence, the objective of our work is to develop and introduce an extensible architecture for creating, managing and querying patient consents in an IHE-based environment. Methods Based on the features offered by the IHE profile Basic Patient Privacy Consent (BPPC) and literature, the functionalities and components to meet the requirements of a centralized opt-in consent management solution compliant with German legislation have been analyzed. Two services have been developed and integrated into the Heidelberg PEHR. Results The standard-based Consent Management Suite consists of two services. The Consent Management Service is able to receive and store consent documents. It can receive queries concerning a dedicated patient consent, process it and return an answer. It represents a centralized policy enforcement point. The Consent Creator Service allows patients to create their consents electronically. Interfaces to a Master Patient Index (MPI) and a provider index allow to dynamically generate XACML-based policies which are stored in a CDA document to be transferred to the first service. Three workflows have to be considered to integrate the suite into the PEHR: recording the consent, publishing documents and viewing documents. Conclusions Our approach solves the consent issue when using IHE profiles for regional health information networks. It is highly interoperable due to the use of international standards and can hence be used in any other region to leverage consent issues and substantially promote the use of IHE for regional health information networks in general. PMID:21970788

  14. Quality and correlates of medical record documentation in the ambulatory care setting

    PubMed Central

    Soto, Carlos M; Kleinman, Kenneth P; Simon, Steven R

    2002-01-01

    Background Documentation in the medical record facilitates the diagnosis and treatment of patients. Few studies have assessed the quality of outpatient medical record documentation, and to the authors' knowledge, none has conclusively determined the correlates of chart documentation. We therefore undertook the present study to measure the rates of documentation of quality of care measures in an outpatient primary care practice setting that utilizes an electronic medical record. Methods We reviewed electronic medical records from 834 patients receiving care from 167 physicians (117 internists and 50 pediatricians) at 14 sites of a multi-specialty medical group in Massachusetts. We abstracted information for five measures of medical record documentation quality: smoking history, medications, drug allergies, compliance with screening guidelines, and immunizations. From other sources we determined physicians' specialty, gender, year of medical school graduation, and self-reported time spent teaching and in patient care. Results Among internists, unadjusted rates of documentation were 96.2% for immunizations, 91.6% for medications, 88% for compliance with screening guidelines, 61.6% for drug allergies, 37.8% for smoking history. Among pediatricians, rates were 100% for immunizations, 84.8% for medications, 90.8% for compliance with screening guidelines, 50.4% for drug allergies, and 20.4% for smoking history. While certain physician and patient characteristics correlated with some measures of documentation quality, documentation varied depending on the measure. For example, female internists were more likely than male internists to document smoking history (odds ratio [OR], 1.90; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.27 – 2.83) but were less likely to document drug allergies (OR, 0.51; 95% CI, 0.35 – 0.75). Conclusions Medical record documentation varied depending on the measure, with room for improvement in most domains. A variety of characteristics correlated with medical record documentation, but no pattern emerged. Further study could lead to targeted interventions to improve documentation. PMID:12473161

  15. Development and Certification of Ultrasonic Background Noise Test (UBNT) System for use on the International Space Station (ISS)

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Prosser, William H.; Madaras, Eric I.

    2011-01-01

    As a next step in the development and implementation of an on-board leak detection and localization system on the International Space Station (ISS), there is a documented need to obtain measurements of the ultrasonic background noise levels that exist within the ISS. This need is documented in the ISS Integrated Risk Management System (IRMA), Watch Item #4669. To address this, scientists and engineers from the Langley Research Center (LaRC) and the Johnson Space Center (JSC), proposed to the NASA Engineering and Safety Center (NESC) and the ISS Vehicle Office a joint assessment to develop a flight package as a Station Development Test Objective (SDTO) that would perform ultrasonic background noise measurements within the United States (US) controlled ISS structure. This document contains the results of the assessment

  16. ETDEWEB versus the World-Wide-Web: a specific database/web comparison

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

    Cutler, Debbie

    2010-06-28

    A study was performed comparing user search results from the specialized scientific database on energy-related information, ETDEWEB, with search results from the internet search engines Google and Google Scholar. The primary objective of the study was to determine if ETDEWEB (the Energy Technology Data Exchange – World Energy Base) continues to bring the user search results that are not being found by Google and Google Scholar. As a multilateral information exchange initiative, ETDE’s member countries and partners contribute cost- and task-sharing resources to build the largest database of energy-related information in the world. As of early 2010, the ETDEWEB databasemore » has 4.3 million citations to world-wide energy literature. One of ETDEWEB’s strengths is its focused scientific content and direct access to full text for its grey literature (over 300,000 documents in PDF available for viewing from the ETDE site and over a million additional links to where the documents can be found at research organizations and major publishers globally). Google and Google Scholar are well-known for the wide breadth of the information they search, with Google bringing in news, factual and opinion-related information, and Google Scholar also emphasizing scientific content across many disciplines. The analysis compared the results of 15 energy-related queries performed on all three systems using identical words/phrases. A variety of subjects was chosen, although the topics were mostly in renewable energy areas due to broad international interest. Over 40,000 search result records from the three sources were evaluated. The study concluded that ETDEWEB is a significant resource to energy experts for discovering relevant energy information. For the 15 topics in this study, ETDEWEB was shown to bring the user unique results not shown by Google or Google Scholar 86.7% of the time. Much was learned from the study beyond just metric comparisons. Observations about the strengths of each system and factors impacting the search results are also shared along with background information and summary tables of the results. If a user knows a very specific title of a document, all three systems are helpful in finding the user a source for the document. But if the user is looking to discover relevant documents on a specific topic, each of the three systems will bring back a considerable volume of data, but quite different in focus. Google is certainly a highly-used and valuable tool to find significant ‘non-specialist’ information, and Google Scholar does help the user focus on scientific disciplines. But if a user’s interest is scientific and energy-specific, ETDEWEB continues to hold a strong position in the energy research, technology and development (RTD) information field and adds considerable value in knowledge discovery. (auth)« less

  17. Survivorship Care Experiences and Information and Support Needs of Oral and Oropharyngeal Cancer Patients

    PubMed Central

    Manne, Sharon; Hudson, Shawna V.; Baredes, Soly; Stroup, Antoinette; Virtue, Shannon Myers; Paddock, Lisa; Kalyoussef, Evelyne

    2015-01-01

    Background There is little research documenting the post-treatment experiences and needs of oral/oropharyngeal cancer survivors. Methods In this cross-sectional study, 92 patients diagnosed with oral/oropharyngeal cancer diagnosed between 2 and 5 years prior completed a survey about oral cancer information and support needs. Results About half retrospectively reported that they did not receive a written treatment summary. The desire for more oral cancer information was common: One-third or more desired more information about long-term effects, recommended follow-up, and symptoms that should prompt contacting a doctor. Support needs were less common: Only a lack of energy was rated as a significant support need. Patients who had a recurrence, did not drink alcohol, and had a greater recurrence fear desired more information. Smokers and more distressed patients reported more support needs. Conclusions Survivors reported the desire for more oral cancer information. A desire for assistance was less common. PMID:26788714

  18. User centered and ontology based information retrieval system for life sciences

    PubMed Central

    2012-01-01

    Background Because of the increasing number of electronic resources, designing efficient tools to retrieve and exploit them is a major challenge. Some improvements have been offered by semantic Web technologies and applications based on domain ontologies. In life science, for instance, the Gene Ontology is widely exploited in genomic applications and the Medical Subject Headings is the basis of biomedical publications indexation and information retrieval process proposed by PubMed. However current search engines suffer from two main drawbacks: there is limited user interaction with the list of retrieved resources and no explanation for their adequacy to the query is provided. Users may thus be confused by the selection and have no idea on how to adapt their queries so that the results match their expectations. Results This paper describes an information retrieval system that relies on domain ontology to widen the set of relevant documents that is retrieved and that uses a graphical rendering of query results to favor user interactions. Semantic proximities between ontology concepts and aggregating models are used to assess documents adequacy with respect to a query. The selection of documents is displayed in a semantic map to provide graphical indications that make explicit to what extent they match the user's query; this man/machine interface favors a more interactive and iterative exploration of data corpus, by facilitating query concepts weighting and visual explanation. We illustrate the benefit of using this information retrieval system on two case studies one of which aiming at collecting human genes related to transcription factors involved in hemopoiesis pathway. Conclusions The ontology based information retrieval system described in this paper (OBIRS) is freely available at: http://www.ontotoolkit.mines-ales.fr/ObirsClient/. This environment is a first step towards a user centred application in which the system enlightens relevant information to provide decision help. PMID:22373375

  19. Information system life-cycle and documentation standards, volume 1

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Callender, E. David; Steinbacher, Jody

    1989-01-01

    The Software Management and Assurance Program (SMAP) Information System Life-Cycle and Documentation Standards Document describes the Version 4 standard information system life-cycle in terms of processes, products, and reviews. The description of the products includes detailed documentation standards. The standards in this document set can be applied to the life-cycle, i.e., to each phase in the system's development, and to the documentation of all NASA information systems. This provides consistency across the agency as well as visibility into the completeness of the information recorded. An information system is software-intensive, but consists of any combination of software, hardware, and operational procedures required to process, store, or transmit data. This document defines a standard life-cycle model and content for associated documentation.

  20. Extracting laboratory test information from biomedical text

    PubMed Central

    Kang, Yanna Shen; Kayaalp, Mehmet

    2013-01-01

    Background: No previous study reported the efficacy of current natural language processing (NLP) methods for extracting laboratory test information from narrative documents. This study investigates the pathology informatics question of how accurately such information can be extracted from text with the current tools and techniques, especially machine learning and symbolic NLP methods. The study data came from a text corpus maintained by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, containing a rich set of information on laboratory tests and test devices. Methods: The authors developed a symbolic information extraction (SIE) system to extract device and test specific information about four types of laboratory test entities: Specimens, analytes, units of measures and detection limits. They compared the performance of SIE and three prominent machine learning based NLP systems, LingPipe, GATE and BANNER, each implementing a distinct supervised machine learning method, hidden Markov models, support vector machines and conditional random fields, respectively. Results: Machine learning systems recognized laboratory test entities with moderately high recall, but low precision rates. Their recall rates were relatively higher when the number of distinct entity values (e.g., the spectrum of specimens) was very limited or when lexical morphology of the entity was distinctive (as in units of measures), yet SIE outperformed them with statistically significant margins on extracting specimen, analyte and detection limit information in both precision and F-measure. Its high recall performance was statistically significant on analyte information extraction. Conclusions: Despite its shortcomings against machine learning methods, a well-tailored symbolic system may better discern relevancy among a pile of information of the same type and may outperform a machine learning system by tapping into lexically non-local contextual information such as the document structure. PMID:24083058

  1. Negotiating White science in rural Black America: A case for navigating the landscape of teacher knowledge domains

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yerrick, Randy; Johnson, Joseph

    2011-12-01

    The purpose of this study was to explore the nature of requisite teacher knowledge for teaching lower-track science students. Using video accounts, student focus groups, and teacher reflections researchers documented missteps, dead-ends, and unfruitful trajectories informed by the teacher's incoming knowledge and compared these instances to necessary modifications informed by students' voices and cultural artifacts. Our study revealed the shifting nature of sociocultural and pedagogical content knowledge of the teacher immersed in a context unlike that he experienced as a student. Results showed that teachers of majority backgrounds could learn to teach diverse students with at least moderate success from the perspective of their students. Implications for research and teacher education in diverse settings are discussed.

  2. Extracting biomedical events from pairs of text entities

    PubMed Central

    2015-01-01

    Background Huge amounts of electronic biomedical documents, such as molecular biology reports or genomic papers are generated daily. Nowadays, these documents are mainly available in the form of unstructured free texts, which require heavy processing for their registration into organized databases. This organization is instrumental for information retrieval, enabling to answer the advanced queries of researchers and practitioners in biology, medicine, and related fields. Hence, the massive data flow calls for efficient automatic methods of text-mining that extract high-level information, such as biomedical events, from biomedical text. The usual computational tools of Natural Language Processing cannot be readily applied to extract these biomedical events, due to the peculiarities of the domain. Indeed, biomedical documents contain highly domain-specific jargon and syntax. These documents also describe distinctive dependencies, making text-mining in molecular biology a specific discipline. Results We address biomedical event extraction as the classification of pairs of text entities into the classes corresponding to event types. The candidate pairs of text entities are recursively provided to a multiclass classifier relying on Support Vector Machines. This recursive process extracts events involving other events as arguments. Compared to joint models based on Markov Random Fields, our model simplifies inference and hence requires shorter training and prediction times along with lower memory capacity. Compared to usual pipeline approaches, our model passes over a complex intermediate problem, while making a more extensive usage of sophisticated joint features between text entities. Our method focuses on the core event extraction of the Genia task of BioNLP challenges yielding the best result reported so far on the 2013 edition. PMID:26201478

  3. Are Current Insulin Pumps Accessible to Blind and Visually Impaired People?

    PubMed Central

    Burton, Darren M.; Uslan, Mark M.; Blubaugh, Morgan V.; Clements, Charles W.

    2009-01-01

    Background In 2004, Uslan and colleagues determined that insulin pumps (IPs) on the market were largely inaccessible to blind and visually impaired persons. The objective of this study is to determine if accessibility status changed in the ensuing 4 years. Methods Five IPs on the market in 2008 were acquired and analyzed for key accessibility traits such as speech and other audio output, tactual nature of control buttons, and the quality of visual displays. It was also determined whether or not a blind or visually impaired person could independently complete tasks such as programming the IP for insulin delivery, replacing batteries, and reading manuals and other documentation. Results It was found that IPs have not improved in accessibility since 2004. None have speech output, and with the exception of the Animas IR 2020, no significantly improved visual display characteristics were found. Documentation is still not completely accessible. Conclusion Insulin pumps are relatively complex devices, with serious health consequences resulting from improper use. For IPs to be used safely and independently by blind and visually impaired patients, they must include voice output to communicate all the information presented on their display screens. Enhancing display contrast and the size of the displayed information would also improve accessibility for visually impaired users. The IPs must also come with accessible user documentation in alternate formats. PMID:20144301

  4. Volcanology curricula development aided by online educational resource

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Poland, Michael P.; van der Hoeven Kraft, Katrien J.; Teasdale, Rachel

    2011-01-01

    Volcanic activity is an excellent hook for engaging college and university students in geoscience classes. An increasing number of Internet-accessible real-time and near–real time volcano monitoring data are now available and constitute an important resource for geoscience education; however, relatively few data sets are comprehensive, and many lack background information to aid in interpretation. In response to the need for organized, accessible, and well-documented volcano education resources, the U.S. Geological Survey's Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO), in collaboration with NASA and the University of Hawai`i at Manoa, established the Volcanoes Exploration Project: Pu`u `Ō`ō (VEPP). The VEPP Web site (http://vepp.wr.usgs.gov) is an educational resource that provides access, in near real time, to geodetic, seismic, and geologic data from the active Pu`u `Ō`ō eruptive vent on Kilauea volcano, Hawaii, along with background and context information. A strength of the VEPP site is the common theme of the Pu`u `Ō`ō eruption, which allows the site to be revisited multiple times to demonstrate different principles and integrate many aspects of volcanology.

  5. Effective Information Extraction Framework for Heterogeneous Clinical Reports Using Online Machine Learning and Controlled Vocabularies

    PubMed Central

    Zheng, Shuai; Ghasemzadeh, Nima; Hayek, Salim S; Quyyumi, Arshed A

    2017-01-01

    Background Extracting structured data from narrated medical reports is challenged by the complexity of heterogeneous structures and vocabularies and often requires significant manual effort. Traditional machine-based approaches lack the capability to take user feedbacks for improving the extraction algorithm in real time. Objective Our goal was to provide a generic information extraction framework that can support diverse clinical reports and enables a dynamic interaction between a human and a machine that produces highly accurate results. Methods A clinical information extraction system IDEAL-X has been built on top of online machine learning. It processes one document at a time, and user interactions are recorded as feedbacks to update the learning model in real time. The updated model is used to predict values for extraction in subsequent documents. Once prediction accuracy reaches a user-acceptable threshold, the remaining documents may be batch processed. A customizable controlled vocabulary may be used to support extraction. Results Three datasets were used for experiments based on report styles: 100 cardiac catheterization procedure reports, 100 coronary angiographic reports, and 100 integrated reports—each combines history and physical report, discharge summary, outpatient clinic notes, outpatient clinic letter, and inpatient discharge medication report. Data extraction was performed by 3 methods: online machine learning, controlled vocabularies, and a combination of these. The system delivers results with F1 scores greater than 95%. Conclusions IDEAL-X adopts a unique online machine learning–based approach combined with controlled vocabularies to support data extraction for clinical reports. The system can quickly learn and improve, thus it is highly adaptable. PMID:28487265

  6. Information Scanning and Processing at the Nuclear Safety Information Center.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Parks, Celia; Julian, Carol

    This report is a detailed manual of the information specialist's duties at the Nuclear Safety Information Center. Information specialists scan the literature for documents to be reviewed, procure the documents (books, journal articles, reports, etc.), keep the document location records, and return the documents to the plant library or other…

  7. Smart Grid Interoperability Maturity Model Beta Version

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

    Widergren, Steven E.; Drummond, R.; Giroti, Tony

    The GridWise Architecture Council was formed by the U.S. Department of Energy to promote and enable interoperability among the many entities that interact with the electric power system. This balanced team of industry representatives proposes principles for the development of interoperability concepts and standards. The Council provides industry guidance and tools that make it an available resource for smart grid implementations. In the spirit of advancing interoperability of an ecosystem of smart grid devices and systems, this document presents a model for evaluating the maturity of the artifacts and processes that specify the agreement of parties to collaborate across anmore » information exchange interface. You are expected to have a solid understanding of large, complex system integration concepts and experience in dealing with software component interoperation. Those without this technical background should read the Executive Summary for a description of the purpose and contents of the document. Other documents, such as checklists, guides, and whitepapers, exist for targeted purposes and audiences. Please see the www.gridwiseac.org website for more products of the Council that may be of interest to you.« less

  8. The Gasoline Shortage: A National Perspective; A Background Paper, Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs, U.S. Senate, Ninety-Third Congress, First Session. [Committee Print

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Congress of the U.S., Washington, DC. Senate Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs.

    This publication is a background document for the National Fuels and Energy Policy Study authorized by Senate Resolution 45. The purpose of this report is to identify the issues, to describe the impact of present policy on gasoline supply and demand, and to suggest potential measures to reduce the shortfall. This document is published to assist…

  9. Evaluation of poison information services provided by a new poison information center.

    PubMed

    Churi, Shobha; Abraham, Lovin; Ramesh, M; Narahari, M G

    2013-01-01

    The aim of this study is to assess the nature and quality of services provided by poison information center established at a tertiary-care teaching hospital, Mysore. This was a prospective observational study. The poison information center was officially established in September 2010 and began its functioning thereafter. The center is equipped with required resources and facility (e.g., text books, Poisindex, Drugdex, toll free telephone service, internet and online services) to provide poison information services. The poison information services provided by the center were recorded in documentation forms. The documentation form consists of numerous sections to collect information on: (a) Type of population (children, adult, elderly or pregnant) (b) poisoning agents (c) route of exposure (d) type of poisoning (intentional, accidental or environmental) (e) demographic details of patient (age, gender and bodyweight) (f) enquirer details (background, place of call and mode of request) (g) category and purpose of query and (h) details of provided service (information provided, mode of provision, time taken to provide information and references consulted). The nature and quality of poison information services provided was assessed using a quality assessment checklist developed in accordance with DSE/World Health Organization guidelines. Chi-Square test (χ(2)). A total of 419 queries were received by the center. A majority (n = 333; 79.5%) of the queries were asked by the doctors to provide optimal care (n = 400; 95.5%). Most of the queries were received during ward rounds (n = 201; 48.0%), followed by direct access (n = 147; 35.1%). The poison information services were predominantly provided through verbal communication (n = 352; 84.0%). Upon receipt of queries, the required service was provided immediately (n = 103; 24.6%) or within 10-20 min (n = 296; 70.6%). The queries were mainly related to intentional poisoning (n = 258; 64.5%), followed by accidental poisoning (n = 142; 35.5%). The most common poisoning agents were medicines (n = 124; 31.0%). The service provided was graded as "Excellent" for the majority of queries (n = 360; 86%; P < 0.001), followed by "Very Good" (n = 50; 12%) and "Good" (n = 9; 2%). The poison information center provided requested services in a skillful, efficient and evidence-based manner to meet the needs of the requestor. The enquiries and information provided is documented in a clear and systematic manner.

  10. Method for gathering and summarizing internet information

    DOEpatents

    Potok, Thomas E.; Elmore, Mark Thomas; Reed, Joel Wesley; Treadwell, Jim N.; Samatova, Nagiza Faridovna

    2010-04-06

    A computer method of gathering and summarizing large amounts of information comprises collecting information from a plurality of information sources (14, 51) according to respective maps (52) of the information sources (14), converting the collected information from a storage format to XML-language documents (26, 53) and storing the XML-language documents in a storage medium, searching for documents (55) according to a search query (13) having at least one term and identifying the documents (26) found in the search, and displaying the documents as nodes (33) of a tree structure (32) having links (34) and nodes (33) so as to indicate similarity of the documents to each other.

  11. System for gathering and summarizing internet information

    DOEpatents

    Potok, Thomas E.; Elmore, Mark Thomas; Reed, Joel Wesley; Treadwell, Jim N.; Samatova, Nagiza Faridovna

    2006-07-04

    A computer method of gathering and summarizing large amounts of information comprises collecting information from a plurality of information sources (14, 51) according to respective maps (52) of the information sources (14), converting the collected information from a storage format to XML-language documents (26, 53) and storing the XML-language documents in a storage medium, searching for documents (55) according to a search query (13) having at least one term and identifying the documents (26) found in the search, and displaying the documents as nodes (33) of a tree structure (32) having links (34) and nodes (33) so as to indicate similarity of the documents to each other.

  12. Method for gathering and summarizing internet information

    DOEpatents

    Potok, Thomas E [Oak Ridge, TN; Elmore, Mark Thomas [Oak Ridge, TN; Reed, Joel Wesley [Knoxville, TN; Treadwell, Jim N [Louisville, TN; Samatova, Nagiza Faridovna [Oak Ridge, TN

    2008-01-01

    A computer method of gathering and summarizing large amounts of information comprises collecting information from a plurality of information sources (14, 51) according to respective maps (52) of the information sources (14), converting the collected information from a storage format to XML-language documents (26, 53) and storing the XML-language documents in a storage medium, searching for documents (55) according to a search query (13) having at least one term and identifying the documents (26) found in the search, and displaying the documents as nodes (33) of a tree structure (32) having links (34) and nodes (33) so as to indicate similarity of the documents to each other.

  13. Personal information documents for people with dementia: Healthcare staff 's perceptions and experiences.

    PubMed

    Baillie, Lesley; Thomas, Nicola

    2018-01-01

    Person-centred care is internationally recognised as best practice for the care of people with dementia. Personal information documents for people with dementia are proposed as a way to support person-centred care in healthcare settings. However, there is little research about how they are used in practice. The aim of this study was to analyse healthcare staff 's perceptions and experiences of using personal information documents, mainly Alzheimer's Society's 'This is me', for people with dementia in healthcare settings. The method comprised a secondary thematic analysis of data from a qualitative study, of how a dementia awareness initiative affected care for people with dementia in one healthcare organisation. The data were collected through 12 focus groups (n = 58 participants) and 1 individual interview, conducted with a range of healthcare staff, both clinical and non-clinical. There are four themes presented: understanding the rationale for personal information documents; completing personal information documents; location for personal information documents and transfer between settings; impact of personal information documents in practice. The findings illuminated how healthcare staff use personal information documents in practice in ways that support person-centred care. Practical issues about the use of personal information documents were revealed and these may affect the optimal use of the documents in practice. The study indicated the need to complete personal information documents at an early stage following diagnosis of dementia, and the importance of embedding their use across care settings, to support communication and integrated care.

  14. Scientific and Technical Support for the Galileo Net Flux Radiometer Experiment

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Sromovsky, Lawrence A.

    1997-01-01

    This report describes work in support of the Galileo Net Flux Radiometer (NFR), an instrument mounted on the Galileo probe, a spacecraft designed for entry into and direct measurements of Jupiter's atmosphere. Tasks originally proposed for the post launch period are briefly as follows: attend and support PSG (Project Science Group) and other project science meetings; support in-flight checkouts; maintain and keep safe the spare instrument and GSE (Ground Support Equipment); organize and maintain documentation; finish NFR calibration measurements, documentation, and analysis; characterize and diagnose instrument anomalies; develop descent data analysis tools; and science data analysis and publication. Because we had the capability to satisfy a project support need we also subsequently proposed and were funded to make ground- based observations of Jupiter during the period surrounding the Galileo arrival at Jupiter, using the Swedish Solar Telescope at La Palma, Canary Islands. The following section (11) provides background information on the NFR instrument.

  15. Surgical Treatment and Rehabilitation of Combined Complex Ligament Injuries

    PubMed Central

    Romeyn, Richard L.; Jennings, Jason

    2008-01-01

    This article is a description of the surgical treatment and rehabilitation of combined complex ligament injuries. A background will be provided, and information on the combined complex knee injuries, selected aspects of surgical treatments, and rehabilitation strategies will be presented. Combined complex ligament injuries are devastating injuries and are not very common compared to other knee injuries. No meta-analysis or systematic review studies exist regarding the best treatments for these patients. This article's emphasis is on the stages in the rehabilitation program with documentation of the scientific and clinical rationale for the treatment techniques in each stage. Treatment interventions are described and documented with the limited evidence available in treating these patients. Guidelines for treatment, surgery, and a clinical protocol for treating patients with combined complex ligament injuries are provided for the practicing clinician to use as a template for treating these complicated patients. PMID:21509123

  16. Nitrogen Oxides (NOx) Primary NAAQS REVIEW: Integrated ...

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    The NOx Integrated Review Plan is the first document generated as part of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) review process. The Plan presents background information, the schedule for the review, the process to be used in conducting the review, and the key policy-relevant science issues that will guide the review. The integrated review plan also discusses the frameworks for the various assessment documents to be prepared by the EPA as part of the review, including an Integrated Science Assessment (ISA), and as warranted, a Risk/Exposure Assessment (REA), and a Policy Assessment (PA). The primary purpose of the NOx Integrated Review Plan is to highlight the key policy-relevant issues to be considered in the Review of the NO2 primary NAAQS. A draft of the integrated review plan will be the subject of an advisory review with the Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee (CASAC) and made available to the public for review and comment.

  17. Federal Transit Administration's noise and vibration Guidance Manual: Updates after 10 years of experience

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hanson, Carl E.

    2005-09-01

    In April 1995, the Federal Transit Administration of the U.S. Department of Transportation issued its guidance manual, ``Transit Noise and Vibration Impact Assessment.'' The manual was written to provide direction for the preparation of noise and vibration sections of environmental documents for public transportation projects in the interest of promoting quality and uniformity in assessments. In the 10 years since its release, the guidance manual has been used as the basis of noise and vibration assessments in over 80 environmental documents and has been used worldwide as a standard method for performing transit noise analyses. An updated version has recently been prepared that takes account of improvements in tools, changes in the environmental assessment procedures, modifications of impact criteria, and experience with mitigation measures. These factors, and other background information, will be discussed to provide insight regarding the revisions in the new edition.

  18. Sulfur Dioxide (SO2) Primary NAAQS Review: Integrated ...

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    The SO2 Integrated Review Plan is the first document generated as part of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) review process. The Plan presents background information, the schedule for the review, the process to be used in conducting the review, and the key policy-relevant science issues that will guide the review. The integrated review plan also discusses the frameworks for the various assessment documents to be prepared by the EPA as part of the review, including an Integrated Science Assessment (ISA), and as warranted, a Risk/Exposure Assessment (REA), and a Policy Assessment (PA). The primary purpose of the SO2 Integrated Review Plan is to highlight the key policy-relevant issues to be considered in the Review of the SO2 primary NAAQS. A draft of the integrated review plan will be the subject of an advisory with the Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee (CASAC) and made available to the public for review and comment.

  19. Informed Consent Conversations and Documents: A Quantitative Comparison

    PubMed Central

    Koyfman, Shlomo A.; Reddy, Chandana A.; Hizlan, Sabahat; Leek, Angela C.; Kodish, Eric

    2015-01-01

    Background Informed consent for clinical research includes two components: informed consent documents (ICD) and informed consent conversations (ICC). Readability software has been used to help simplify the language of the ICD, but rarely employed to assess the language during the ICC, which may influence the quality of informed consent. This analysis was completed to determine if length and reading levels of transcribed ICCs are lower than their corresponding ICDs for selected clinical trials, and to assess whether investigator experience affected use of simpler language and comprehensiveness. Methods Prospective study where ICCs were audio-recorded at 6 institutions when families were offered participation in pediatric phase I oncology trials. Word count, Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level (FKGL) and Flesch Reading Ease Score (FRES) of ICCs were compared to corresponding ICDs, including the frequency that investigators addressed 8 pre-specified critical consent elements during the ICC. Results Sixty-nine unique physician/protocol pairs were identified. Overall, ICCs contained fewer words (4,677 vs. 6,364; p=0.0016), had lower FKGL (6 vs. 9.7; p=<0.0001) and higher FRES (77.8 vs. 56.7; p<0.0001) than their respective ICDs, but were more likely to omit critical consent elements, such as voluntariness (55%) and dose limiting toxicities (26%). Years of investigator experience was not correlated with reliably covering critical elements or decreased linguistic complexity. Conclusions Clinicians use more understandable language during ICCs than the corresponding ICD, but less reliably cover elements critical to fully informed consent. Focused efforts at providing communication training for clinician-investigators should be done to optimize the synergy between the ICD and conversation. PMID:26505269

  20. Clinical map document based on XML (cMDX): document architecture with mapping feature for reporting and analysing prostate cancer in radical prostatectomy specimens

    PubMed Central

    2010-01-01

    Background The pathology report of radical prostatectomy specimens plays an important role in clinical decisions and the prognostic evaluation in Prostate Cancer (PCa). The anatomical schema is a helpful tool to document PCa extension for clinical and research purposes. To achieve electronic documentation and analysis, an appropriate documentation model for anatomical schemas is needed. For this purpose we developed cMDX. Methods The document architecture of cMDX was designed according to Open Packaging Conventions by separating the whole data into template data and patient data. Analogue custom XML elements were considered to harmonize the graphical representation (e.g. tumour extension) with the textual data (e.g. histological patterns). The graphical documentation was based on the four-layer visualization model that forms the interaction between different custom XML elements. Sensible personal data were encrypted with a 256-bit cryptographic algorithm to avoid misuse. In order to assess the clinical value, we retrospectively analysed the tumour extension in 255 patients after radical prostatectomy. Results The pathology report with cMDX can represent pathological findings of the prostate in schematic styles. Such reports can be integrated into the hospital information system. "cMDX" documents can be converted into different data formats like text, graphics and PDF. Supplementary tools like cMDX Editor and an analyser tool were implemented. The graphical analysis of 255 prostatectomy specimens showed that PCa were mostly localized in the peripheral zone (Mean: 73% ± 25). 54% of PCa showed a multifocal growth pattern. Conclusions cMDX can be used for routine histopathological reporting of radical prostatectomy specimens and provide data for scientific analysis. PMID:21078179

  1. The Impact of Information Culture on Patient Safety Outcomes

    PubMed Central

    Mikkonen, Santtu; Saranto, Kaija; Bates, David W.

    2017-01-01

    Summary Background An organization’s information culture and information management practices create conditions for processing patient information in hospitals. Information management incidents are failures that could lead to adverse events for the patient if they are not detected. Objectives To test a theoretical model that links information culture in acute care hospitals to information management incidents and patient safety outcomes. Methods Reason’s model for the stages of development of organizational accidents was applied. Study data were collected from a cross-sectional survey of 909 RNs who work in medical or surgical units at 32 acute care hospitals in Finland. Structural equation modeling was used to assess how well the hypothesized model fit the study data. Results Fit indices indicated a good fit for the model. In total, 18 of the 32 paths tested were statistically significant. Documentation errors had the strongest total effect on patient safety outcomes. Organizational guidance positively affected information availability and utilization of electronic patient records, whereas the latter had the strongest total effect on the reduction of information delays. Conclusions Patient safety outcomes are associated with information management incidents and information culture. Further, the dimensions of the information culture create work conditions that generate errors in hospitals. PMID:28272647

  2. 2009 Toxic Chemical Release Inventory Report for the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act of 1986, Title III, Section 313

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

    Environmental Stewardship Group

    For reporting year 2009, Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) submitted a Form R report for lead as required under the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to- Know Act (EPCRA) Section 313. No other EPCRA Section 313 chemicals were used in 2009 above the reportable thresholds. This document was prepared to provide a description of the evaluation of EPCRA Section 313 chemical use and threshold determinations for LANL for calendar year 2009, as well as to provide background information about data included on the Form R reports.

  3. Case studies of energy efficiency financing in the original five pilot states, 1993-1996

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

    Farhar, B C; Collins, N E; Walsh, R W

    1997-05-01

    The purpose of this report is to document progress in state-level programs in energy efficiency financing programs that are linked with home energy rating systems. Case studies are presented of programs in five states using a federal pilot program to amortize the costs of home energy improvements. The case studies present background information, describe the states` program, list preliminary evaluation data and findings, and discuss problems and solution encountered in the programs. A comparison of experiences in pilot states will be used to provide guidelines for program implementers, federal agencies, and Congress. 5 refs.

  4. Guidelines for preparing software user documentation

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Miller, Diane F.

    1987-01-01

    Clear, easy-to-use software user's manuals make strong demands on special technical communication techniques. Principles and guidelines are given for analyzing the audience and dealing with wide-ranging backgrounds of potential users. Types of information to be included in a complete manual are suggested, with a technique for creating a user-oriented rather than process-oriented organization. Accuracy verification is emphasized. Simple tips are gievn for formatting for quick comprehension and reference, for deciding on packaging, for creating helpful illustrations and examples, and for setting up clear and consistent conventions. Simple guidelines are offered for writing clearly and concisely and for editing.

  5. Advanced subsonic long-haul transport terminal area compatibility study. Volume 2: Research and technology recommendations

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1974-01-01

    The Terminal Area Compatibility (TAC) study is briefly summarized for background information. The most important research items for the areas of noise congestion, and emissions are identified. Other key research areas are also discussed. The 50 recommended research items are categorized by flight phase, technology, and compatibility benefits. The relationship of the TAC recommendations to the previous ATT recommendations is discussed. The bulk of the document contains the 50 recommended research items. For each item, the potential payoff, state of readiness, recommended action and estimated cost and schedule are given.

  6. Background Information and User Guide for MIL-F-8785C, Military Specification - Flying Qualities of Piloted Airplanes

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1982-07-01

    Design Military Specification 20. ABSTRACT (Co.itInue o., revorse.• de if ,lec0O.•,•dr’ 1 Id•ntnify’’ bY bI. rk ,CI•,ti lim r) ’This document is published...criteria to Insert into the basic requirements, verification proceduresand leason: learned from past experience. The Standkerd will thus be the framework ...equations with sketch: Each of the three paired quantities in the de - nominators of KS and KR should have a hir over them, as is done in the numerators

  7. G-Bean: an ontology-graph based web tool for biomedical literature retrieval

    PubMed Central

    2014-01-01

    Background Currently, most people use NCBI's PubMed to search the MEDLINE database, an important bibliographical information source for life science and biomedical information. However, PubMed has some drawbacks that make it difficult to find relevant publications pertaining to users' individual intentions, especially for non-expert users. To ameliorate the disadvantages of PubMed, we developed G-Bean, a graph based biomedical search engine, to search biomedical articles in MEDLINE database more efficiently. Methods G-Bean addresses PubMed's limitations with three innovations: (1) Parallel document index creation: a multithreaded index creation strategy is employed to generate the document index for G-Bean in parallel; (2) Ontology-graph based query expansion: an ontology graph is constructed by merging four major UMLS (Version 2013AA) vocabularies, MeSH, SNOMEDCT, CSP and AOD, to cover all concepts in National Library of Medicine (NLM) database; a Personalized PageRank algorithm is used to compute concept relevance in this ontology graph and the Term Frequency - Inverse Document Frequency (TF-IDF) weighting scheme is used to re-rank the concepts. The top 500 ranked concepts are selected for expanding the initial query to retrieve more accurate and relevant information; (3) Retrieval and re-ranking of documents based on user's search intention: after the user selects any article from the existing search results, G-Bean analyzes user's selections to determine his/her true search intention and then uses more relevant and more specific terms to retrieve additional related articles. The new articles are presented to the user in the order of their relevance to the already selected articles. Results Performance evaluation with 106 OHSUMED benchmark queries shows that G-Bean returns more relevant results than PubMed does when using these queries to search the MEDLINE database. PubMed could not even return any search result for some OHSUMED queries because it failed to form the appropriate Boolean query statement automatically from the natural language query strings. G-Bean is available at http://bioinformatics.clemson.edu/G-Bean/index.php. Conclusions G-Bean addresses PubMed's limitations with ontology-graph based query expansion, automatic document indexing, and user search intention discovery. It shows significant advantages in finding relevant articles from the MEDLINE database to meet the information need of the user. PMID:25474588

  8. Improving access to skilled attendance at delivery: a policy brief for Uganda.

    PubMed

    Nabudere, Harriet; Asiimwe, Delius; Amandua, Jacinto

    2013-04-01

    This study describes the process of production, findings for a policy brief on Increasing Access to Skilled Birth Attendance, and subsequent use of the report by policy makers and others from the health sector in Uganda. The methods used to prepare the policy brief use the SUPPORT Tools for evidence-informed health policy making. The problem that this evidence brief addresses was identified through an explicit priority setting process involving policy makers and other stakeholders, further clarification with key informant interviews of relevant policy makers, and review of relevant documents. A working group of national stakeholder representatives and external reviewers commented on and contributed to successive drafts of the report. Research describing the problem, policy options, and implementation considerations was identified by reviewing government documents, routinely collected data, electronic literature searches, contact with key informants, and reviewing the reference lists of relevant documents that were retrieved. The proportion of pregnant women delivering from public and private non-profit facilities was low at 34 percent in 2008/09. The three policy options discussed in the report could be adopted independently or complementary to the other to increase access to skilled care. The Ministry of Health in deliberating to provide intrapartum care at first level health facilities from the second level of care, requested for research evidence to support these decisions. Maternal waiting shelters and working with the private-for-profit sector to facilitate deliveries in health facilities are promising complementary interventions that have been piloted in both the public and private health sector. A combination of strategies is needed to effectively implement the proposed options as discussed further in this article. The policy brief report was used as a background document for two stakeholder dialogue meetings involving members of parliament, policy makers, health managers, researchers, civil society, professional organizations, and the media.

  9. Impaired visual recognition of biological motion in schizophrenia.

    PubMed

    Kim, Jejoong; Doop, Mikisha L; Blake, Randolph; Park, Sohee

    2005-09-15

    Motion perception deficits have been suggested to be an important feature of schizophrenia but the behavioral consequences of such deficits are unknown. Biological motion refers to the movements generated by living beings. The human visual system rapidly and effortlessly detects and extracts socially relevant information from biological motion. A deficit in biological motion perception may have significant consequences for detecting and interpreting social information. Schizophrenia patients and matched healthy controls were tested on two visual tasks: recognition of human activity portrayed in point-light animations (biological motion task) and a perceptual control task involving detection of a grouped figure against the background noise (global-form task). Both tasks required detection of a global form against background noise but only the biological motion task required the extraction of motion-related information. Schizophrenia patients performed as well as the controls in the global-form task, but were significantly impaired on the biological motion task. In addition, deficits in biological motion perception correlated with impaired social functioning as measured by the Zigler social competence scale [Zigler, E., Levine, J. (1981). Premorbid competence in schizophrenia: what is being measured? Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 49, 96-105.]. The deficit in biological motion processing, which may be related to the previously documented deficit in global motion processing, could contribute to abnormal social functioning in schizophrenia.

  10. Recommendations for Clinical Decision Support Deployment: Synthesis of a Roundtable of Medical Directors of Information Systems

    PubMed Central

    Jenders, Robert A.; Osheroff, Jerome A.; Sittig, Dean F.; Pifer, Eric A.; Teich, Jonathan M

    2007-01-01

    Background: Ample evidence exists that clinical decision support (CDS) can improve clinician performance. Nevertheless, additional evidence demonstrates that clinicians still do not perform adequately in many instances. This suggests an ongoing need for implementation of CDS, in turn prompting development of a roadmap for national action regarding CDS. Objective: Develop practical advice to aid CDS implementation in order to improve clinician performance. Method: Structured group interview during a roundtable discussion by medical directors of information systems (N = 30), with subsequent review by participants and synthesis. Results: Participant consensus was that CDS should be comprehensive and should involve techniques such as order sets and facilitated documentation as well as alerts; should be subject to ongoing feedback; and should flow from and be governed by an organization’s clinical goals. Conclusion: A structured roundtable discussion of clinicians experienced in health information technology can yield practical, consensus advice for implementation of CDS. PMID:18693858

  11. Public perceptions of the response to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill: personal experiences, information sources, and social context.

    PubMed

    Safford, Thomas G; Ulrich, Jessica D; Hamilton, Lawrence C

    2012-12-30

    The 2010 British Petroleum (BP) Deepwater Horizon oil spill highlighted long-standing questions about energy exploration and its social and environmental implications. Sociologists studying environmental disasters have documented the social impacts resulting from these events and dissatisfaction with government and industry responses. In this paper, we use data from a survey conducted during the Gulf of Mexico oil spill to examine how Louisiana and Florida residents' social backgrounds, experiences with the spill, and trust in information sources predict their perceptions of governmental and BP response efforts. We find that direct personal impacts and compensation strongly influence the evaluations of responding organizations. Age and place of residence also predict such assessments. Finally, levels of confidence in television news and BP as sources of information appear to shape Gulf Coast residents' opinions about the work of organizations responding to the Deepwater Horizon disaster. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. Unexploded ordnance issues at Aberdeen Proving Ground: Background information

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

    Rosenblatt, D.H.

    1996-11-01

    This document summarizes currently available information about the presence and significance of unexploded ordnance (UXO) in the two main areas of Aberdeen Proving Ground: Aberdeen Area and Edgewood Area. Known UXO in the land ranges of the Aberdeen Area consists entirely of conventional munitions. The Edgewood Area contains, in addition to conventional munitions, a significant quantity of chemical-munition UXO, which is reflected in the presence of chemical agent decomposition products in Edgewood Area ground-water samples. It may be concluded from current information that the UXO at Aberdeen Proving Ground has not adversely affected the environment through release of toxic substancesmore » to the public domain, especially not by water pathways, and is not likely to do so in the near future. Nevertheless, modest but periodic monitoring of groundwater and nearby surface waters would be a prudent policy.« less

  13. 32 CFR 813.1 - Purpose of the visual information documentation (VIDOC) program.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 32 National Defense 6 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Purpose of the visual information documentation (VIDOC) program. 813.1 Section 813.1 National Defense Department of Defense (Continued) DEPARTMENT OF THE AIR FORCE SALES AND SERVICES VISUAL INFORMATION DOCUMENTATION PROGRAM § 813.1 Purpose of the visual information documentation (VIDOC) program....

  14. Product specification documentation standard and Data Item Descriptions (DID). Volume of the information system life-cycle and documentation standards, volume 3

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Callender, E. David; Steinbacher, Jody

    1989-01-01

    This is the third of five volumes on Information System Life-Cycle and Documentation Standards which present a well organized, easily used standard for providing technical information needed for developing information systems, components, and related processes. This volume states the Software Management and Assurance Program documentation standard for a product specification document and for data item descriptions. The framework can be applied to any NASA information system, software, hardware, operational procedures components, and related processes.

  15. A guideline to medical photography: a perspective on digital photography in an orthopaedic setting.

    PubMed

    de Meijer, P P G; Karlsson, J; LaPrade, R F; Verhaar, J A N; Wijdicks, C A

    2012-12-01

    Quality photographs are essential for clinical documentation, research, and publication in scientific journals and teaching. Oftentimes, non-ideal lighting and a sterile environment restrict the medical photographer, resulting in lower-quality photographs. This article aims to provide a clear and comprehensible guideline for medical photography in an orthopaedic setting. This article is based on extensive photographic involvement in operating and laboratory settings, in close collaboration with medical professionals from the Steadman Clinic (Vail, Colorado, USA), Gothenburg University (Göteborg, Sweden) and Erasmus MC (Rotterdam, the Netherlands). Background literature was searched through Google Scholar and PubMed. Three relevant journal articles, and one book on medical photography, were used to write this paper. Seventeen Internet articles were used for background information. A relevant, up-to-date and comprehensive guideline to medical photography for medical professionals, with or without photographic experience, is provided. Expert opinion, Level V.

  16. The Coreidae of Honduras (Hemiptera: Coreidae)

    PubMed Central

    Linares, Carlos A

    2017-01-01

    Abstract Background Coreidae bugs are mostly sap-sucking insects feeding on a variety of plants. Despite their abundance and economic importance in Honduras there is little information on the species, their distribution and affected crops. Since knowledge of pest species allows for better management of crops, we aimed to document the diversity of this economically important group. Specimens from four entomological collections in Honduras were studied and an exhaustive search of all available literature was conducted. New information A total of 2,036 insects were examined. The fauna of Honduran coreids is now composed of 68 species. Nineteen species are recorded for the country for the first time and 17 species were found only in literature. Little is known about the biology and economic importance of most of the species. PMID:28781567

  17. Small business innovation research program solicitation

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1994-01-01

    The National Aeronautics and Space Administration invites eligible small business concerns to submit Phase 1 proposals for its 1994 Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program, which is described in this twelfth annual NASA SBIR Program Solicitation. The 1994 solicitation period for Phase 1 proposals begins April 4, 1994 and ends June 15, 1994. Eligible firms with research or research and development capabilities (R/R&D) in any of the listed topic and subtopic areas are encouraged to participate. Through SBIR, NASA seeks innovative concepts addressing the program needs described in the SBIR solicitation subtopics and offering commercial application potential. This document contains program background information, outlines eligibility requirements for SBIR participants, describes the three SBIR program phases, and provides the information qualified offerors need to prepare and submit responsive proposals.

  18. Acceptance Criteria Framework for Autonomous Biological Detectors

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

    Dzenitis, J M

    2006-12-12

    The purpose of this study was to examine a set of user acceptance criteria for autonomous biological detection systems for application in high-traffic, public facilities. The test case for the acceptance criteria was the Autonomous Pathogen Detection System (APDS) operating in high-traffic facilities in New York City (NYC). However, the acceptance criteria were designed to be generally applicable to other biological detection systems in other locations. For such detection systems, ''users'' will include local authorities (e.g., facility operators, public health officials, and law enforcement personnel) and national authorities [including personnel from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the BioWatch Program,more » the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)]. The panel members brought expertise from a broad range of backgrounds to complete this picture. The goals of this document are: (1) To serve as informal guidance for users in considering the benefits and costs of these systems. (2) To serve as informal guidance for developers in understanding the needs of users. In follow-up work, this framework will be used to systematically document the APDS for appropriateness and readiness for use in NYC.« less

  19. Microgravity Experiments Safety and Integration Requirements Document Tree

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Hogan, Jean M.

    1995-01-01

    This report is a document tree of the safety and integration documents required to develop a space experiment. Pertinent document information for each of the top level (tier one) safety and integration documents, and their applicable and reference (tier two) documents has been identified. This information includes: document title, revision level, configuration management, electronic availability, listed applicable and reference documents, source for obtaining the document, and document owner. One of the main conclusions of this report is that no single document tree exists for all safety and integration documents, regardless of the Shuttle carrier. This document also identifies the need for a single point of contact for customers wishing to access documents. The data in this report serves as a valuable information source for the NASA Lewis Research Center Project Documentation Center, as well as for all developers of space experiments.

  20. Transmittal of Background Statement on Top-Down BACT

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    This document may be of assistance in applying the New Source Review (NSR) air permitting regulations including the Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) requirements. This document is part of the NSR Policy and Guidance Database. Some documents in the database are a scanned or retyped version of a paper photocopy of the original. Although we have taken considerable effort to quality assure the documents, some may contain typographical errors. Contact the office that issued the document if you need a copy of the original.

  1. Invisibly Sanitizable Digital Signature Scheme

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Miyazaki, Kunihiko; Hanaoka, Goichiro; Imai, Hideki

    A digital signature does not allow any alteration of the document to which it is attached. Appropriate alteration of some signed documents, however, should be allowed because there are security requirements other than the integrity of the document. In the disclosure of official information, for example, sensitive information such as personal information or national secrets is masked when an official document is sanitized so that its nonsensitive information can be disclosed when it is requested by a citizen. If this disclosure is done digitally by using the current digital signature schemes, the citizen cannot verify the disclosed information because it has been altered to prevent the leakage of sensitive information. The confidentiality of official information is thus incompatible with the integrity of that information, and this is called the digital document sanitizing problem. Conventional solutions such as content extraction signatures and digitally signed document sanitizing schemes with disclosure condition control can either let the sanitizer assign disclosure conditions or hide the number of sanitized portions. The digitally signed document sanitizing scheme we propose here is based on the aggregate signature derived from bilinear maps and can do both. Moreover, the proposed scheme can sanitize a signed document invisibly, that is, no one can distinguish whether the signed document has been sanitized or not.

  2. GRC-11-02-17-WindTunnel-9x15-001

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2017-11-02

    The Aerosciences Evaluation and Test Capabilities (AETC) Portfolio implemented the Capability Challenge to “Reduce Background Noise Levels for Engine Efficiency Measurements at the NASA Glenn 9x15 Low Speed Wind Tunnel”. The 9x15 Low Speed Wind Tunnel Acoustic Improvements animation documents the acoustic modifications being made to the 9x15 leg of the wind tunnel to reduce background noise levels. A brief history of the 9x15, research testing performed in the wind tunnel, the need to reduce background noise, and the five state of the art acoustic design modifications are documented in the animation. The expected noise reduction is presented audibly and the resulting benefit to NASA is also defined.

  3. A Randomized Controlled Trial of a Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Video in Advance Care Planning for Progressive Pancreas and Hepatobiliary Cancer Patients

    PubMed Central

    Volandes, Angelo E.; Chen, Ling Y.; Gary, Kristen A.; Li, Yuelin; Agre, Patricia; Levin, Tomer T.; Reidy, Diane L.; Meng, Raymond D.; Segal, Neil H.; Yu, Kenneth H.; Abou-Alfa, Ghassan K.; Janjigian, Yelena Y.; Kelsen, David P.; O'Reilly, Eileen M.

    2013-01-01

    Abstract Background Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is an important advance directive (AD) topic in patients with progressive cancer; however such discussions are challenging. Objective This study investigates whether video educational information about CPR engenders broader advance care planning (ACP) discourse. Methods Patients with progressive pancreas or hepatobiliary cancer were randomized to an educational CPR video or a similar CPR narrative. The primary end-point was the difference in ACP documentation one month posttest between arms. Secondary end-points included study impressions; pre- and post-intervention knowledge of and preferences for CPR and mechanical ventilation; and longitudinal patient outcomes. Results Fifty-six subjects were consented and analyzed. Rates of ACP documentation (either formal ADs or documented discussions) were 40% in the video arm (12/30) compared to 15% in the narrative arm (4/26), OR=3.6 [95% CI: 0.9–18.0], p=0.07. Post-intervention knowledge was higher in both arms. Posttest, preferences for CPR had changed in the video arm but not in the narrative arm. Preferences regarding mechanical ventilation did not change in either arm. The majority of subjects in both arms reported the information as helpful and comfortable to discuss, and they recommended it to others. More deaths occurred in the video arm compared to the narrative arm, and more subjects died in hospice settings in the video arm. Conclusions This pilot randomized trial addressing downstream ACP effects of video versus narrative decision tools demonstrated a trend towards more ACP documentation in video subjects. This trend, as well as other video effects, is the subject of ongoing study. PMID:23725233

  4. Developing topic-specific search filters for PubMed with click-through data.

    PubMed

    Li, J; Lu, Z

    2013-01-01

    Search filters have been developed and demonstrated for better information access to the immense and ever-growing body of publications in the biomedical domain. However, to date the number of filters remains quite limited because the current filter development methods require significant human efforts in manual document review and filter term selection. In this regard, we aim to investigate automatic methods for generating search filters. We present an automated method to develop topic-specific filters on the basis of users' search logs in PubMed. Specifically, for a given topic, we first detect its relevant user queries and then include their corresponding clicked articles to serve as the topic-relevant document set accordingly. Next, we statistically identify informative terms that best represent the topic-relevant document set using a background set composed of topic irrelevant articles. Lastly, the selected representative terms are combined with Boolean operators and evaluated on benchmark datasets to derive the final filter with the best performance. We applied our method to develop filters for four clinical topics: nephrology, diabetes, pregnancy, and depression. For the nephrology filter, our method obtained performance comparable to the state of the art (sensitivity of 91.3%, specificity of 98.7%, precision of 94.6%, and accuracy of 97.2%). Similarly, high-performing results (over 90% in all measures) were obtained for the other three search filters. Based on PubMed click-through data, we successfully developed a high-performance method for generating topic-specific search filters that is significantly more efficient than existing manual methods. All data sets (topic-relevant and irrelevant document sets) used in this study and a demonstration system are publicly available at http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/CBBresearch/Lu/downloads/CQ_filter/

  5. Developing Topic-Specific Search Filters for PubMed with Click-Through Data

    PubMed Central

    Li, Jiao; Lu, Zhiyong

    2013-01-01

    Summary Objectives Search filters have been developed and demonstrated for better information access to the immense and ever-growing body of publications in the biomedical domain. However, to date the number of filters remains quite limited because the current filter development methods require significant human efforts in manual document review and filter term selection. In this regard, we aim to investigate automatic methods for generating search filters. Methods We present an automated method to develop topic-specific filters on the basis of users’ search logs in PubMed. Specifically, for a given topic, we first detect its relevant user queries and then include their corresponding clicked articles to serve as the topic-relevant document set accordingly. Next, we statistically identify informative terms that best represent the topic-relevant document set using a background set composed of topic irrelevant articles. Lastly, the selected representative terms are combined with Boolean operators and evaluated on benchmark datasets to derive the final filter with the best performance. Results We applied our method to develop filters for four clinical topics: nephrology, diabetes, pregnancy, and depression. For the nephrology filter, our method obtained performance comparable to the state of the art (sensitivity of 91.3%, specificity of 98.7%, precision of 94.6%, and accuracy of 97.2%). Similarly, high-performing results (over 90% in all measures) were obtained for the other three search filters. Conclusion Based on PubMed click-through data, we successfully developed a high-performance method for generating topic-specific search filters that is significantly more efficient than existing manual methods. All data sets (topic-relevant and irrelevant document sets) used in this study and a demonstration system are publicly available at http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/CBBresearch/Lu/downloads/CQ_filter/ PMID:23666447

  6. Y-12 Groundwater Protection Program Groundwater Monitoring Data Compendium, Revision 1

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

    None

    This document is a compendium of water quality and hydrologic characterization data obtained through December 2005 from the network of groundwater monitoring wells and surface water sampling stations (including springs and building sumps) at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Y-12 National Security Complex (Y-12) in Oak Ridge, Tennessee that have been sampled since January 2003. The primary objectives of this document, hereafter referenced as the Y-12 Groundwater Protection Program (GWPP) Compendium, are to: (1) Serve as a single-source reference for monitoring data that meet the requirements of the Y-12 GWPP, as defined in the Y-12 GWPP Management Plan (BWXTmore » Y-12 L.L.C. [BWXT] 2004); (2) Maintain a detailed analysis and evaluation of the monitoring data for each applicable well, spring, and surface water sampling station, with a focus on results for the primary inorganic, organic, and radiological contaminants in groundwater and surface water at Y-12; and (3) Ensure retention of ''institutional knowledge'' obtained over the long-term (>20-year) history of groundwater and surface water monitoring at Y-12 and the related sources of groundwater and surface water contamination. To achieve these goals, the Y-12 GWPP Compendium brings together salient hydrologic, geologic, geochemical, water-quality, and environmental compliance information that is otherwise disseminated throughout numerous technical documents and reports prepared in support of completed and ongoing environmental contamination assessment, remediation, and monitoring activities performed at Y-12. The following subsections provide background information regarding the overall scope and format of the Y-12 GWPP Compendium and the planned approach for distribution and revision (i.e., administration) of this ''living'' document.« less

  7. Role of Background in the CERCLA Cleanup Program

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    This document clarifies the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) preferred approach for the consideration of background constituent concentrations of hazardous substances, pollutants, and contaminants in certain steps of the remedy selection process

  8. Current information technology needs of small to medium sized apparel manufacturers and contractors

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

    Wimple, C., LLNL

    1998-04-01

    This report documents recent efforts of the American Textile Partnership (AMTEX{sup TM}) Demand Activated Manufacturing Architecture (DAMA) Project to identify opportunities for cost effective enhanced information technology use by small to medium sized apparel manufacturers and contractors. Background on the AMTEX/DAMA project and objectives for the specific DAMA Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) effort are discussed in this section. The approach used to gather information about current opportunities or needs is outlined in Section 2 Approach, and relevant findings are identified and a brief analysis of the information gathered is presented in Section 3 Findings. Recommendations based on the analysis,more » are offered in Section 4 Recommendations, and plans are suggested for DAMA follow-on in Section 5 Future Plans. Trip reports for each of the companies visited are contained in Appendix E - Company Trip Reports. These individual reports contain the data upon which the analysis presented in Section 3 Findings is based.« less

  9. Engineered materials characterization report, volume 3 - corrosion data and modeling update for viability assessments

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

    McCright, R D

    1998-06-30

    This Engineered Materials Characterization Report (EMCR), Volume 3, discusses in considerable detail the work of the past 18 months on testing the candidate materials proposed for the waste-package (WP) container and on modeling the performance of those materials in the Yucca Mountain (YM) repository setting This report was prepared as an update of information and serves as one of the supporting documents to the Viability Assessment (VA) of the Yucca Mountain Project. Previous versions of the EMCR have provided a history and background of container-materials selection and evaluation (Volume I), a compilation of physical and mechanical properties for the WPmore » design effort (Volume 2), and corrosion-test data and performance-modeling activities (Volume 3). Because the information in Volumes 1 and 2 is still largely current, those volumes are not being revised. As new information becomes available in the testing and modeling efforts, Volume 3 is periodically updated to include that information.« less

  10. A literature review on work transitioning of youth with disabilities into competitive employment

    PubMed Central

    2017-01-01

    Background The marginalisation of youth with disabilities from employment opportunities is evident from literature in as far as they form part of the larger groups ‘people with disabilities’ and ‘youth’. A focused view of programmes that assist youth with disabilities into employment has not been presented, despite the worldwide crisis of youth unemployment. Aim This review aimed to identify evidence on work transition programmes that are effective in assisting people with disabilities into open labour market (competitive) employment, as well as to highlight gaps in knowledge to inform future research on this topic. Methods Literature and policy on programmes that support such transitions were considered, firstly from a global perspective and then with a view from developing countries. The SALSA (Search, Appraisal, Synthesis and Analysis) framework was used to source and analyse information from a diverse set of documents. Various online databases were searched for research papers published between 1990 and 2016, and websites were searched for reports pertaining to this topic. Results Ninety-nine documents were selected to inform the review, out of an identified 259 scientific journal articles, policy documents, acts, organisational reports and book chapters. Conclusion A synthesis of findings was presented in a narrative that reflects the themes of youth with disabilities and employment in the world, work transition endeavours in the developing world and a specific focus on this group in South Africa. The review revealed a gap in knowledge and evidence pertaining to youth with disabilities and employment, highlighting these as research foci, and emphasising the need for youth-focused research that generates knowledge about disability and transitions into the labour force. PMID:28936411

  11. Developing a Minimum Data Set of the Information Management System for Orthopedic Injuries in Iran

    PubMed Central

    Ahmadi, Maryam; Mohammadi, Ali; Chraghbaigi, Ramin; Fathi, Taimur; Shojaee Baghini, Mahdieh

    2014-01-01

    Background: Orthopedic injuries are the most common types of injuries. To identify the main causes of injuries, collecting data in a standard manner at the national level are needed, which justifies necessity of making a minimum data set (MDS). Objectives: The aim of this study was to develop an MDS of the information management system for orthopedic injuries in Iran. Materials and Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was performed in 2013. Data were collected from hospitals affiliated with Tehran University of Medical Sciences that had orthopedic department, medical documents centers, legal medicine centers, emergency centers, internet access, and library. Investigated documents were orthopedic injury records in 2012, documents that retrieved from the internet, and printed materials. Records with Random sampling by S22-S99 categories from ICD-10 were selected and the related internet-sourced data were evaluated entirely. Data were collected using a checklist. In order to make a consensus about the data elements, the decision Delphi technique was applied by a questionnaire. The content validity and reliability of the questionnaire were assessed by expert’s opinions and test-retest method, respectively. Results: An MDS of orthopedic injuries were assigned to two categories: administrative category with six classes including 142 data elements, and clinical category with 17 classes including 250 data elements. Conclusions: This study showed that some of the essential data elements included in other country’s MDS or required for organizations and healthcare providers were not included. Therefore, a complete list of an MDS elements was created. Existence of comprehensive data concerning the causes and mechanisms of injuries informs public health policy-makers about injuries occurrence and enables them to take rationale measures to deal with these problems. PMID:25237576

  12. Analysis of PubMed User Sessions Using a Full-Day PubMed Query Log: A Comparison of Experienced and Nonexperienced PubMed Users

    PubMed Central

    2015-01-01

    Background PubMed is the largest biomedical bibliographic information source on the Internet. PubMed has been considered one of the most important and reliable sources of up-to-date health care evidence. Previous studies examined the effects of domain expertise/knowledge on search performance using PubMed. However, very little is known about PubMed users’ knowledge of information retrieval (IR) functions and their usage in query formulation. Objective The purpose of this study was to shed light on how experienced/nonexperienced PubMed users perform their search queries by analyzing a full-day query log. Our hypotheses were that (1) experienced PubMed users who use system functions quickly retrieve relevant documents and (2) nonexperienced PubMed users who do not use them have longer search sessions than experienced users. Methods To test these hypotheses, we analyzed PubMed query log data containing nearly 3 million queries. User sessions were divided into two categories: experienced and nonexperienced. We compared experienced and nonexperienced users per number of sessions, and experienced and nonexperienced user sessions per session length, with a focus on how fast they completed their sessions. Results To test our hypotheses, we measured how successful information retrieval was (at retrieving relevant documents), represented as the decrease rates of experienced and nonexperienced users from a session length of 1 to 2, 3, 4, and 5. The decrease rate (from a session length of 1 to 2) of the experienced users was significantly larger than that of the nonexperienced groups. Conclusions Experienced PubMed users retrieve relevant documents more quickly than nonexperienced PubMed users in terms of session length. PMID:26139516

  13. Technical Assistance and Training from the Document Design Project. Final Report.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    American Institutes for Research, Washington, DC.

    Contained in this report is a description of the technical assistance and training phase of the Document Design Project, a program funded by the National Institute of Education and intended to address and correct the readability problems posed by public documents. The first section of the report provides background material on the assistance and…

  14. Writer identification on historical Glagolitic documents

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fiel, Stefan; Hollaus, Fabian; Gau, Melanie; Sablatnig, Robert

    2013-12-01

    This work aims at automatically identifying scribes of historical Slavonic manuscripts. The quality of the ancient documents is partially degraded by faded-out ink or varying background. The writer identification method used is based on image features, which are described with Scale Invariant Feature Transform (SIFT) features. A visual vocabulary is used for the description of handwriting characteristics, whereby the features are clustered using a Gaussian Mixture Model and employing the Fisher kernel. The writer identification approach is originally designed for grayscale images of modern handwritings. But contrary to modern documents, the historical manuscripts are partially corrupted by background clutter and water stains. As a result, SIFT features are also found on the background. Since the method shows also good results on binarized images of modern handwritings, the approach was additionally applied on binarized images of the ancient writings. Experiments show that this preprocessing step leads to a significant performance increase: The identification rate on binarized images is 98.9%, compared to an identification rate of 87.6% gained on grayscale images.

  15. Variation in adverse drug reactions listed in product information for antidepressants and anticonvulsants, between the USA and Europe: a comparison review of paired regulatory documents

    PubMed Central

    Cornelius, Victoria R; Liu, Kun; Peacock, Janet; Sauzet, Odile

    2016-01-01

    Objective To compare consistency of adverse drug reaction (ADR) data in publicly available product information documents for brand drugs, between the USA and Europe. To assess the usefulness of information for prescribers and patients. Design A comparison review of product information documents for antidepressants and anticonvulsants concurrently marketed by the same pharmaceutical company in the USA and Europe. Setting For each drug, data were extracted from the US Product Inserts and the European Summary of Product Characteristics documents between 09/2013 and 01/2015. Participants Individuals contributing ADR information to product information documents. Main outcomes measures All ADRs reported in product information sections 5 and 6 (USA), and 4·4 and 4·8 (Europe). Results Twelve brand drugs—24 paired documents—were included. On average, there were 77 more ADRs reported in the USA compared with in the European product information document, with a median number of 201 ADRs (range: 65–425) and 114 (range: 56–265), respectively. More product information documents in the USA reported information on the source of evidence (10 vs 5) and risk (9 vs 5) for greater than 80% of ADRs included in the document. There was negligible information included regarding duration, severity, reversibility or recurrence of ADRs. On average, only 29% of ADR terms were reported in both paired documents. Conclusions Product information documents contained a large number of ADRs, but lacked contextual data and information important to patients and prescribers, such as duration, severity and reversibility. The ADR profile was found to be inconsistently reported between the USA and Europe, for the same drug. Identifying, selecting, summarising and presenting multidimensional harm data should be underpinned by practical evidence-based guidelines. In order for prescribers to provide considered risk-benefit advice across competing drug therapies to patients, they need access to comprehensible and reliable ADR information. PMID:26996819

  16. Advancing palliative care in the Uganda health system: an evidence-based policy brief.

    PubMed

    Nabudere, Harriet; Obuku, Ekwaro; Lamorde, Mohammed

    2014-12-01

    This paper describes the development and findings for a policy brief on "Advancing the Integration of Palliative Care into the National Health System" and the subsequent use of this report. Key stakeholders involved with palliative care helped identify the problem and potential policy solutions to scale up these services within the health system. A working group of national stakeholder representatives and external reviewers commented on and contributed to successive drafts of the report. Research describing the problem, policy options and implementation considerations was identified by reviewing government documents, routinely collected data, electronic literature searches, contact with key informants, and reviewing the reference lists of relevant documents that were retrieved. The palliative burden is not only high but increasing due to the rise in population and life expectancy. A few options for holistic, supportive care include: Home-based care increases chances of a peaceful death for the terminally ill surrounded by their loved ones; supporting informal caregivers improves their quality of life and discharge planning reduces unscheduled admissions and has the potential to free up capacity for acute care services. A combination of strategies is needed to effectively implement the proposed options as discussed further in this article. The policy brief report was used as a background document for two stakeholder dialogues whose main outcome was that a comprehensive national palliative care policy should be instituted to include all the options, which need to be integrated within the public health system. A draft policy is now in process.

  17. Cohorts and community: a case study of community engagement in the establishment of a health and demographic surveillance site in Malaysia

    PubMed Central

    Allotey, Pascale; Reidpath, Daniel D.; Devarajan, Nirmala; Rajagobal, Kanason; Yasin, Shajahan; Arunachalam, Dharmalingam; Imelda, Johanna Debora; Soyiri, Ireneous; Davey, Tamzyn; Jahan, Nowrozy

    2014-01-01

    Background Community engagement is an increasingly important requirement of public health research and plays an important role in the informed consent and recruitment process. However, there is very little guidance about how it should be done, the indicators for assessing effectiveness of the community engagement process and the impact it has on recruitment, retention, and ultimately on the quality of the data collected as part of longitudinal cohort studies. Methods An instrumental case study approach, with data from field notes, policy documents, unstructured interviews, and focus group discussions with key community stakeholders and informants, was used to explore systematically the implementation and outcomes of the community engagement strategy for recruitment of an entire community into a demographic and health surveillance site in Malaysia. Results For a dynamic cohort, community engagement needs to be an ongoing process. The community engagement process has likely helped to facilitate the current response rate of 85% in the research communities. The case study highlights the importance of systematic documentation of the community engagement process to ensure an understanding of the effects of the research on recruitment and the community. Conclusions A critical lesson from the case study data is the importance of relationships in the recruitment process for large population-based studies, and the need for ongoing documentation and analysis of the impact of cumulative interactions between research and community engagement. PMID:24804983

  18. The changes in caregivers' perceptions about the quality of information and benefits of nursing documentation associated with the introduction of an electronic documentation system in a nursing home.

    PubMed

    Munyisia, Esther N; Yu, Ping; Hailey, David

    2011-02-01

    To date few studies have compared nursing home caregivers' perceptions about the quality of information and benefits of nursing documentation in paper and electronic formats. With the increased interest in the use of information technology in nursing homes, it is important to obtain information on the benefits of newer approaches to nursing documentation so as to inform investment, organisational and care service decisions in the aged care sector. This study aims to investigate caregivers' perceptions about the quality of information and benefits of nursing documentation before and after the introduction of an electronic documentation system in a nursing home. A self-administered questionnaire survey was conducted three months before, and then six, 18 and 31 months after the introduction of an electronic documentation system. Further evidence was obtained through informal discussions with caregivers. Scores for questionnaire responses showed that the benefits of the electronic documentation system were perceived by the caregivers as provision of more accurate, legible and complete information, and reduction of repetition in data entry, with consequential managerial benefits. However, caregivers' perceptions of relevance and reliability of information, and of their communication and decision-making abilities were perceived to be similar either using an electronic or a paper-based documentation system. Improvement in some perceptions about the quality of information and benefits of nursing documentation was evident in the measurement conducted six months after the introduction of the electronic system, but were not maintained 18 or 31 months later. The electronic documentation system was perceived to perform better than the paper-based system in some aspects, with subsequent benefits to management of aged care services. In other areas, perceptions of additional benefits from the electronic documentation system were not maintained. In a number of attributes, there were similar perceptions on the two types of systems. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. Informacion Bibliografica Educativa, N. 1 (Educational Bibliographic Information, N. 1).

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ministerio de Educacion Nacional, Bogota (Colombia). Instituto Colombiano de Pedagogia.

    This document discusses some considerations in the development of a system for educational documentation and information in Colombia. There is a need for a national policy of educational documentation to insure cooperation among various institutions involved in the task. The three main objectives are documentation and information for teacher…

  20. Information Types in Nonmimetic Documents: A Review of Biddle's Wipe-Clean Slate (Understanding Documents).

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mosenthal, Peter B.; Kirsch, Irwin S.

    1991-01-01

    Describes how the 16 permanent lists used by a first grade reading teacher (and mother of 6) to manage the household represents the whole range of documents covered in the 3 major types of documents: matrix documents, graphic documents, and locative documents. Suggests class activities to clarify students' understanding of the information in…

  1. Incense and ritual plant use in Southwest China: A case study among the Bai in Shaxi

    PubMed Central

    2011-01-01

    Background Ritual and religious uses of plant-derived smoke are widespread throughout the world. Our research focuses on Southwest China, where the use of incense is very common. This study aims to document and analyze contemporary ritual plant uses by the Bai people of Shaxi Township (Jianchuan County, Dali Prefecture, Yunnan Province), including their related ethnobotanical knowledge, practices, and beliefs. Methods The present study builds on previous ethnobotanical research in Shaxi, which started in 2005. Interviews focusing on ritual plant use and associated beliefs were carried out with a total of 44 Bai informants in September 2009 and May and June 2010. The results are supplemented with information on the local religion collected from June to December 2010. All documented species were vouchered, and are deposited at the herbaria of Kunming Institute of Botany (KUN) and the University of Zurich (Z/ZT). Results A total of 17 species have been documented for use in incense. They are always used in mixtures and are either burned in the form of powders in a censer or as joss sticks. The smell of the smoke is the main criterion for the selection of the incense plants. Incense is burned for communication with spiritual entities at graves, temples, and cooking stoves, as well as for personal well-being. Cupressus funebris Endl., Gaultheria fragrantissima Wall., and Ligustrum sempervirens (Franch.) Lingelsh. are the most important incense species. Others serve as substitutes or are used to stretch incense powders. Conclusions In Shaxi the use of incense mixtures at the household and community level is regularly practiced for communication with ancestors, ghosts, and deities and in some cases to strengthen self-awareness. Some of the documented species are widely used in central Asia and Europe, hinting at the well documented knowledge exchange that occurred in Shaxi, which was a major hub along the influential Southern Silk Road. PMID:22165897

  2. Variation in adverse drug reactions listed in product information for antidepressants and anticonvulsants, between the USA and Europe: a comparison review of paired regulatory documents.

    PubMed

    Cornelius, Victoria R; Liu, Kun; Peacock, Janet; Sauzet, Odile

    2016-03-20

    To compare consistency of adverse drug reaction (ADR) data in publicly available product information documents for brand drugs, between the USA and Europe. To assess the usefulness of information for prescribers and patients. A comparison review of product information documents for antidepressants and anticonvulsants concurrently marketed by the same pharmaceutical company in the USA and Europe. For each drug, data were extracted from the US Product Inserts and the European Summary of Product Characteristics documents between 09/2013 and 01/2015. Individuals contributing ADR information to product information documents. All ADRs reported in product information sections 5 and 6 (USA), and 4·4 and 4·8 (Europe). Twelve brand drugs--24 paired documents--were included. On average, there were 77 more ADRs reported in the USA compared with in the European product information document, with a median number of 201 ADRs (range: 65-425) and 114 (range: 56-265), respectively. More product information documents in the USA reported information on the source of evidence (10 vs 5) and risk (9 vs 5) for greater than 80% of ADRs included in the document. There was negligible information included regarding duration, severity, reversibility or recurrence of ADRs. On average, only 29% of ADR terms were reported in both paired documents. Product information documents contained a large number of ADRs, but lacked contextual data and information important to patients and prescribers, such as duration, severity and reversibility. The ADR profile was found to be inconsistently reported between the USA and Europe, for the same drug. Identifying, selecting, summarising and presenting multidimensional harm data should be underpinned by practical evidence-based guidelines. In order for prescribers to provide considered risk-benefit advice across competing drug therapies to patients, they need access to comprehensible and reliable ADR information. 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/

  3. Implementing the EuroFIR Document and Data Repositories as accessible resources of food composition information.

    PubMed

    Unwin, Ian; Jansen-van der Vliet, Martine; Westenbrink, Susanne; Presser, Karl; Infanger, Esther; Porubska, Janka; Roe, Mark; Finglas, Paul

    2016-02-15

    The EuroFIR Document and Data Repositories are being developed as accessible collections of source documents, including grey literature, and the food composition data reported in them. These Repositories will contain source information available to food composition database compilers when selecting their nutritional data. The Document Repository was implemented as searchable bibliographic records in the Europe PubMed Central database, which links to the documents online. The Data Repository will contain original data from source documents in the Document Repository. Testing confirmed the FoodCASE food database management system as a suitable tool for the input, documentation and quality assessment of Data Repository information. Data management requirements for the input and documentation of reported analytical results were established, including record identification and method documentation specifications. Document access and data preparation using the Repositories will provide information resources for compilers, eliminating duplicated work and supporting unambiguous referencing of data contributing to their compiled data. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. U. S. EPA’S NA APPROACH FOR PETROLEUM HYDROCARBONS

    EPA Science Inventory

    Most evaluations of NA of petroleum hydrocarbons use geochemical data to document the NA through biodegradation. The expected trends during biodegradation (plume interior vs. background concentrations) are Dissolved oxygen concentrations below background, Nitrate concentrations ...

  5. The Offshore Environmental Studies Program (1973-1989)

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

    Hurwitz, N.; Lang, W.; Norman, H.

    1990-12-01

    This report provides an overview of the first 15 years of the Environmental Studies Program (ESP), conducted initially by the Bureau of Land Management and now as part of the Minerals Management Service. From 1973 to 1988, the ESP spent nearly $500 million on studies directed to better understand the US Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) and coastal environment and to use this information to document or predict effects of offshore oil and gas activities. This report organizes the hundreds of completed studies and thousands of resulting documents into 15 study topic chapters. Each chapter cites selected studies and provides amore » general discussion of program objectives and results. Where appropriate, each topic is discussed by OCS Region (Alaska, Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico, and Pacific). The goal of this report is to provide readers with a general account of the ESP's technical accomplishments and sources of detailed information. An introductory chapter provides background on the history of the ESP, the OCS leasing process, and the planning processes and ongoing objectives of the ESP. Technical chapters explain: geology and hazards; physical oceanography and pollution transport; remote sensing; air quality; water quality; coastal impacts; ecological monitoring; fish and fisheries resources; coastal and marine birds; protected species; archaeological resources; sociology and community planning; economics; visual and recreational resources; and information synthesis, management, and dissemination. Each chapter has been processed separately for inclusion on the data base.« less

  6. NEUROTOXICITY OF TETRACHLOROETHYLENE (PERCHLOROETHYLENE): DISCUSSION PAPER

    EPA Science Inventory

    This paper is a background document for a meeting of neurotoxicity experts to discuss the central nervous system effects of exposure to perchloroethylene (perc). The document reviews the literature on neurological testing of people exposed to perc occupationally in dry cleanin...

  7. 36 CFR 1238.14 - What are the microfilming requirements for permanent and unscheduled records?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... accordance with ISO 18901 (incorporated by reference, see § 1238.5) and use the processing procedures in ANSI... § 1238.5). (2) Background density of images. Agencies must use the background ISO standard visual diffuse... transmission density. (i) Recommended visual diffuse transmission background densities for images of documents...

  8. 36 CFR 1238.14 - What are the microfilming requirements for permanent and unscheduled records?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... accordance with ISO 18901 (incorporated by reference, see § 1238.5) and use the processing procedures in ANSI... § 1238.5). (2) Background density of images. Agencies must use the background ISO standard visual diffuse... transmission density. (i) Recommended visual diffuse transmission background densities for images of documents...

  9. 36 CFR 1238.14 - What are the microfilming requirements for permanent and unscheduled records?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... accordance with ISO 18901 (incorporated by reference, see § 1238.5) and use the processing procedures in ANSI... § 1238.5). (2) Background density of images. Agencies must use the background ISO standard visual diffuse... transmission density. (i) Recommended visual diffuse transmission background densities for images of documents...

  10. 28 CFR 513.65 - Review of documents for Freedom of Information Act requests.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 28 Judicial Administration 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Review of documents for Freedom of... JUSTICE GENERAL MANAGEMENT AND ADMINISTRATION ACCESS TO RECORDS Release of Information Freedom of Information Act Requests for Information § 513.65 Review of documents for Freedom of Information Act requests...

  11. Information on new drugs at market entry: retrospective analysis of health technology assessment reports versus regulatory reports, journal publications, and registry reports

    PubMed Central

    Köhler, Michael; Haag, Susanne; Biester, Katharina; Brockhaus, Anne Catharina; McGauran, Natalie; Grouven, Ulrich; Kölsch, Heike; Seay, Ulrike; Hörn, Helmut; Moritz, Gregor; Staeck, Kerstin

    2015-01-01

    Background When a new drug becomes available, patients and doctors require information on its benefits and harms. In 2011, Germany introduced the early benefit assessment of new drugs through the act on the reform of the market for medicinal products (AMNOG). At market entry, the pharmaceutical company responsible must submit a standardised dossier containing all available evidence of the drug’s added benefit over an appropriate comparator treatment. The added benefit is mainly determined using patient relevant outcomes. The “dossier assessment” is generally performed by the Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG) and then published online. It contains all relevant study information, including data from unpublished clinical study reports contained in the dossiers. The dossier assessment refers to the patient population for which the new drug is approved according to the summary of product characteristics. This patient population may comprise either the total populations investigated in the studies submitted to regulatory authorities in the drug approval process, or the specific subpopulations defined in the summary of product characteristics (“approved subpopulations”). Objective To determine the information gain from AMNOG documents compared with non-AMNOG documents for methods and results of studies available at market entry of new drugs. AMNOG documents comprise dossier assessments done by IQWiG and publicly available modules of company dossiers; non-AMNOG documents comprise conventional, publicly available sources—that is, European public assessment reports, journal publications, and registry reports. The analysis focused on the approved patient populations. Design Retrospective analysis. Data sources All dossier assessments conducted by IQWiG between 1 January 2011 and 28 February 2013 in which the dossiers contained suitable studies allowing for a full early benefit assessment. We also considered all European public assessment reports, journal publications, and registry reports referring to these studies and included in the dossiers. Data analysis We assessed reporting quality for each study and each available document for eight methods and 11 results items (three baseline characteristics and eight patient relevant outcomes), and dichotomised them as “completely reported” or “incompletely reported (including items not reported at all).” For each document type we calculated the proportion of items with complete reporting for methods and results, for each item and overall, and compared the findings. Results 15 out of 27 dossiers were eligible for inclusion and contained 22 studies. The 15 dossier assessments contained 28 individual assessments of 15 total study populations and 13 approved subpopulations. European public assessment reports were available for all drugs. Journal publications were available for 14 out of 15 drugs and 21 out of 22 studies. A registry report in ClinicalTrials.gov was available for all drugs and studies; however, only 11 contained results. In the analysis of total study populations, the AMNOG documents reached the highest grade of completeness, with about 90% of methods and results items completely reported. In non-AMNOG documents, the rate was 75% for methods and 52% for results items; journal publications achieved the best rates, followed by European public assessment reports and registry reports. The analysis of approved subpopulations showed poorer complete reporting of results items, particularly in non-AMNOG documents (non-AMNOG versus AMNOG: 11% v 71% for overall results items and 5% v 70% for patient relevant outcomes). The main limitation of our analysis is the small sample size. Conclusion Conventional, publicly available sources provide insufficient information on new drugs, especially on patient relevant outcomes in approved subpopulations. This type of information is largely available in AMNOG documents, albeit only partly in English. The AMNOG approach could be used internationally to develop a comprehensive publication model for clinical studies and thus represents a key open access measure. PMID:25722024

  12. Failures in communication through documents and documentation across the perioperative pathway.

    PubMed

    Braaf, Sandra; Riley, Robin; Manias, Elizabeth

    2015-07-01

    To explore how communication failures occur in documents and documentations across the perioperative pathway in nurses' interactions with other nurses, surgeons and anaesthetists. Documents and documentation are used to communicate vital patient and procedural information among nurses, and in nurses' interactions with surgeons and anaesthetists, across the perioperative pathway. Previous research indicates that communication failure regularly occurs in the perioperative setting. A qualitative study was undertaken. The study was conducted over three hospitals in Melbourne, Australia. One hundred and twenty-five healthcare professionals from the disciplines of surgery, anaesthesia and nursing participated in the study. Data collection commenced in January 2010 and concluded in October 2010. Data were generated through 350 hours of observation, two focus groups and 20 semi-structured interviews. A detailed thematic analysis was undertaken. Communication failure occurred owing to a reliance on documents and documentation to transfer information at patient transition points, poor quality documents and documentation, and problematic access to information. Institutional ruling practices of professional practice, efficiency and productivity, and fiscal constraint dominated the coordination of nurses', surgeons' and anaesthetists' communication through documents and documentation. These governing practices configured communication to be incongruous with reliably meeting safety and quality objectives. Communication failure occurred because important information was sometimes buried in documents, insufficient, inaccurate, out-of-date or not verbally reinforced. Furthermore, busy nurses were not always able to access information they required in a timely manner. Patient safety was affected, which led to delays in treatment and at times inadequate care. Organisational support needs to be provided to nurses, surgeons and anaesthetists so they have sufficient time to complete, locate, and read documents and documentation. Infrastructure supporting communication technologies should be implemented to enable the rapid retrieval, entry, and dispersion of information. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  13. Final safety analysis report for the Galileo Mission: Volume 1, Reference design document

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

    Not Available

    The Galileo mission uses nuclear power sources called Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generators (RTGs) to provide the spacecraft's primary electrical power. Because these generators contain nuclear material, a Safety Analysis Report (SAR) is required. A preliminary SAR and an updated SAR were previously issued that provided an evolving status report on the safety analysis. As a result of the Challenger accident, the launch dates for both Galileo and Ulysses missions were later rescheduled for November 1989 and October 1990, respectively. The decision was made by agreement between the DOE and the NASA to have a revised safety evaluation and report (FSAR) preparedmore » on the basis of these revised vehicle accidents and environments. The results of this latest revised safety evaluation are presented in this document (Galileo FSAR). Volume I, this document, provides the background design information required to understand the analyses presented in Volumes II and III. It contains descriptions of the RTGs, the Galileo spacecraft, the Space Shuttle, the Inertial Upper Stage (IUS), the trajectory and flight characteristics including flight contingency modes, and the launch site. There are two appendices in Volume I which provide detailed material properties for the RTG.« less

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

    Klise, Katherine A.; Murray, Regan; Bynum, Michael

    Water utilities are vulnerable to a wide variety of human-caused and natural disasters. These disruptive events can result in loss of water service, contaminated water, pipe breaks, and failed equipment. Furthermore, long term changes in water supply and customer demand can have a large impact on the operating conditions of the network. The ability to maintain drinking water service during and following these types of events is critical. Simulation and analysis tools can help water utilities explore how their network will respond to disruptive events and plan effective mitigation strategies. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Sandia National Laboratories aremore » developing new software tools to meet this need. The Water Network Tool for Resilience (WNTR, pronounced winter) is a Python package designed to help water utilities investigate resilience of water distribution systems over a wide range of hazardous scenarios and to evaluate resilience-enhancing actions. The following documentation includes installation instructions and examples, description of software features, and software license. It is assumed that the reader is familiar with the Python Programming Language. References are included for additional background on software components. Online documentation, hosted at http://wntr.readthedocsio/, will be updated as new features are added. The online version includes API documentation and information for developers.« less

  15. Traveler information services in rural tourism areas : appendix A, tourist intercept surveys

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2000-06-30

    This document presents documentation regarding tourist intercept surveys for traveler information services in rural areas. It documents data collection functions and information dissemination functions, and provides an interpretive description of tra...

  16. 78 FR 63470 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Information Collection; Submission for OMB Review

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-10-24

    ... information collection titled, ``Annual Stress Test Reporting Template and Documentation for Covered Banks.... Email: [email protected] . Include ``Annual Stress Test Reporting Template and Documentation'' on the... information collection: Annual Stress Test Reporting Template and Documentation for Covered Banks With Total...

  17. GIS INTERNET MAP SERVICE FOR DISPLAYING SELENIUM CONTAMINATION DATA IN THE SOUTHEASTERN IDAHO PHOSPHATE MINING RESOURCE AREA

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

    Roger Mayes; Sera White; Randy Lee

    2005-04-01

    Selenium is present in waste rock/overburden that is removed during phosphate mining in southeastern Idaho. Waste rock piles or rock used during reclamation can be a source of selenium (and other metals) to streams and vegetation. Some instances (in 1996) of selenium toxicity in grazing sheep and horses caused public health and environmental concerns, leading to Idaho Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) involvement. The Selenium Information System Project is a collaboration among the DEQ, the United States Forest Service (USFS), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), the Idaho Mining Association (IMA), Idaho State University (ISU), and the Idaho National Laboratorymore » (INL)2. The Selenium Information System is a centralized data repository for southeastern Idaho selenium data. The data repository combines information that was previously in numerous agency, mining company, and consultants’ databases and web sites. These data include selenium concentrations in soil, water, sediment, vegetation and other environmental media, as well as comprehensive mine information. The Idaho DEQ spearheaded a selenium area-wide investigation through voluntary agreements with the mining companies and interagency participants. The Selenium Information System contains the results of that area-wide investigation, and many other background documents. As studies are conducted and remedial action decisions are made the resulting data and documentation will be stored within the information system. Potential users of the information system are agency officials, students, lawmakers, mining company personnel, teachers, researchers, and the general public. The system, available from a central website, consists of a database that contains the area-wide sampling information and an ESRI ArcIMS map server. The user can easily acquire information pertaining to the area-wide study as well as the final area-wide report. Future work on this project includes creating custom tools to increase the simplicity of the website and increasing the amount of information available from site-specific studies at 15 mines.« less

  18. 78 FR 41412 - Notice of Availability of Policy Document

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-07-10

    ... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Health Resources and Services Administration Notice of Availability of Policy Document AGENCY: Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), HHS. ACTION: Final.../policiesregulations/policies/pin201301.html . Background: HHS' Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA...

  19. The need for precise and well-documented experimental data on prompt fission neutron spectra from neutron-induced fission of 239Pu

    DOE PAGES

    Neudecker, Denise; Taddeucci, Terry Nicholas; Haight, Robert Cameron; ...

    2016-01-06

    The spectrum of neutrons emitted promptly after 239Pu(n,f)—a so-called prompt fission neutron spectrum (PFNS)—is a quantity of high interest, for instance, for reactor physics and global security. However, there are only few experimental data sets available that are suitable for evaluations. In addition, some of those data sets differ by more than their 1-σ uncertainty boundaries. We present the results of MCNP studies indicating that these differences are partly caused by underestimated multiple scattering contributions, over-corrected background, and inconsistent deconvolution methods. A detailed uncertainty quantification for suitable experimental data was undertaken including these effects, and test-evaluations were performed with themore » improved uncertainty information. The test-evaluations illustrate that the inadequately estimated effects and detailed uncertainty quantification have an impact on the evaluated PFNS and associated uncertainties as well as the neutron multiplicity of selected critical assemblies. A summary of data and documentation needs to improve the quality of the experimental database is provided based on the results of simulations and test-evaluations. Furthermore, given the possibly substantial distortion of the PFNS by multiple scattering and background effects, special care should be taken to reduce these effects in future measurements, e.g., by measuring the 239Pu PFNS as a ratio to either the 235U or 252Cf PFNS.« less

  20. Executive overview and introduction to the SMAP information system life-cycle and documentation standards

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1989-01-01

    An overview of the five volume set of Information System Life-Cycle and Documentation Standards is provided with information on its use. The overview covers description, objectives, key definitions, structure and application of the standards, and document structure decisions. These standards were created to provide consistent NASA-wide structures for coordinating, controlling, and documenting the engineering of an information system (hardware, software, and operational procedures components) phase by phase.

  1. STAGS Example Problems Manual

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Knight, Norman F., Jr.; Rankin, Charles C.

    2006-01-01

    This document summarizes the STructural Analysis of General Shells (STAGS) development effort, STAGS performance for selected demonstration problems, and STAGS application problems illustrating selected advanced features available in the STAGS Version 5.0. Each problem is discussed including selected background information and reference solutions when available. The modeling and solution approach for each problem is described and illustrated. Numerical results are presented and compared with reference solutions, test data, and/or results obtained from mesh refinement studies. These solutions provide an indication of the overall capabilities of the STAGS nonlinear finite element analysis tool and provide users with representative cases, including input files, to explore these capabilities that may then be tailored to other applications.

  2. Summary of hydrologic data collected during 1974 in Dade County, Florida

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Hull, J.E.

    1975-01-01

    This report is ninth in a series documenting the annual hydrologic conditions in Dade County, Florida. The hydrologic conditions in Dade County for the 1974 water year (October 1, 1973 to September 30, 1974) except for rainfall are summarized in tables, graphs, and maps. The locations of ground-water data-collection stations are shown in figure 1, rainfall and surface-water stations in figure 2, and water quality sampling stations in figure 43. As shown, the network of stations is extensive. The long-term records (1940 to 1974) furnish background information vital in the analysis of effects of water-management practices.

  3. 78 FR 79708 - Notice of Receipt of Complaint; Solicitation of Comments Relating to the Public Interest

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-12-31

    ... accessed on the Commission's Electronic Document Information System (EDIS) at EDIS,\\1\\ and will be...-2000. \\1\\ Electronic Document Information System (EDIS): http://edis.usitc.gov . General information... the Commission's Electronic Document Information System (EDIS) at EDIS.\\3\\ Hearing-impaired persons...

  4. Use of Tablet Computers to Promote Physical Therapy Students' Engagement in Knowledge Translation During Clinical Experiences

    PubMed Central

    Loeb, Kathryn; Barbosa, Sabrina; Jiang, Fei; Lee, Karin T.

    2016-01-01

    Background and Purpose: Physical therapists strive to integrate research into daily practice. The tablet computer is a potentially transformational tool for accessing information within the clinical practice environment. The purpose of this study was to measure and describe patterns of tablet computer use among physical therapy students during clinical rotation experiences. Methods: Doctor of physical therapy students (n = 13 users) tracked their use of tablet computers (iPad), loaded with commercially available apps, during 16 clinical experiences (6-16 weeks in duration). Results: The tablets were used on 70% of 691 clinic days, averaging 1.3 uses per day. Information seeking represented 48% of uses; 33% of those were foreground searches for research articles and syntheses and 66% were for background medical information. Other common uses included patient education (19%), medical record documentation (13%), and professional communication (9%). The most frequently used app was Safari, the preloaded web browser (representing 281 [36.5%] incidents of use). Users accessed 56 total apps to support clinical practice. Discussion and Conclusions: Physical therapy students successfully integrated use of a tablet computer into their clinical experiences including regular activities of information seeking. Our findings suggest that the tablet computer represents a potentially transformational tool for promoting knowledge translation in the clinical practice environment. Video Abstract available for more insights from the authors (see Supplemental Digital Content 1, http://links.lww.com/JNPT/A127). PMID:26945431

  5. An overview of selected information storage and retrieval issues in computerized document processing

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Dominick, Wayne D. (Editor); Ihebuzor, Valentine U.

    1984-01-01

    The rapid development of computerized information storage and retrieval techniques has introduced the possibility of extending the word processing concept to document processing. A major advantage of computerized document processing is the relief of the tedious task of manual editing and composition usually encountered by traditional publishers through the immense speed and storage capacity of computers. Furthermore, computerized document processing provides an author with centralized control, the lack of which is a handicap of the traditional publishing operation. A survey of some computerized document processing techniques is presented with emphasis on related information storage and retrieval issues. String matching algorithms are considered central to document information storage and retrieval and are also discussed.

  6. Effects of increased nurses' workload on quality documentation of patient information at selected Primary Health Care facilities in Vhembe District, Limpopo Province.

    PubMed

    Shihundla, Rhulani C; Lebese, Rachel T; Maputle, Maria S

    2016-05-13

    Recording of information on multiple documents increases professional nurses' responsibilities and workload during working hours. There are multiple registers and books at Primary Health Care (PHC) facilities in which a patient's information is to be recorded for different services during a visit to a health professional. Antenatal patients coming for the first visit must be recorded in the following documents: tick register; Prevention of Mother-ToChild Transmission (PMTCT) register; consent form for HIV and AIDS testing; HIV Counselling and Testing (HCT) register (if tested positive for HIV and AIDS then this must be recorded in the Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) wellness register); ART file with an accompanying single file, completion of which is time-consuming; tuberculosis (TB) suspects register; blood specimen register; maternity case record book and Basic Antenatal Care (BANC) checklist. Nurses forget to record information in some documents which leads to the omission of important data. Omitting information might lead to mismanagement of patients. Some of the documents have incomplete and inaccurate information. As PHC facilities in Vhembe District render twenty four hour services through a call system, the same nurses are expected to resume duty at 07:00 the following morning. They are expected to work effectively and when tired a nurse may record illegible information which may cause problems when the document is retrieved by the next person for continuity of care. The objective of this study was to investigate and describe the effects of increased nurses' workload on quality documentation of patient information at PHC facilities in Vhembe District, Limpopo Province. The study was conducted in Vhembe District, Limpopo Province, where the effects of increased nurses' workload on quality documentation of information is currently experienced. The research design was explorative, descriptive and contextual in nature. The population consisted of all nurses who work at PHC facilities in Vhembe District. Purposive sampling was used to select nurses and three professional nurses were sampled from each PHC facility. An in-depth face-to-face interview was used to collect data using an interview guide. PHC facilities encountered several effects due to increased nurses' workload where incomplete patient information is documented. Unavailability of patient information was observed, whilst some documented information was found to be illegible, inaccurate and incomplete. Documentation of information at PHC facilities is an evidence of effective communication amongst professional nurses. There should always be active follow-up and mentoring of the nurses' documentation to ensure that information is accurately and fully documented in their respective facilities. Nurses find it difficult to cope with the increased workload associated with documenting patient information on the multiple records that are utilized at PHC facilities, leading to incomplete information. The number of nurses at facilities should be increased to reduce the increased workload.

  7. Reconciling disparate information in continuity of care documents: Piloting a system to consolidate structured clinical documents.

    PubMed

    Hosseini, Masoud; Jones, Josette; Faiola, Anthony; Vreeman, Daniel J; Wu, Huanmei; Dixon, Brian E

    2017-10-01

    Due to the nature of information generation in health care, clinical documents contain duplicate and sometimes conflicting information. Recent implementation of Health Information Exchange (HIE) mechanisms in which clinical summary documents are exchanged among disparate health care organizations can proliferate duplicate and conflicting information. To reduce information overload, a system to automatically consolidate information across multiple clinical summary documents was developed for an HIE network. The system receives any number of Continuity of Care Documents (CCDs) and outputs a single, consolidated record. To test the system, a randomly sampled corpus of 522 CCDs representing 50 unique patients was extracted from a large HIE network. The automated methods were compared to manual consolidation of information for three key sections of the CCD: problems, allergies, and medications. Manual consolidation of 11,631 entries was completed in approximately 150h. The same data were automatically consolidated in 3.3min. The system successfully consolidated 99.1% of problems, 87.0% of allergies, and 91.7% of medications. Almost all of the inaccuracies were caused by issues involving the use of standardized terminologies within the documents to represent individual information entries. This study represents a novel, tested tool for de-duplication and consolidation of CDA documents, which is a major step toward improving information access and the interoperability among information systems. While more work is necessary, automated systems like the one evaluated in this study will be necessary to meet the informatics needs of providers and health systems in the future. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  8. An interactive ontology-driven information system for simulating background radiation and generating scenarios for testing special nuclear materials detection algorithms

    DOE PAGES

    Sorokine, Alexandre; Schlicher, Bob G.; Ward, Richard C.; ...

    2015-05-22

    This paper describes an original approach to generating scenarios for the purpose of testing the algorithms used to detect special nuclear materials (SNM) that incorporates the use of ontologies. Separating the signal of SNM from the background requires sophisticated algorithms. To assist in developing such algorithms, there is a need for scenarios that capture a very wide range of variables affecting the detection process, depending on the type of detector being used. To provide such a cpability, we developed an ontology-driven information system (ODIS) for generating scenarios that can be used in creating scenarios for testing of algorithms for SNMmore » detection. The ontology-driven scenario generator (ODSG) is an ODIS based on information supplied by subject matter experts and other documentation. The details of the creation of the ontology, the development of the ontology-driven information system, and the design of the web user interface (UI) are presented along with specific examples of scenarios generated using the ODSG. We demonstrate that the paradigm behind the ODSG is capable of addressing the problem of semantic complexity at both the user and developer levels. Compared to traditional approaches, an ODIS provides benefits such as faithful representation of the users' domain conceptualization, simplified management of very large and semantically diverse datasets, and the ability to handle frequent changes to the application and the UI. Furthermore, the approach makes possible the generation of a much larger number of specific scenarios based on limited user-supplied information« less

  9. TFaNS Tone Fan Noise Design/Prediction System. Volume 1; System Description, CUP3D Technical Documentation and Manual for Code Developers

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Topol, David A.

    1999-01-01

    TFaNS is the Tone Fan Noise Design/Prediction System developed by Pratt & Whitney under contract to NASA Lewis (presently NASA Glenn). The purpose of this system is to predict tone noise emanating from a fan stage including the effects of reflection and transmission by the rotor and stator and by the duct inlet and nozzle. These effects have been added to an existing annular duct/isolated stator noise prediction capability. TFaNS consists of: The codes that compute the acoustic properties (reflection and transmission coefficients) of the various elements and write them to files. Cup3D: Fan Noise Coupling Code that reads these files, solves the coupling problem, and outputs the desired noise predictions. AWAKEN: CFD/Measured Wake Postprocessor which reformats CFD wake predictions and/or measured wake data so it can be used by the system. This volume of the report provides technical background for TFaNS including the organization of the system and CUP3D technical documentation. This document also provides information for code developers who must write Acoustic Property Files in the CUP3D format. This report is divided into three volumes: Volume I: System Description, CUP3D Technical Documentation, and Manual for Code Developers; Volume II: User's Manual, TFaNS Vers. 1.4; Volume III: Evaluation of System Codes.

  10. Informed consent document improvement does not increase patients' comprehension in biomedical research

    PubMed Central

    Paris, Adeline; Brandt, Christian; Cornu, Catherine; Maison, Patrick; Thalamas, Claire; Cracowski, Jean-Luc

    2010-01-01

    AIMS International guidelines on ethics in biomedical research require that the informed consent of all enrolled participants is obtained. A written document describing the research, the informed consent (IC) document, must be given to all participants by the investigator. Most IC documents are long, containing much information. The aim of the present study was to determine whether the modification of the IC document by a working group or systematic improvement in its lexicosyntactic readability can improve comprehension of the written information given to patients participating in biomedical research. METHODS One hundred and fifty-nine patients were randomized to read one of the three versions of the IC document: unchanged document, document modified using systematic improvement of lexicosyntactic readability and document modified by a working group. RESULTS Neither the improvement in the lexicosyntactic readability, nor the intervention of the working group significantly improved the score of objective comprehension for the subjects included in this study: it was 66.6 (95% confidence interval 64.0, 69.2) for the control group, 68.8 (66.2, 71.4) for the group with the document improved for lexicosyntactic readability and 69.2 (66.0, 72.4) for the group who read the document improved by the working group (P= 0.38). CONCLUSIONS We failed to show that improving IC document comprehension through a lexicosyntactic approach or by a working group leads to better comprehension. PMID:20233193

  11. Aging management program of the reactor building concrete at Point Lepreau Generating Station

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Aldea, C.-M.; Shenton, B.; Demerchant, M. M.; Gendron, T.

    2011-04-01

    In order for New Brunswick Power Nuclear (NBPN) to control the risks of degradation of the concrete reactor building at the Point Lepreau Generating Station (PLGS) the development of an aging management plan (AMP) was initiated. The intention of this plan was to determine the requirements for specific structural components of concrete of the reactor building that require regular inspection and maintenance to ensure the safe and reliable operation of the plant. The document is currently in draft form and presents an integrated methodology for the application of an AMP for the concrete of the reactor building. The current AMP addresses the reactor building structure and various components, such as joint sealant and liners that are integral to the structure. It does not include internal components housed within the structure. This paper provides background information regarding the document developed and the strategy developed to manage potential degradation of the concrete of the reactor building, as well as specific programs and preventive and corrective maintenance activities initiated.

  12. NOx SOx Secondary NAAQS: Integrated Review Plan ...

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    The NOx SOx Secondary NAAQS Integrated Review Plan is the first document generated as part of the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) review process. The Plan presents background information, the schedule for the review, the process to be used in conducting the review, and the key policy-relevant science issues that will guide the review. The integrated review plan also discusses the frameworks for the various assessment documents to be prepared by the EPA as part of the review, including an Integrated Science Assessment (ISA), and as warranted, a Risk/Exposure Assessment (REA), and a Policy Assessment (PA). The primary purpose of the NOx SOx Secondary NAAQS Integrated Review Plan is to highlight the key policy-relevant issues to be considered in the Review of the Oxides of Nitrogen and Oxides of Sulfur Secondary NAAQS. A draft of the integrated review plan will be the subject of an advisory review with the Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee (CASAC) and made available to the public for review and comment.

  13. Using Reliability to Meet Z540.3's 2 percent Rule

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Mimbs, Scott M.

    2011-01-01

    NASA's Kennedy Space Center (KSC) undertook implementation of ANSI/NCSL Z540.3-2006 in October 2008. Early in the implementation, KSC identified that the largest cost driver of Z540.3 implementation is measurement uncertainty analyses for legacy calibration processes. NASA, like other organizations, has a significant inventory of measuring and test equipment (MTE) that have documented calibration procedures without documented measurement uncertainties. This paper provides background information to support the rationale for using high in-tolerance reliability as evidence of compliance to the 2% probability of false acceptance (PFA) quality metric of ANSI/NCSL Z540.3-2006 allowing use of qualifying legacy processes. NASA is adopting this as policy and is recommending NCSL International consider this as a method of compliance to Z540.3. Topics covered include compliance issues, using end-of-period reliability (EOPR) to estimate test point uncertainty, reliability data influences within the PFA model, the validity of EOPR data, and an appendix covering "observed" versus "true" EOPR.

  14. Scientific and Technical Support for the Galileo Net Flux Radiometer Experiment

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Sromovsky, Lawrence A.

    1997-01-01

    This report describes work in support of the Galileo Net Flux Radiometer (NFR), an instrument mounted on the Galileo probe, a spacecraft designed for entry into and direct measurements of Jupiter's atmosphere. Tasks originally proposed for the post launch period covered by NCC 2-854 are briefly as follows: attend and support PSG (Project Science Group) and other project science meetings; support in-flight checkouts; maintain and keep safe the spare instrument and GSE (Ground Support Equipment); organize and maintain documentation; finish NFR calibration measurements, documentation, and analysis; characterize and diagnose instrument anomalies; develop descent data analysis tools; and science data analysis and publication. Because we had the capability to satisfy a project support need we also subsequently proposed and were funded to make ground-based observations of Jupiter during the period surrounding the Galileo arrival at Jupiter, using the Swedish Solar Telescope at La Palma, Canary Islands. The following section provides background information on the NFR instrument. Section 3 contains the final report of work done.

  15. Assessing semantic similarity of texts - Methods and algorithms

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rozeva, Anna; Zerkova, Silvia

    2017-12-01

    Assessing the semantic similarity of texts is an important part of different text-related applications like educational systems, information retrieval, text summarization, etc. This task is performed by sophisticated analysis, which implements text-mining techniques. Text mining involves several pre-processing steps, which provide for obtaining structured representative model of the documents in a corpus by means of extracting and selecting the features, characterizing their content. Generally the model is vector-based and enables further analysis with knowledge discovery approaches. Algorithms and measures are used for assessing texts at syntactical and semantic level. An important text-mining method and similarity measure is latent semantic analysis (LSA). It provides for reducing the dimensionality of the document vector space and better capturing the text semantics. The mathematical background of LSA for deriving the meaning of the words in a given text by exploring their co-occurrence is examined. The algorithm for obtaining the vector representation of words and their corresponding latent concepts in a reduced multidimensional space as well as similarity calculation are presented.

  16. A Nursing Intelligence System to Support Secondary Use of Nursing Routine Data

    PubMed Central

    Rauchegger, F.; Ammenwerth, E.

    2015-01-01

    Summary Background Nursing care is facing exponential growth of information from nursing documentation. This amount of electronically available data collected routinely opens up new opportunities for secondary use. Objectives To present a case study of a nursing intelligence system for reusing routinely collected nursing documentation data for multiple purposes, including quality management of nursing care. Methods The SPIRIT framework for systematically planning the reuse of clinical routine data was leveraged to design a nursing intelligence system which then was implemented using open source tools in a large university hospital group following the spiral model of software engineering. Results The nursing intelligence system is in routine use now and updated regularly, and includes over 40 million data sets. It allows the outcome and quality analysis of data related to the nursing process. Conclusions Following a systematic approach for planning and designing a solution for reusing routine care data appeared to be successful. The resulting nursing intelligence system is useful in practice now, but remains malleable for future changes. PMID:26171085

  17. Aviation System Analysis Capability Quick Response System Report

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Roberts, Eileen; Villani, James A.; Ritter, Paul

    1998-01-01

    The purpose of this document is to present the additions and modifications made to the Aviation System Analysis Capability (ASAC) Quick Response System (QRS) in FY 1997 in support of the ASAC ORS development effort. This document contains an overview of the project background and scope and defines the QRS. The document also presents an overview of the Logistics Management Institute (LMI) facility that supports the QRS, and it includes a summary of the planned additions to the QRS in FY 1998. The document has five appendices.

  18. Document image binarization using "multi-scale" predefined filters

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Saabni, Raid M.

    2018-04-01

    Reading text or searching for key words within a historical document is a very challenging task. one of the first steps of the complete task is binarization, where we separate foreground such as text, figures and drawings from the background. Successful results of this important step in many cases can determine next steps to success or failure, therefore it is very vital to the success of the complete task of reading and analyzing the content of a document image. Generally, historical documents images are of poor quality due to their storage condition and degradation over time, which mostly cause to varying contrasts, stains, dirt and seeping ink from reverse side. In this paper, we use banks of anisotropic predefined filters in different scales and orientations to develop a binarization method for degraded documents and manuscripts. Using the fact, that handwritten strokes may follow different scales and orientations, we use predefined sets of filter banks having various scales, weights, and orientations to seek a compact set of filters and weights in order to generate diffrent layers of foregrounds and background. Results of convolving these fiters on the gray level image locally, weighted and accumulated to enhance the original image. Based on the different layers, seeds of components in the gray level image and a learning process, we present an improved binarization algorithm to separate the background from layers of foreground. Different layers of foreground which may be caused by seeping ink, degradation or other factors are also separated from the real foreground in a second phase. Promising experimental results were obtained on the DIBCO2011 , DIBCO2013 and H-DIBCO2016 data sets and a collection of images taken from real historical documents.

  19. Quantitative and qualitative analysis of study-related patient information sheets in randomised neuro-oncology phase III-trials.

    PubMed

    Reinert, Christiane; Kremmler, Lukas; Burock, Susen; Bogdahn, Ulrich; Wick, Wolfgang; Gleiter, Christoph H; Koller, Michael; Hau, Peter

    2014-01-01

    In randomised controlled trials (RCTs), patient informed consent documents are an essential cornerstone of the study flow. However, these documents are often oversized in format and content. Clinical experience suggests that study information sheets are often not used as an aid to decision-making due to their complexity. We analysed nine patient informed consent documents from clinical neuro-oncological phase III-studies running at a German Brain Tumour Centre with the objective to investigate the quality of these documents. Text length, formal layout, readability, application of ethical and legal requirements, scientific evidence and social aspects were used as rating categories. Results were assessed quantitatively by two independents investigators and were depicted using net diagrams. All patient informed consent documents were of insufficient quality in all categories except that ethical and legal requirements were fulfilled. Notably, graduate levels were required to read and understand five of nine consent documents. Quality deficits were consistent between the individual study information texts. Irrespective of formal aspects, a document that is intended to inform and motivate patients to participate in a study needs to be well-structured and understandable. We therefore strongly mandate to re-design patient informed consent documents in a patient-friendly way. Specifically, standardised components with a scientific foundation should be provided that could be retrieved at various times, adapted to the mode of treatment and the patient's knowledge, and could weigh information dependent of the stage of treatment decision. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. Satisfying the needs of Japanese cancer patients: a comparative study of detailed and standard informed consent documents.

    PubMed

    Sato, Keiko; Watanabe, Toru; Katsumata, Noriyuki; Sato, Tosiya; Ohashi, Yasuo

    2014-02-01

    Simplified informed consent forms have been successful in improving patient satisfaction and decreasing patient anxiety. However, unsolved problems remain about whether these documents improve comprehension and satisfaction of patients with standard literacy skills. s To investigate whether a detailed consent form explaining the key elements of informed consent, in comparison to a standard consent form, would increase the comprehension and satisfaction of adult cancer patients. Patients who were eligible for the National Surgical Adjuvant Study of Breast Cancer (protocol 01(N-SAS/BC-01)) were randomly selected to receive one of the following four versions: detailed document with graphics, detailed document without graphics, standard document with graphics, and standard document without graphics. The forms were written in plain language from the patients' point of view. A total of 85 patients were administered questionnaires via interview to assess levels of comprehension, satisfaction, and anxiety. Patients demonstrated a strong understanding of information regarding treatment and research. Patient comprehension did not differ significantly between the detailed document arms and the standard document arms. Patient satisfaction level increased according to the amount of information presented in the consent form; most patients preferred the detailed document with graphics. Anxiety and accrual rates in the parent study were not affected by informed consent procedures. Findings were limited to adults who had standard literacy skills and may not be generalizable to a population with lower literacy. Informed consent can be a significant experience for a population with standard literacy skills, as long as the document is easily comprehensible. Such information should be provided in a format that corresponds with patient needs, education levels, and preferences.

  1. 77 FR 65706 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Request for the Return of Original Documents, Form...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-10-30

    ...-0100] Agency Information Collection Activities: Request for the Return of Original Documents, Form... Collection. (2) Title of the Form/Collection: Request for the Return of Original Documents. (3) Agency form... obtain original document(s) contained in an alien file. (5) An estimate of the total number of...

  2. 77 FR 47426 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Request for the Return of Original Documents, Form...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-08-08

    ...-0100] Agency Information Collection Activities: Request for the Return of Original Documents, Form.... (2) Title of the Form/Collection: Request for the Return of Original Documents. (3) Agency form... obtain original document(s) contained in an alien file. (5) An estimate of the total number of...

  3. An updated look at document security: from initiation to storage or shredder.

    PubMed

    McConnell, Charles R

    2014-01-01

    In these days of close attention to security of information handled electronically, there is often a tendency to overlook the security of hard-copy documents. Document security can involve many areas of business, but the health care department manager's concerns are primarily for patient records and employee documentation. Document security is closely related to growing concerns for individual privacy; guidelines are furnished for protecting employee privacy by separating retention practices for business information from personal information. Sensitive documentation requires rules and procedures for processing, retaining, accessing, storing, and eventually destroying. Also, documents that are missing or incomplete at times present unique problems for the organization. The department manager is provided with some simple rules for safeguarding employee and patient documentation.

  4. 7 CFR 1423.6 - Financial information documentation requirements.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... CORPORATION APPROVED WAREHOUSES § 1423.6 Financial information documentation requirements. To be approved under this part, a warehouse operator shall submit a current financial statement at the time of... 7 Agriculture 10 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Financial information documentation requirements...

  5. 47 CFR 6.11 - Information, documentation, and training.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... 47 Telecommunication 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Information, documentation, and training. 6.11 Section 6.11 Telecommunication FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION GENERAL ACCESS TO TELECOMMUNICATIONS... Obligations-What Must Covered Entities Do? § 6.11 Information, documentation, and training. (a) Manufacturers...

  6. International Society for Analytical Cytology biosafety standard for sorting of unfixed cells.

    PubMed

    Schmid, Ingrid; Lambert, Claude; Ambrozak, David; Marti, Gerald E; Moss, Delynn M; Perfetto, Stephen P

    2007-06-01

    Cell sorting of viable biological specimens has become very prevalent in laboratories involved in basic and clinical research. As these samples can contain infectious agents, precautions to protect instrument operators and the environment from hazards arising from the use of sorters are paramount. To this end the International Society of Analytical Cytology (ISAC) took a lead in establishing biosafety guidelines for sorting of unfixed cells (Schmid et al., Cytometry 1997;28:99-117). During the time period these recommendations have been available, they have become recognized worldwide as the standard practices and safety precautions for laboratories performing viable cell sorting experiments. However, the field of cytometry has progressed since 1997, and the document requires an update. Initially, suggestions about the document format and content were discussed among members of the ISAC Biosafety Committee and were incorporated into a draft version that was sent to all committee members for review. Comments were collected, carefully considered, and incorporated as appropriate into a draft document that was posted on the ISAC web site to invite comments from the flow cytometry community at large. The revised document was then submitted to ISAC Council for review. Simultaneously, further comments were sought from newly-appointed ISAC Biosafety committee members. This safety standard for performing viable cell sorting experiments was recently generated. The document contains background information on the biohazard potential of sorting and the hazard classification of infectious agents as well as recommendations on (1) sample handling, (2) operator training and personal protection, (3) laboratory design, (4) cell sorter set-up, maintenance, and decontamination, and (5) testing the instrument for the efficiency of aerosol containment. This standard constitutes an updated and expanded revision of the 1997 biosafety guideline document. It is intended to provide laboratories involved in cell sorting with safety practices that take into account the enhanced hazard potential of high-speed sorting. Most importantly, it states that droplet-based sorting of infectious or hazardous biological material requires a higher level of containment than the one recommended for the risk group classification of the pathogen. The document also provides information on safety features of novel instrumentation, new options for personal protective equipment, and recently developed methods for testing the efficiency of aerosol containment.

  7. Critical Infrastructure References: Documented Literature Search

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2012-10-01

    the literature search document can be a resource for DRDC and external partners. Future plans: At present, the electronic copies of the reference...Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (S.C. 2000, c. 5) Title: Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (S.C...2011 Overview: • "An Act to support and promote electronic commerce by protecting personal information that is collected, used or disclosed in

  8. Biomedical literature classification using encyclopedic knowledge: a Wikipedia-based bag-of-concepts approach.

    PubMed

    Mouriño García, Marcos Antonio; Pérez Rodríguez, Roberto; Anido Rifón, Luis E

    2015-01-01

    Automatic classification of text documents into a set of categories has a lot of applications. Among those applications, the automatic classification of biomedical literature stands out as an important application for automatic document classification strategies. Biomedical staff and researchers have to deal with a lot of literature in their daily activities, so it would be useful a system that allows for accessing to documents of interest in a simple and effective way; thus, it is necessary that these documents are sorted based on some criteria-that is to say, they have to be classified. Documents to classify are usually represented following the bag-of-words (BoW) paradigm. Features are words in the text-thus suffering from synonymy and polysemy-and their weights are just based on their frequency of occurrence. This paper presents an empirical study of the efficiency of a classifier that leverages encyclopedic background knowledge-concretely Wikipedia-in order to create bag-of-concepts (BoC) representations of documents, understanding concept as "unit of meaning", and thus tackling synonymy and polysemy. Besides, the weighting of concepts is based on their semantic relevance in the text. For the evaluation of the proposal, empirical experiments have been conducted with one of the commonly used corpora for evaluating classification and retrieval of biomedical information, OHSUMED, and also with a purpose-built corpus of MEDLINE biomedical abstracts, UVigoMED. Results obtained show that the Wikipedia-based bag-of-concepts representation outperforms the classical bag-of-words representation up to 157% in the single-label classification problem and up to 100% in the multi-label problem for OHSUMED corpus, and up to 122% in the single-label classification problem and up to 155% in the multi-label problem for UVigoMED corpus.

  9. Biomedical literature classification using encyclopedic knowledge: a Wikipedia-based bag-of-concepts approach

    PubMed Central

    Pérez Rodríguez, Roberto; Anido Rifón, Luis E.

    2015-01-01

    Automatic classification of text documents into a set of categories has a lot of applications. Among those applications, the automatic classification of biomedical literature stands out as an important application for automatic document classification strategies. Biomedical staff and researchers have to deal with a lot of literature in their daily activities, so it would be useful a system that allows for accessing to documents of interest in a simple and effective way; thus, it is necessary that these documents are sorted based on some criteria—that is to say, they have to be classified. Documents to classify are usually represented following the bag-of-words (BoW) paradigm. Features are words in the text—thus suffering from synonymy and polysemy—and their weights are just based on their frequency of occurrence. This paper presents an empirical study of the efficiency of a classifier that leverages encyclopedic background knowledge—concretely Wikipedia—in order to create bag-of-concepts (BoC) representations of documents, understanding concept as “unit of meaning”, and thus tackling synonymy and polysemy. Besides, the weighting of concepts is based on their semantic relevance in the text. For the evaluation of the proposal, empirical experiments have been conducted with one of the commonly used corpora for evaluating classification and retrieval of biomedical information, OHSUMED, and also with a purpose-built corpus of MEDLINE biomedical abstracts, UVigoMED. Results obtained show that the Wikipedia-based bag-of-concepts representation outperforms the classical bag-of-words representation up to 157% in the single-label classification problem and up to 100% in the multi-label problem for OHSUMED corpus, and up to 122% in the single-label classification problem and up to 155% in the multi-label problem for UVigoMED corpus. PMID:26468436

  10. Practice and documentation of palliative sedation: a quality improvement initiative

    PubMed Central

    McKinnon, M.; Azevedo, C.; Bush, S.H.; Lawlor, P.; Pereira, J.

    2014-01-01

    Background Palliative sedation (ps), the continuous use of sedating doses of medication to intentionally reduce consciousness and relieve refractory symptoms at end of life, is ethically acceptable if administered according to standards of best practice. Procedural guidelines outlining the appropriate use of ps and the need for rigorous documentation have been developed. As a quality improvement strategy, we audited the practice and documentation of ps on our palliative care unit (pcu). Methods A pharmacy database search of admissions in 2008 identified, for a subsequent chart review, patients who had received either a continuous infusion of midazolam (≥10 mg/24 h), regular parenteral dosing of methotrimeprazine (≥75 mg daily), or regular phenobarbital. Documentation of the decision-making process, consent, and medication use was collected using a data extraction form based on current international ps standards. Results Interpretation and comparison of data were difficult because of an apparent lack of a consistent operational definition of ps. Patient records had no specific documentation in relation to ps initiation, to clearly identified refractory symptoms, and to informed consent in 60 (64.5%), 43 (46.2%), and 38 (40.9%) charts respectively. Variation in the medications used was marked: 54 patients (58%) were started on a single agent and 39 (42%), on multiple agents. The 40 patients (43%) started on midazolam alone received a mean daily dose of 21.4 mg (standard deviation: 24.6 mg). Conclusions The lack of documentation and standardized practice of ps on our pcu has resulted in a quality improvement program to address those gaps. They also highlight the importance of conducting research and developing clinical guidelines in this area. PMID:24764700

  11. 'Correction:'Peer chart audits: A tool to meet Accreditation Council on Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) competency in practice-based learning and improvement

    PubMed Central

    Staton, Lisa J; Kraemer, Suzanne M; Patel, Sangnya; Talente, Gregg M; Estrada, Carlos A

    2007-01-01

    Background The Accreditation Council on Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) supports chart audit as a method to track competency in Practice-Based Learning and Improvement. We examined whether peer chart audits performed by internal medicine residents were associated with improved documentation of foot care in patients with diabetes mellitus. Methods A retrospective electronic chart review was performed on 347 patients with diabetes mellitus cared for by internal medicine residents in a university-based continuity clinic from May 2003 to September 2004. Residents abstracted information pertaining to documentation of foot examinations (neurological, vascular, and skin) from the charts of patients followed by their physician peers. No formal feedback or education was provided. Results Significant improvement in the documentation of foot exams was observed over the course of the study. The percentage of patients receiving neurological, vascular, and skin exams increased by 20% (from 13% to 33%) (p = 0.001), 26% (from 45% to 71%) (p < 0.001), and 18% (51%–72%) (p = 0.005), respectively. Similarly, the proportion of patients receiving a well-documented exam which includes all three components – neurological, vascular and skin foot exam – increased over time (6% to 24%, p < 0.001). Conclusion Peer chart audits performed by residents in the absence of formal feedback were associated with improved documentation of the foot exam in patients with diabetes mellitus. Although this study suggests that peer chart audits may be an effective tool to improve practice-based learning and documentation of foot care in diabetic patients, evaluating the actual performance of clinical care was beyond the scope of this study and would be better addressed by a randomized controlled trial. PMID:17662124

  12. 10 CFR 1703.111 - Requests for privileged treatment of documents submitted to the board.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... competitive position of the owner of the information, taking into account the value of the information to the... INFORMATION AND REQUESTS § 1703.111 Requests for privileged treatment of documents submitted to the board. (a... some or all of the information contained in the document is exempt from the mandatory public disclosure...

  13. Information retrieval for a document writing assistance program

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

    Corral, M.L.; Simon, A.; Julien, C.

    This paper presents an Information Retrieval mechanism to facilitate the writing of technical documents in the space domain. To address the need for document exchange between partners in a given project, documents are standardized. The writing of a new document requires the re-use of existing documents or parts thereof. These parts can be identified by {open_quotes}tagging{close_quotes} the logical structure of documents and restored by means of a purpose-built Information Retrieval System (I.R.S.). The I.R.S. implemented in our writing assistance tool uses natural language queries and is based on a statistical linguistic approach which is enhanced by the use of documentmore » structure module.« less

  14. Country Information Available in Government Documents.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Richey, Debora J., Comp.

    This annotated bibliography lists federal and international documents at the library of California State University at Fullerton which provide information on foreign countries. Documents are organized under the following subject headings: (1) general information; (2) aging; (3) agriculture/food supply and consumption; (4) children; (5) civil…

  15. 76 FR 39416 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Documentation Requirements for Articles Entered Under...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-07-06

    ... Activities: Documentation Requirements for Articles Entered Under Various Special Tariff Treatment Provisions... accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act: Documentation Requirements for Articles Entered Under Various... techniques or other forms of information. Title: Documentation Requirements for Articles Entered Under...

  16. Implementation of Free Text Format Nursing Diagnoses at a University Hospital's Medical Department. Exploring Nurses' and Nursing Students' Experiences on Use and Usefulness. A Qualitative Study

    PubMed Central

    Frigstad, Sigrun Aasen; Nøst, Torunn Hatlen; André, Beate

    2015-01-01

    Background. Nursing documentation has long traditions and represents core element of nursing, but the documentation is often criticized of being incomplete. Nursing diagnoses are an important research topic in nursing in terms of quality of nursing assessment, interventions, and outcome in addition to facilitating communication and continuity. Aim. The aim of this study was to explore the nurses' and nursing students' experiences after implementing free text format nursing diagnoses in a medical department. Method. The study design included educational intervention of free text nursing diagnoses. Data was collected through five focus group interviews with 18 nurses and 6 students as informants. The data was analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Results. The informants describe positive experiences concerning free text format nursing diagnoses' use and usefulness; it promotes reflection and discussion and is described as a useful tool in the diagnostic process, though it was challenging to find the diagnosis' appropriate formulation. Conclusion. Our findings indicate a valid usability of free text format nursing diagnoses as it promotes the diagnostic process. The use seems to enhance critical thinking and may serve as valuable preparation towards an implementation of standardized nursing diagnoses. Use and support of key personnel seem valuable in an implementation process. PMID:26075091

  17. The porcupine caribou herd

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Griffith, Brad; Douglas, David C.; Walsh, Noreen E.; Young, Donald D.; McCabe, Thomas R.; Russell, Donald E.; White, Robert G.; Cameron, Raymond D.; Whitten, Kenneth R.; Douglas, David C.; Reynolds, Patricia E.; Rhode, E.B.

    2002-01-01

    Documentation of the natural range of variation in ecological, life history, and physiological characteristics of caribou (Rangifer tarandus) of the Porcupine caribou herd is a necessary base for detecting or predicting any potential effects of industrial development on the performance (e.g., distribution, demography, weight-gain of individuals) of the herd. To demonstrate an effect of development, post-development performance must differ from pre-development performance while accounting for any natural environmental trends.We had 2 working hypotheses for our investigations: 1) performance of the Porcupine caribou herd was associated with environmental patterns and habitat quality, and 2) access to important habitats was a key influence on demography.We sought to document the range of natural variation in habitat conditions, herd size, demography (defined here as survival and reproduction), sources and magnitude of mortality, distribution, habitat use, and weight gain and loss, and to develop an understanding of the interactions among these characteristics of the herd.In addition, we investigated ways that we could use this background information, combined with auxiliary information from the adjacent Central Arctic caribou herd, to predict the direction and magnitude of any potential effects of industrial oil development in the 1002 Area of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge on Porcupine caribou herd calf survival on the herd's calving grounds during June.

  18. An extended field test of the WHO severe malnutrition guidelines in hospitals in developing countries: preliminary observations.

    PubMed

    Deen, J L; Weber, M; Qazi, S; Fontaine, O

    2003-01-01

    The WHO has published guidelines for the inpatient management of severe malnutrition. A qualitative study in hospitals in developing countries is being conducted to document the re-organisation of the clinical ward and support services required to implement these guidelines and to gain an impression of the feasibility and sustainability of such a re-organisation. Following a postal survey of experts in the management of malnutrition in children in developing countries, hospitals were contacted and asked if they were interested to participate in the study. If so, they were requested to submit background information about admission patterns, the frequency of malnutrition, and current practice. Based on this information, hospitals are selected for a preliminary visit. Following this, and the final selection, a paediatrician conducts three visits to the study hospital over a one-year period to appraise the current practice, assist the health staff in recognising the strengths and shortcomings of their current management, help them find locally appropriate solutions, support the implementation process through a participatory approach and assess the outcome. A structured survey instrument is used to guide the assessment and identification of problems. Results of the first visit, which documents the existing situation, and changes identified by staff and implemented during the second visit are presented.

  19. Document similarity measures and document browsing

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ahmadullin, Ildus; Fan, Jian; Damera-Venkata, Niranjan; Lim, Suk Hwan; Lin, Qian; Liu, Jerry; Liu, Sam; O'Brien-Strain, Eamonn; Allebach, Jan

    2011-03-01

    Managing large document databases is an important task today. Being able to automatically com- pare document layouts and classify and search documents with respect to their visual appearance proves to be desirable in many applications. We measure single page documents' similarity with respect to distance functions between three document components: background, text, and saliency. Each document component is represented as a Gaussian mixture distribution; and distances between dierent documents' components are calculated as probabilistic similarities between corresponding distributions. The similarity measure between documents is represented as a weighted sum of the components' distances. Using this document similarity measure, we propose a browsing mechanism operating on a document dataset. For these purposes, we use a hierarchical browsing environment which we call the document similarity pyramid. It allows the user to browse a large document dataset and to search for documents in the dataset that are similar to the query. The user can browse the dataset on dierent levels of the pyramid, and zoom into the documents that are of interest.

  20. A-MADMAN: Annotation-based microarray data meta-analysis tool

    PubMed Central

    Bisognin, Andrea; Coppe, Alessandro; Ferrari, Francesco; Risso, Davide; Romualdi, Chiara; Bicciato, Silvio; Bortoluzzi, Stefania

    2009-01-01

    Background Publicly available datasets of microarray gene expression signals represent an unprecedented opportunity for extracting genomic relevant information and validating biological hypotheses. However, the exploitation of this exceptionally rich mine of information is still hampered by the lack of appropriate computational tools, able to overcome the critical issues raised by meta-analysis. Results This work presents A-MADMAN, an open source web application which allows the retrieval, annotation, organization and meta-analysis of gene expression datasets obtained from Gene Expression Omnibus. A-MADMAN addresses and resolves several open issues in the meta-analysis of gene expression data. Conclusion A-MADMAN allows i) the batch retrieval from Gene Expression Omnibus and the local organization of raw data files and of any related meta-information, ii) the re-annotation of samples to fix incomplete, or otherwise inadequate, metadata and to create user-defined batches of data, iii) the integrative analysis of data obtained from different Affymetrix platforms through custom chip definition files and meta-normalization. Software and documentation are available on-line at . PMID:19563634

  1. Issues in the design of a pilot concept-based query interface for the neuroinformatics information framework.

    PubMed

    Marenco, Luis; Li, Yuli; Martone, Maryann E; Sternberg, Paul W; Shepherd, Gordon M; Miller, Perry L

    2008-09-01

    This paper describes a pilot query interface that has been constructed to help us explore a "concept-based" approach for searching the Neuroscience Information Framework (NIF). The query interface is concept-based in the sense that the search terms submitted through the interface are selected from a standardized vocabulary of terms (concepts) that are structured in the form of an ontology. The NIF contains three primary resources: the NIF Resource Registry, the NIF Document Archive, and the NIF Database Mediator. These NIF resources are very different in their nature and therefore pose challenges when designing a single interface from which searches can be automatically launched against all three resources simultaneously. The paper first discusses briefly several background issues involving the use of standardized biomedical vocabularies in biomedical information retrieval, and then presents a detailed example that illustrates how the pilot concept-based query interface operates. The paper concludes by discussing certain lessons learned in the development of the current version of the interface.

  2. Radiological medical data preservation in the Southern Urals

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

    Melamed, E.

    2000-07-01

    Information is being microfilmed and scanned in the Southern Urals to ensure the archival preservation of the unique, important and irreplaceable records documenting chromic low-level radiation exposure to workers and neighboring populations of the Mayak Production Association (MAYAK), as well as health effects. The records include dosimetric and epidemiologic information maintained on workers and neighboring populations located at facilities in Ozyorsk and Chelyabinsk. Microfilming is being done in Ozyorsk, and on a more limited basis in Chelyabinsk, where a scanning project has also recently been initiated. Over 1,800 rolls of film have been produced as of the fall of 1999.more » This article describes the background and results of this data preservation effort and includes brief summary tables describing the types of records being preserved. Researchers interested in access to these records should contact Paul Seligman, Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Office of Health Studies at the Department of Energy (DOE) for more information.« less

  3. Informed consent for MRI and fMRI research: Analysis of a sample of Canadian consent documents

    PubMed Central

    2011-01-01

    Background Research ethics and the measures deployed to ensure ethical oversight of research (e.g., informed consent forms, ethics review) are vested with extremely important ethical and practical goals. Accordingly, these measures need to function effectively in real-world research and to follow high level standards. Methods We examined approved consent forms for Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) studies approved by Canadian research ethics boards (REBs). Results We found evidence of variability in consent forms in matters of physical and psychological risk reporting. Approaches used to tackle the emerging issue of incidental findings exposed extensive variability between and within research sites. Conclusion The causes of variability in approved consent forms and studies need to be better understood. However, mounting evidence of administrative and practical hurdles within current ethics governance systems combined with potential sub-optimal provision of information to and protection of research subjects support other calls for more scrutiny of research ethics practices and applicable revisions. PMID:21235768

  4. Issues in the Design of a Pilot Concept-Based Query Interface for the Neuroinformatics Information Framework

    PubMed Central

    Li, Yuli; Martone, Maryann E.; Sternberg, Paul W.; Shepherd, Gordon M.; Miller, Perry L.

    2009-01-01

    This paper describes a pilot query interface that has been constructed to help us explore a “concept-based” approach for searching the Neuroscience Information Framework (NIF). The query interface is concept-based in the sense that the search terms submitted through the interface are selected from a standardized vocabulary of terms (concepts) that are structured in the form of an ontology. The NIF contains three primary resources: the NIF Resource Registry, the NIF Document Archive, and the NIF Database Mediator. These NIF resources are very different in their nature and therefore pose challenges when designing a single interface from which searches can be automatically launched against all three resources simultaneously. The paper first discusses briefly several background issues involving the use of standardized biomedical vocabularies in biomedical information retrieval, and then presents a detailed example that illustrates how the pilot concept-based query interface operates. The paper concludes by discussing certain lessons learned in the development of the current version of the interface. PMID:18953674

  5. Consensus statement on blocking the effects of interleukin-6 and in particular by interleukin-6 receptor inhibition in rheumatoid arthritis and other inflammatory conditions

    PubMed Central

    Smolen, Josef S; Schoels, Monika M; Nishimoto, Norihiro; Breedveld, Ferdinand C; Burmester, Gerd R; Dougados, Maxime; Emery, Paul; Ferraccioli, Gianfranco; Gabay, Cem; Gibofsky, Allan; Gomez-Reino, Juan Jesus; Jones, Graeme; Kvien, Tore K; Murakami, Miho; Betteridge, Neil; Bingham, Clifton O; Bykerk, Vivian; Choy, Ernest H; Combe, Bernard; Cutolo, Maurizio; Graninger, Winfried; Lanas, Angel; Martin-Mola, Emilio; Montecucco, Carlomaurizio; Ostergaard, Mikkel; Pavelka, Karel; Rubbert-Roth, Andrea; Sattar, Naveed; Scholte-Voshaar, Marieke; Tanaka, Yoshiya; Trauner, Michael; Valentini, Gabriele; Winthrop, Kevin L; de Wit, Maarten; van der Heijde, Désirée

    2013-01-01

    Background Since approval of tocilizumab (TCZ) for treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA), interleukin 6 (IL-6) pathway inhibition was evaluated in trials of TCZ and other agents targeting the IL-6 receptor and ligand in various RA populations and other inflammatory diseases. This consensus document informs on interference with the IL-6 pathway based on evidence and expert opinion. Methods Preparation of this document involved international experts in RA treatment and RA patients. A systematic literature search was performed that focused on TCZ and other IL6-pathway inhibitors in RA and other diseases. Subsequently, incorporating available published evidence and expert opinion, the steering committee and a broader expert committee (both including RA patients) formulated the current consensus statement. Results The consensus statement covers use of TCZ as combination- or monotherapy in various RA populations and includes clinical, functional and structural aspects. The statement also addresses the second approved indication in Europe JIA and non-approved indications. Also early phase trials involving additional agents that target the IL-6 receptor or IL-6 were evaluated. Safety concerns, including haematological, hepatic and metabolic issues as well as infections, are addressed likewise. Conclusions The consensus statement identifies points to consider when using TCZ, regarding indications, contraindications, screening, dose, comedication, response evaluation and safety. The document is aimed at supporting clinicians and informing patients, administrators and payers on opportunities and limitations of IL-6 pathway inhibition. PMID:23172750

  6. Novel combined patient instruction and discharge summary tool improves timeliness of documentation and outpatient provider satisfaction

    PubMed Central

    Gilliam, Meredith; Krein, Sarah L; Belanger, Karen; Fowler, Karen E; Dimcheff, Derek E; Solomon, Gabriel

    2017-01-01

    Background: Incomplete or delayed access to discharge information by outpatient providers and patients contributes to discontinuity of care and poor outcomes. Objective: To evaluate the effect of a new electronic discharge summary tool on the timeliness of documentation and communication with outpatient providers. Methods: In June 2012, we implemented an electronic discharge summary tool at our 145-bed university-affiliated Veterans Affairs hospital. The tool facilitates completion of a comprehensive discharge summary note that is available for patients and outpatient medical providers at the time of hospital discharge. Discharge summary note availability, outpatient provider satisfaction, and time between the decision to discharge a patient and discharge note completion were all evaluated before and after implementation of the tool. Results: The percentage of discharge summary notes completed by the time of first post-discharge clinical contact improved from 43% in February 2012 to 100% in September 2012 and was maintained at 100% in 2014. A survey of 22 outpatient providers showed that 90% preferred the new summary and 86% found it comprehensive. Despite increasing required documentation, the time required to discharge a patient, from physician decision to discharge note completion, improved from 5.6 h in 2010 to 4.1 h in 2012 (p = 0.04), and to 2.8 h in 2015 (p < 0.001). Conclusion: The implementation of a novel discharge summary tool improved the timeliness and comprehensiveness of discharge information as needed for the delivery of appropriate, high-quality follow-up care, without adversely affecting the efficiency of the discharge process. PMID:28491308

  7. Modeling and mining term association for improving biomedical information retrieval performance

    PubMed Central

    2012-01-01

    Background The growth of the biomedical information requires most information retrieval systems to provide short and specific answers in response to complex user queries. Semantic information in the form of free text that is structured in a way makes it straightforward for humans to read but more difficult for computers to interpret automatically and search efficiently. One of the reasons is that most traditional information retrieval models assume terms are conditionally independent given a document/passage. Therefore, we are motivated to consider term associations within different contexts to help the models understand semantic information and use it for improving biomedical information retrieval performance. Results We propose a term association approach to discover term associations among the keywords from a query. The experiments are conducted on the TREC 2004-2007 Genomics data sets and the TREC 2004 HARD data set. The proposed approach is promising and achieves superiority over the baselines and the GSP results. The parameter settings and different indices are investigated that the sentence-based index produces the best results in terms of the document-level, the word-based index for the best results in terms of the passage-level and the paragraph-based index for the best results in terms of the passage2-level. Furthermore, the best term association results always come from the best baseline. The tuning number k in the proposed recursive re-ranking algorithm is discussed and locally optimized to be 10. Conclusions First, modelling term association for improving biomedical information retrieval using factor analysis, is one of the major contributions in our work. Second, the experiments confirm that term association considering co-occurrence and dependency among the keywords can produce better results than the baselines treating the keywords independently. Third, the baselines are re-ranked according to the importance and reliance of latent factors behind term associations. These latent factors are decided by the proposed model and their term appearances in the first round retrieved passages. PMID:22901087

  8. Directory of Unesco Information Services: Library, Archives, and Documentation Centres = Repertoire des Services d'information de l'Unesco: bibliotheque, archives et centres de documentation.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, Paris (France). Div. of Unesco Information Services.

    Although primarily a directory of Unesco documentation centers and information units, this guide also provides information on the Main Library and the Unesco Archives. The listing for each of the nine centers includes information on any subdivisions of the center: (1) Bureau for Co-ordination of Operational Activities (BAO); (2) Culture and…

  9. UCD IIRG at TREC 2012 Medical Track

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2012-11-01

    documents. For ex- ample, the query “shakespeare.author” would en- sure that documents matching shakespeare in the au- thor field are returned. On the...corpus side, field extents are identified using XMLlike markup, e.g. <author> shakespeare </author>. 3 System Background & Motivation This section outlines

  10. 32 CFR 219.117 - Documentation of informed consent.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... 32 National Defense 2 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Documentation of informed consent. 219.117 Section 219.117 National Defense Department of Defense (Continued) OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY OF DEFENSE (CONTINUED) MISCELLANEOUS PROTECTION OF HUMAN SUBJECTS § 219.117 Documentation of informed consent. (a...

  11. 39 CFR 3007.2 - Scope.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... information, documents, and things in its possession or control, or any information, documents, and things... under title 39 of the U.S. Code. Information, documents, and things the Postal Service may be required to provide, include, but are not limited to, paper hard copy and electronically stored data and...

  12. Assurance specification documentation standard and Data Item Descriptions (DID). Volume of the information system life-cycle and documentation standards, volume 4

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Callender, E. David; Steinbacher, Jody

    1989-01-01

    This is the fourth of five volumes on Information System Life-Cycle and Documentation Standards. This volume provides a well organized, easily used standard for assurance documentation for information systems and software, hardware, and operational procedures components, and related processes. The specifications are developed in conjunction with the corresponding management plans specifying the assurance activities to be performed.

  13. Assessment of Beddown Alternatives for the F-35

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2013-01-01

    For More Information Visit RAND at www.rand.org Explore the RAND Corporation View document details Support RAND Purchase this document Browse Reports...copyright law. Permission is required from RAND to reproduce, or reuse in another form, any of our research documents for commercial use. For information ...HOMELAND SECURITY Report Documentation Page Form ApprovedOMB No. 0704-0188 Public reporting burden for the collection of information is estimated to

  14. Identification of Long Bone Fractures in Radiology Reports Using Natural Language Processing to Support Healthcare Quality Improvement

    PubMed Central

    Masino, Aaron J.; Casper, T. Charles; Dean, Jonathan M.; Bell, Jamie; Enriquez, Rene; Deakyne, Sara; Chamberlain, James M.; Alpern, Elizabeth R.

    2016-01-01

    Summary Background Important information to support healthcare quality improvement is often recorded in free text documents such as radiology reports. Natural language processing (NLP) methods may help extract this information, but these methods have rarely been applied outside the research laboratories where they were developed. Objective To implement and validate NLP tools to identify long bone fractures for pediatric emergency medicine quality improvement. Methods Using freely available statistical software packages, we implemented NLP methods to identify long bone fractures from radiology reports. A sample of 1,000 radiology reports was used to construct three candidate classification models. A test set of 500 reports was used to validate the model performance. Blinded manual review of radiology reports by two independent physicians provided the reference standard. Each radiology report was segmented and word stem and bigram features were constructed. Common English “stop words” and rare features were excluded. We used 10-fold cross-validation to select optimal configuration parameters for each model. Accuracy, recall, precision and the F1 score were calculated. The final model was compared to the use of diagnosis codes for the identification of patients with long bone fractures. Results There were 329 unique word stems and 344 bigrams in the training documents. A support vector machine classifier with Gaussian kernel performed best on the test set with accuracy=0.958, recall=0.969, precision=0.940, and F1 score=0.954. Optimal parameters for this model were cost=4 and gamma=0.005. The three classification models that we tested all performed better than diagnosis codes in terms of accuracy, precision, and F1 score (diagnosis code accuracy=0.932, recall=0.960, precision=0.896, and F1 score=0.927). Conclusions NLP methods using a corpus of 1,000 training documents accurately identified acute long bone fractures from radiology reports. Strategic use of straightforward NLP methods, implemented with freely available software, offers quality improvement teams new opportunities to extract information from narrative documents. PMID:27826610

  15. Sample Collection Information Document for Pathogens and ...

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    Report This Sample Collection Information Document (SCID) provides general information for use by EPA and its contractors when collecting samples during environmental remediation following a homeland security event. The document is intended to be used with SAM, and to provide information needed for collection of samples to be analyzed using the specific methods and procedures listed in SAM Revision 5.0.*

  16. Sample Collection Information Document for Chemical & ...

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    Report This Sample Collection Information Document (SCID) provides general information for use by EPA and its contractors when collecting samples during environmental remediation following a contamination incident. The document is intended to be used with SAM, and to provide information needed for collection of samples to be analyzed using the specific methods and procedures listed in SAM 2012 (EPA/600/R-12/555).

  17. 7 CFR 1484.71 - Are Cooperator documents subject to the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... the Freedom of Information Act? 1484.71 Section 1484.71 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of... Compliance § 1484.71 Are Cooperator documents subject to the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act? (a) Documents submitted to FAS by Cooperators are subject to the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act...

  18. Document image cleanup and binarization

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wu, Victor; Manmatha, Raghaven

    1998-04-01

    Image binarization is a difficult task for documents with text over textured or shaded backgrounds, poor contrast, and/or considerable noise. Current optical character recognition (OCR) and document analysis technology do not handle such documents well. We have developed a simple yet effective algorithm for document image clean-up and binarization. The algorithm consists of two basic steps. In the first step, the input image is smoothed using a low-pass filter. The smoothing operation enhances the text relative to any background texture. This is because background texture normally has higher frequency than text does. The smoothing operation also removes speckle noise. In the second step, the intensity histogram of the smoothed image is computed and a threshold automatically selected as follows. For black text, the first peak of the histogram corresponds to text. Thresholding the image at the value of the valley between the first and second peaks of the histogram binarizes the image well. In order to reliably identify the valley, the histogram is smoothed by a low-pass filter before the threshold is computed. The algorithm has been applied to some 50 images from a wide variety of source: digitized video frames, photos, newspapers, advertisements in magazines or sales flyers, personal checks, etc. There are 21820 characters and 4406 words in these images. 91 percent of the characters and 86 percent of the words are successfully cleaned up and binarized. A commercial OCR was applied to the binarized text when it consisted of fonts which were OCR recognizable. The recognition rate was 84 percent for the characters and 77 percent for the words.

  19. Long-term pavement performance ancillary information management system (AIMS) reference guide.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2012-11-01

    This document provides information on the Long-Term Pavement Performance (LTPP) program ancillary information. : Ancillary information includes data, images, reference materials, resource documents, and other information that : support and extend the...

  20. Maritime zones delimitation - Problems and solutions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kastrisios, Christos; Tsoulos, Lysandros

    2018-05-01

    The delimitation of maritime zones and boundaries foreseen by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) is a factor of economic growth, effective management of the coastal and ocean environment and the cornerstone for maritime spatial planning. Maritime zones and boundaries form the outermost limits of coastal states and their accurate delineation and cartographic portrayal is a matter of national priority. Although UNCLOS is a legal document, its implementation -at first place- is purely technical and requires -amongst others- theoretical and applied background on Geodesy, Cartography and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) for those involved. This paper provides a brief historical background of the evolution of the UNCLOS, presents the various concepts of the Convention and identifies the problems inherent in the maritime delimitation process. Furthermore, it presents solutions that will facilitate the cartographer's work in order to achieve unquestionable results. Through the paper it becomes evident that the role of the cartographer and the GIS expert is critical for the successful implementation of maritime delimitation.

  1. 76 FR 56483 - Applications and Amendments to Facility Operating Licenses Involving Proposed No Significant...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-09-13

    ... Information is necessary to respond to this notice must request document access by September 23, 2011... instructions on submitting comments and instructions on accessing documents related to this action, see ``Submitting Comments and Accessing Information'' in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of this document...

  2. NASA Software Documentation Standard

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1991-01-01

    The NASA Software Documentation Standard (hereinafter referred to as "Standard") is designed to support the documentation of all software developed for NASA; its goal is to provide a framework and model for recording the essential information needed throughout the development life cycle and maintenance of a software system. The NASA Software Documentation Standard can be applied to the documentation of all NASA software. The Standard is limited to documentation format and content requirements. It does not mandate specific management, engineering, or assurance standards or techniques. This Standard defines the format and content of documentation for software acquisition, development, and sustaining engineering. Format requirements address where information shall be recorded and content requirements address what information shall be recorded. This Standard provides a framework to allow consistency of documentation across NASA and visibility into the completeness of project documentation. The basic framework consists of four major sections (or volumes). The Management Plan contains all planning and business aspects of a software project, including engineering and assurance planning. The Product Specification contains all technical engineering information, including software requirements and design. The Assurance and Test Procedures contains all technical assurance information, including Test, Quality Assurance (QA), and Verification and Validation (V&V). The Management, Engineering, and Assurance Reports is the library and/or listing of all project reports.

  3. Use of the white amur for aquatic plant management. Final report

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

    Miller, A.C.; Decell, J.L.

    1984-08-01

    The manual presents practical guidelines for the use of the white amur to manage aquatic vegetation in lakes and ponds. This document will introduce the reader to the white amur as a biological control agent for submersed aquatic plants, and present information necessary for successful use of the fish. Included are methods for calculating the number of fish required to effect a desired level of plant control, as well as information on obtaining, shipping, and releasing white amur. Data on feeding, growth rates, food preferences, reproduction, and tolerances to various aquatic conditions are also presented. Case studies on the usemore » of the fish are discussed to illustrate possible impacts of white amur on water chemistry and native biota. While the majority of the information for this report originated in Lake Conway, Florida, the fish is a viable control agent in other parts of the country. This manual should have utility in all parts of the United States in providing background data on the white amur and concise information on the proper use of fish to control submersed aquatic plants. 122 references.« less

  4. AN ETHNOBOTANICAL STUDY OF MEDICINAL PLANTS USED IN VILLAGES UNDER JONGILANGA TRIBAL COUNCIL, MPUMALANGA, SOUTH AFRICA

    PubMed Central

    Tshikalange, Thilivhali Emmanuel; Mophuting, Boikanyo Calvin; Mahore, James; Winterboer, Stefan; Lall, Namrita

    2016-01-01

    Background: Medicinal plants remain an integral part of the lives of people in rural areas. The aim of this study was to document information about the medicinal plants used by Shangaan people in villages under Jongilanga tribal council, Bushbuckridge municipality, Mpumalanga Province, South Africa. Materials and Methods: An ethnobotanical survey of medicinal plants was conducted using a semi-structured questionnaire with 15 traditional healers as informants; one of them also served as a field guide during data collection. Results were analysed by using various quantitative indices of information consensus factor (ICF), use report (UR), frequency citation (FC) and relative frequency citation (RFC). Results and Methods: The study reported 86 medicinal plants used in villages for the treatment of various ailments, the majority (25 species) of which were used for urino-genital disorders. The Fabaceae family was the most represented family (17 species) of all the medicinal plants recorded in this study. The roots were the most frequently used plant part, accounting for 56% of the plants reported, and decoctions were often used in the preparation of herbal remedies. Respiratory diseases had the highest ICF value recorded among the 8 categories of ailments. The highest use report was reported for Combretum collinum (4), while the FC and RFC values (15) were highest in 12 plant species. The study revealed that medicinal plants are still widely used in rural areas and this documentation can serve as an ethno pharmacological basis for selecting plants with potential pharmaceutical properties. PMID:28480364

  5. Intersection negotiation problems of older drivers. Volume 2, Background synthesis on age and intersection driving difficulties

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1998-09-01

    This project included a background literature synthesis and observational field study. The research goals were to document driving problems and errors at intersections, for older drivers using their own cars to travel familiar and unfamiliar routes, ...

  6. Utilizing the Structure and Content Information for XML Document Clustering

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tran, Tien; Kutty, Sangeetha; Nayak, Richi

    This paper reports on the experiments and results of a clustering approach used in the INEX 2008 document mining challenge. The clustering approach utilizes both the structure and content information of the Wikipedia XML document collection. A latent semantic kernel (LSK) is used to measure the semantic similarity between XML documents based on their content features. The construction of a latent semantic kernel involves the computing of singular vector decomposition (SVD). On a large feature space matrix, the computation of SVD is very expensive in terms of time and memory requirements. Thus in this clustering approach, the dimension of the document space of a term-document matrix is reduced before performing SVD. The document space reduction is based on the common structural information of the Wikipedia XML document collection. The proposed clustering approach has shown to be effective on the Wikipedia collection in the INEX 2008 document mining challenge.

  7. Improving Text Recall with Multiple Summaries

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    van der Meij, Hans; van der Meij, Jan

    2012-01-01

    Background. QuikScan (QS) is an innovative design that aims to improve accessibility, comprehensibility, and subsequent recall of expository text by means of frequent within-document summaries that are formatted as numbered list items. The numbers in the QS summaries correspond to numbers placed in the body of the document where the summarized…

  8. Glimpses into Northwest Lives: Some Outstanding Women.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Simon-McWilliams, Ethel; Caldwell, Fran

    Intended as a motivational tool to be used in public school classroom instruction and counseling, this document recognizes some of the outstanding women, from varied ethnic and racial backgrounds, who have contributed to life in the northwestern United States. The document contains succinct biographies of 37 women, and also includes suggestions to…

  9. A Perspective on Marketing Teacher Education.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Turner, John E.

    1990-01-01

    This document presents a model for program planning and decision making for teacher education in marketing and discusses teacher education policy in the context of the model. The first section explains the document's background and perspective. The second section places marketing teacher education in the context of a larger marketing education…

  10. Closeup of LDEF experiment trays documented during STS-32 photo survey

    NASA Image and Video Library

    1990-01-20

    Closeup of Long Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF) experiment trays is documented during STS-32 retrieval activity and photo survey conducted by crewmembers onboard Columbia, Orbiter Vehicle (OV) 102. Partially visible is the Polymer Matrix Composite Materials Experiment. In the background is the surface of the Earth.

  11. New Evidence: Data Documenting Parental Support for Earlier Sexuality Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Barr, Elissa M.; Moore, Michele J.; Johnson, Tammie; Forrest, Jamie; Jordan, Melissa

    2014-01-01

    Background: Numerous studies document support for sexuality education to be taught in high school, and often, in middle school. However, little research has been conducted addressing support for sexuality education in elementary schools. Methods: As part of the state Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) Survey administration, the…

  12. Advantages of Coordinated School Health Portfolios: Documenting and Showcasing Achievements

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Shipley, Meagan; Lohrmann, David; Barnes, Priscilla; O'Neill, Jim

    2013-01-01

    Background: Thirteen school district teams from Michigan and Indiana participated in the Michiana Coordinated School Health Leadership Institute with the intent of Coordinated School Health Program (CSHP) implementation. The purpose of this study was to determine if portfolios served as an effective approach for documenting teams' accomplishments…

  13. A Compositional Relevance Model for Adaptive Information Retrieval

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Mathe, Nathalie; Chen, James; Lu, Henry, Jr. (Technical Monitor)

    1994-01-01

    There is a growing need for rapid and effective access to information in large electronic documentation systems. Access can be facilitated if information relevant in the current problem solving context can be automatically supplied to the user. This includes information relevant to particular user profiles, tasks being performed, and problems being solved. However most of this knowledge on contextual relevance is not found within the contents of documents, and current hypermedia tools do not provide any easy mechanism to let users add this knowledge to their documents. We propose a compositional relevance network to automatically acquire the context in which previous information was found relevant. The model records information on the relevance of references based on user feedback for specific queries and contexts. It also generalizes such information to derive relevant references for similar queries and contexts. This model lets users filter information by context of relevance, build personalized views of documents over time, and share their views with other users. It also applies to any type of multimedia information. Compared to other approaches, it is less costly and doesn't require any a priori statistical computation, nor an extended training period. It is currently being implemented into the Computer Integrated Documentation system which enables integration of various technical documents in a hypertext framework.

  14. Computer-Assisted Search Of Large Textual Data Bases

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Driscoll, James R.

    1995-01-01

    "QA" denotes high-speed computer system for searching diverse collections of documents including (but not limited to) technical reference manuals, legal documents, medical documents, news releases, and patents. Incorporates previously available and emerging information-retrieval technology to help user intelligently and rapidly locate information found in large textual data bases. Technology includes provision for inquiries in natural language; statistical ranking of retrieved information; artificial-intelligence implementation of semantics, in which "surface level" knowledge found in text used to improve ranking of retrieved information; and relevance feedback, in which user's judgements of relevance of some retrieved documents used automatically to modify search for further information.

  15. Embedding Term Similarity and Inverse Document Frequency into a Logical Model of Information Retrieval.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Losada, David E.; Barreiro, Alvaro

    2003-01-01

    Proposes an approach to incorporate term similarity and inverse document frequency into a logical model of information retrieval. Highlights include document representation and matching; incorporating term similarity into the measure of distance; new algorithms for implementation; inverse document frequency; and logical versus classical models of…

  16. Working with Practicing Teachers in a High-Stakes Teaching Context to Rethink Their Pedagogical Practices with Children of Diverse Backgrounds

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Brown, Christopher P.; Weber, Natalie Babiak

    2016-01-01

    The public education system in the United States continues to struggle in educating children of diverse backgrounds. Many have addressed this issue by documenting how certain practices teach children particular types of knowledge and skills. This developmental focus on what should be happening to children of diverse backgrounds tends to ignore the…

  17. Crew appliance concepts. Volume 1, appendix A: Bibliography. [manned space shuttle orbiter environmental control and life support systems

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Proctor, B. W.; Reysa, R. P.; Russell, D. J.

    1975-01-01

    A review of crew appliance related literature was made to provide background engineering information for development of conceptual appliance systems for the shuttle orbiter and the modular space station. From this review, a file containing abstracts of 299 appliance-related documents coded according to subject was developed along with a computerized bibliography of 682 references. Trade studies were conducted using information from these references to determine the optimum concepts to satisfy the shuttle and space station mission requirements. An appliance system was devised for each vehicle which has minimum impact to the respective environmental control system with the smallest possible weight, volume, and electrical penalty. Engineering parameters for each appliance concept considered are presented along with the total thermal and electrical loads and weight and volume penalties for each of the optimized appliance systems.

  18. Country profile: Hungary

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

    Not Available

    1991-09-01

    Country Profile: Hungary has been prepared as a background document for use by US Government agencies and US businesses interested in becoming involved with the new democracies of Eastern Europe as they pursue sustainable economic development. The focus of the Profile is on energy and highlights information on Hungary`s energy supply, demand, and utilization. It identifies patterns of energy usage in the important economic sectors, especially industry, and provides a preliminary assessment for opportunities to improve efficiencies in energy production, distribution and use by introducing more efficient technologies. The use of more efficient technologies would have the added benefit ofmore » reducing the environmental impact which, although is not the focus of the report, is an issue that effects energy choices. The Profile also presents considerable economic information, primarily in the context of how economic restructuring may affect energy supply, demand, and the introduction of more efficient technologies.« less

  19. Country profile: Hungary

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

    Not Available

    1991-09-01

    Country Profile: Hungary has been prepared as a background document for use by US Government agencies and US businesses interested in becoming involved with the new democracies of Eastern Europe as they pursue sustainable economic development. The focus of the Profile is on energy and highlights information on Hungary's energy supply, demand, and utilization. It identifies patterns of energy usage in the important economic sectors, especially industry, and provides a preliminary assessment for opportunities to improve efficiencies in energy production, distribution and use by introducing more efficient technologies. The use of more efficient technologies would have the added benefit ofmore » reducing the environmental impact which, although is not the focus of the report, is an issue that effects energy choices. The Profile also presents considerable economic information, primarily in the context of how economic restructuring may affect energy supply, demand, and the introduction of more efficient technologies.« less

  20. Imaged document information location and extraction using an optical correlator

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Stalcup, Bruce W.; Dennis, Phillip W.; Dydyk, Robert B.

    1999-12-01

    Today, the paper document is fast becoming a thing of the past. With the rapid development of fast, inexpensive computing and storage devices, many government and private organizations are archiving their documents in electronic form (e.g., personnel records, medical records, patents, etc.). Many of these organizations are converting their paper archives to electronic images, which are then stored in a computer database. Because of this, there is a need to efficiently organize this data into comprehensive and accessible information resources and provide for rapid access to the information contained within these imaged documents. To meet this need, Litton PRC and Litton Data Systems Division are developing a system, the Imaged Document Optical Correlation and Conversion System (IDOCCS), to provide a total solution to the problem of managing and retrieving textual and graphic information from imaged document archives. At the heart of IDOCCS, optical correlation technology provide a means for the search and retrieval of information from imaged documents. IDOCCS can be used to rapidly search for key words or phrases within the imaged document archives and has the potential to determine the types of languages contained within a document. In addition, IDOCCS can automatically compare an input document with the archived database to determine if it is a duplicate, thereby reducing the overall resources required to maintain and access the document database. Embedded graphics on imaged pages can also be exploited, e.g., imaged documents containing an agency's seal or logo can be singled out. In this paper, we present a description of IDOCCS as well as preliminary performance results and theoretical projections.

  1. The application of foraging theory to the information searching behaviour of general practitioners.

    PubMed

    Dwairy, Mai; Dowell, Anthony C; Stahl, Jean-Claude

    2011-08-23

    General Practitioners (GPs) employ strategies to identify and retrieve medical evidence for clinical decision making which take workload and time constraints into account. Optimal Foraging Theory (OFT) initially developed to study animal foraging for food is used to explore the information searching behaviour of General Practitioners. This study is the first to apply foraging theory within this context.Study objectives were: 1. To identify the sequence and steps deployed in identifiying and retrieving evidence for clinical decision making. 2. To utilise Optimal Foraging Theory to assess the effectiveness and efficiency of General Practitioner information searching. GPs from the Wellington region of New Zealand were asked to document in a pre-formatted logbook the steps and outcomes of an information search linked to their clinical decision making, and fill in a questionnaire about their personal, practice and information-searching backgrounds. A total of 115/155 eligible GPs returned a background questionnaire, and 71 completed their information search logbook. GPs spent an average of 17.7 minutes addressing their search for clinical information. Their preferred information sources were discussions with colleagues (38% of sources) and books (22%). These were the two most profitable information foraging sources (15.9 min and 9.5 min search time per answer, compared to 34.3 minutes in databases). GPs nearly always accessed another source when unsuccessful (95% after 1st source), and frequently when successful (43% after 2nd source). Use of multiple sources accounted for 41% of searches, and increased search success from 70% to 89%. By consulting in foraging terms the most 'profitable' sources of information (colleagues, books), rapidly switching sources when unsuccessful, and frequently double checking, GPs achieve an efficient trade-off between maximizing search success and information reliability, and minimizing searching time. As predicted by foraging theory, GPs trade time-consuming evidence-based (electronic) information sources for sources with a higher information reward per unit time searched. Evidence-based practice must accommodate these 'real world' foraging pressures, and Internet resources should evolve to deliver information as effectively as traditional methods of information gathering.

  2. Facilitating access to information in large documents with an intelligent hypertext system

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Mathe, Nathalie

    1993-01-01

    Retrieving specific information from large amounts of documentation is not an easy task. It could be facilitated if information relevant in the current problem solving context could be automatically supplied to the user. As a first step towards this goal, we have developed an intelligent hypertext system called CID (Computer Integrated Documentation) and tested it on the Space Station Freedom requirement documents. The CID system enables integration of various technical documents in a hypertext framework and includes an intelligent context-sensitive indexing and retrieval mechanism. This mechanism utilizes on-line user information requirements and relevance feedback either to reinforce current indexing in case of success or to generate new knowledge in case of failure. This allows the CID system to provide helpful responses, based on previous usage of the documentation, and to improve its performance over time.

  3. SRS ecology: Environmental information document

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

    Wike, L.D.; Shipley, R.W.; Bowers, J.A.

    The purpose of this Document is to provide a source of ecological information based on the exiting knowledge gained from research conducted at the Savannah River Site. This document provides a summary and synthesis of ecological research in the three main ecosystem types found at SRS and information on the threatened and endangered species residing there.

  4. 77 FR 71432 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Application for Travel Document, Form Number I-131...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-11-30

    ...-0013] Agency Information Collection Activities: Application for Travel Document, Form Number I-131... information collection as DACA recipients that can establish a need to travel outside of the United States based on humanitarian, employment or education reasons will be able to request advance parole documents...

  5. Baby Killers: Documentation and Evolution of Scuttle Fly (Diptera: Phoridae) Parasitism of Ant (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) Brood

    PubMed Central

    Brown, Brian V.; Hash, John M.; Porras, Wendy; Amorim, Dalton de Souza

    2017-01-01

    Abstract Background Numerous well-documented associations occur among species of scuttle flies (Diptera: Phoridae) and ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), but examples of brood parasitism are rare and the mechanisms of parasitism often remain unsubstantiated. New information We present two video-documented examples of ant brood (larvae and pupae) parasitism by scuttle flies. In footage from Estação Biológica de Boracéia in Brazil, adult females of Ceratoconus setipennis Borgmeier can be seen attacking workers of Linepithema humile (Mayr) species group while they are carrying brood, and ovipositing directly onto brood in the nest. In another remarkable example, footage from the Soltis Center, near Peñas Blancas in Costa Rica, shows adult females of an unidentified species of the Apocephalus grandipalpus Borgmeier group mounting Pheidole Westwood brood upside-down and ovipositing while the brood are being transported by workers. Analysis of evolutionary relationships (in preparation) among Apocephalus Coquillett species shows that this is a newly derived behavior within the genus, as the A. grandipalpus group arises within a group of adult ant parasitoids. In contrast, relationships of Ceratoconus Borgmeier have not been studied, and the lifestyles of the other species in the genus are largely unknown. PMID:28325980

  6. The Views of Healthcare Professionals, Drug Developers and Regulators on Information about Older People Needed for Rational Drug Prescription

    PubMed Central

    Beers, Erna; Egberts, Toine C. G.; Leufkens, Hubert G. M.; Jansen, Paul A. F.

    2013-01-01

    Background The ICH E7 guideline intends to improve the knowledge about medicines in geriatric patients. As a legislative document, it might not reflect the needs of healthcare professionals. This study investigated what information healthcare professionals, regulatory agencies and pharmaceutical industries consider necessary for rational drug prescribing to older individuals. Methods and Findings A 29-item-questionnaire was composed, considering the representation in trials, pharmacokinetics, efficacy, safety, and convenience of use in older individuals, with space for additions. Forty-three European professionals with an interest in medication for older individuals were included. In order to investigate their relevance, five items were included in a second questionnaire, with 11 control items. Median scores, differences between clinical and non-clinical respondents and response consistency were analysed. Consistency was present in 10 control items. Therefore, all items of the first questionnaire and the five additional items were analysed. Thirty-seven (86%) respondents returned the first questionnaire; 31/37 (84%) the second. Information about age-related differences in adverse events, locomotor effects, drug-disease interactions, dosing instructions, and information about the proportion of included 65+ patients was considered necessary by most respondents. Clinicians considered information significantly more important than the non-clinical respondents about the inclusion of 75+, time-until-benefit in older people, anticholinergic effects, drug-disease interactions, and convenience of use. Main study limitations are the focus on information for daily practice, while the ICH E7 guideline is a legislative document focused on market approval of a new medicine. Also, a questionnaire with a Likert scale has its limitations; this was addressed by providing space for comments. Conclusions This study reveals that items considered necessary are currently not included in the ICH E7 guideline. Also, clinicians’ and non-clinicians’ opinions differed significantly in 15% of the items. Therefore, all stakeholders should collaborate to improve the availability of information for the rational prescribing to older individuals. PMID:23977208

  7. Volcanology Curricula Development Aided by Online Educational Resource

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Poland, Michael P.; van der Hoeven Kraft, Katrien J.; Teasdale, Rachel

    2011-03-01

    Using On-Line Volcano Monitoring Data in College and University Courses: The Volcano Exploration Project: Pu`u `Ō`ō (VEPP); Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Hawaii, 26-30 July 2010; Volcanic activity is an excellent hook for engaging college and university students in geoscience classes. An increasing number of Internet-accessible real-time and near-real time volcano monitoring data are now available and constitute an important resource for geoscience education; however, relatively few data sets are comprehensive, and many lack background information to aid in interpretation. In response to the need for organized, accessible, and well-documented volcano education resources, the U.S. Geological Survey's Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO), in collaboration with NASA and the University of Hawai`i at Manoa, established the Volcanoes Exploration Project: Pu`u `Ō`ō (VEPP). The VEPP Web site (http://vepp.wr.usgs.gov) is an educational resource that provides access, in near real time, to geodetic, seismic, and geologic data from the active Pu`u `Ō`ō eruptive vent on Kilauea volcano, Hawaii, along with background and context information. A strength of the VEPP site is the common theme of the Pu`u `Ō`ō eruption, which allows the site to be revisited multiple times to demonstrate different principles and integrate many aspects of volcanology.

  8. Volcanology curricula development aided by online educational resource

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Poland, Michael P.; Van Der Hoeven, Kraft; Teasdale, R.

    2011-01-01

    Using On-Line Volcano Monitoring Data in College and University Courses: The Volcano Exploration Project: Pu`u `Ō`ō (VEPP); Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Hawaii, 26–30 July 2010; Volcanic activity is an excellent hook for engaging college and university students in geoscience classes. An increasing number of Internet-accessible real-time and near–real time volcano monitoring data are now available and constitute an important resource for geoscience education; however, relatively few data sets are comprehensive, and many lack background information to aid in interpretation. In response to the need for organized, accessible, and well-documented volcano education resources, the U.S. Geological Survey's Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO), in collaboration with NASA and the University of Hawai`i at Manoa, established the Volcanoes Exploration Project: Pu`u `Ō`ō (VEPP). The VEPP Web site (http://vepp.wr.usgs.gov) is an educational resource that provides access, in near real time, to geodetic, seismic, and geologic data from the active Pu`u `Ō`ō eruptive vent on Kilauea volcano, Hawaii, along with background and context information. A strength of the VEPP site is the common theme of the Pu`u `Ō`ō eruption, which allows the site to be revisited multiple times to demonstrate different principles and integrate many aspects of volcanology.

  9. WikiHyperGlossary (WHG): an information literacy technology for chemistry documents.

    PubMed

    Bauer, Michael A; Berleant, Daniel; Cornell, Andrew P; Belford, Robert E

    2015-01-01

    The WikiHyperGlossary is an information literacy technology that was created to enhance reading comprehension of documents by connecting them to socially generated multimedia definitions as well as semantically relevant data. The WikiHyperGlossary enhances reading comprehension by using the lexicon of a discipline to generate dynamic links in a document to external resources that can provide implicit information the document did not explicitly provide. Currently, the most common method to acquire additional information when reading a document is to access a search engine and browse the web. This may lead to skimming of multiple documents with the novice actually never returning to the original document of interest. The WikiHyperGlossary automatically brings information to the user within the current document they are reading, enhancing the potential for deeper document understanding. The WikiHyperGlossary allows users to submit a web URL or text to be processed against a chosen lexicon, returning the document with tagged terms. The selection of a tagged term results in the appearance of the WikiHyperGlossary Portlet containing a definition, and depending on the type of word, tabs to additional information and resources. Current types of content include multimedia enhanced definitions, ChemSpider query results, 3D molecular structures, and 2D editable structures connected to ChemSpider queries. Existing glossaries can be bulk uploaded, locked for editing and associated with multiple social generated definitions. The WikiHyperGlossary leverages both social and semantic web technologies to bring relevant information to a document. This can not only aid reading comprehension, but increases the users' ability to obtain additional information within the document. We have demonstrated a molecular editor enabled knowledge framework that can result in a semantic web inductive reasoning process, and integration of the WikiHyperGlossary into other software technologies, like the Jikitou Biomedical Question and Answer system. Although this work was developed in the chemical sciences and took advantage of open science resources and initiatives, the technology is extensible to other knowledge domains. Through the DeepLit (Deeper Literacy: Connecting Documents to Data and Discourse) startup, we seek to extend WikiHyperGlossary technologies to other knowledge domains, and integrate them into other knowledge acquisition workflows.

  10. The Need for Precise and Well-documented Experimental Data on Prompt Fission Neutron Spectra from Neutron-induced Fission of {sup 239}Pu

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

    Neudecker, D., E-mail: dneudecker@lanl.gov; Taddeucci, T.N.; Haight, R.C.

    2016-01-15

    The spectrum of neutrons emitted promptly after {sup 239}Pu(n,f)—a so-called prompt fission neutron spectrum (PFNS)—is a quantity of high interest, for instance, for reactor physics and global security. However, there are only few experimental data sets available that are suitable for evaluations. In addition, some of those data sets differ by more than their 1-σ uncertainty boundaries. We present the results of MCNP studies indicating that these differences are partly caused by underestimated multiple scattering contributions, over-corrected background, and inconsistent deconvolution methods. A detailed uncertainty quantification for suitable experimental data was undertaken including these effects, and test-evaluations were performed withmore » the improved uncertainty information. The test-evaluations illustrate that the inadequately estimated effects and detailed uncertainty quantification have an impact on the evaluated PFNS and associated uncertainties as well as the neutron multiplicity of selected critical assemblies. A summary of data and documentation needs to improve the quality of the experimental database is provided based on the results of simulations and test-evaluations. Given the possibly substantial distortion of the PFNS by multiple scattering and background effects, special care should be taken to reduce these effects in future measurements, e.g., by measuring the {sup 239}Pu PFNS as a ratio to either the {sup 235}U or {sup 252}Cf PFNS.« less

  11. Advance Care Planning Documentation in Electronic Health Records: Current Challenges and Recommendations for Change.

    PubMed

    Lamas, Daniela; Panariello, Natalie; Henrich, Natalie; Hammes, Bernard; Hanson, Laura C; Meier, Diane E; Guinn, Nancy; Corrigan, Janet; Hubber, Sean; Luetke-Stahlman, Hannah; Block, Susan

    2018-04-01

    To develop a set of clinically relevant recommendations to improve the state of advance care planning (ACP) documentation in the electronic health record (EHR). Advance care planning (ACP) is a key process that supports goal-concordant care. For preferences to be honored, clinicians must be able to reliably record, find, and use ACP documentation. However, there are no standards to guide ACP documentation in the electronic health record (EHR). We interviewed 21 key informants to understand the strengths and weaknesses of EHR documentation systems for ACP and identify best practices. We analyzed these interviews using a qualitative content analysis approach and subsequently developed a preliminary set of recommendations. These recommendations were vetted and refined in a second round of input from a national panel of content experts. Informants identified six themes regarding current inadequacies in documentation and accessibility of ACP information and opportunities for improvement. We offer a set of concise, clinically relevant recommendations, informed by expert opinion, to improve the state of ACP documentation in the EHR.

  12. NASA software documentation standard software engineering program

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1991-01-01

    The NASA Software Documentation Standard (hereinafter referred to as Standard) can be applied to the documentation of all NASA software. This Standard is limited to documentation format and content requirements. It does not mandate specific management, engineering, or assurance standards or techniques. This Standard defines the format and content of documentation for software acquisition, development, and sustaining engineering. Format requirements address where information shall be recorded and content requirements address what information shall be recorded. This Standard provides a framework to allow consistency of documentation across NASA and visibility into the completeness of project documentation. This basic framework consists of four major sections (or volumes). The Management Plan contains all planning and business aspects of a software project, including engineering and assurance planning. The Product Specification contains all technical engineering information, including software requirements and design. The Assurance and Test Procedures contains all technical assurance information, including Test, Quality Assurance (QA), and Verification and Validation (V&V). The Management, Engineering, and Assurance Reports is the library and/or listing of all project reports.

  13. Digital Accessible Knowledge and well-inventoried sites for birds in Mexico: baseline sites for measuring faunistic change

    PubMed Central

    Navarro-Sigüenza, Adolfo G.; Martínez-Meyer, Enrique

    2016-01-01

    Background Faunal change is a basic and fundamental element in ecology, biogeography, and conservation biology, yet vanishingly few detailed studies have documented such changes rigorously over decadal time scales. This study responds to that gap in knowledge, providing a detailed analysis of Digital Accessible Knowledge of the birds of Mexico, designed to marshal DAK to identify sites that were sampled and inventoried rigorously prior to the beginning of major global climate change (1980). Methods We accumulated DAK records for Mexican birds from all relevant online biodiversity data portals. After extensive cleaning steps, we calculated completeness indices for each 0.05° pixel across the country; we also detected ‘hotspots’ of sampling, and calculated completeness indices for these broader areas as well. Sites were designated as well-sampled if they had completeness indices above 80% and >200 associated DAK records. Results We identified 100 individual pixels and 20 broader ‘hotspots’ of sampling that were demonstrably well-inventoried prior to 1980. These sites are catalogued and documented to promote and enable resurvey efforts that can document events of avifaunal change (and non-change) across the country on decadal time scales. Conclusions Development of repeated surveys for many sites across Mexico, and particularly for sites for which historical surveys document their avifaunas prior to major climate change processes, would pay rich rewards in information about distributional dynamics of Mexican birds. PMID:27651986

  14. Xyce parallel electronic simulator design.

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

    Thornquist, Heidi K.; Rankin, Eric Lamont; Mei, Ting

    2010-09-01

    This document is the Xyce Circuit Simulator developer guide. Xyce has been designed from the 'ground up' to be a SPICE-compatible, distributed memory parallel circuit simulator. While it is in many respects a research code, Xyce is intended to be a production simulator. As such, having software quality engineering (SQE) procedures in place to insure a high level of code quality and robustness are essential. Version control, issue tracking customer support, C++ style guildlines and the Xyce release process are all described. The Xyce Parallel Electronic Simulator has been under development at Sandia since 1999. Historically, Xyce has mostly beenmore » funded by ASC, the original focus of Xyce development has primarily been related to circuits for nuclear weapons. However, this has not been the only focus and it is expected that the project will diversify. Like many ASC projects, Xyce is a group development effort, which involves a number of researchers, engineers, scientists, mathmaticians and computer scientists. In addition to diversity of background, it is to be expected on long term projects for there to be a certain amount of staff turnover, as people move on to different projects. As a result, it is very important that the project maintain high software quality standards. The point of this document is to formally document a number of the software quality practices followed by the Xyce team in one place. Also, it is hoped that this document will be a good source of information for new developers.« less

  15. Medicinal Plants Used by Traditional Healers in Sangurur, Elgeyo Marakwet County, Kenya

    PubMed Central

    Kigen, Gabriel; Kipkore, Wilson; Wanjohi, Bernard; Haruki, Boniface; Kemboi, Jemutai

    2017-01-01

    Background: Although herbal medical products are still widely used in Kenya, many of the medicinal plants used by traditional medical practitioners (TMPs) have not been documented, despite several challenges that are now threatening the sustainability of the practice. Objective: To document the medicinal plants and healing methods used by TMPs in a region of Kenya with several recognized herbalists for potential research. Materials and Methods: Semi-structured interviews, group discussions, and direct observations were used to collect ethnopharmacological information. The participant's bio-data, clinical conditions treated, methods of treatment, medicinal plants used, methods of preparation and administration, and dosage forms were recorded. Results: A total of 99 medicinal plants and 12 complementary preparations employed in the treatment of 64 medical conditions were identified. The most widely used plant was Rotala tenella which was used to treat nine medicinal conditions; seven each for Aloe tweediae and Dovyalis abyssinica; and six each for Basella alba and Euclea divinorum. The plants belonged to 55 families with Fabaceae family being the most frequently used (10), followed by Apocynaceae and Solanaceae, each with six species, respectively. We identified plants used to determine the sex of an unborn baby and those used to treat several conditions including anthrax and cerebral malaria and herbs used to detoxify meat from an animal that has died from anthrax. Of special interest was R. tenella which is used to prevent muscle injury. Conclusions: We have documented several plants with potential therapeutic effects. Further research may be conducted to determine their efficacy. SUMMARY The medicinal plants used by traditional healers in a community which still practices herbal medicine in Kenya were documented. A total of 99 medicinal plants and 12 complementary preparations employed in the treatment of 64 medical conditions were identified. Further research may be carried out in order to determine their therapeutic efficacies. Abbreviations Used: Fic: Informant consensus factor, Nur: Number of use reports in each category, Ns: Number of reported species, TMPs: Traditional medical practitioners. PMID:29263626

  16. Diversity of flora used for the cure of equine diseases in selected peri-urban areas of Punjab, Pakistan

    PubMed Central

    2013-01-01

    Background Plants have widely been used and documented for their therapeutic potential in many parts of the world. There are, however, few reports on the use of plants for the treatment of diseases of equines. To this end, participatory epidemiology and rapid rural appraisal techniques were used to document the plants having pharmacotherapeutic significance against different ailments of equines in selected population of Punjab, Pakistan. Methods A survey was conducted to interview a total of 450 respondents (150 from each of the districts of Faisalabad, Lahore and Sargodha of Pakistan) to collect information about disease recognition of the equines and their treatment on a well − structured questionnaire. A total of 60 plants belonging to 40 families were documented. An inventory was developed depicting detailed information of plants used in treatment of different conditions of equines. Results The top ten species of plants used were: Allium cepa, Zingiber officinale, Vernonia anthelmintica, Capsicum annum, Brassica campestris, Trachyspermum ammi, Anethum graveolens, Picrorhiza kurroa, Azadirachta indica, and Citrullus colocynthis. Seeds were the most frequently used (n = 16/60) parts, followed by leaves (n = 12/60) and fruits (n = 11/60) of plants. Based on the combination of different parts of plants used in different ratios and variation in their dose or mode of preparation led to a large number of recipes/remedies against wounds, lameness, bronchitis, colic, anorexia, dermatitis, weakness, parasitism (internal & external), fever, heat stress, urine retention, swelling, toxemia, and indigestion. Conclusions This study generated lot of data on phytomedicinal approach for the treatment of ailments in the equines in some selected areas. It would, therefore, be imperative to expand similar studies in other parts of Pakistan and elsewhere. Moreover, use of the documented plants may be validated employing standard scientific procedures, which may have their application in the drug discovery/development by the pharmaceutical industry. PMID:24283263

  17. Automatic de-identification of textual documents in the electronic health record: a review of recent research

    PubMed Central

    2010-01-01

    Background In the United States, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) protects the confidentiality of patient data and requires the informed consent of the patient and approval of the Internal Review Board to use data for research purposes, but these requirements can be waived if data is de-identified. For clinical data to be considered de-identified, the HIPAA "Safe Harbor" technique requires 18 data elements (called PHI: Protected Health Information) to be removed. The de-identification of narrative text documents is often realized manually, and requires significant resources. Well aware of these issues, several authors have investigated automated de-identification of narrative text documents from the electronic health record, and a review of recent research in this domain is presented here. Methods This review focuses on recently published research (after 1995), and includes relevant publications from bibliographic queries in PubMed, conference proceedings, the ACM Digital Library, and interesting publications referenced in already included papers. Results The literature search returned more than 200 publications. The majority focused only on structured data de-identification instead of narrative text, on image de-identification, or described manual de-identification, and were therefore excluded. Finally, 18 publications describing automated text de-identification were selected for detailed analysis of the architecture and methods used, the types of PHI detected and removed, the external resources used, and the types of clinical documents targeted. All text de-identification systems aimed to identify and remove person names, and many included other types of PHI. Most systems used only one or two specific clinical document types, and were mostly based on two different groups of methodologies: pattern matching and machine learning. Many systems combined both approaches for different types of PHI, but the majority relied only on pattern matching, rules, and dictionaries. Conclusions In general, methods based on dictionaries performed better with PHI that is rarely mentioned in clinical text, but are more difficult to generalize. Methods based on machine learning tend to perform better, especially with PHI that is not mentioned in the dictionaries used. Finally, the issues of anonymization, sufficient performance, and "over-scrubbing" are discussed in this publication. PMID:20678228

  18. Chronic disease prevention policy in British Columbia and Ontario in light of public health renewal: a comparative policy analysis

    PubMed Central

    2013-01-01

    Background Public health strategies that focus on legislative and policy change involving chronic disease risk factors such as unhealthy diet and physical inactivity have the potential to prevent chronic diseases and improve quality of life as a whole. However, many public health policies introduced as part of public health reform have not yet been analyzed, such as in British Columbia and Ontario. The purpose of this paper is to present the results of a descriptive, comparative analysis of public health policies related to the Healthy Living Core Program in British Columbia and Chronic Disease Prevention Standard in Ontario that are intended to prevent a range of chronic diseases by promoting healthy eating and physical activity, among other things. Methods Policy documents were found through Internet search engines and Ministry websites, at the guidance of policy experts. These included government documents as well as documents from non-governmental organizations that were implementing policies and programs at a provincial level. Documents (n = 31) were then analysed using thematic content analysis to classify, describe and compare policies in a systematic fashion, using the software NVivo. Results Three main categories emerged from the analysis of documents: 1) goals for chronic disease prevention in British Columbia and Ontario, 2) components of chronic disease prevention policies, and 3) expected outputs of chronic disease prevention interventions. Although there were many similarities between the two provinces, they differed somewhat in terms of their approach to issues such as evidence, equity, and policy components. Some expected outputs were adoption of healthy behaviours, use of information, healthy environments and increased public awareness. Conclusions The two provincial policies present different approaches to support the implementation of related programs. Differences may be related to contextual factors such as program delivery structures and different philosophical approaches underlying the two frameworks. These differences and possible explanations for them are important to understand because they serve to contextualize the differences in health outcomes across the two provinces that might eventually be observed. This analysis informs future public health policy directions as the two provinces can learn from each other. PMID:24099140

  19. PS1-20: VDW Operational Committee: Current Activities and Future Directions

    PubMed Central

    Brown, Jeffrey; McDonald, Sarah; Moore, Kristen; Saylor, Gwyn; Hart, Gene; Hornbrook, Mark; Magid, David; Go, Alan

    2010-01-01

    Background/Aims: The Virtual Data Warehouse (VDW) is the HMO Research Network (HMORN) approach for facilitating multisite research while protecting the privacy of members and proprietary corporate information. A valid and sustainable VDW is critical to the success of the HMORN, and is needed for HMORN’s inclusion in many of the most important public health initiatives planned for the next few years. Methods: In November 2007 the HMORN Governing Board approved the VDW 5-Year Strategic Plan, including creation of a VDW Operational Committee (VOC), reporting to the Assets Stewardship Committee (ASC) and providing coordinated oversight of the development, maintenance, and enhancement of the VDW. The seven members of the VOC are investigators and analysts representing HMORN’s major consortia projects: CERT, CVRN and CRN. Results: In 2008, the VOC accomplished two major short term goals: Creation of a comprehensive data quality checking system, implemented by seven content area expert Working Groups (WGs) consisting of 23 investigators and 23 programmer\\analysts. The content areas of the WGs are enrollment and demographics, pharmacy, utilization, tumor, vital signs, laboratory, and census. The WGs assessed data availability and completeness for their content area and reported findings to the VOC and ASC, including recommendations for changes and enhancements. WG reports will form the basis for ongoing VDW documentation that will be used to standardize HMORN VDW descriptions for grants and proposals; Development of a budget, staffing plan and priorities for 2009. The 2009 priorities include development of VOC standard operating procedures for creating new data content areas and changing current data areas/definitions, documenting policies for use of the VDW, promoting use of the VDW, and creation of additional WGs for death (new VDW content area), informatics, implementation, and data documentation. The documentation WG will oversee issues such as data dictionaries, data checking documentation, programming resources, a clinical concepts library, user guides, and incorporating updated VDW information in the HMORN Collaboration Toolkit. Looking forward, the VDW 5-year Strategic Plan includes streamlining IRB approval for multisite research and enhancing HMORN informatics capabilities. Conclusions: The newly created VOC has made substantial progress in helping make the HMORN VDW an even more valuable and useful resource for the network.

  20. Computer virus information update CIAC-2301

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

    Orvis, W.J.

    1994-01-15

    While CIAC periodically issues bulletins about specific computer viruses, these bulletins do not cover all the computer viruses that affect desktop computers. The purpose of this document is to identify most of the known viruses for the MS-DOS and Macintosh platforms and give an overview of the effects of each virus. The authors also include information on some windows, Atari, and Amiga viruses. This document is revised periodically as new virus information becomes available. This document replaces all earlier versions of the CIAC Computer virus Information Update. The date on the front cover indicates date on which the information inmore » this document was extracted from CIAC`s Virus database.« less

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